Page 435 | Good Times

New County Health Services Director Has Local Roots

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December 2, 2021

New County Health Services Director Has Local Roots

Mónica Morales was 2 years old when her family immigrated from Mexico to Watsonville. She grew up attending local elementary schools, graduating from Watsonville High School while her mother worked in nearby agriculture fields and canneries.

This background, she said, is sure to guide her in her new role as Santa Cruz County’s new Health Services Agency (HSA) director. Morales was announced as the new director on Nov. 29.

“I’m still processing,” Morales said. “I’m very excited. I have a lot of roots in Watsonville … For me, coming back is almost like doing a 360. I’m proud to come back and serve my community.”

The position will have Morales overseeing the health and well-being of county residents, focusing not only on clinical services but also broader prevention. The job entails keeping communities as informed as possible about physical, emotional and behavioral health issues, and protecting the most vulnerable residents.

“I want to continue the work the leadership of the county has already been doing,” Morales said, “so that all individuals can rebound from the losses of the pandemic. It’s not just about health. It’s about our institutions, businesses, systems … The county has a strong role to play, so that we are rebounding in an equitable manner.”

Key priorities, Morales said, include ensuring that services are available to residents. The county is experiencing a major increase in homelessness, and rising cases of suicide, overdose and anxiety—especially in teenagers.

The healthcare workforce has also been severely impacted, she said.

“Even before the pandemic we were underfunded,” she said. “During the pandemic, people realized the role of public health. It was eye-opening.”

County Administrative Director Carlos Palacios said in a press release that the county conducted a nationwide search to fill the position.

“It became clear that the best candidate was raised in Watsonville and knows our community well,” said Palacios, also a Watsonville resident. “I’m pleased to welcome Mónica and her family back home, and look forward to working with her to protect the health and well-being of our residents.”

Morales earned bachelor’s in sociology from UC Santa Cruz and a master’s in public administration from Columbia University in New York. She currently holds the position of Deputy Director of the Center for Healthy Communities for the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), where she oversees environmental and occupational health, injury and violence, chronic disease prevention, suicide prevention, and substance use and addiction programs.

She is also a planning member of the California Children’s Behavioral Health Initiative, a representative on the UC Merced Farmworker Research project and on the California Health and Human Services Alzheimer’s Advisory Committee. She is a board member of the National Association of Chronic Disease directors, serving as president from 2019-20.

Morales has also served as the deputy director of CDPH’s Fusion Center for Strategic Development and in several roles with the Nevada State Division of Public and Behavioral Health, including statewide Chronic Disease Director and Deputy Bureau Chief for Child, Family and Community Wellness.

Morales said she is eager to return to Watsonville. She will move back with her family: a 7-year-old daughter, 4-year son and her spouse, Adriana (and their dog, “Choco”).

“Being from the area, I have a sense of the dynamics,” she said. “My relatives still live there, so I keep ties. I recognize the pockets that have been underserved.”

Being a woman of color, she said, has also helped her “connect the dots” in rural and working class communities.

“I do have a lot to learn, but having that experience brings a lot to the position,” she said.

Judge Allows Homeless to Temporarily Stay Along Pajaro River Levee

Todd Guild

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December 2, 2021

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Judge Allows Homeless to Temporarily Stay Along Pajaro River Levee

MONTEREY COUNTY—A federal magistrate has declined to issue a preliminary injunction that would have temporarily stopped Monterey County from evicting a group of people from an unsanctioned campsite along the Pajaro River Levee.

In her ruling, Magistrate Judge Susan van Keulen said that the plaintiffs did not show that being moved from the site put them in more danger than leaving them there would.

But van Keulen left in place a temporary restraining order, giving the county and the residents until Dec. 13 to get hotel vouchers and work out a plan to move them there, said Anthony Prince, general counsel for the California Homeless Union/Statewide Organizing Council, who is representing the homeless people.

Both parties will be back in court on Dec. 16 to discuss an ongoing civil lawsuit, Prince said.

According to Prince, van Keulen agreed with Monterey County officials in their concerns for the safety of the residents.

“Her main concern was that people are in the path of the river, and that just presents too much of a hazard,” he said. “We think the county is exaggerating that risk, given the history. And in any event, people that camp there know the river and would move to higher ground if anything happened.”

Another problem, Prince says, is that the vouchers for the roughly 86 people camping along the levee are for hotels that are located from 30 to 50 miles away.

“Many have jobs and family obligations,” he said.

The case began after a Nov. 18 cleanup by county officials and the sheriff’s department, during which several lost their possessions, Price says.

County officials have expressed concern about the harm to the waterway and the environmental degradation caused by the unsanctioned encampment. They also say that some of the residents have dug into the levee, which officials say could weaken the walls.

Things To Do in Santa Cruz: Dec. 1-7

GT Staff

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December 1, 2021

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A weekly guide to what’s happening.

ARTS AND MUSIC

CELTIC TEEN BAND PROGRAM Teenage musicians ages 12-19 play in an ensemble, developing musicianship, flexibility, and musical creativity. Participants work on music from Ireland, Scotland, Brittany, Norway, Sweden, and the United States, in addition to modern and more quirky pieces. Instruments welcomed include fiddle, viola, flute, tin whistle, pipes, cello, upright bass, guitar, mandolin, banjo, dulcimer, autoharp, ukulele, Celtic harp, accordion and percussion. Students must have at least two years of experience on their instrument and must be able to read sheet music and chord symbols. The group meets twice a month Wednesday afternoons from 3:30-5pm at the London Nelson Center with fiddle teacher John Weed. Cost is free-$10 per session on a sliding scale. Potential students are welcome to come for a session and see if they like it—no obligation! More information and registration at CommunityMusicSchool.org/teenband. Wednesday, Dec. 1, 3:30pm. London Nelson Community Center, 301 Center St., Santa Cruz.

PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES Filled with an exuberant mixture of country/pop/rock and musical theatre tunes, Pump Boys is a slice-of-life show about some down-home folks who run the local gas station and diner in a rural southern town. This cast of characters and their straightforward take on life, love and music will leave you tapping your foot and smiling from ear to ear. Thursday, Dec. 2, 7:30pm. Friday, Dec. 3, 8pm. Saturday, Dec. 4, 8pm. Sunday, Dec. 5, 2pm. The Colligan Theater, 1010 River St., Santa Cruz.

THE UCSC JAZZ ORCHESTRA UNDER DIRECTOR CHARLES HAMILTON PRESENTS CHARLES TOLLIVER PERFORMING JOHN COLTRANE’S AFRICA/BRASS AT 60 CELEBRATION Experience John Coltrane’s legendary classic Africa/Brass in its entirety in this new show, reconstructed by guest artist, world renowned jazz trumpeter Charles Tolliver, with featured artists: Charles Tolliver, Charles Hamilton, and Karlton Hester. Saturday, Dec. 4, 7:30pm. UCSC Theater Arts Mainstage Theater, Meyer Dr. & McHenry Road, Santa Cruz.

WESTSIDE MARKETPLACE HOLIDAY EDITION It’s our last weekend at the Wrigley for 2021! Bring your holiday list and shop amongst the one-of-a-kind creations from our 40+ artists and makers—all while getting your food truck fix on. Michael Gaither & Friends perform live from 1-4pm. Free admission, easy parking, friendly leashed pups are welcome. For the full list of vendors and more details visit scmmakersmarket.com or foodtrucksagogo.com. Sunday, Dec. 5, 11am-5pm. The Old Wrigley Building, 2801 Mission St., Santa Cruz.

WHEN WE PAINT OUR MASTERPIECE: THE ART OF THE GRATEFUL DEAD COMMUNITY Learn how the members of the Grateful Dead and the global Deadhead community took inspiration from one another in creating an image-rich, worldwide art practice that, like the band’s music, scrambled perceived standards and norms. The creative works presented in When We Paint Our Masterpiece reveal a world full of variety when it comes to design practices, international traditions, visual icons, and vernacular art forms. There has been space for all of these patterns and visions in the community of fans and fellow artists that blossomed around the band, and that community of creators continues to thrive today. This exhibit explores the mutual appreciation among fans as well as between fans and the band. Free. McHenry Library, UCSC, 1156 High St., Santa Cruz. Through December 22, 2022.

COMMUNITY

COMMUNITY PILATES MAT CLASS Come build strength with us. This very popular in-person community Pilates Mat Class in the big auditorium at Temple Beth El in Aptos is in session once again. Please bring your own mat, small Pilates ball and theraband if you have one. You must be vaccinated for this indoor class. Suggested donation of $10/class. Thursday, Dec. 2, 10am. Tuesday, Dec. 7, 10am. Temple Beth El, 3055 Porter Gulch Road, Aptos.

CUÉNTAME UN CUENTO Join us for Spanish storytime, activities, and music! This program is best suited for kids ages 0-8 and their families. Storytime takes place on Wednesday at 4:30pm. We will meet on the outside porch. Storytime will take place at Capitola during Live Oak’s construction period. In the event of bad weather, storytime will be cancelled. Wednesday, Dec. 1, 4:30pm. Capitola Library A Santa Cruz City County Public Library Branch, 2005 Wharf Road, Capitola.

FARLEY’S CHRISTMAS WONDERLAND From Saturday, November 27 to Friday, December 31 (except when it’s raining), Farley’s Christmas Wonderland will be open. A walk-in Christmas display located in the midtown of Santa Cruz, this exhibit is very traditional: lots of Christmas trees, garlands, sleighs, an elf village, a miniature village, and a log cabin that Santa uses for his rest stops. There is also a fairy grotto with two waterfalls and fairies that can be viewed on special nights. Also, on those special nights, it even snows! Donations are welcome. 108 Seaview Ave., Santa Cruz. farleys-christmas-wonderland.com.

HOLIDAY LIGHTS TRAIN A seasonal tradition returns to Santa Cruz with the Santa Cruz Holiday Lights Train. Vintage excursion cars, adorned with thousands of colorful lights, roll through city streets past homes of Santa Cruz. First-class private coach cars can also be reserved for groups up to 50 people. Availability is limited so book in advance. Roaring Camp Railroads, 5401 Graham Hill Road, Felton. Runs through Dec. 23. Schedule and tickets at roaringcamp.com.

HOLIDAY LIGHTS 2021 The Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds Foundation and the Agricultural History Project presents Holiday Lights 2021 at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds. Holiday Lights is a half-mile drive-through experience at the fairgrounds of spectacular lighted holiday displays. See giant Christmas trees twinkling with lights, Santa, reindeer, snowmen, lighted tunnels and more. New this year are two evenings of walk-through holiday lights on Friday, Dec. 3 and Saturday, Dec. 4 in conjunction with the Heritage Holiday Craft and Gift Fair. Tickets will only be available at the gate for these two evenings, and ticket gets you admission to Holiday Fair Shopping, too. For drive-through tickets (Thursday, Friday, Sunday), go eventbrite.com/e/holiday-lights-tickets.

GREY BEARS BROWN BAG LINE Grey Bears are looking for help with their brown bag production line on Thursday and Friday mornings. Volunteers will receive breakfast and a bag of food if wanted. Be at the warehouse with a mask and gloves at 7am. Call ahead for more information: 831-479-1055, greybears.org. Thursday, Dec. 2, 7am. California Grey Bears, 2710 Chanticleer Ave., Santa Cruz.

HOPI, NAVAJO, AND APACHE COMMUNITIES Curtis Reliford and the Peace trailer will be open to receive gifts for the Hopi, Navajo, and Apache communities in Arizona and New Mexico.

Here are the items on the wish-lists: warm jackets, boots, pants in large sizes (especially mens), new toys, new underwear, roll(s) of black roofing “paper” for flat roofs, vinyl windows, hammers, nails, shovels, rakes, hand tools of all kinds. Help Curtis bring an abundant, merry Christmas to our sisters and brothers in the Southwest. Money for gas is also appreciated. Saturday, Dec. 4, 9am-noon. Peace United Church of Christ, Santa Cruz, 900 High St., Santa Cruz.

KNITTING AT THE FELTON LIBRARY Join us every Monday afternoon at the Felton Branch for a knitting party. All you need to do is bring some yarn and knitting needles. All ages are welcome. Monday, Dec. 6, 12:30pm. Felton Branch Library, 6121 Gushee St., Felton.

LA SELVA BEACH PRESCHOOL STORYTIME Join us for a fun interactive storytime. We’ll read books, sing songs and use rhythm and movement. This event is suitable for children ages 3-6 years. There will be an arts and crafts project to take home. This event will be held outside on the back patio. Please bring something to sit on and dress for the weather. Masks will be required. Repeats weekly. Tuesday, Dec. 7, 11am. La Selva Beach Branch Library, 316 Estrella Ave., La Selva Beach.

PRESCHOOL STORYTIME IN THE SECRET GARDEN Join us in the Secret Garden in Abbott Square at the MAH for storytime! We’ll share stories, songs and rhymes in a safe environment! This 30-40 minute program is intended for children aged 2-6. Do it yourself craft kits will be provided every week. Every other week we will feature STEM-related stories and concepts. Tuesday, Dec. 7, 11am. Abbott Square, 118 Cooper St., Santa Cruz.

R.E.A.D.: REACH EVERY AMAZING DETAIL CAPITOLA R.E.A.D. is one-on-one reading comprehension instruction for readers second-12th grade. Instructors are California credentialed teachers. Sessions are 25 minutes long. By appointment only. Contact SCPL Telephone Information if you have any questions: 831-427-7713. Wednesday, Dec. 1, 3pm. Capitola Library A Santa Cruz City County Public Library Branch, 2005 Wharf Road, Capitola.

R.E.A.D.: REACH EVERY AMAZING DETAIL @ DOWNTOWN R.E.A.D. is one-on-one reading comprehension instruction for readers second-12th grade. Instructors are California credentialed teachers. Sessions are 25 minutes long. By appointment only. Contact SCPL Telephone Information if you have any questions: 831-427-7713. Thursday, Dec. 2, 3pm. Santa Cruz Public Libraries, 240 Church St., Santa Cruz.

R.E.A.D.: REACH EVERY AMAZING DETAIL @ LA SELVA BEACH R.E.A.D. is one-on-one reading comprehension instruction for readers second-12th grade. Instructors are California credentialed teachers. Sessions are 25 minutes long. By appointment only. Contact SCPL Telephone Information if you have any questions: 831-427-7713. Wednesday, Dec. 1, 3pm. La Selva Beach Branch Library, 316 Estrella Ave., La Selva Beach.

SPEAK FOR CHANGE WITH SARAH CRUSE & THOMAS SAGE PEDERSEN Sarah Cruse joins Thomas Sage Pedersen for the next Speak for Change Podcast live show, exploring emergence: the process of coming into view or becoming exposed after being concealed. Sarah will begin with a performance exploring the sound of emergence, by improvising and exploring the energy of the room to create a moment of reflection for people in the space. They will explore what emergence feels like in our personal, communal, and political lives. This will also be the celebration of Thomas’s 30th birthday! So come celebrate Thomas’s birthday by exploring emergence and celebrating his new journey into a whole new decade! Proof of vaccination is required for all attendees. Please bring a CDC vaccination card, a photo of a card, or a California SMART Health QR code. All attendees must be masked while inside the space. For more information visit indexical.org. Tuesday, Dec. 7, 7pm. Indexical, 1050 River St. #119, Santa Cruz.

THE SUSTAIN AUCTION: A FIRST FRIDAY RECEPTION AND HOLIDAY FUNDRAISER The Homeless Garden Project (HGP) announces its Sustain Auction: a First Friday Holiday Reception and Fundraiser in support of HGP’s proven transitional employment program. Featuring wine and delicious bites from the Soif Restaurant, each entry ticket will feature a stocking stuffer gift bag of organic products, along with a live auction and an entertaining program featuring local luminaries including City of Santa Cruz Mayor, Donna Meyers and incoming City of Santa Cruz Mayor, Sonja Brunner (invited). Executive Director, Darrie Ganzhorn, says the event “puts a unique spin on HGP’s traditional First Friday holiday fundraiser. Sustain invites us to gather safely in person and celebrate the success of our trainees, as we raise funds to grow our program and operation at a critical time.” HGP’s 2021 live auction features fantastic experiential offerings, including a weeklong stay in Galway, Ireland, a sail on the San Francisco Bay, a private flight to Napa’s wine country, a stay at Yosemite, and more. Event tickets are $100 per person. Covid protocols require proof of vaccination and identification or a negative PCR test within 48 hours and indoor masking. Friday, Dec. 3, 6-8pm. Resource Center For Nonviolence, 612 Ocean St., Santa Cruz.

GROUPS

ENTRE NOSOTRAS GRUPO DE APOYO Entre Nosotras support group for Spanish speaking women with a cancer diagnosis. Meets twice monthly. Registration required, please call Entre Nosotras 831-761-3973. Friday, Dec. 3, 6pm. WomenCARE, 2901 Park Ave., Suite A1, Soquel.

FAMILY SANGHA MONTHLY MEDITATION Come help create a family meditation cooperative community! Parents will meet in the main room for about 40 minutes of silent meditation, followed by 10-15 minutes of discussion about life and mindful parenting. Kids will be in a separate volunteer-led room, playing and exploring mindfulness through games and stories. Parents may need to help with the kids for a portion of the hour, depending on volunteer turnout. All ages of children are welcome. Please bring toys to share. Quiet babies are welcome in the parents’ room. Donations are encouraged; there is no fee for the event. Sunday, Dec. 5, 10:30am-noon. Insight Santa Cruz, 740 Front St. #240, Santa Cruz.

S+LAA MENS’ MEETING Having trouble with compulsive sexual or emotional behavior? Recovery is possible. Our small 12-step group meets Saturday evenings. Enter through the front entrance, go straight down the hallway to the last door on the right. Thursday, Dec. 2, 6pm. Sutter Maternity & Surgery Center, 2900 Chanticleer Ave., Santa Cruz.

WOMENCARE ARM-IN-ARM WomenCARE Arm-in-Arm Cancer support group for women with advanced, recurrent, or metastatic cancer. Meets every Monday, currently on Zoom. Registration is required, call WomenCARE at 831-457-2273. All services are free. For more information visit womencaresantacruz.org. Monday, Dec. 6, 12:30pm. WomenCARE, 2901 Park Ave., Suite A1, Soquel.

WOMENCARE MEDITATION GROUP WomenCARE’s meditation group for women with a cancer diagnosis meets the first and third Friday from 11am-noon. For more information and location please call 831-457-2273. Monday, Dec. 6, 11am-noon.

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, call WomenCARE 831-457-2273. Tuesday, Dec. 7, 12:30-2pm.

WOMENCARE: LAUGHTER YOGA Laughter yoga for women with a cancer diagnosis. Meets every Wednesday, currently via Zoom. Registration is required, please call WomenCARE at 831-457-2273. Wednesday, Dec. 1, 3:30-4:30pm.

OUTDOOR

FREE TUESDAY AT UCSC ARBORETUM Community Day at the UCSC Arboretum, free admission on the first Tuesday of every month. Come explore the biodiversity of our gardens, great birdwatching or simply come relax on a bench in the shade. Tuesday, Dec. 7, 9am. UCSC Arboretum & Botanic Garden, 1156 High St., Santa Cruz.

HISTORIC RANCH GROUND TOUR Discover what life was like a century ago on this innovative dairy ranch. This hour-long tour includes the 1896 water-powered machine shop, barns and other historic buildings. The vehicle day-use fee is $10. For more information, call 831-426-0505. Spaces are limited and early pre-registration is recommended. Attendees are required to self-screen for Covid-19 symptoms when pre-registering. Masks and social distancing are also required at all programs. Saturday, Dec. 4, 1-2pm. Sunday, Dec. 5, 1-2pm. Wilder Ranch State Park, 1401 Coast Road, Santa Cruz.

After Announcing Retirement, Oliver Tree Plays Santa Cruz

Mat Weir

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December 1, 2021

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After Announcing Retirement, Oliver Tree Plays Santa Cruz

When it comes to Santa Cruz musicians, there’s nobody like Oliver Tree.

At 28, he’s played massive festivals like Outside Lands and Coachella. He’s performed on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and The Late Late Show with James Corden. He’s written and directed his own music videos, as well as videos for other artists, like hip hop musician Lil’ Yachty. Tree’s video for his song “Hurt” currently holds the number 34 spot in the top 100 most expensive music videos ever created; he tricked his label into making, as seen in the behind-the-scenes documentary on YouTube. He has a following of over 10 million on TikTok, and 20.4 million monthly listeners on Spotify. Plus, he holds the Guinness record for the world’s largest scooter kick.

His songs have permeated the consumer world through commercials and video games, and his single, “Life Goes On” is a certified platinum hit, inspiring memes and fan art around the world.

“They were even playing it on the radio in Morocco,” he recalls of a recent trip to the Middle East. “It’s amazing that it’s transcended on such a global scale.”

So where does Santa Cruz’s biggest pop anti-star go from here? Back home for a benefit concert, of course.

In collaboration with Carmel’s 101.7FM The Beach, Tree returns to the Rio Theatre on Friday, Dec. 3 for a surprise show in his hometown.

“Hopefully it inspires a lot of kids who are artists themselves,” he tells GT. “There’s such an absurd amount of creativity in Santa Cruz, and I hope to be an example of taking it to the next level and making an impact.”

If there’s one thing Tree knows how to do, it’s make an impact. And he does it in unexpected ways—for example, this show will be free. He is renting out the room himself and fans will be able to attend on a first-come, first-served basis. Because of this, he admits it won’t be a normal Oliver Tree show, since he won’t have all the components usually at his disposal. However, that just means his message has to hit even harder.

“Anyone can do this, it’s just a matter of getting your hands dirty and dedicating your life to the craft,” he says.

Even though he now lives in Los Angeles, Tree’s roots run deep at home. His band consists of longtime friends and collaborators Casey Mattson on keys and Amir Oosman on drums, both ex-Santa Cruzans themselves. Along with Southern California artist Contradash on the bill, Tree enlisted opening local acts Ray “Marcellous” George and Shelf Nunny, a Santa Cruz native who is now an Seattle-based electronic artist and was a prominent collaborator in Tree’s early high school and college projects.

If that’s not enough local love, attendees are encouraged to make a monetary donation—with proceeds going to the Homeless Garden Project—or to bring canned food, which will go to Second Harvest Food Bank.

It seems Tree is going out with a bang after his recent announcement he will be retiring from music.

“My new album I’m making—this country album, Cowboy Tears—will be my last album ever,” he says. “But in a lot of ways, it will be my first, because [2020’s] Ugly is Beautiful was selected works of music made over the course of five years.”

The news sent shockwaves through his fan base, with the internet speculating it to be some sort of publicity stunt—a valid theory, as Tree has made a career out of satirizing current pop culture through YouTube, TikTok and a plethora of memes. Even his signature style—large JNCO jeans, a pink and blue windbreaker jacket and bowl-cut hair—was an “ugly is beautiful” statement on celebrity that he carefully curated for memeing. He’s recently changed up the bowl cut for a long, bleach-blonde mullet in line with his country theme.

Ahead of his possibly final album, Tree plans on one final world tour, first hitting the U.S. at the beginning of 2022 and then touring South America in an attempt to visit all seven continents before the age of 29. There are even plans for a possible Antarctic show in the works.

After that, he plans to continue writing scripts and focusing on film through his production company, Alien Boy Films, which he started during the 2020 quarantine.

“I’ve been focused on trying to segway into film, that’s the next big goal for me,” he says. “We film way more than we can edit. So right now we’re focusing on filling out our roster of editors so some of these things that are four or five years old can see the light of day.”

Oliver Tree will play at 7pm (doors 5:30) on Friday, Dec. 3, at the Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. Free; seating is first-come, first-served. (831) 423-8209.

Letter to the Editor: Lyrical Praise

Letters to the Editor

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December 1, 2021

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Re: “Deep Cuts” (GT, 11/24): Your recent article on the history of the Santa Cruz hip-hop scene left out a major member of the local hip-hop community today: Lyrical I, aka Isaac Collins. Isaac is a local institution, both as a rapper and as a hip-hop activist. His presence on Pacific Avenue is unmissable, and he is constantly in the community representing hip-hop. Ask any Santa Cruz MC and they will tell you that he is at every show, spitting lyrics at every opportunity, and keeping the scene alive. Lyrical I needs to be mentioned in any piece recognizing the Santa Cruz hip-hop scene.

Ghost Hour, Eliquate, Khan, Mesha L, Spc-Cdt

After publishing last week’s story, we received many emails asking “Why wasn’t [one particular artist] included?” The simple answer is that as with any scene, there are far more artists of importance in the Santa Cruz hip-hop scene than we had room to fit into one story. I encourage readers to keep sending in their tributes to those we left out, and we’ll run them as we can. — Editor]

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 le*****@*******es.sc.

Letter to the Editor: Unsafe Streets

Letters to the Editor

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December 1, 2021

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Re: “Biketober Returns for Another ‘Spokey’ Season” (GT Online, 10/4): I have been a bike commuter for the dozen plus years that I have lived and worked in Santa Cruz. I have always expressed what a bike friendly city this is, and I have felt grateful for the cars who recognize the rights of cyclists and watch out for their safety on our streets.

I am a defensive rider, who wears a bright-colored, reflective, safety vest and helmet. Lately I have noticed a rise in the number of drivers who are not looking out for bicycles. I have slowed or come to complete stops while drivers who didn’t even see me turned or proceeded right in front of me without even looking.

Still, twice this week I have been nearly hit by vehicles. I slammed on my brakes within inches of the drivers who hit the gas while I was fully into and nearly through intersections. These close calls have turned what should have been a celebration of biking this Biketober into a period of questioning whether it has become too dangerous.

I don’t know who needs to hear this: People that didn’t commute for a year while working at home during the pandemic and are driving to work again? Students who have come to attend UCSC from cities with fewer bicyclists? Whoever you are, please take the extra time to look both ways and check to see if a bicycle might be approaching.

Veronica Daley Zaleha

Santa Cruz

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 le*****@*******es.sc.

Opinion: All Kinds of Positive Growth

GT Staff

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December 1, 2021

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EDITOR’S NOTE

You will find trees everywhere in this issue, from the cover to Mat Weir’s story about breakout Santa Cruz musician Oliver Tree. The latter was a complete coincidence, I swear, but it does lend some pleasing thematic symmetry to this issue. Especially when right between them is Erin Malsbury’s cover story about the recovery of Big Basin State Park, and the surprising ways it is making officials rethink the very nature of how we as big, clumsy, impact-leaving humans interact with forests. I love a lot of things about this story—it’s a scientific look at how forests recover from fire, as well as a history lesson, and an intellectually curious consideration of how we should be stewarding our most treasured natural resources—but I think my favorite is how it starts. It’s just Erin and a State Parks environmental scientist all alone in the still-closed legendary park, having an experience of humbled wonder at what surrounds them, even as they’re considering how the future of those surroundings should be managed.

Here at GT, we’ve been humbled by your response to our Santa Cruz Gives campaign. When I recorded a video update on the campaign on Monday (you can find my weekly videos by going to the Santa Cruz Gives Facebook page or @scruzgives on Twitter.), I mentioned that in two weeks, Gives had raised $627,000 for our 80 participating nonprofits. Well, as I write this one day later, we’ve jumped to $641,000. By the time you read this, I hope we’ll have passed the $650,000 mark. So go to santacruzgives.org and be a part of this! I’ll also be talking about the Gives campaign on the Cruz, News and Views show on KSQD on Wednesday from 3-4pm. It’s a great show that covers a lot of local issues and reporters’ top stories every week. Tune in!

STEVE PALOPOLI | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Read the latest letters to the editor here.

RE: HIP-HOP

The Serendipity Project was not mentioned hmmm … We toured the entire country and Canada with Del the Funky Homosapien and Hiero for over 5 years in the 2000s. We also were some of the first to throw shows and pay to bring acts in, like KRS-One at Moe’s and Shock G at the Cat, members of Pharcyde and Jurassic 5, Souls of Mischief etc. etc. We did a lot. In fact, the reason you can’t post fliers on poles in Santa Cruz is because of us. We did so much promotion for shows they made it illegal to post on telephone poles. Also started rap battles at the Catalyst and super early on did hip-hop nights at the Med. Don’t know how you missed that! I played bass for the band and still love and play hip-hop. Been into playing upright bass and trying to get some acoustic hip-hop cyphers back on the corner. Peace.

— Finn Stobbe

GOOD IDEA

FAIR ENOUGH

With local businesses still recovering from the effects of the pandemic, the Shop Santa Cruz campaign is in full force to encourage holiday shoppers and diners to support local businesses this holiday season. Some events to look forward to include the one and only jolly Santa Claus coming into town, and a Downtown Holiday Fair this Saturday. The fair will include hot cocoa by the fire, free kids games, Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History family crafts, a Downtown Maker’s Holiday Pop-Up and more. Let the festivities begin!

GOOD WORK

TAKING DIRECTION

Mónica Morales, a Watsonville native, will be Santa Cruz County’s new health director. Morales currently works with programs that address chronic disease prevention, suicide prevention and addiction for the Center for Healthy Communities for the California Department of Public Health. As health director, she promises to make public health policies that are first and foremost equitable.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Our forests offer much more than just beautiful landscapes and wildlife. Each one has a different story to tell.”
-Raveena Tandon

Big Basin Recovery Spurs a Rethinking of Forest Futures

Erin Malsbury

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November 30, 2021

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Big Basin Recovery Spurs a Rethinking of Forest Futures

“I should’ve brought my chainsaw,” Joanne Kerbavaz says with a chuckle as the two of us drag a small fallen tree off of Highway 236 in Big Basin State Park. The tree sits less than 100 feet from one of the entry gates.

It likely fell during the early November rains the day before. As we tug the branches, I think about how strange it feels for the two of us to be alone in California’s oldest state park.

Kerbavaz, a senior environmental scientist for California State Parks, notices the quiet, too. In the year since the CZU Lightning Complex Fire, the hills have echoed with the constant clamor of chainsaws, trucks and heavy equipment.

Crews hauled burnt rubble out of the area and cleared more than 25,000 hazard trees after the fire. The second major phase of cleanup efforts, in partnership with Caltrans, Cal OES and Cal Recycles, wrapped up just a few weeks ago.

Now the noises in the park are softer: a trickling stream, leaves rustling, birdsong. But it’s not the same dampened quiet of the old-growth forest before the fire. Sound seems to echo a bit farther in the open space, and sunlight beats down on soil once shaded by a dense canopy.

Scorch marks run hundreds of feet up bald trees. Scientists estimate that 98% or more of the redwoods survived, but about 75% of the Douglas firs did not.

The forest is more open, sunnier and warmer. It feels different than it did before the fire. And experts say it likely will for the rest of our lives.

But as Kerbavaz and I meander through the charred landscape, we see signs of renewal at every turn. Fuzzy green sprouts surround trunks, stems and branches. Recovery will be slow, but it’s happening.

*Flames scorched the very tops of many of the redwoods, but the trees wasted no time in sprouting new greenery. PHOTO: Erin Malsbury*

EXPLORE MORE PHOTOS FROM BIG BASIN

The CZU fires burned through 97% of the park’s 18,000 acres. Headlines in the fall of 2020 pronounced it gone. In some respects, that’s true. The historic buildings, bridges, trail systems and signs were almost all destroyed.

Big Basin now exists as a blank slate of sorts. Parks staff are using the opportunity to completely rethink the layout and visitor experience.

“This is a chance for state parks, our partners, stakeholders and the public to create a new shared vision for what the park can be,” says Chris Spohrer, the superintendent of the Santa Cruz District of California State Parks.

State Parks recently launched the Reimagining Big Basin project. The effort invites the public and several partners to help plan the park’s future. On the Reimagining Big Basin website, interested participants can pinpoint a spot on the map and share a memory. Parks staff will use the memory-mapping tool and surveys to learn what the public finds most important about the park and how to improve it.

The Reimagining project also hosts occasional pop-up events around the region, and open webinars. After a year, input from the community, an advisory committee and a steering committee will make up the basis of a visioning document in 2022.

“With a changing climate, we need to really be thoughtful about the type of infrastructure that we put in, where it’s placed, how we provide public access,” says Spohrer.

“A goal will be to create a park that will be resilient for the next 100 years,” he says. “Another goal is to have a park that provides equitable access.”

*A cut redwood log manages to sprout new growth. PHOTO: Erin Malsbury*

Rooted in Community

Big Basin, established in 1902, saw changes over the decades. Cars became popular, and people parked inside the ancient redwoods. A swimming pool came and went. Visitors hand-fed deer. But through it all, the basic layout of the park stayed the same.

“The world changed around Big Basin,” says Sara Barth, executive director of the Sempervirens Fund and member of the Reimagining advisory committee. “And the fire cleared the way and made evident that the way it was probably is not the way it should be going forward.”

The Sempervirens formed in 1900 with the goal of protecting old-growth redwoods from logging. The group helped create the park, and it will now guide the new vision.

Representatives from the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band and the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area also sit on the advisory committee.

People have been living among the redwoods and managing land on the central coast for at least 10,000 years. In Big Basin, Cotoni and Quiroste people used fire as a tool to keep meadows open and improve the productivity of plants like hazelnuts and basketry species.

Spanish and American colonizers began suppressing Native cultures and removing Indigenous people from their ancestral homes in the 1700s. Now descendents of some of the original tribes hope to rekindle their relationships with the land and tell their histories.

“When the park was initially set up, there was no Indigenous voice involved in the planning of Big Basin,” says Valentin Lopez, the Chairman of the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band. On the advisory committee, Lopez will advocate for Indigenous land stewardship, protections for cultural sites and educational spaces for Indigenous and non-Native people.

“We want to co-manage at the park,” he says. “We don’t want to just be a subordinate partner who offers opinions, but is not recognized for anything beyond that.”

One important goal is to have a place for ceremonies. “Part of our responsibility for Indigenous stewardship is restoring sacredness to the land,” says Lopez. “A lot of our ceremonies are private. But we will also have public ceremonies there, so people can go by and learn about how Indigenous people have relationships with the lands and how they steward them and how they take care of them.”

The planning started on an optimistic note. “We have a really good relationship with the parks on just about everything,” says Lopez. “They’ve been very welcoming and inviting.”

Alongside the stories highlighted in the park, another thing that will almost certainly change is the visitor center location.

“We know more now about the ecology of redwood forests,” says Barth. “And if you were designing a park from the get-go—like they are going to be doing with this one—you would not put a visitor center right in the heart of the most ecologically sensitive old-growth groves.”

Coastal redwoods grow taller than any other trees, with a maximum height above 300 feet. But their root systems rarely extend below 12 feet. Their stability comes from breadth instead of depth. The shallow roots branch out up to 100 feet from the trunk and intertwine with other redwoods.

They evolved to support each other. But in the last century, we also forced them to support the weight of parking lots and buildings.

Fire risk is another concern that will influence the locations and building materials of new structures. The CZU Lightning Complex was not the first fire to sweep through the old-growth forest. The same year the park opened, it burned.

“The whole country from the Big Basin to the sea seemed to be enveloped in flame,” reads a Santa Cruz Sentinel article from September of 1904.

Kerbavaz takes inspiration from the old reports. They highlight the resiliency of the forest. “People were saying ‘Big Basin is lost. It’s devastated. We worked so hard to save it, and now it’s gone.’ And by 2020, very few people even remembered that there was a fire in 1904,” she says.

*Thick outer bark protects the phloem, a layer of tissue that circulates food to different parts of the tree. PHOTO: Erin Malsbury*

When a Tree Falls

Redwoods as a group appeared over 240 million years ago. They existed before the continents drifted apart and before the evolution of birds, flowers, and mammals that would eventually take refuge among their branches. Coastal redwoods more specifically have graced this area for 20 million years.

These trees have seen a lot. And in all that time, they’ve evolved more than a few tricks for survival: Bark that can grow more than a foot thick protects the sensitive ring of living tissue. This natural armor contains high levels of fire-resistant chemicals called tannins, which are also what give redwoods their characteristic color.

Height also helps. Taller canopies make it harder for flames to reach the branches.

But char marks from the CZU Fire stretch to the very tops of some of the trees. The forest has experienced fire for millennia, but the infernos of recent years are hotter and larger than what they evolved with.

Still, it was not the intensity of the fire that killed some of the unlucky redwoods. Small fires smouldered in the hollows of living trees for several months after the main blazes went out. The lingering embers compromised the structure of the huge trees, and gravity did the rest.

To save some of the old-growth, the park brought in experts from Humboldt over the summer. They climbed the trees and set up sprinklers inside them.

*Joanne Kerbavaz stands inside a burnt-but-surviving ancient redwood. PHOTO: ERIN MALSBURY*

Many of the oldest redwoods in the park were already hollow from past fires. I step inside the ancient tree known as “The Mother of the Forest.” Charcoal cracks beneath my feet, and the smell of smoke fills my nose. The interior is completely charred black.

Kerbavaz pinpoints the sensation. “It’s like a big barbecue grill in there,” she says.

But back outside the tree, we can see the green of new life lining the branches. In the ashy aftermath, redwoods have yet another trick: They resprout like weeds.

In little time at all, fuzzy green growth surrounds their bases. On some trees, it lines their trunks or covers their branches, making them look hairy.

Kerbavaz points to a tiny green sprig jutting out from a pile of cut logs.

“This log is sitting here, and this tree is still trying to grow,” she smiles. “It’s like it’s saying, ‘I’m not dead yet.’”

Some of the sprouts around the bases already stretch above six feet. Several of the older trees in the park started out this way. They grew as clones around a much larger ancestral tree. When that tree fell—or in the case of many Santa Cruz Mountain giants, was logged—it left behind an empty circle, called a fairy ring.

“When one stem—in this case the mother tree—dies, did the tree die? Well, that stem died, but the clonal ones are all still there,” says Kerbavaz. She says watching the new growth after the fire gave her a new perspective on the forest.

She notices fairy rings more often now and they remind her that the ecosystem constantly changes.

“I want Big Basin to look like it looked in July 2020 forever,” she says, motioning to one of the old giants. “But in reality, it was already looking different than it had looked 200, 300, 500 years before. There’s always some level of change within these systems, whether we observe it or not.”

Following the fire, scientists have tracked as much of the recovery as possible. Researchers are studying the trees, soil, fungi, animals, water—anything and everything they can.

Different stages of a recovering forest provide opportunities for species of all sorts. Pileated woodpeckers hammer into dead stumps. Bark beetles feast on dead wood. Wildflowers and mushrooms spring out of charred soils.

A little over a year after the blazes, tanoaks have resprouted from their bases. Huckleberries have already grown three feet. And knobcone pines, which need fires to open their resin-sealed cones, have spread their seeds.

Seeing the forest for the trees

As the forest rebounds, the parks service faces the daunting task of making it safe and accessible. There is currently no water, gas or electricity in the park for visitors or employees.

“I think it’s important for people to realize a park like this, that served the public 365 days a year, had similar infrastructure to any municipality,” says Spohrer.

“We have a water treatment facility. We have a wastewater treatment facility. We have distribution lines to those throughout the park. We have electrical utility. All that has been lost.”

And over 75 miles of trails still weave through hazardous trees and unstable slopes. In the backcountry, cleaning up trails, taking down dangerous trunks and building several dozen new bridges without nearby roads will take years.

With the hard manual labor comes tricky decisions. Walking through the park, Kerbavaz and I see a few leaning trees.

To my untrained eye, they look ready to topple with a gust of wind. Those, she tells me, likely grew that way to reach more sunlight in a crowded forest. But even to experts, it can be hard to tell.

Of the trees that do come down, some will become fence posts, railings, and building materials within the park. Others will rest on the forest floor and provide food and habitat for other species.

“Our trail staff has been working as hard as they can,” says Kerbavaz. “And even with the dedication and ability of those folks—which is awe inspiring—the progress is slow.”

She points out that the employees working in Big Basin also manage the rest of the parks in the region. “These were people who were fully employed before doing the things that just needed to be done on an annual basis. So now we’ve created this incredible backlog of work.”

The scope of the project feels a little overwhelming, says Spohrer. “But there’s really dedicated people, and the support from the public has been huge.”

Planning and infrastructure will take much longer to establish, but parks staff plan to open Highway 236 and provide limited access to the forest this summer.

“We’re hoping to at least give the public some window into what the forest recovery looks like by opening some limited parking off of Highway 236 by the summer,” says Spohrer. “People should anticipate that it will not look the same as they remember, and it will not look the same as they remember in any of our lifetimes. It’s going to be a long process for recovery. And that’s not necessarily a negative. We just have to think about the forest recovery in a timespan that’s different than human time.”

In its 50th Year, Planned Parenthood Mar Monte Continues to Bring Vital Services

Johanna Miller

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November 30, 2021

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In its 50th Year, Planned Parenthood Mar Monte Continues to Bring Vital Services

Since 1971, Planned Parenthood has provided comprehensive, affordable healthcare to Santa Cruz County.

The organization offers reproductive healthcare, mental health services, primary care, men’s and women’s specific health care, pregnancy testing and services, vaccines, contraceptives, LGBTQ services and more. It is the nation’s largest provider of sex education, and its services are available to anyone, regardless of insurance status.

“The work we do is vital,” says Dianna Zamora-Marroquin, director of public affairs for Planned Parenthood Mar Monte (PPMM), a network of 35 centers including Santa Cruz County. “It’s something that folks need. We are a nonprofit that provides affordable, high-quality care to all. We are an important, unique and essential service.”

The Planned Parenthood centers in Santa Cruz and Watsonville offer “a true, comprehensive network of nonjudgmental healthcare,” Zamora-Marroquin says, serving more than 12,000 patients annually. This includes enhanced behavioral care, family medical care, gender-affirming care, vasectomies and more.

“We focus on care for the whole person and family,” she says. “Everyone can go to a clinic regardless of who they are, or what they need.”

Santa Cruz’s Westside health center helped pioneer the Gender Affirming Care program 20 years ago, which has expanded to all of PPMM’s centers. This includes everything from hormone care to mental health services for people dealing with various gender-related issues.

“You can’t just walk into an office and immediately be able to transition … which is why we’re making sure we are building a ladder for our patients,” Zamora-Marroquin says. “So that people don’t get stuck. We want to help bridge that gap.”

Throughout the pandemic, Planned Parenthood has continued to provide its services and advocacy, even as appointments moved online. They have been offering Covid-19 testing and resources for families and individuals, including mental health care for those dealing with isolation.

And the nonprofit is bracing for even more challenges, many that stem from a number of proposed and implemented restrictions on women’s reproductive rights nationwide. According to a report released in July by the Guttmacher Institute, more abortion restrictions have been enacted in the U.S. in 2021 than in any other year since Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court ruling that the Constitution protects a pregnant woman’s liberty to choose whether or not to have an abortion.

The Roe v. Wade decision was handed down in 1973. This year, a total of 26 states enacted 90 restrictions, and many are poised to ban abortions.

“We’ve seen these systematic attacks in an incredibly high volume,” Zamora-Marroquin says. “Planned Parenthood as a whole has been taking action through all legal means possible to protect people’s rights.”

PPMM clinics are working with affiliates in order to support Planned Parenthood locations that are facing these sorts of challenges, and also building more robust facilities and opportunities in California so they can prepare to help people from out of state.

They are working closely with colleagues in Texas, where Gov. Greg Abbot signed a new measure into law last May that would ban abortions as early as six weeks—when many women haven’t even realized they are pregnant.

“We are fighting a massive, uphill battle with no guarantee that the law of the land will be upheld,” Zamora-Marroquin says. “We are so thankful to all those who support us and allow us to continue our important work.”

As Planned Parenthood marks 50 years in Santa Cruz County, it is looking for even more support from the community through the annual Santa Cruz Gives campaign, which kicked off in mid-November. The holiday fundraising program, which runs through the end of the year, aims to create a local network of donors and increase giving via crowdsourcing.

This year the campaign doubled in size, now highlighting 80 local nonprofits instead of the usual 40. Groups and individuals can visit SantaCruzGives.org, where each nonprofit has a profile page detailing their story and how they will use the donations.

With funds raised through the campaign, Planned Parenthood hopes to continue its essential work in Santa Cruz County, and keep expanding its services further.

Zamora-Marroquin praises local Planned Parenthood staff who she calls “extremely dedicated” to their community.

“We’ve noticed, and are so proud of how our staff is so deeply embedded in Santa Cruz County,” she says. “They live here, they are working for their neighbors … they are very much giving back to this community.”

More Ways to Help

In addition to Planned Parenthood, Santa Cruz Gives is also highlighting a number of other health and wellness nonprofits in Santa Cruz County.

This includes Dientes Community Dental Care, which has been part of the campaign since its inception in 2015. For nearly 30 years, Dientes has worked to ensure that everyone has access to quality oral health care, regardless of cost, insurance, income, language and transportation. They are the largest dental care provider in the county, offering care and treatment for over 10,000 people living in poverty.

Proceeds from this year’s campaign will help Dientes continue its Give Kids a Smile Day, which is part of the organization’s Dientes Cares for Kids program. Give Kids a Smile Day provides free dental care to uninsured children in Santa Cruz County.

“Toothaches are one of the most common reasons low-income kids miss school,” says Sheree Storm, chief development officer for Dientes. “Our goal is to make prevention more common than treatment so that kids can focus on school instead of a toothache.”

Supporting Dientes will also help the nonprofit open its new 11-chair clinic currently under construction in Live Oak. Opening in fall 2022, the clinic is part of a health and housing campus built in partnership with Santa Cruz Community health and MidPen Housing.

“Santa Cruz Gives showcases all the great work that is happening amongst nonprofits to create a better Santa Cruz County, and we couldn’t be more proud to be a part of that story,” Storm says. “Participating in this amazing effort has been great to help expose us to new donors who might not otherwise know about Dientes.”

Heidi Boynton, executive director of Jacob’s Heart Children’s Cancer Support Services, echoed that sentiment.

“People will have their own ideas about what our organization does,” Boynton says. “So any opportunity to tell our story, to let people know what we really do, is of such great value. That carries us throughout the year.”

Jacob’s Heart aims to improve the quality of life for children with cancer by supporting them, their family members and friends through all of the challenges they face. They provide emotional, practical, financial and peer support to thousands of local families.

Through Santa Cruz Gives, Jacob’s Heart will increase its crisis counseling by hiring a team of bicultural psychotherapists and specialists with expertise in grief and trauma. This will help families during treatment, those experiencing anticipatory grief and those dealing with loss.

In addition, the funds will expand support for those dealing with pandemic-related struggles.

“Not only are people dealing with cancer, but also battling the isolation from the pandemic,” Boynton says. “We’ve seen that in all of our families. There was already this unimaginable journey they were on. And now there’s also this virus layered on top. We really want to focus on bringing in more emotional and peer support.”

Boynton thanked the community for their continued support of Jacob’s Heart.

“We currently have 106 children we are caring for, thanks to this community’s generosity,” she says. “Fundraising is critical to do the work we do. We want to remind people that we are here to support them—until there is a cure, we will be here.”

Additional health and wellness organizations selected for this year’s Santa Cruz Gives campaign include:

Alzheimer’s Association

More than 5,300 people in Santa Cruz County live with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, and another 8,000 loved ones and caregivers are impacted. The Alzheimer’s Association in Santa Cruz connects people with a community of support every step of the way. All services are free and offered in English and Spanish by phone, virtually, and in-person, including care consultations, support groups, education and tips on healthy living for the brain and body.

Health Projects Center

Health Projects Center supports people as they age to live safely at home by delivering high-quality services and programs in the Monterey Bay region. This includes managing health care and supportive services, supporting family caregivers, transitioning low-income people out of institutional living and strengthening the health care workforce. They are also working to educate older adults about Covid‐19 and facilitate access to vaccinations.

Mental Health Client Action Network

The Mental Health Client Action Network is a peer-run organization dedicated to providing mutual support and networking, creating programs, advocating for the right to choose our one’s path in life, educating the public from their perspective, working to eradicate treatment disparities and confronting discrimination. Fundraising will help provide showers four days a week for up to 50 people a day at the group’s drop-in center, including toiletries, towels, toothbrushes and other hygiene supplies.

Santa Cruz Gives is presented by Good Times in partnership with the Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County and with support from the Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County, The Applewood Fund, the Bud & Rebecca Colligan Fund, The Joe Collins Fund, Driscoll’s, Inc., Santa Cruz County Bank, Wynn Capital Management, Oswald Restaurant, the Pajaronian and the Press Banner. For a list of all nonprofits and to donate, visit santacruzgives.org.

Following Legal Threats, Santa Cruz City Council to Revisit Affordable Housing Proposal

Aiyana Moya

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November 30, 2021

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Following Legal Threats, Santa Cruz City Council to Revisit Affordable Housing Proposal

The Santa Cruz City Council will reconsider a large affordable housing project after receiving multiple threats of litigation following its near unanimous decision to reject the proposal in October.

The project, which was submitted to the city on July 1, would consist of two mixed-use buildings with 145 residential apartments at 831 Water St. Of those units, 69 would be considered “affordable,” meaning they would be deed-restricted to people who make 80% or less of the area’s median income.

The developers submitted the application under Senate Bill 35, a bill passed in 2017 that aims to streamline affordable housing projects. SB35 applies to cities that have not met their affordable housing mandates imposed by the state, and limits a municipality’s ability to deny housing proposals.

Although the city of Santa Cruz has surpassed its state mandates for affordable housing units at low, moderate and above-moderate income levels, it is behind on its affordable units at very low income levels. So far, Santa Cruz has only permitted 12 units that will be available to people in the very low income bracket; the state’s requirement for Santa Cruz is 180 of those units.

After the City Council voted 6-1 to deny the project in October—Sonja Brunner was the lone councilmember in favor of its construction—the California Department of Housing and Community Development submitted a letter to the city saying that its rejection of the project was illegal under SB35. It said that Santa Cruz needed to work with the developer on a “speedy resolution of this matter.”

Attorney Darcy Pruitt at the City Council’s Nov. 23 meeting said that in other cities, denying SB35 projects resulted in multi-million dollar court cases. Often, she said, the court rules in favor of the project and the city is compelled to accept the proposals.

Around 15 people called in to the meeting, both in support of and in opposition to the project. Councilmembers Justin Cummings and Sandy Brown both maintained their previous votes in opposition to the proposal. Brown and Cummings said that since the developers have submitted multiple iterations of their original proposal, they should submit a new application that is clear and consistent. Otherwise, there is no guarantee they won’t change their application again, the councilmember said.

“It’s unfair to the public and undermines the integrity of the planning process to allow continual revisions to an application,” Cummings said. “Public policy decisions should not be made on the basis of a threat of a lawsuit.”

Brown also mentioned that the time city staff has spent reviewing the additional documents the developers submitted—documents she says have often been contradictory—has been excessive.

“I believe we met our obligations under SB35 to give developers the opportunity to provide evidence that this project would meet objective standards,” Brown said.

Mayor Donna Meyers, Vice Mayor Brunner and council members Renee Golder and Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson voted in favor of reconsidering the project. Councilmember Martine Watkins was absent.

Kalantari-Johnson said she wanted time to re-evaluate the new proposal, and thought that since there was public support for the project, there should be a public meeting on the matter.

There will be a public hearing on Dec. 14, during the City Council’s last meeting of the year, to reconsider the proposal.

The City Council was also set to hold a study session on its state mandated housing goals and development standards on Tuesday.

When the City Council first heard the proposal in October, the majority of council members were concerned that all of the affordable housing units were grouped in one building, and all the market rate units were in the second building.

Watkins during the October meeting called it a “segregated housing proposal,” and said it was “personally offensive.”

That wasn’t the City Council’s only grounds for rejecting the project. It also said that it had not complied with the city’s objective standards it sets forth for housing proposals, such as providing plans for a drainage system and a noise and traffic study.

After the denial, the developers submitted additional documents to address some of the elected leaders’ concerns. Along with redistributing the affordable units across the two buildings, the developer also submitted noise studies and a drainage plan.

In other action, the City Council voted 6-0 to have Brunner take over as mayor for 2022. Watkins will be the new Vice Mayor.

Brunner, the Downtown Association’s operations director, was voted into office in 2020. She received the most votes of nine candidates in the Nov. 3 election in which Watkins, Brown and Kalantari-Johnson were also elected.

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After Announcing Retirement, Oliver Tree Plays Santa Cruz

Letter to the Editor: Lyrical Praise

Letter to the Editor: Unsafe Streets

Opinion: All Kinds of Positive Growth

EDITOR’S NOTE

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

GOOD IDEA

GOOD WORK

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Big Basin Recovery Spurs a Rethinking of Forest Futures

In its 50th Year, Planned Parenthood Mar Monte Continues to Bring Vital Services

More Ways to Help

Following Legal Threats, Santa Cruz City Council to Revisit Affordable Housing Proposal

New County Health Services Director Has Local Roots

Judge Allows Homeless to Temporarily Stay Along Pajaro River Levee

Things To Do in Santa Cruz: Dec. 1-7

After Announcing Retirement, Oliver Tree Plays Santa Cruz

Letter to the Editor: Lyrical Praise

Letter to the Editor: Unsafe Streets

Opinion: All Kinds of Positive Growth

Big Basin Recovery Spurs a Rethinking of Forest Futures

In its 50th Year, Planned Parenthood Mar Monte Continues to Bring Vital Services

Following Legal Threats, Santa Cruz City Council to Revisit Affordable Housing Proposal