Your article on the glib Mr. Gibbs (GT, 11/3) reminded me of a Downtown Association meeting I attended 10 (?) years ago when he made his first report. I was most impressed by the fact that he got $60,000 for cruising Pacific Avenue and writing a 10-page report that made the very astute observation that our traffic pattern was odd. I suggested that we might benefit from making the street a pedestrian mall, as had many other coastal towns—a benefit we see now. He demurred, noting that Santa Monica’s huge success was only because they had a department store at one end … the store was in the process of closing at the time, predictably. He also told the old guard of the DTA what they wanted to hear: that parking spaces in front of their stores was key to their survival. Clearly, it wasn’t.
Mr. Gibbs—like many of our city leaders, and the old real-estate families in charge of downtown—still thinks that parking will save us from Amazon and odd retail ideas and high rents and tax laws that allow buildings to sit empty. We plow ahead with covering our one central event space with more parking and the library, since the combination will be easier to finance and give our leaders a legacy building. This will be a five-minute walk from three existing parking structures that they can’t fill at $3.75 a day now, and after we spend a fair amount of money on plans to fix the current library, which is described by a prominent local architect as a 100-year building that has a lot next to it for expansion and transition.
As a frequent client of our best and one of our few downtown events, the Farmers Market, I would suggest that more events in a spruced-up event space would benefit us most. We used to have an Art and Wine festival and a First Night. I asked a former council member why no more, and was told they were too much trouble. I can’t think of a better use of our DTA and Economic Development department. I would also suggest visiting the website of my boyhood home—Wausau Wisconsin, thriving downtown with a population of only 40,000, middle of farmland, no tourism and beautiful central plaza with a bandstand shell and stage. Our large community of artists and musicians might like it.
Paul Cocking
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.
I always thought the Santa Cruz Givesissue made the perfect Thanksgiving Good Times. For a few years there, it would come out right before the holiday, and I always knew the paper for that week would capture exactly the right vibe of “Let’s be grateful for everything we have and think about how we can help others.” But as the Gives holiday campaign got bigger, we needed to give it an extra week, and that’s why our cover story on it—which I still think of as our real Thanksgiving issue—came out last week. Since we made that change, the cover subject for our actual week-of issue now seems a bit random sometimes. And with that in mind, allow me to welcome you to our Thanksgiving Hip-Hop Issue!
Hmm, I don’t know, though—now that I think about it, maybe it kind of works. I mean, if we’re talking about things our community should be thankful for, the incredibly rich and diverse history of our arts scene should be one of them. And what I love about Aaron Carnes’ cover story on the subject is that he’s spent months tracking down artists, promoters and fans from every era of the hip-hop scene to put together what I can without reservation say is the definitive history of the genre in Santa Cruz. It’s a must-read for those who remember great hip-hop shows at Club Culture, Palookaville and other spots around here—and especially for those who missed them.
Of course, last week was only the beginning of our Santa Cruz Gives coverage, and this week you’ll find the first of many stories in which we’ll be focusing on the work that the nonprofits we’re asking you to donate to are doing in our community. Go to santacruzgives.org to read about all of the groups, and to donate. Happy Thanksgiving!
STEVE PALOPOLI | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
PHOTO CONTEST WINNER
Submit to ph****@*******es.sc. Include information (location, etc.) and your name. Photos may be cropped. Preferably, photos should be 4 inches by 4 inches and minimum 250dpi.
GOOD IDEA
IN LANE VIEW
Nearly half a million dollars will go towards improving pedestrian and cyclist safety in Santa Cruz County. The California Office of Traffic Safety awarded $448,000 in grants to the county’s Public Health Division. Some of the money will fund community activities like driver education, especially around impaired driving. Money will also fund safety initiatives that help community members, like giving out bike helmets or car seats for low-income families.
GOOD WORK
MATTER OF TRUST
The Amah Mutsun Land Trust (AMLT), an organization that protects the Amah Mutsun ancestral land, has named Dr. Catherin Griffin as its new executive director. She will focus on improving the wellbeing of Native people, and providing mentorship to tribal members. AMLT works to restore the Mutsun people as stewards of the land, and preserve Mutsun culture by teaching young adults Mutsun traditions. Learn more about AMLT at amahmutsunlandtrust.org.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“In the future, hip-hop is going to be called American folklore.”
Local rapper Alwa Gordon met George Abraham a decade ago at a Blue Lagoon show, as Gordon was coming offstage after finishing a set. Abraham, a middle-aged man with a friendly smile, stopped him and told him how much he loved his music.
Gordon kept seeing Abraham at hip-hop shows. He would usually be up front hyping the artists. Sometimes he would linger at the merch booth and help the artists sell. He might even buy several of their shirts himself, just to make sure they took home some money that night.
“He treated me like I was a famous person,” Gordon recalls. “It feels really good. You hear that a lot from people when you get offstage. But he seemed really genuine. And I just started seeing him at every show.”
In 2019, when Gordon dropped his 16 Summers project, Abraham bought two copies, and mailed them to hip-hop fans he knew in Hawaii and Ireland. He showed Gordon emails from those friends thanking him for the music, just to let Gordon know that what he was creating mattered to people.
Abraham did this for a lot of local hip-hop artists. Originally from Ghana, he cared a lot about the Santa Cruz hip-hop scene. He made himself available for the artists if they needed help in any way whatsoever.
Singer Sonia Raquel recalls meeting Abraham in 2012 after she’d gotten divorced and was looking for some direction in her life. He encouraged her to put all her attention into her music.
“I was lost. I had no idea what to do with myself,” she says. “I turned to him a lot when I had problems in my life.”
On July 4, Abraham passed away from a heart attack. He was 57, and had been on dialysis for some time. Even with ongoing health issues, he came out to shows before the pandemic, and continued to be a huge advocate for artists.
“It really affected our community because he was so well known and so well-liked,” says Raquel. “His presence is missing. He was the loudest one, cheering everybody on. He was a loud, crazy motherfucker.”
Abraham’s son Michael Hightower, who raps as Expo the Ghostwriter, says that the local hip-hop scene was hugely important to his father. Abraham had moved to Santa Cruz in junior high, and later became a computer programmer. He involved himself in Santa Cruz’s hip-hop scene in its earliest days with Club Caution and Palookaville. He put on shows, promoted events and supported the scene because he saw the importance of the music to his community. He took to Chris Rene when he was coming up and was at every show Rene played. Several people called him Rene’s “unofficial ambassador.”
“A lot of people think it’s just music. A long time ago, minorities and African Americans, we didn’t really have our own news to watch. Music was our news,” Hightower says. “My dad catered to that. Some people didn’t have the money, the means, or the support. My dad understood that music is the instrument of the soul. A song can change someone’s life.”
With his dedication to the local scene, Abraham saw something that others didn’t. This area has never been known as a hip-hop hotspot, but in fact, the music has a rich and fascinating history here. This is the secret history of Santa Cruz hip-hop.
MC Groove album cover
1980s: This is For Suckers
In the early days of rap, particularly outside of cities like New York and L.A., the radio played a huge role. For Santa Cruz and the entire Central Coast, the godfather of hip-hop radio was Bubba G. Scotch, who started spinning R&B, electro-funk and hip-hop on Salinas station KUBO in 1981. With no one else playing the music locally at the time, kids all over tuned in every week and taped his shows.
Live events were rare until 1984, when Richard Walker—aka Rotten Richie, the African American drummer in local punk band Public Enemies—opened the all-ages punk venue Club Culture on Front Street, across the street from the Santa Cruz Metro Center. Many punk and indie rock greats graced its stage: Hüsker Dü, Descendents, DRI and Butthole Surfers, to name a few. But on Saturday nights, Scotch would spin hip-hop, and bring occasional guests like local emcees Generous J Paper and Snake Bo Bee. He even landed an appearance by NYC Hip Hop Nation’s Afrika Bambaataa.
There was a record store in the lobby that featured a lot of the hard-to-track-down cuts from obscure New York labels that Scotch played on his show. Scotch would purchase a few extra copies of whatever records he could get his hands on, and sell them at Club Culture.
“It was a hip-hop party every weekend,” says Generous J, aka Jokaelle Porter.
By the mid-’80s, a few more hip-hop radio shows had popped up, like the one hosted by Kurt Matlin, aka KutMasta Kurt, who started spinning hip-hop on Santa Cruz station KUSP in 1985. Mike Nardone played rap on high school station KSPB in Pebble Beach in 1983.
Santa Cruz’s first rap star was a kid from Baton Rouge, Louisiana who kept talking about cutting a record. His friends nicknamed him “Groove.” When he started rhyming in 1984, he dubbed himself M.C. Groove. He cut a single with his dad called “Don’t Play with Fire” that got played in jukeboxes in Louisiana. He moved to Santa Cruz a few years later, and played drums in his dad’s three-piece blues band Cruz Control. But he was destined to be a rapper.
“Everybody was skateboarding and surfing when I came in. There wasn’t no rapping on the scene at all,” says Groove. “People used to laugh at me when I come to school with my gold chains. These guys got on flip-flops and shorts. I’m coming to school like a rapper.”
Kurt and Groove met at Santa Cruz High and bonded over hip-hop. Kurt had started making beats using the reel-to-reel tapes loops in the KUSP production room. Groove would spit bars over Kurt’s instrumentals.
“[M.C. Groove] was by far the most talented emcee in the area I knew of,” Kurt says. “He reminded me of Big Daddy Kane with a southern accent.”
M.C. Groove won over fans at Santa Cruz High after they saw him perform at the quad between classes.
“They showed me a bunch of love—all my teachers and people at school. It was a phenomenon for a minute. It was so much love,” Groove says.
In 1990, Groove cut the EP This is For Suckers, which Kurt released on his record label Rapid Fire Records. The song “This is for Suckers” became a local hit. At Vets Hall and Eagles Hall shows, the audience was singing along. A few other artists were starting to come up like K Fresh, MC Chaz and BC Chill, all of whom Groove produced.
Not long after This is for Suckers was released, Groove moved to Florida. Just before he did, Groove’s cousin Reggie Stephens, known as D-Reg, moved to Santa Cruz. They performed together at the Santa Cruz High quad, which let everyone know that Stephens was legit too.
Left to right: Nase Hatfield, Reggie Stephens and Ken Hatfield. The cousin of M.C. Groove, Stephens followed him to Santa Cruz and made a name for himself in the scene as D-Reg.
1990s: The Asphalt Legion
The early ’90s saw the rise of hip-hop radio DJs like Jason D, DJ Kazzeo (Wednesday Wreck), and Verbal Technician. Several new emcees, including Stephens, were part of the Asphalt Legion crew: Bhang, Ebony Mist, Flow Pros, Marlon, Asphalt Poets, Imperial, and Chemical K. Their 1994 compilation, produced by Dan the Automator, is a classic Santa Cruz hip-hop record.
“It was almost like Wu-Tang Clan or something,” Stephens says. All those MCs have their own stuff. But then when you put them all together, they’re Wu-Tang Clan.”
There was energy at live shows locally, even if the spaces were hard to come by. In 1991, F-Force Productions, headed by Frank Sosa, brought Cypress Hill and Tim Dog to the Santa Cruz Vets Hall. A year later, Cypress Hill returned, this time to the Santa Cruz Armory. A thousand people showed up.
Jokaelli Porter also booked events wherever he could. In 1994, Michael Horne and Bruce Howard opened Palookaville, and Porter proposed bringing San Francisco crew RBL Posse to the space. Horne said yes. That began a string of Palookaville shows, often curated by Porter, that included the Pharcyde, Goodie Mob, Ice-T, Salt-N-Pepa, the Roots, E-40, Run DMC, and Jam Master J. He almost booked Eminem just before he blew up, but that fell through.
“Catalyst was doing such a great job of classic rock, but we really wanted to point more towards the University at that time, and try to be more edgy,” Horne says. “Roots reggae and punk rock and early hip-hop was just so violent, so alive, and so real. And Jokaelli understood [hip-hop].”
For Porter, elevating hip-hop culture in Santa Cruz was about more than just music.
“I don’t come from gang culture,” he says. “I come from a revolutionary point of view. My mom was a Black Panther. And she went to UCSC, the same school as Huey P. Newton.”
Not everyone in Santa Cruz was comfortable with the growing popularity of hip-hop. Police sometimes lingered around shows, expecting trouble. And when Porter booked gangsta rap crew Above The Law, the police pushed Horne to cancel the show before it started, which he did. Porter felt that these anti-hip-hop locals didn’t understand that the culture of hip-hop was about inclusion.
“Nobody was going home hurt. They was going home with some culture,” Porter says. “Palookaville provided a space for young Black kids, Caucasian kids, Hispanic kids that got along. It’s something the status quo doesn’t want to see. They feel like they gonna lose out if everybody comes together.”
Palookaville also helped a lot of kids discover that Santa Cruz had a local rap scene. Stephens opened several shows at Palookaville, and worked with local hip-hop label In House Records. They released his track “West Coast Funk,” a popular cut. Mike Ross—aka local emcee Ross Rock, who started in the late ’90s—was inspired by Stephens.
“Reggie started doing In House stuff, which was the first thing that inspired me, seeing a local guy rapping,” says Ross. “And the production sounded good.”
Would-be emcees even got a chance to show off their skills at Palookaville. A tradition emerged in which spontaneous freestyle rap sessions called “cyphers” started up between acts in the back of the club. Kazzeo, who often DJ’d these shows, leaned into it, often spinning instrumental tracks for them.
“You would go [to Palookaville] to check out the girls or whatever,” says Adam White, aka Zig Zag Robinson, who went by Addamantium when he formed Slop Opera. “I remember hearing Run-D.M.C. and I was like, ‘Cool,’ but then I would check out dudes cyphering in the back, just spitting bars.”
Elliot Wright (second from left), aka Eliquate, started rapping in Santa Cruz in the mid-2000s and began performing with a full band in 2009.
Early 2000s: The Rec League
After Palookaville closed its doors in 2002, the Catalyst started booking more touring hip-hop acts. In 2003, it booked three of the main local crews: The Moonies, Lost and Found Generation and Duce Company. The show was packed. Other important rappers at the time included Top Ramen (Topr), Otayo Dubb, the Warlordz, and Tahaj Edwards.
Other shows were happening at the Vets Hall, the Aptos Club, the Mediterranean, the 418 Project, the Attic, and E3 Playhouse.
Crews were important in the 2000s. Two that had kicked things off in the ’90s were Jedi Knights Circle and Thunderhut. Local rapper Grunge was in both. While in Jedi Knights, he started Thunderhut as a side project, so he could mix it up with rappers with different styles. He started the crew, bringing in Joe Cutter (then Kaoe Device, and one of the best battle rappers in the area), Kefr, DJ Clokwize, and Guns.
“None of us sounded the same. It wasn’t conscious hip-hop, it was more party music and comes from the backpack era from the ’90s,” says Grunge. “We used to hang out at the Santa Cruz Roasting Company. Tons of cyphers out there. Tons of different artists.”
This philosophy of creating a crew of emcees with differing styles reached a new level with Rec League, started by Matt Iles, aka Matty Eye, formerly of the Moonies. Originally envisioned as a record label, Rec League released its Season One compilation in 2004. It had tracks from local artists like Proe, Richie Cunning, Rob Rush, Matty Eye and Cumulus, and an intro by DJ Kazzeo. The success of the compilation solidified Rec League as a crew. They would play shows together like a big, gigantic mob on stage, with every rapper taking turns. The record also inspired them to create their own studio in Rob Rush’s garage—called the “Rec Center”—which allowed them to record a lot of music.
“It was half-studio, half-clubhouse. That became Rec League headquarters,” says Rec League member Riche Cunnings. “Everyone was there. You get off work, you go to the studio. That was life at the time, even if we weren’t working on something serious. If there was a funny joke, that turned into like a joke song.”
Also in 2004, Adam White formed Slop Opera with DJ Bean (Ben Boulter). They created momentum by doing as many shows as possible, sometimes even playing with rock bands. Inclusion, after all, was at the heart of Santa Cruz’s hip-hop scene.
“Someone who doesn’t live here, they think of beach-town surfers and skaters and say, ‘Oh, there’s a rap community here?’” says Mike Ross. “What was weird about Slop Opera, we were cool with a lot of the surfer guys and the gangster guys. Everyone got along, and it was just a trip.”
Late 2000s-Present: X Factors
Elliot Wright, aka Eliquate, moved to Santa Cruz in the mid-2000s to go to school, but it was music here that interested him most. Before he moved, he asked a friend what the hip-hop scene was like in Santa Cruz. His friend answered, “It is whatever you make it to be.” Within a few years, Wright would understand the truth of that statement.
Some of the early shows Wright played were opening for Slop Opera at Blue Lagoon. At the time, he was a solo artist, but by 2009, he’d expanded the project to a full band, which broadened the acts he could play with to also include reggae, funk, and rock, which was a big bonus for a Santa Cruz rapper.
“I always wanted to be a punk singer. Who doesn’t? But I was better at rapping than singing. And at that point in my life, hip-hop meant a lot more to me,” says Wright.
A few years later, Eliquate started touring, and began getting offers to open shows at Moe’s Alley and the Catalyst.
“I think we were the only hip-hop band that was going on tour. We weren’t selling out stadiums by any means, but it did kind of give us a reach a little bit bigger than Santa Cruz,” Wright says.
Eliquate was popular with the UCSC crowd, and could regularly draw a few hundred people. A particular highlight was headlining the Rock and Roll on the Knoll at UCSC three years in a row, which usually drew 600 people.
Another artist catapulted from the Blue Lagoon was Chris Rene. Before he gained national recognition on The X Factor in 2011, he was the center of a vibrant scene at the club, which hosted a lot of packed hip-hop shows.
“Chris Rene is talented. He’s charismatic,” says Cory Atkinson, who started as a bartender at the Blue Lagoon before becoming a booker. “He would throw these parties. The tone was set. We’re coming in to have a fun time, it’s a party. There’s going to be a DJ, and then throughout the night, an emcee is going to pop up and do their thing.”
The X-Factor season finale viewing party was held at the Catalyst, but if it wasn’t for the sheer size of the crowd, it should have been at the Blue Lagoon, his true hometown venue.
By the 2010s, Santa Cruz was home to a lot of hip-hop artists, yet the chasm between the big touring Catalyst acts and the local scene had widened. Mike Molda moved to Santa Cruz at that time; he had become fascinated with the Bay Area TeamBackpack videos which were gaining popularity online. These were filmed cyphers where underground emcees could show off their skills.
He decided to film his own version for Santa Cruz. The first Cypher Session was filmed at the West Cliff Lighthouse, and Wright was one of the emcees to participate. Compared to TeamBackpack, they were very DIY.
“You would always see me with a cell phone in hand. I would have the shittiest videos, but I would put out the videos,” Molda says. “Everyone loved it. They had something out there on the internet and they were able to share it, and they were proud of it.”
The videos got better, and eventually the Santa Cruz Cyphers became a weekly event at Blue Lagoon. For a while, the local hip-hop scene revolved around these cypher sessions.
In 2016, Molda threw Santa Cruz County’s first—and so far, only—24-hour camping-and-music hip-hop festival, which took place in Boulder Creek with over 60 artists, one of them Eliquate, performing on five stages. A couple of bigger acts included Rappin’ 4-Tay and Eclipto.
“Since I come from a festival world and have seen EDM festivals and bluegrass festivals but haven’t really seen a camping hip-hop festival,” Molda says. “It was a total success. Everyone had an awesome time.”
Some of the best local hip-hop releases in recent years have flown under the radar. Mesha L hasn’t felt particularly connected to the Santa Cruz hip-hop scene. She’s performed at a lot of open mics, poetry slams, and campus events. Yet her 2015 record, Who Is America (a collab with producer Spc-Cdt) is an incredible and important local hip-hop record.
“I’m not really like a political person, but I live out politics because I’m a queer Black woman,” Mesha says. “The Who is America album was my way of telling the world that I don’t fit into the typical American box.”
She held the album release show at the Santa Cruz Food Lounge, to an audience of around 50 people.
“It was really beautiful. But my mom even came out for it. And she lives in San Diego, so that was really important to me.”
Local artist Khan, who moved to Santa Cruz from Modesto in 2009, took a stab at expanding the local hip-hop scene by starting the quarterly “Diggin in The Crepe” in 2018 at the Crepe Place.
“I wanted a hip-hop showcase that was not just rap after rap after rap act. We’ll have a DJ set, and we’ll have a beat set. And we’ll sprinkle in some shorter rap performances in between.”
The event was going great—local underground artists were getting to play new local stages. Then the pandemic shut down live music. And now we find ourselves at a time when all live music and local scenes are attempting to rebuild.
Alwa Gordon started rapping in the mid-2000s, initially with local rap group Can’t Stop Us, and then in the early 2010s as a solo artist.. The pandemic has shifted his focus more on himself, and to see past the limits of the scene. He’s released some of his best, most honest, and vulnerable music recently, like last year’s “Loving Yourself.”
“I used to think if I just make good enough music, someone’s gonna see my talent and be like, ‘Hey, you’re next up.’ What I realized is, not only is that not realistic, it doesn’t put the responsibility in my hands,” says Gordon.
In June, when Blackalicious canceled their show at Moe’s, the new owners asked Gordon if he would headline with only two weeks before the event. He put together a bill with himself, Mesha L, and Cement Ship and they drew a surprisingly large number of people. It gives him hope that if he continues to forge his own path, maybe there is a future where he can be Santa Cruz’s breakout hip-hop artist. But to do that, he might have to continue to challenge his ideas of how to make it.
“As far as people that have made it out of Santa Cruz, I think Expendables, Oliver Tree. I don’t think there’s any rappers that have made it to a larger level from Santa Cruz,” Gordon says. “I feel like it’s been a journey of growing up in the hip-hop scene, and realizing that if you want it, you have to go out and get it yourself.”
U.S. Marine David Pedley had a backpack full of clothes and $900 to his name when he moved to Santa Cruz. He initially lived with a Marine Corps pal in a weathered Winnebago. After a month, the tight living space felt like it was getting smaller by the day.
“It was a pretty warm winter that year, so I just stayed on the beaches and figured out how to feed myself at the mobile pantries around in Santa Cruz,” Pedley says.
However, he grew tired of the nomadic lifestyle. He yearned for the routine and consistency in his life that he had grown accustomed to during his 13 years of active military service. That’s when Pedley discovered the Veterans Memorial Building (Vets Hall) in downtown Santa Cruz.
“[The military] doesn’t tell you about these services or what’s available,” he says. “I went in and ate some food and I was good to go. I said, ‘Who are all these people in the auditorium?’ It turned out that it was Veteran Services Day, so every veteran support provider was there—all the [services] you need as a veteran, like helping you get out of homelessness.”
That warm, mid-December day marked the beginning of Pedley’s journey. His value and work ethic were apparent: He used his 20-plus years of experience as a chef to develop the American Legion’s meal program.
“I threw myself into [the work],” Pedley says. “At that point, I was like, ‘This is all I want to do for the rest of my life.’”
Pedley swiftly moved up the ranks into a leadership role, and is now Veterans Hall Building Manager. He has his own home now and family. Most importantly, Pedley is doing something he believes in wholeheartedly.
It was stories like Pedley’s—and others from the many homeless vets who stayed at the Vets Hall throughout the pandemic during the 16 months it was used as a shelter for people experiencing homelessness—that initially inspired the Vets Hall project Santa Cruz County Veterans Village.
“We got up close and personal with a lot of folks who were experiencing homelessness—about 10% were veterans,” Vets Hall Executive Director Chris Cottingham says. “During that time, we started asking ourselves, ‘What’s next? Where do we go from here?’”
Asking those questions led to the brutal reality: Permanent supportive housing for veterans is nonexistent in Santa Cruz County.
Vets Hall Director of Programming Keith Collins had already been looking into establishing a Veterans Village in Santa Cruz County, which was precisely in line with the type of solution Cottingham had been searching for.
A Veterans Village Committee was formed; after six months of searching, they stumbled upon a six-acre property in Ben Lomond called Jaye’s Timberlane. The former resort boasts a main house—with four bedrooms, three bathrooms and an office—along with 10 additional cabins with kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms.
“When we saw [the property], it screamed what we all had envisioned for a Veterans Village here in the county,” Cottingham says. “It’s something special to have independent units to where each veteran can have their own home and their own space; to be able to have it on a piece of property that’s just so beautiful, with the giant redwoods and lush landscape.”
The property is also less than a quarter-mile from a bus line, and about a 10-minute drive from the Vets Hall. For the past eight months, Timberlane had even provided emergency housing for veterans in the community during the pandemic.
“It’s so serendipitous how this all came together,” Cottingham notes. “Since vets have already been staying here, it allowed us to talk to them and ask about their experience staying on the property. Their feedback pushed us to buy this place—it’s turnkey and furnished. It just makes it so much easier to house people.”
With the support of Community Foundation Santa Cruz County and other community leaders, the Vets Hall was able to put in an offer on the property and plans to ultimately support itself using funding from HUD-VASH (subsidy vouchers for veterans dealing with chronic homelessness) for operations and continuing to build real estate equity for future expansion. The offer was accepted, and the group is now in escrow.
“We’re expected to close on Jan. 12,” Cottingham says excitedly.
Veterans Village isn’t a new concept—similar programs exist all over the country—but the veteran-owned and operated program will mark the first in Santa Cruz County. The Ben Lomond property will eventually provide housing for up to 40 veterans in need of permanent affordable housing and onsite supportive services. There will be enough room to house 18 veterans right out of the gate.
“The difference between shelter and this place is this is permanent supportive housing,” says Vets Hall Board of Trustees President Jack Tracey, who’s been providing services to veterans and working in human services with the homeless since 1971. “If people want to move in here and stay for the rest of their life, they’re able to do that. We’re hoping people will come here, feel comfortable, find a sense of community and grow.”
Collins says they’ll be implementing supportive programs, including onsite case management, mental and physical therapy, drug and alcohol counseling, resident services and visiting medical staff. After working more than 20 years in affordable housing and running veteran programs in Santa Clara County, he knows what kind of services are most important.
“This is a collaborative effort between private individuals and companies, nonprofits and county government,” Collins explains.
The initial goal was to raise $4.5 million, which would cover the acquisition of the property and help with initial annual operating costs, which are estimated to run between $300-500,000. Over the last six months, every veteran’s organization in Santa Cruz County has contributed human resources and financial support. Vets Village is also working with the county to apply to Project Home Key for additional funds. Also, a slew of folks is already offering to volunteer.
“We’re about 80% of the way there to that $4.5 (million) goal,” Cottingham says. “I think between now and opening, our goal is to raise an additional $700-800,000.”
Since the facilities are pretty much ready to go, residents could start moving in as early as February or March of 2022. There isn’t a shortage of demand. At least 179 veterans in Santa Cruz County fit the bill, and referrals have been coming in from operations like Front St. Inc.
“It’s a small step in the right direction,” Cottingham says. “We’d love to see the capacity grow, but will have to see where the next steps take us.”
It’s the partnerships—private, nonprofit and public—that have come together that make the Santa Cruz County iteration of Vets Village unique.
“Three entities coming together and working for the greater good,” Cottingham says. “I’d like to say that’s a new vision for how we deal with affordable housing moving forward—egos have been thrown to the side. Ultimately, that’s how this has come together in such a short amount of time.”
The mission is also noteworthy: A veterans community owned by vets, run by vets and operated by vets.
Collins credits many organizations and individuals, including VMB Board Supervisor Manu Koenig, who have backed the project since its infancy. The list of people who have and continue to contribute in some way continues to grow exponentially by the day. But that’s what it takes to pull off such a massive enterprise: a village.
While Veterans Village is close to opening, it still needs to fund about 25 percent of the project’s costs, and is asking Santa Cruz Gives donors for help. Here is a rundown of other homeless-oriented nonprofits also seeking donor assistance in Santa Cruz Gives.
For nearly 30 years, FIT has provided temporary rental assistance and case management to homeless Santa Cruz County families and those at risk of becoming homeless. While the long-term goal to end and prevent homelessness in the county is ambitious, in the short term, the project is focusing on providing essential expenses that government funding leaves out, including bedding, pajamas, cleaning supplies and nutritious food.
With “Set Up for Success,” donors choose how much they donate and know how it benefits a family in need. $100 provides groceries and cleaning supplies for a family of four; $250 provides groceries, cleaning supplies and clothing for a family of four, and so on.
In 2021, HGP donated tens of thousands of pounds of fresh, organic produce, which is just a byproduct of their mission and allows them to help even more people in need. Support is necessary for the program to continue to provide training and employment to those experiencing homelessness. HGP also needs funding to operate Santa Cruz County’s first Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, which helps build bridges between the housed and unhoused.
For 35 years, Housing Matters (formerly Homeless Services Center) has been dedicated to creating pathways for families and individuals out of homelessness and into permanent housing. Shelter is just the first step. Once a family has a roof over their heads, there are many needs. Donations help fund “Home Sweet Home” baskets full of essentials, including cleaning supplies, linens, grocery gift cards and a unique housewarming gift.
Pajaro Valley Shelter Services – “Hope and Home: Moving Families Out of Homelessness and Into Permanent Housing and Self-Sufficiency”
PVSS’ new tenant education program “Hope and Home” provides training and support that increases the ability of families to find and keep suitable housing. Areas of focus: avoiding poor landlord/neighbor relationships, emergency funds, building credit and housing laws.
In their eighth year providing pop-up shelters for the Santa Cruz County homeless, Footbridge has learned that many would rather stay in their tents even on the chilliest nights. Hypothermia is more common than you may think for those who isolate on these cold nights. Donations ensure the Warming Center is well-stocked with thousands of blankets, hand warmers, gloves, beanies, warm clothing and several hundred rain tarps.
Santa Cruz County provided safe shelter and critical services to more than 800 homeless residents during the pandemic. As the funding for such services dries up, most of these folks will be forced back to life on the streets. Wings and the Homeless Action Partnership are providing basic needs to those transitioning into permanent housing. Donations provide beds, hygiene and cleaning supplies and vital document services to families and individuals.
To contribute to these organizations or any of the other 80 participating nonprofits in Santa Cruz Gives, visit santacruzgives.org. Follow Santa Cruz Gives on Facebook @santacruzgives, Instagram #santacruzgives and Twitter @scruzgives.
The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Nov. 16 approved a controversial plan to redistribute some 3,400 residents—the majority in the northern reaches of the county—as part of the county’s decennial redistricting process.
Under the plan, 491 people in Watsonville’s Apple Hill District will shift from the 2nd to the 4th District, and 613 people will move from the 3rd to the 1st District in the area of Brommer Street and East Harbor.
The city of Scotts Valley, which was split along Highway 17 during the previous redistricting a decade ago, will be reunified, shifting 2,300 people from the 1st to the 5th District.
Under state law, jurisdictions must redraw supervisorial boundaries every 10 years using data from the recent census to make the populations equal in each district. When doing so, jurisdictions must, when possible, keep “communities of interest” together, and typically use boundaries such as rivers, streets and highways.
A community of interest is a group of residents with a common set of concerns that may be affected by legislation. That includes ethnic, racial and economic groups, among others.
The county this year was tasked with redistributing its 271,350 residents.
Timm says the split was confusing for the small city of roughly 11,000 people, which had its own police and fire department boundaries, as well as water and school districts, but shared two supervisors.
“We were split and we felt disenfranchised,” he told the supervisors on Nov. 16. “What happened 10 years ago can be corrected.”
The new map passed 3-2, with Supervisors Ryan Coonerty of the 3rd district and Bruce McPherson of the 5th district dissenting.
That decision largely rebuked several months of public meetings, research and deliberation conducted by the Santa Cruz County Redistricting Commission that began in earnest in September.
McPherson, who made a failed motion to support a plan that included the changes in Santa Cruz and Watsonville, but not in Scotts Valley, said that all the unincorporated parts of the cities in the county are currently represented by two supervisors.
Coonerty said that Timm’s proposal was done properly and reflected his desire to support the city, but said he wanted to follow the commission’s recommendation. McPherson also said he wanted to support the recommendation of the commission.
But Timm was slammed during the public comment portion of the meeting for presenting the issue at the “last minute” of the redistricting process.
“What happened last week was blatant politicking,” said Coco Walter, a Ben Lomond business owner. “Mayor Timm jumped straight to the front of the line … that just reeks of entitlement.”
Ben Lomond resident Jayme Ackemann said that the city of Scotts Valley should not be viewed as a community of interest in the redistricting, and added that a petition opposing the reunification garnered 229 signatures in San Lorenzo Valley. That petition claimed that Timm’s proposal was politically motivated and would further weaken the San Lorenzo Valley’s say in county decisions.
After the vote, McPherson said that he hoped “Scotts Valley and San Lorenzo Valley can find a better way than in the past to get together.”
On the Horizon
That battle will be one of several fought in the coming months over moving district lines in various jurisdictions. In Watsonville, the city council is expected to receive a recommendation from its Community Redistricting Advisory Committee early next year.
That seven-member body appointed by the city council still has two public meetings to determine its final recommendations, though in preliminary discussions it has favored making small changes that would keep the current seven districts largely intact. This is, committee members said at a meeting on Nov. 18, because of a census that was impacted by the pandemic and the anti-immigration rhetoric from the Trump administration.
A map submitted to the committee, however, envisions a completely redrawn district layout that would move several current city councilmembers from their district. That map comes from committee member Maria Isabel Rodriguez, a U.S. Government teacher at Pajaro Valley High School who was appointed to the committee by City Councilman Francisco “Paco” Estrada.
Rodriguez says that the way the lines are currently drawn in Watsonville, with several districts taking unconventional shapes and sizes, is an example of gerrymandering.
“When I think about gerrymandering, I look at the map of Watsonville and I say, ‘You want to understand what gerrymandering is? Look at the shapes of this map,’” Rodriguez said in an interview after the Nov. 18 meeting. “I just think, ‘Who drew these maps? And for what purpose?’”
Local politicians are also fighting back against proposed changes that they say would dwindle Santa Cruz County cities’ say in state matters. The Capitola City Council in a special meeting on Nov. 18 voted to send a letter advocating for the county’s coastal cities to remain in the same State Assembly district. The move came after a draft map released on Nov. 10 by the California Citizens Redistricting Commission proposed splitting the 29th Assembly District currently overseen by Mark Stone. Under that plan, the northern reaches of Santa Cruz County—including the cities of Santa Cruz and Scotts Valley, the North Coast and the San Lorenzo Valley—would be in one district. Capitola, Live Oak and Rio Del Mar would be in another district that includes cities as far south as Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Aries author Chris Brogan says, “Don’t settle. Don’t finish crappy books. If you don’t like the menu, leave the restaurant. If you’re not on the right path, get off it.” That’s the best possible counsel for you to hear, in my astrological opinion. As an Aries, you’re already inclined to live by that philosophy. But now and then, like now, you need a forceful nudge in that direction. So please, Aries, go in pursuit of what you want, not what you partially want. Associate with the very best, most invigorating influences, not the mediocre kind.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Author Kurt Vonnegut wrote wistfully, “I still catch myself feeling sad about things that don’t matter anymore.” If similar things are running wild in your head, dear Taurus, the coming weeks will be a favorable time to banish them. You will have extra power to purge outdated emotions and reclaim at least some of the wild innocence that is your birthright. PS: There’s nothing wrong with feeling sad. In fact, feeling sad can be healthy. But it’s important to feel sad for the right reasons. Getting clear about that is your second assignment.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): “I’ll walk forever with stories inside me that the people I love the most can never hear.” So says the main character in Gemini author Michelle Hodkin’s novel The Evolution of Mara Dyer. If that heart-rending statement has resonance with your own personal experience, I have good news: The coming weeks will be a favorable time to transform the situation. I believe you can figure out how to share key stories and feelings that have been hard to reveal before now. Be alert for unexpected opportunities and not-at-all-obvious breakthroughs.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): A study of people in 24 countries concluded that during the pandemic, over 80 percent of the population have taken action to improve their health. Are you in that group? Whether or not you are, the coming weeks will be a favorable time to go further in establishing robust self-care. The astrological omens suggest you’ll find it easier than usual to commit to good new habits. Rather than trying to do too much, I suggest you take no more than three steps. Even starting with just one might be wise. Top three: eating excellent food, having fun while exercising right, and getting all the deep sleep you need.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Leo-born scholar Edith Hamilton loved to study ancient Greek civilization. She wrote, “To rejoice in life, to find the world beautiful and delightful to live in, was a mark of the Greek spirit which distinguished it from all that had gone before.” One sign of Greece’s devotion to joie de vivre was its love of play. “The Greeks were the first people in the world to play,” Hamilton exulted, “and they played on a great scale. All over Greece, there were games”—for athletes, dancers, musicians, and other performers. Spirited competition was an essential element of their celebration of play, as was the pursuit of fun for its own sake. In resonance with your astrological omens, Leo, I propose you regard ancient Greece as your spiritual home for the next five weeks.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Virgo singer-songwriter Florence Welch of the band Florence and the Machine told an interviewer why she wrote “Hunger.” She said, “I looked for love in things that were not love.” What were those things? According to her song, they included taking drugs and performing on stage. Earlier in Florence’s life, as a teenager, “love was a kind of emptiness” she experienced through her eating disorder. What about you, Virgo? Have you looked for love in things that weren’t love? Are you doing that right now? The coming weeks will be a good time to get straight with yourself about this issue. I suggest you ask for help from your higher self. Formulate a strong intention that in the future, you will look for love in things that can genuinely offer you love.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): There’s a Grateful Dead song, with lyrics written by John Perry Barlow, that says, “You ain’t gonna learn what you don’t want to know.” I propose you make that your featured advice for the next two weeks. I hope you will be inspired by it to figure out what truths you might be trying hard not to know. In so doing, you will make yourself available to learn those truths. As a result, you’ll be led on a healing journey you didn’t know you needed to take. The process might sound uncomfortable, but I suspect it will ultimately be pleasurable.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Scorpio author and philosopher Albert Camus was a good thinker. At age 44, he won the Nobel Prize for Literature—the second-youngest recipient ever. And yet he made this curious statement: “Thoughts are never honest. Emotions are.” He regarded thoughts as “refined and muddy”—the result of people continually tinkering with their inner dialog so as to come up with partially true statements designed to serve their self-image rather than reflect authentic ideas. Emotions, on the other hand, emerge spontaneously and are hard to hide, according to Camus. They come straight from the depths. In accordance with astrological potentials, Scorpio, I urge you to keep these meditations at the forefront of your awareness in the coming weeks. See if you can be more skeptical about your thoughts and more trusting in your emotions.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Poet Renée Ashley describes what she’s attracted to: “I’m drawn to what flutters nebulously at the edges, at the corner of my eye—just outside my certain sight. I want to share in what I am routinely denied or only suspect exists. I long for a glimpse of what is beginning to occur.” Although I don’t think that’s a suitable perspective for you to cultivate all the time, Sagittarius, I suspect it might be appealing and useful for you in the coming weeks. Fresh possibilities will be coalescing. New storylines will be incubating. Be alert for the oncoming delights of the unknown.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): What could you do to diminish your suffering? Your next assignment is to take two specific steps to begin that process. You’re in a phase of your astrological cycle when you’re more likely than usual to see what’s necessary to salve your wounds and fix what’s broken. Take maximum advantage of this opportunity! I proclaim this next chapter of your life to be titled “In Quest of the Maximum Cure.” Have fun with this project, dear Capricorn. Treat it as a mandate to be imaginative and explore interesting possibilities.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “It is a fault to wish to be understood before we have made ourselves clear to ourselves,” wrote my favorite Aquarian philosopher, Simone Weil. I agree. It’s advice I regularly use myself. If you want to be seen and appreciated for who you really are, you should make it your priority to see and appreciate yourself for who you really are. The coming weeks will be a favorable time to make progress in this noble project. Start this way: Write a list of the five qualities about yourself that you love best.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Nigerian author Ben Okri, born under the sign of Pisces, praises our heroic instinct to rise above the forces of chaos. He writes, “The most authentic thing about us is our capacity to create, to overcome, to endure, to transform, to love, and to be greater than our suffering.” You’ve been doing a lot of that excellent work throughout 2021, dear Pisces. And I expect that you’ll be climaxing this chapter of your life story sometime soon. Thanks for being such a resourceful and resilient champion. You have bravely faced but also risen above the sometimes-messy challenges of plain old everyday life. You have inspired many of us to stay devoted to our heart’s desires.
Homework. Gratitude is the featured emotion. See how amazing you can make yourself feel by stretching it to its limits. Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com
The holidays are just around the corner, which means it’s time to start thinking about wine for your table, as well as gifts of wine for friends and family—remember, buying locally helps support the Santa Cruz Mountains’ many mom-and-pop operations.
Villa del Monte is a hidden gem tucked away in a wooded area on Summit Road. Winemakers John Overstreet and Neil Perelli are dedicated to producing small batches of award-winning wines. “Our small size allows us to meticulously pay attention to quality, nurturing our wines to perfection at every step in the process,” they say.
The 2015 Vintner’s Select Reserve ($45) is a delightful blend of Merlot and Cabernet, “with a bit of Malbec and Syrah to finish it off.” Merlot’s robust flavors of plums and chocolate add to this very smooth and enjoyable wine. If you’re into snazzy, eye-catching labels, then this one’s for you: The Vintner’s Reserve’s was created for the winery by local artist Sonya Paz.
Villa del Monte also produces other wines, including a Cabernet Rosé and a Zinfandel dessert wine.
You can try them all at their tasting facility. They are open only one weekend a month—their next events are noon-5pm, Dec.11 and 12. Some of their wine is also sold at the Summit Store in Los Gatos.
Villa del Monte Winery, 23076 Summit Road, Los Gatos, 888-788-4583. villadelmontewinery.com.
Wild Fish Restaurant Teams Up with Hog Island Oyster CompanyOyster lovers will be thrilled to learn that the Wild Fish Restaurant in Pacific Grove now carries the best oysters from the renowned Hog Island Oyster Company. Depending on availability, Wild Fish will be carrying Sweetwaters, Salazars, Kumamotos, Hama Hamas and Shigokus, which are delivered just a day after harvesting. I remember talking to an Aptos local years ago who told me that her son had started an oyster company. Turns out that oyster company is doing pretty well!
Chase Park defines Soul Sweets The Dessert House as an Asian-style dessert and Boba tea hang-out spot. Following a stint running a Boba shop on the Las Vegas Strip, Park moved to the area and opened a sushi restaurant. But he decided that his heart was in Boba, so he opened Soul Sweets two years ago in Scotts Valley. Their signature Boba teas are fresh-brewed to order, with tapioca pearl flavors like lychee, mango, and pineapple. They also offer popping Boba that explodes with juice in your mouth. It doesn’t stop with Boba. Park serves up a host of wildly unique—and delicious—treats. Favorites include Taiyaki, a Japanese fish-shaped waffle filled with red beans, chocolate and custard, and scratch-made, Asian-style soft-serve ice cream with brown sugar and cookies and cream toppings. Soul Sweets is open daily from noon-8pm. Park spoke about Boba’s rising popularity and customers’ love for the sensory experience he provides.
Why do you think Boba has become so popular?
CHASE PARK: Because it’s all about fun. It’s not just a drink, because you get to drink and eat at the same time. Boba comes in many different flavors, and the texture is like a soft, chewy fruity-flavored jelly. It also contains less caffeine than coffee, and tea caffeine is different too. And we also have non-caffeinated options as well. I’m a coffee person, but it has a limited variety, and tea just has so many more options and flavors and is much more versatile.
How does Soul Sweets’ ambience delight the senses?
It’s friendly and welcoming, and when you come in, you smell Taiyaki and juicy fresh fruit and fresh tea scents too. For music, we play K-Pop such as BTS and Black Pink and many others. Visually, it’s very clean with clean tables and counters, and it’s a cute design with bright lights and big TV menus. It’s an open-bar concept where you can see everything we do, and everything is made right in front of the customer. Everything is customizable.
222 Mount Hermon Road, Ste. K, Scotts Valley, 831-454-8172; soulsweets831.com.
When was the last time you sighed over an appetizer of calamari fritti? Maybe the last time you dined at Oswald. Glistening and surrounded with zesty sauces of aioli, salsa verde and ketchup, these light-as-clouds calamari morsels ($17) began a terrific al fresco dinner at the downtown landmark last Thursday. Diners filled the interior while Melanie and I enjoyed the street sights and sounds from an outdoor table, warmed by heatlamps, as we chose wines from one of the most interesting by-the-glass lists in town. We asked to try a few of the wines, and were brought pours to sample. A light Tornatore Etna Bianco ($14) from Sicily, bearing a lyrical freight of volcanic nuance. A nice big AR Guentota Malbec ($12) made perfect sense with Melanie’s choice of lamb, and a complex Domaine Olivier Hillaire Côtes-du-Rhone married its grenache and syrah ingredients to full effect ($12). I knew it would make a fine partner to the pork dish that I was about to order.
Tanuki cider braised pork belly was encircled by cannellini bean puree and brilliant roasted purple cabbage, the perfect flavor partners to the unctuous and irresistible slab of tender pork ($35). Fork tender, rich with its own surrounding pillow of fat, this is a dish I love and Chef Damani Thomas does it to perfection. I’ll bet some people hear the words “pork belly” and imagine something that’s mostly fat. They would be wrong. The tender shreds of interior meat have been insulated by the white fat as it cooks, much like a confit. The result is incomparably succulent flesh, which one removes from the layer of quilting before consuming.
Melanie chose a beautiful wide bowl of curry braised lamb ($35) on a bed of creamy polenta—a brilliant pairing—and strewn with bits of lemony, garlicky gremolata for even more flavor power. We indulged with baguette and butter. Why not?
At meal’s end, we shared a deeply comforting yet sophisticated dessert of almond custard torte ($14), in which an addictive creamy almond interior was wrapped in a buttery turban of pastry crust, then topped with vanilla ice cream and a scattering of toasted almonds. A small bowl of coffee reduction accompanied the almond creation, which Melanie added to each of her bites. My fork kept attacking the almondy interior of the torte, which tasted like a masterclass in marzipan—only lighter and creamier. Bravo! Oswald, 121 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. Open Wed.-Sat. from noon to 3pm, 4-8pm, til 9pm on Fri. and Sat.
High Pie
I popped into the very spiffy new 11th Hour Coffee last week—an utterly transformed Kelly’s—and enjoyed a textbook double macchiato. But not all by itself, because there in the display case was a fresh slice of pumpkin pie, made by Kelly’s, calling my name. Nothing beats pie and coffee on a foggy morning, and the visit gave me time to admire the gleaming, handcrafted interior of 11th Hour, filled with wood and rock-work benches and counter trims, plus botanicals including a ceiling-high fig tree right in the center of the coffeehouse. But seriously, the pie! Always one of the very top pumpkin pies, this one from Kelly’s kitchen was fabulous. Creamy, rich, with balanced spices and tender crust, this is the pumpkin pie you want, and deserve ($4). Go get some immediately. Go more than once. This is pie that gives pie its street cred.
Laili Update!Laili emailed to tell me that the downtown Mediterranean favorite has reopened after its long hiatus, for takeout and delivery only, Wed-Sat 4-8pm. The restaurant dining room and patio will reopen for seating in a few weeks. We have missed Laili’s splendid cuisine and welcome them back. Orders can be placed on the website at lailirestaurant.com.
Local representation at the state level could shift based on proposed redistricting maps that would divide Monterey Bay.
The new maps, released by the California Citizens Redistricting Commission, would split the 29th Assembly District currently overseen by Mark Stone. The northern reaches of Santa Cruz County, including the cities of Santa Cruz and Scotts Valley, the North Coast and the San Lorenzo Valley would be in one district. And Capitola, Live Oak and Rio Del Mar would be in a new district that includes coastal cities as far south as Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo.
The Capitola City Council discussed the proposed maps at a special meeting on Nov. 18. Councilwoman Kristen Petersen said the maps would place Capitola with jurisdictions that face different challenges and concerns than the small coastal city, a move that could pit Capitola’s interests against larger cities.
“When the districts are that big geographically, that means our representatives have a lot more geographic space to consider,” said Peterson. “When it comes to which cities need funding and which cities need their attention, a small city like Capitola will be at a disadvantage.”
Every 10 years, jurisdiction at the local, state and federal levels are redrawn based on census data so that each district has roughly the same population and say in legislation that could affect its residents. The U.S. Congressional, State Senate and State Assembly districts are all currently being redrawn. Originally, Santa Cruz was separated from Monterey Bay’s congressional and state senate districts, but that was rectified on the maps released on Nov. 10.
“Santa Cruz City and Capitola, being in the same county, face a lot of similar issues, and we work to ensure the preservation of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary,” said Peterson. “We have a great history of working together to address these with our state senators and assembly members and congressional representatives.”
At the special meeting, the Capitola City Council voted to send a letter asking the California Citizens Redistricting Commission to redraw the Assembly districts. The Santa Cruz City Council will be voting to approve a similar letter in opposition to the draft maps at its council meeting this week.
