EVs for Everyone Connects Drivers to Electric Vehicles

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EVs for Everyone Connects Drivers to Electric Vehicles

A new program aims to make electric vehicles accessible to drivers without breaking the bank.

Tyler Port-Gaarn works as a teacher in the Pajaro Valley Unified School District. He doesn’t drive far for work, but an electric vehicle always seemed too expensive and small to fit his needs.

After hearing about government incentives and the available options, he reconsidered. He signed up for the EVs for Everyone program, hosted by local environmental groups like Ecology Action in Santa Cruz and Regeneración-Pajaro Valley Climate Action in Watsonville. 

A few months later, Port-Gaarn purchased a 2015 Chevrolet Volt. The car is a hybrid—so he can rely on gasoline during long trips—and roomy enough to fit multiple surfboards and fishing poles.

“I really enjoy it,” he said. 

Port-Gaarn said he has since told a few other people about the EVs for Everyone program. 

“I think [electric vehicles are] the way transportation is moving forward in the future,” he said.

The program pairs volunteer and staff advisors with interested buyers to help them find and apply for electric vehicle grants and rebates.

“We have 285 people that we have assigned to advisors, and we have 24 people who have actually purchased an EV,” said Sabrina Delk, the EV program and events specialist at Ecology Action.

Delk emphasizes that the advisors are not salespeople.

“A lot of us just want to be good environmental stewards, and we want to help people get into electric vehicles,” she said, adding that several of the advisors own electric vehicles themselves.

One of the barriers to becoming an electric vehicle owner is accessing the incentives and rebates. Advisors complete training sessions on how to find and apply for these state, regional and federal programs. They then walk interested buyers through the process.

“We have some advisors that will even go to the dealer with you and help negotiate a lease price or a purchase price,” Delk said.

Port-Gaarn said the entire process took a few months. He completed an online survey for the program and waited to hear back about his eligibility. Then, with the help of purchase guidance advisor Michael Saint, he applied for a $5,000 grant and a $700 rebate. The Volt ended up costing him $7,900 instead of the original $13,600.

The EVs for Everyone program advertises that some people might qualify for up to $14,000 in savings or even a free lease. But it takes digging.

“One of the reasons why we exist and are doing this is because these rebates and incentives are complicated,” Delk said. “They’re ever-changing… they’re all separate programs that you have to access individually.”

Ecology Action and partners started the program with grant funding from Electrify America. By helping people switch from gasoline to electric vehicles, they hope to lower emissions and improve air quality.

The EVs for Everyone program is available in English and Spanish from Santa Cruz County down to Ventura County.

“We’re on the brink of something big,” Delk said. “Electric vehicles are the way of the future.”

To get involved, visit evsforeveryone.org.

Monolith Installations Urge Community to Get Vaccinated Against Covid-19

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Monolith Installations Urge Community to Get Vaccinated Against Covid-19

Over the past few weeks, monolith displays urging residents to get vaccinated against Covid-19 have popped up across Santa Cruz County.

The installations were organized by Crush Covid, a local group of volunteers made up of retired women (many with backgrounds in health care), and young people from UCSC and local nonprofits. The group aims to help the county reach herd immunity, which will occur when 80-85% of county residents are fully vaccinated.

Each display includes a thermometer-like chart, showing the county’s progress. They will be updated as new data is released.

Caroline Bliss-Isberg of Crush Covid said the monoliths are just the latest in a long line of projects they have been working on during the pandemic. Since January, they have mailed close to 2,000 postcards to national and state elected officials urging increased production and distribution of vaccines; displayed large banners on overpasses above Highway 1 urging residents to get vaccinated; and, with help from the Artists Respond and Resist Together organization, placed hundreds of painted rocks with “Crush Covid” slogans around the county.

In addition, Crush Covid has volunteered at events and clinics aimed at getting at-risk people vaccinated. Along with Dignity Health, they recently helped organize a clandestine vaccine clinic for undocumented farmworker families from Oaxaca, Mexico.

“South County has had the highest rates of Covid cases and deaths,” said Crush Covid member Dr. Susan Hughmanick. “We were concerned to get farmworkers and families that live in multi-generational households vaccinated as soon as possible.”

Santa Cruz County is doing relatively well in the vaccination effort, Bliss-Isberg said. As of May 10, the county had reached 49.1% of fully vaccinated residents.

“That’s over halfway to 80%, which is great,” said Bliss-Isberg. “And we’re up in the mid-60s of people who have been partially vaccinated. Despite the doom and gloom nationally to get to herd immunity, I have great faith that Santa Cruz County will make it.”

To create the monolith displays, Crush Covid was assisted by Community Printers, who had been involved in a recent Mask Up campaign and had leftover posters. The business agreed to help, and to match any donations that Crush Covid came up with for the printing job.

Within 24 hours of putting the word out, Bliss-Isberg said they had enough donation pledges to cover it, and checks came in just days later. After the displays were created, they began installing them at various locations, including inside businesses, on street corners, at post offices, libraries and more.

Hughmanick hopes they will encourage young people to get the vaccine. Since mid-April, people age 16 years and older have been eligible. However, some remain hesitant. Crush Covid is looking into new ways to incentivize them, including possible pop-up clinics and discounts at local businesses. 

“We want to reach the young people,” Hughmanick said. “New variants … like the UK variant is affecting them more and more.”

Added Bliss-Isberg: “A lot of people who are hesitant … they’re not the ardent anti-vax crowd. They’re just curious and want more information. But it’s clear that any kind of fear that you have of the vaccine is minimal compared to what kind of fear you should have of getting Covid, or having your loved ones get Covid.”

Both Bliss-Isberg and Hughmanick praised their fellow Crush Covid members and the Santa Cruz County community at large for their ongoing efforts in vaccine distribution.

“When you think about the problems that our health department has dealt with about vaccines …. That’s such a small segment of our population,” Bliss-Isberg said. “For the most part, our community is really generous and civic-minded.”


Dozens Sound Off on Food Trucks in Watsonville Forum

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Dozens Sound Off on Food Trucks in Watsonville Forum

Dozens attended Tuesday night’s Watsonville City Council meeting to rebuke complaints lodged to the City Manager’s office about mobile food vendors.

This included about a half-dozen food truck operators gathered on one device that took turns grilling the City Council and staff holding the “Study Session,” or community forum. Most of them spoke in Spanish, and clapping could be heard over the virtual meeting after each one of them was finished with their comments.

“All we’re doing is working, and all we want is for you to let us keep working to support our families,” said Jose Ortiz, owner of El Volcan.

The City Council took no action on the item, which appeared on the agenda without a staff report, causing confusion and worry among food truck operators in Watsonville.

The meeting—and lead-up to it—was a near carbon copy of the previous community forum held by the City Council in 2015. Dozens of food vendors showed up to the council chambers for that meeting to push back on a rumored food truck ban.

Mayor Jimmy Dutra and other City Council members, before, during and after Tuesday’s meeting insisted that they were not trying to outlaw the vendors, and that they were simply trying to get feedback from the community.

That did little to sway those in attendance who said that the alleged complaints against food trucks were a social justice issue. Those in support of the trucks also said that there should be less restrictions on their operations, that the permitting process should be streamlined and that the city should establish programs and events that showcase the industry and allow those operators to grow into brick-and-mortar locations.

“I think we’re focusing on a problem that doesn’t exist,” said former Watsonville City Councilman Felipe Hernandez, now a trustee on the Cabrillo College Governing Board. “Let’s be fair, equitable and just and do the right thing. Don’t cause our next set of entrepreneurs any harm.”

As was the case in 2015, the City Council told staff to provide increased outreach and education to truck operators to ensure they were permitted, and asked to simplify the application process.

But, unlike the previous instance, Community Development Department Director Suzi Merriam said that the City Council has made it clear that it wants to make various updates to its traveling merchant ordinance—the document that governs food trucks and other mobile vendors.

Among the changes suggested by the City Council Tuesday: 

  • Removing Watsonville Police Department as the agency responsible for enforcement;
  • Creating programs to help food trucks grow into brick-and-mortar stores; and
  • Creating food truck events, zones or parks where they can operate freely.

Changes won’t come for several months, Merriam said.

“I’m hopeful, though, that when we do draft the changes we can make provisions for special events and perhaps even catering truck parks as discussed last night to really provide an outlet and venue for our local trucks in the future,” she wrote in an email Wednesday.

The City Council last updated its rules around mobile food vendors in 2008. They established when, where and for how long those vendors could stay and what permits they needed to operate within city limits.

Mobile food vendors require a permit from the police department and a business license from the city. They also need to pass an inspection from County Environmental Health and the fire department.

According to the municipal code, mobile food vendors can only operate in residential areas and they can only stay in one location for no more than five minutes. But an exemption baked into the rules undermines those restrictions, and essentially allows them to remain in one place in perpetuity, so long as the property or business owner, in writing, gives them permission.

That exemption, according to city staff, has caused some brick-and-mortar businesses to raise concerns that food trucks are eating into their profits, a reported issue that they say has been compounded by the Covid-19-related restrictions on indoor dining.

Only one person spoke in favor of imposing additional fees on food trucks. Taqueria Mi Tierra owner Fernando Munoz said that the trucks have a competitive advantage over traditional restaurants because they do not pay property taxes to the county and utilities fees to the city. He suggested the city impose an annual fee on the property owners who rent space out to the food trucks, or the food truck operator so that it can better enforce its permitting and compliance requirements.

But food truck operators say they are paying their fair share by renting space at a community kitchen or commissary, and that there is little overlap between their services and that of the city’s traditional restaurants, many of which are closed after 9pm.

Carmen Herrera-Mansir, the executive director of El Pajaro CDC, a nonprofit that for more than 40 years has helped small entrepreneurs start and grow their business, said that many local successful brick-and-mortars began as mobile or at-home vendors. If the city imposes more restrictions on the food trucks, she said, that could cause a chilling effect for future businesses.

“The American dream is for everybody,” she said.

Art Exhibit Provides Space for Reflection Following CZU Fire

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Art Exhibit Provides Space for Reflection Following CZU Fire

Devi Pride did not expect to shed tears during the opening of her 12-panel art showcase of her wildfire-ravaged property in the Santa Cruz Mountains. 

“I didn’t think I’d have such an emotional response,” Pride said, standing in a shady spot next to the series outside of the Felton Branch Library, which features stark subject matter with lines of a poem she wrote superimposed. “But we all need to hear our own words sometimes.”

On May 8, Pride’s work was displayed in a line along Gushee Street, amid fluttering leaves and deep green branches. The show was meant to give those who were touched by the CZU Lightning Complex fire a space to reflect and breathe—it also connected fire survivors with county resources. Her work was unveiled in tandem with a similar series, posted along a trail through Discovery Park by the library, featuring laminated pages from Alison Farrell’s children’s book “The Hike.”

One of Pride’s panels focuses on a fallen log with yellow and green grasses swaying freely beside it. The words “REJUVENATE/WE CHOOSE TO THRIVE” accompany the image. Another portraying a blackened tree, still standing with green shoots protruding from its bark, reads “REENVISION/FROM COLOR TO BLACK AND WHITE TO COLOR AGAIN.”

For Pride, the images put the last nine months into perspective. Like thousands of other Santa Cruz Mountain residents, she lost her home in the CZU Lightning Complex fire. In the aftermath, she spent hours excavating at her Big Basin-area property, hunting for her grandmother’s ashes, dumbfounded at a melted camera lens, and assessing the destruction of tapes of early video work for a Canadian broadcaster. It’s all rising to the surface.

“It’s very traumatic,” she said. “Part of this is to learn from that and reflect.”

Now, she’s hoping others can benefit from the growth her series represents.

“In order to move through, you just don’t sweep it under,” she said, recounting how the poem came to her fully formed, while the photo selection took longer. “Each one is to inspire something. That’s part of the healing process.”

Mariah Roberts, executive director of Friends of Santa Cruz County Parks, said the panels echo the phase many displaced residents are in right now, as debris clearing has largely finished and new homes can start to go up.

“The intention of this installation is to offer a place that is meaningful and supportive,” she said. “People just really need some wellness experiences.”

During the fire, the group (the nonprofit complement to the county’s parks department) was asked to help evacuees at Kaiser Permanente Arena navigate the confusing array of emergency resources.

Later, when an anonymous donation came in, Roberts reached out to Dave Reid in the county’s new Office of Response, Recovery & Resilience to find out where the money—described as large enough to have an impact, but too small for any serious rebuilding—could help most.

Reid suggested the nonprofit do something like the Carlos Campos-designed Art Hike Challenge that was recently installed at Pinto Lake County Park in Watsonville, so displaced residents would have a place to get away from all the paperwork and daily struggles.

And while fire survivors are at the forefront, everyone is invited to view the work, Roberts added.

“It’s really nice to reflect at this moment in time,” she said. “It’s been a very humbling experience.”

Now the group is gearing up for its next show, a collaborative parks-based effort opening simultaneously in Watsonville, Scotts Valley, Santa Cruz and Capitola on June 19.

Marilyn Marzell, 73, attended the Felton exhibit with her partner of 38 years, Patti Maxine, 82. The local residents were evacuated for 10 days, as flames crept to within a half-mile of their home.

“In addition to Covid, it was just another blow to our community,” Marzell said while explaining the frantic rush to gather important documents in preparing for the worst. “We did have overnight to prepare.”

Marzell says she’s happy to see the library offering a vibrant space for peaceful contemplation.

“I’m thrilled that this library park can be utilized for people to gather,” she said. “It’s just another sign of us returning to normalcy.”

Fifth District Supervisor Bruce McPherson stopped off with an aide on the way to see post-fire recovery efforts in Boulder Creek.

“It’s so sad to see what happened,” he said. “But it’s so inspiring to see the response.”

Fifth District Supervisor Bruce McPherson visited the Felton show on the way to check on fire recovery efforts in Boulder Creek. PHOTO: Drew Penner


Santa Cruz City Council Approves Ordinance on Homeless Camping

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Santa Cruz City Council Approves Ordinance on Homeless Camping

The Santa Cruz City Council on Tuesday approved a homeless ordinance that restricts camping in most parts of the city, but requires a safe sleeping program and daytime storage before the rules can take effect.

The ordinance passed 5-2, with councilmembers Justin Cummings and Sandy Brown dissenting.

Planning Director Lee Butler said that the rules were created to eliminate the impacts of large encampments and establish a time, place and ways in which camping can occur.

The package of rules, called the “Camping Services and Standards Ordinance,” prohibits most camping in the city, a rule that will take effect when the city establishes at least 150 “safe sleeping sites.”  It is unclear where those will be located, but under the ordinance they will not be located next to schools. They also cannot be placed adjacent to residential neighborhoods, but it was not clear Tuesday how that will be determined. 

In cases where neighborhoods will be impacted, the city will perform extensive outreach to neighbors, Butler said. 

The city is currently looking for a provider that would run the program.

The other rules include: 

  • The ordinance prohibits daytime camping, which will take effect when the city creates a storage program for belongings. 
  • People can sleep in their vehicles in the parking lots of churches—and businesses in non-residential portions of the city—with written consent of the owner or administrator.
  • Violators face a $20 fine or community service.
  • The rules will not apply to families with children under 18, and homeless people with a “qualifying disability” will get help from city or county workers to find shelter.
  • In addition, the ordinance includes a quarterly census and semiannual reviews, and a report on arrests and citations that occur at the sanctioned camping sites.

The discussion included more than an hour of input from public speakers.

Tom Brown of the neighborhood group Seabright Strong called the ordinance, “a really good start to a really difficult and intransigent problem.”

“But I do think it’s the right approach,” he said. 

The prohibition of sleeping sites near schools and in residential neighborhoods, he said, was a good addition that earned the support of the group.

Robert Singleton, speaking for the Santa Cruz County Business Council, said the group supported the rules, among other things, because they offered more options for housing. 

“This is a major issue that every single jurisdiction big or small is facing,” he said. “So we absolutely need a unified concerted state and national effort if we are to make a dent in a major problem.”

But not everyone supported the ordinance. Serg Kagno of Stepping up Santa Cruz said that the enforcement aspect essentially criminalizes people for a situation that is often not their fault. 

“This ordinance continues the marginalization of those with mental health challenges, suffering from trauma and those suffering from poverty,” he said. 

The focus, he said, should be on “trauma-informed care,” which is the philosophy that people in adverse situations such as homelessness likely have some type of trauma in their past.

“Not all people who are homeless are criminals,” he said. “They’re living in poverty, have medical, mental health, domestic violence and trauma issues.”

Kagno added that the rules do not take into account the high level of care some homeless people need.

“Why is this ordinance making being homeless illegal?” he asked. “Criminalize crime, don’t criminalize being poor and homeless.”

Mayor Donna Meyers said that the ordinance was built from a protracted process, coming to the council five times. Councilmembers, she said, have received thousands of letters and hundreds of calls and held meetings with community members. 

“It may not be perfect, it may not be what all of us want, but this is an ordinance that has been through a process of deliberation,” she said. 

Brown said she opposed the motion because the city does not yet have a plan in place for the safe sleeping program.

“Passing the ordinance when we don’t even know if we can actually do the things we need to do in order to operationalize the ordinance just seems really cart-before-the-horse to me, and potentially self-defeating,” she said. 

Brown also said the city should be focused on intervention rather than enforcement of rules.

Cummings said he wanted the community to be more involved in creating the rules and asked for two more public meetings, a motion that was voted down.  

“I do believe that when we are creating laws that are going to impact people’s lives. Especially when it comes to one of the most controversial topics in the community, we need as much input as possible,” he said.


Ambitious Project Races to Read Genomes of 71,000 Species

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Ambitious Project Races to Read Genomes of 71,000 Species

About 4 billion years ago, the first cellular life came into existence. Ever since, parents have been passing on information to their children through DNA—the recipe for building a new organism from a single cell. This delicate process, occurring over many generations, has created an incredible diversity of life, from microscopic bacteria to the mighty mountain lion. 

Through the four chemical building blocks—known as A, T, G and C—that make up this fascinating yet complicated molecule, nature tells a story about how to survive. As an estimated 1 million plant and animal species face extinction, many of these messages are disappearing before scientists get a chance to read them.

Now, a team of researchers, including scientists at the UCSC Genomics Institute, is racing to read these messages. All of the DNA that is transferred from parents to offspring is known as the genome. The researchers are undertaking an ambitious project, known as the Vertebrate Genomes Project, with a goal of reading the genomes of the 71,657 named vertebrate species. That includes classes of living things with a spine such as fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. 

Previously, due to the costly price tag and technological limitations, scientists had only conducted genome sequencing for humans and certain model organisms like mice. In recent years, however, the technology has improved and become much more affordable—from around $100,000 per genome in 2009 to around $10,000 today.

“This is the first time that a truly complete set of genes has been sequenced for many different vertebrate species,” says David Haussler, director of the Genomics Institute.

So far, the team has decoded high-quality genomes of 25 species, including the platypus, the greater horseshoe bat and the Canada lynx. They are already uncovering surprising discoveries. Sequencing bat genomes, for example, has revealed the losses and gains of certain genes linked to inflammation and immunity to viruses, as well as “fossilized viruses,” or leftover remnants of previous viral infections. These genetic differences in bats may provide insight on how they are able to tolerate viral diseases like Covid-19 without falling ill.

Sequencing genomes can also play an important role in the conservation of endangered species. In the 1980s, California condors were severely threatened by the pesticide DDT, with the population dropping to as few as 22 birds. Through sequencing the genomes of the remaining condors, scientists were able to come up with the best way to mate them so that the most vital genes would be carried to future offspring.

“We have unleashed an enormous ecological disruption on this planet,” Haussler says. “We as a species not only have the opportunity to read [these genomes], but we also have the duty to read them, because they can help us understand how we can save all of the species that are rapidly disappearing.”

The team hopes to secure funding to continue sequencing the genomes of hundreds—and eventually, thousands—more species, unlocking the messages passed on throughout millennia.


Things To Do in Santa Cruz: May 12-18

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Things To Do in Santa Cruz: May 12-18

A weekly guide to what’s happening.

ARTS AND MUSIC

CABRILLO BLACK BOX THEATRE Cabrillo Theatre Arts proudly presents “Almost, Maine,” by John Cariani, directed by Robin Aronson. Virtual performances will be held May 7-14, produced and performed in Cabrillo’s Black Box Theatre. “Almost, Maine” takes place one cold winter night, under the northern lights, in the remote, mythical town of Almost, Maine. The characters are couples, friends and strangers who encounter the shifting boundaries within their relationships. Humorous and heartfelt, nine loosely connected tales explore the push and pull of love, the unexpected discoveries people make about themselves and others, and the moments of magic that come out of nowhere and change everything. Show runs May 8-14, with on-demand 24 hour streaming performances. Tickets are free of charge, but donations are gratefully accepted at cabrillo.edu/vapa/#events.

DINNER AND A SHOW WITH DIRTY CELLO AT MICHAEL’S ON MAIN Dinner starts at 6:30pm and showtime is at 8pm. $45 for dinner and show. Seated. Saturday, May 15. Michael’s on Main, 2591 S Main St., Soquel.

DOWNTOWN SANTA CRUZ MAKERS MARKET Come on out and support local makers and artists at the Downtown Santa Cruz Makers Market every third Sunday of the month on Pacific Avenue at Lincoln Street! Support local and shop small with over 30 Santa Cruz County artists and makers. Don’t forget to stop in and visit the downtown merchants and grab a bite to eat from the downtown restaurants. Remember to social distance as you shop and wear your mask. If you’re not feeling well, please stay home. There will be hand sanitizing stations at the market and signs to remind you about all these things! Friendly, leashed pups are welcome at this free event. Sunday, May 16, 10am-5pm. Downtown Santa Cruz Makers Market, Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz.

GOAT HILL FAIR VINTAGE MARKET We are back after a long pause during Covid. This is a Covid-safe event. All county protocols maintained. A day of fun searching for vintage items to suit your home and self. Discover garden and home furnishings, jewelry, handmade goodies and fun clothing items. All styles available—from rustic to fine, French to industrial, repurposed to classic—you can eat, drink and then shop some more. Tickets available online and at the gate. Parking is free. Please bring your mask. Saturday, May 15, 10am. Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds, 2601 E. Lake, Watsonville.

GUELAGUETZA SANTA CRUZ 2021 VIRTUAL Senderos will present a free virtual Guelaguetza festival on Sunday, May 16 streaming at 11am. You can join us on Facebook at Guelaguetza Santa Cruz or our website scsenderos.org. This year’s event will feature new performances by Centeotl Danza y Baile and Ensamble Musical de Senderos. We have the honor to share Guelaguetza all the way from Oaxaca with performances by danzantes from La Villa De Zaachila and bailarines from Huajuapan de León y Tlaxiaco. For the second year due to Covid restrictions, we are not able to be together in-person in downtown Santa Cruz for our authentic food, music, dance and crafts cultural festival like those held annually in Oaxaca, Mexico. But our dancers and musicians have been keeping the spirit of guelaguetza year-round and are excited to share it with you. Guelaguetza means a commitment of sharing and cooperation, and that is something that Senderos and so many in our community have been dedicated to throughout this pandemic. This event benefits Senderos, a volunteer-based nonprofit in Santa Cruz providing free dance and music classes, tutoring and scholarships for Latinx youth. For more information visit scsenderos.org or call 831-854-7750. Sunday, May 16, 11am. 

KEEP ON TRUCKIN’ Powered by Tandy Beal and Company and a lot of great friends, this event presents exceptional artists in free 15-minute mini-shows on a flatbed truck outside. Knowing that everyone is a bit stressed, we are offering this taste of music and circus to uplift our neighborhoods. Keep each other safe, wear your masks and keep your distances social—otherwise the truck will need to move on. Each stop on our Truckin’ Tour will be a 20-minute performance: 11am at Garfield Part (199 Seaside St.); 11:45am at University Terrace Park (369 Meder St.); 12:30pm at Westlake Park (Bradley Drive and Majors St.); 2:15pm at Ocean View Park (102 Ocean View Ave.); 3pm at Frederick St. Park (168 Frederick St.). More information at tandybeal.com. Saturday, May 15, 11am-3pm.

TOP DOG FILM FESTIVAL We will have a limited capacity, opening night, live audience screening. We will be following local Covid protocols. Celebrate the canine connection through this carefully curated collection of heartwarming stories about dogs and their people at the 2021 Top Dog Film Festival. The 2021 Top Dog Film Festival presents a two-hour cinematic celebration honoring the bond between dogs and their people. It is filled with delightfully doggy moments of joy and celebration of our beloved canine companions. This carefully curated program of short canine-themed films is comprised of the most inspirational, heart-warming and entertaining stories about dogs and their human companions, from independent filmmakers around the globe. Get your tickets before they all sell out —you’d be barking mad to miss it! If you aren’t ready for an in-person theatre experience, there is also a virtual screening held at 7pm from May 14-24. Visit riotheatre.com for more information. Friday, May 14, 7pm. Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. 

COMMUNITY

10 WARNING SIGNS OF ALZHEIMER’S WEBINAR Alzheimer’s and other dementias cause memory, thinking and behavior problems that interfere with daily living. Join us to learn how to recognize common signs of the disease, how to approach someone about memory concerns, the importance of early detection and benefits of a diagnosis, possible tests and assessments for the diagnostic process, and Alzheimer’s Association resources. For more information and to register call 800-272-3900. Thursday, May 13, 3-4:30pm. 

BECOMING A HOSPICE VOLUNTEER VISITOR: INFORMATIONAL Q&A SESSION VIA ZOOM Join us for an informational Q&A session about becoming a volunteer visitor with Hospice of Santa Cruz County. Forbes Ellis, our director of volunteer services, will be available to answer any questions you may have, as well as provide more information on what you can expect during your training. Volunteer visitors provide companionship to hospice patients in their homes or in the residential care facilities where they reside. As a willing listener and supportive presence, these special volunteers are vital members of the hospice team. During shelter in place, volunteer visitors are supporting patients while social distancing via Zoom visits, letter writing, and running errands. Visit hospicesantacruz.org for more information and to register. Thursday, May 13, 1pm. 

GREY BEARS BROWN BAG LINE If you are able-bodied and love to work fast, this is for you! Grey Bears could use more help with their brown bag production line on Thursday and Friday mornings. As a token of our thanks, we make you breakfast and give you a bag of food if wanted. Be at the warehouse with a mask and gloves at 7am, and we will put you to work until at least 9am! Call ahead if you would like to know more: 831-479-1055, greybears.org. Thursday, May 13, 7am. California Grey Bears, 2710 Chanticleer Ave., Santa Cruz.

NAGA WATER OFFERING Human ignorance and materialism are destroying the earth, distributing the earth’s natural spirits called nagas, bringing pandemic, natural disaster, fires, floods, drought, powerful storms and great unrest. This ancient torma offering ceremony, first conferred by Buddha Tonpa Shenrab, is an effective method for pacifying problems of physical, mental and environmental imbalance and restoring peaceful and compassionate relations in our world. By donation. For more information and to register, visit kunsanggarcenter.org/torma. Sunday, May 16, 10am. 

SALSA SUELTA FREE ZOOM SESSION SALSA SUELTA FREE ZOOM SESSION Keep in shape! Weekly online session in Cuban-style Salsa Suelta for experienced beginners and up. May include mambo, chachacha, Afro-Cuban rumba, orisha, son montuno. No partner required, ages 14 and older. Contact to get the link. salsagente.com. Thursday, May 13, 7pm. Louden Nelson Community Center, 301 Center St., Santa Cruz.

TENANTS’ RIGHTS HELP Tenant Sanctuary is open to renters living in the city of Santa Cruz with questions about their tenants’ rights. Volunteer counselors staff the telephones on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays from 10am-2pm. Tenant Sanctuary works to empower tenants by educating them on their rights and providing the tools to pursue those rights. Tenant Sanctuary and their program attorney host free legal clinics for tenants in the city of Santa Cruz. Due to Covid-19 concerns, all services are currently by telephone, email or Zoom. For more information visit tenantsanctuary.org or follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/tenantsanctuary. 831-200-0740. Thursday, May 13, 10am-2pm. Sunday, May 16, 10am-2pm. Tuesday, May 18, 10am-2pm. Tenant Sanctuary, 703 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz.

VIRTUAL SCRABBLE TOURNAMENT Virtual Scrabble Tournament Fundraiser. This year we cannot hold our in-person Scrabble Tournament so we have made it virtual. The tournament will run from May 15-May 29. Visit sclawlib.org/events/scrabble-tournament for more information. All proceeds are split between the Santa Cruz County Law Library and Board of Education’s Teen Peer Court Program. Saturday, May 15. 

GROUPS

CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUP VIA TELEPHONE Support groups create a safe, confidential, supportive environment or community and a chance for family caregivers to develop informal mutual support and social relationships as well as discover more effective ways to cope with and care for your loved one. Meeting via Zoom and phone. Who may benefit from participating in the support group? Family caregivers who care for persons with Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia, those who would like to talk to others in similar situations and those who need more information, additional support and caregiving strategies. To register or questions please call 800-272-3900. Wednesday, May 12, 2pm. 

ENTRE NOSOTRAS GRUPO DE APOYO Entre Nosotras support group for Spanish speaking women with a cancer diagnosis. Meets twice monthly. Registration required; call Entre Nosotras 831-761-3973. Friday, May 14, 6pm. WomenCARE, 2901 Park Ave., Suite A1, Soquel.

OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS All our OA meetings have switched to being online. Please call 831-429-7906 for meeting information. Do you have a problem with food? Drop into a free, friendly Overeaters Anonymous 12-Step meeting. All are welcome! Sunday, May 16, 9:05-10:15am. 

WOMENCARE ARM-IN-ARM WomenCARE ARM-IN-ARM Cancer support group for women with advanced, recurrent or metastatic cancer. Meets every Monday at WomenCARE’s office. Currently on Zoom. Registration required; contact WomenCARE at 831-457-2273. All services are free, for more information visit womencaresantacruz.org. Monday, May 17, 12:30pm. 

WOMENCARE TUESDAY SUPPORT GROUP WomenCARE Tuesday Cancer support group for women newly diagnosed and through their treatment. Meets every Tuesday currently on Zoom. Registration required; contact WomenCARE at 831-457-2273. Tuesday, May 18, 12:30-2pm. 

WOMENCARE: LAUGHTER YOGA Laughter yoga for women with a cancer diagnosis. Meets every Wednesday, currently via Zoom. Registration required; contact WomenCARE at 831-457-2273. Wednesday, May 12, 3:30-4:30pm. 

OUTDOOR

LABSIDE CHATS: A CONVERSATION WITH A SCIENTIST WITH STEPHANIE BRODIE, PHD Tune in for the next Labside Chat with Stephanie Brodie, project scientist at UCSC and researcher with the Fisheries Collaborative Program on Thursday, May 13, at 11am. Learn why scientists track marine predators in the ocean and how this helps protect endangered species such as whales and sea turtles. Join the conversation! Submit your questions in advance for Stephanie, then watch the conversation to hear the answers during the live chat. Help us put together questions such as: how are migratory species defined, and how do we understand where they live in the ocean? What is bycatch, and how are management tools used to reduce its impact? How do marine predators respond to environmental change? Visit the Seymour Center’s website to submit your questions in advance and to watch the live conversation: seymourcenter.ucsc.edu/learn/ongoing-education/labside-chats. Thursday, May 13, 11am. 

VIRTUAL SCIENCE SUNDAY — GETTING UNDER A SEA OTTER’S SKIN: THE ANATOMY OF SENSITIVE TOUCH Sea otters are in a race against time. To survive, they hunt for clams, crabs, urchins, snails, mussels and abalone down to 100 feet deep. Otters must work quickly since they can hold their breath for only one-to-three minutes per dive, and their prey is often found in rocky crevices or buried under the sand. Scientists have discovered that sea otters are fast decision makers with the help of their ultra-sensitive paws and whiskers. As a follow-up to that research, scientists explored what’s happening underneath the skin’s surface to enable sea otters’ impressive abilities. Join Sarah McKay Strobel to explore how the anatomy of skin influences the sense of touch in a hungry sea otter, as well as how researchers interpret clues from anatomy to learn how animals perceive the world. Register in advance for the online Science Sunday webinar (required) at seymourcenter.ucsc.edu/learn/ongoing-education/science-sundays. Please register at least one hour prior to event start time. Registration closes an hour prior. Sunday, May 16, 1:30pm. 

VIRTUAL YOUNGER LAGOON RESERVE TOURS Younger Lagoon Reserve is now offering a virtual tour in both English and Spanish. This virtual tour follows the same stops as the Seymour Marine Discovery Center’s docent-led, in-person hiking tour, and is led by a UCSC student! Virtual Younger Lagoon Reserve tours are free and open to the public. Part of the University of California Natural Reserve System, Younger Lagoon Reserve contains diverse coastal habitats and is home to birds of prey, migrating sea birds, bobcats, and other wildlife. See what scientists are doing to track local mammals, restore native habitat, and learn about the workings of one of California’s rare coastal lagoons. Access the tours at seymourcenter.ucsc.edu/visit/behind-the-scenes-tours/#youngerlagoon. Sunday, May 16, 10:30am. 

WALK FOR CASA! Due to the Human Race going on pause this year, CASA of Santa Cruz County, with the help of the Friends of CASA, will be holding our own Walk for CASA! We are going virtual this year with a hybrid option. Walk or run anywhere at any time or join us for a socially distant walk at Elkhorn Slough on May 15 between 9am-noon. All proceeds from this event support CASA of Santa Cruz County’s mission to match every foster youth referred to us with a trained volunteer advocate within 20 days. Covid has been especially hard on our foster youth, with increased isolation, challenges with education, and homelessness. Visit secure.qgiv.com for more information and registration. Saturday, May 15, 9am. Elkhorn Slough Reserve, 1700 Elkhorn Road, Watsonville.

YOU PICK ROSES We are growing over 300 roses, deeply fragrant, lush and in every color, and we want to share them with you! Get out of the house and enjoy cutting a bucket of roses for your own pleasure or to share with family and friends. Once you have made a purchase, you will be sent a calendar link to pick a time for your reservation and directions to our farm in Watsonville. Visit birdsongorchards.com/store/you-pick-roses for more information. Sunday, May 16, 11am.

Musician Marc Lewis Takes a Stand for Real Human Connection

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Musician Marc Lewis Takes a Stand for Real Human Connection

For Santa Cruz’s Marc Lewis, the pandemic has been educational. He watched friends that he respected fall down the bizarre rabbit hole of conspiracy theories. Others he saw become isolated and lonely.

Sure, being stuck inside for a year was tough—it was tough on everyone—but what made it worse was social media.

“Technology is great, but I see people become very addicted, and I’ve seen it destroy relationships. It’s like a constant obsession with arguing, whether it be through Facebook or what have you. And I think people have forgotten how to communicate,” says Lewis. “Instead of ‘Let’s come to an agreement’ or ‘Let’s agree to disagree,’ it lets me gather as much proof as I can to win this argument, whether it’s right or wrong. So it’s really I think it’s the most divisive instrument in the world right now.”

This theme pops up on his band Doors to Nowhere’s latest album, Darkness Falls. The album cover, which features a horde of scary zombie people staring at a glowing planet, was inspired by Lewis’ feelings about how social media and technology are ruining society.

The record, which will be released May 21 on Desert Records, was written partially before the pandemic and partially after. The actual studio time was right at the beginning of the lockdown. Rather than cancel, they went in and recorded some tracks in a socially distanced, masked way. They figured it was going to be an EP. But with no shows, Lewis felt like he should reach out to a label to help with record sales. Desert Records loved the songs but told them that since there was no rush, they could record more tunes and make it a longer release.

One of the songs that Lewis wrote entirely after the pandemic was the title track. Since he didn’t know if he’d be able to record new songs in the same room as his bandmates, he approached the songwriting differently. He spent more time on each part and wrote it in a way that allowed each member to track their own parts in isolation, if necessary.

“What’s crazy about the pandemic is I had time to actually sit down and relisten to things and dissect them, so I could practice and write,” Lewis says. “In a way, the pandemic strengthened my songwriting skills. It caused me to be patient, because in years past I’d go to the studio and bang things out.”  

Lewis wrote “Darkness Falls” as he watched everyone struggling. In his day job, he’s an educator at Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary School. Teaching on Zoom made him miss real, in-person interaction with his students. He also saw friends having serious difficulties in the pandemic.

“I was watching so many people struggle, whether it was economics or health or mental health. There was one friend in particular that was having a hard time, stuck in an abusive relationship. I could see his lifeforce be drained. It was a helpless feeling,” Lewis says.

The song was outside of his comfort zone, style and technique-wise. He reached out to his friend Bob Balch from the band Fu Manchu to lay down some guitar tracks. The results are sublime.

“He’s a great human being. And he lives and breathes guitar,” Lewis says. “During the pandemic, I saw he posted videos where he was tracking from home and I was like, ‘Hey man, I got this song, want to check it out?’ He wrote back and he’s like, ‘Yeah, let me throw something down on here.’”

Even though some of the songs were written over a year ago, Lewis could have held the release longer to see if live shows would be an option again in the near future. But he felt like he didn’t want to wait because the music was so much about the moment.

“I didn’t think that it was relevant, as far as my art, to go, ‘What’s going to get the most attention?’” Lewis says. “I’m just really proud of it. And it was a really interesting way to get it done, during such weird times. I love music. And I love creating songs.”

For more information, go to doorstonowhere.com.

Film Review: ‘Together Together’ is Surprisingly Thoughtful

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Film Review: ‘Together Together’ is Surprisingly Thoughtful

You probably think you already know where this movie is going: A single guy in his forties who longs to be a dad hires an unattached young woman in her twenties as a surrogate to bear his child. And, yes, played mostly for gentle chuckles, Together Together seems headed in that direction. But writer-director Nicole Beckwith chooses to bring her thoughtful comedy to a much more interesting place than we expect.

At a job interview, a slightly nervous but composed young woman gamely answers questions posed by an attentive man taking notes on a clipboard. Nothing unusual, except the meeting is taking place in a living room, not an office, and the questions are a little offbeat, like “What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?”

The interviewee is Anna (Patti Harrison), a 26-year-old barista in a (pre-Covid) San Francisco coffeehouse. The man questioning her is 45-year-old Matt (Ed Helms), a successful tech designer whose biological clock is ticking. He desperately wants to raise a child of his own, even on his own, since his relationships haven’t worked out. Anna bore a child out of wedlock as a high school senior, and gave the baby up for adoption, which estranged her from her own family. She’s hoping to use the surrogate money to finally go to college.

The narrative is divided into “Trimesters” as Anna’s pregnancy advances. The first is all about Matt’s giddy excitement as they meet their baby doctor and he springs the news on his parents (empathetic Fred Melamed and waspish Nora Dunn). In this more overtly comic section, Matt also seems to believe he’s entitled to regulate Anna’s sex life and what she eats. (She declares herself “pro-choice” in ordering dinner for herself in a cafe.)

During the second trimester, they get to know each other, attend therapy classes for prospective parents and surrogates, and grapple with the reality of their plan. Anna starts hanging out at Matt’s apartment (they eventually watch all nine seasons of Friends) and helps him choose a color for the baby’s room and shop for a crib. She also pushes him into an improv session on how he will explain menstruation to a tween daughter—just in case it’s a girl.

Filmmaker Beckwith is interested in what it means to be alone in the era of relentless self-promotion and highly curated sharing. Anna shocks Matt by confessing there’s no one she wants to share the news of her pregnancy with. She doesn’t want to know the gender of the embryo inside her, or further personalize it with a name. She’s game to participate in Matt’s eager preparations, from a baby shower (where everyone calls her “the surrogate,” and fondles her belly) to birthing classes, but emotionally, she prefers to “remain neutral—like Switzerland.”

Matt, meanwhile, has designed a hugely successful app called Loner, whose users can scroll through photos of each other without being required to make any kind of contact at all—they can just look. It provides the illusion of community without all that messy interaction. Now he feels his life is “on a loop,” circling between his single friends and those in couples with kids. He hopes having a child to focus on will be a way for him to move forward.

Harrison’s expressive face tells us so much beyond her poised demeanor. Helms can be officious, affable and vulnerable all at the same time, which suits Matt perfectly. Beckwith gifts her leads with sterling support from Tig Notaro as their bemused couples therapist, Sufe Bradshaw as a deadpan sonogram technician, and Julio Torres as Anna’s co-barista, who tells her, “Just because you’re not together together doesn’t mean you’re not creating a bond.” How Anna and Matt come to understand each other keeps the viewer engaged, and Beckwith’s final frames conclude the story on the perfect note.

TOGETHER TOGETHER

*** (out of four)

With Patti Harrison and Ed Helms. Written and directed by Nikole Beckwith. A Bleecker Street release. Available on video on demand platforms. Rated R. 90 minutes.

Letter to the Editor: Save Rail

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Letter to the Editor: Save Rail

In recent letters, I’ve read the opinions of several against any future light electric rail.

We have Measure D funds going to more widening of Highway 1 (you will hate what that looks like) the government has provided over $1 million for two electric buses. In the blink of an eye, the highway will be maxed out, buses will be stuck on it and if rail is foregone for a trail only, our problem of gridlock will worsen every year. The population here has tripled since 1964. I can understand the concerns of light rail here but the line is all of ours so it should be used in the best possible manner for all. Don’t forget also the deadly flood and killer earthquake that shut us off from the outside world, and which the rails continued to provide transport. We need the rail to be returned to service for residents and visitors alike.

Frank Rimicci Jr. | Corralitos

This letter does not necessarily reflect the views of Good Times.

To submit a letter to the editor of Good Times: Letters should be originals—not copies of letters sent to other publications. Please include your name and email address to help us verify your submission (email address will not be published). Please be brief. Letters may be edited for length, clarity and to correct factual inaccuracies known to us. Send letters to [email protected]. 


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Things To Do in Santa Cruz: May 12-18

Watch on-demand theatre, explore local markets, and find more things to do
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Musician Marc Lewis Takes a Stand for Real Human Connection

Doors to Nowhere’s latest album explores effects of social media on society
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Film Review: ‘Together Together’ is Surprisingly Thoughtful

Wannabe dad hires surrogate mom, but it's not what you expect
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Letter to the Editor: Save Rail

A letter to the editor of Good Times
Read more
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