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Santa Cruz County Health Officer Says Mask Order Won’t Change Behavior

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August 13, 2021

Santa Cruz County Health Officer Says Mask Order Won’t Change Behavior

Saying that she has not yet seen reliable data that a countywide masking mandate would alter personal behavior or lower Covid-19 cases, Santa Cruz County Health Officer Dr. Gail Newel said she does not plan to issue a new order any time soon.

Newel at a Thursday virtual press conference said that at this point of the pandemic—deemed the “mitigation phase” by Health Services Agency Director Mimi Hall—the county did not want to distract from its ongoing efforts to increase its commendable but still unsatisfactory vaccination rates.

Across the county, 78% of those eligible for the inoculation have had at least one shot of the Covid-19 vaccines, and 68% are fully vaccinated. When expanded to all county residents, said Deputy County Health Officer Dr. David Ghilarducci, the percentage of those who are partially vaccinated drops to 67%.

That percentage, health officials say, will undoubtedly improve when those under 12 are allowed to get the shot, but it is unknown when federal health agencies will OK the vaccine’s use for children. Newel said she has heard that approval could come by the end of September, at the earliest.

Health officials called the press conference, Newel said, to again urge those who are not vaccinated to get their shot. The rate of vaccinations has slowed, Ghilarducci said, particularly in people living in Boulder Creek and Ben Lomond. Unsurprisingly, he added, the number of North County and caucasian residents aged 25-50 coming down with the disease has risen.

Overall, at least 687 county residents were infected with Covid-19 as of Thursday, according to the data available on the county’s dashboard. The county’s seven-day positivity rate on Thursday was 5.2 cases per 100,000 residents, a number that would have placed the county in the orange “moderate” tier under California’s reopening plan scrapped by Gov. Gavin Newsom in June.

Hospitalizations have also slowly risen in the past week. According to state data, there were 18 patients in local hospitals with the disease on Wednesday, including three in the ICU.

Ghilarducci said that ICU capacity is not the only issue at local hospitals. Low staffing as a result of the pandemic—doctors and nurses are taking sabbaticals and vacations after the hectic past 16 months—and people returning to the hospital for elective procedures have also put a strain on the health care system.

“Our hospital workers are burned out,” Ghilarducci said.

The county also recently reported its first Covid-19-related deaths since May. Both were unvaccinated people in their 70s. Those deaths, Ghilarducci said, were preventable, as vaccinated people are more than 16 times less likely to die from Covid-19 than those without the shot.

“The Delta variant is here,” added Newel. “It’s time to be vaccinated if you’re not already … We need all of the layers of protection that we can get and even vaccinated folks should be wearing masks indoors.”

But Newel stopped short of following many of her peers across the state in issuing a masking mandate—instead, keeping in place her recommendations issued last month. Along with saying that it would not alter the behavior of people who do not wear masks, she said that she did not want to put local law enforcement in the same position they were last year when officers had to enforce masking orders on public beaches and other spaces. She also said she did not want to undercut HSA’s vaccination outreach efforts, which, health officials say, have largely paid off in South Santa Cruz County.

It was Watsonville—with its large low-income and uninsured population that makes up much of the county’s workforce deemed essential by the state and federal governments last year—that bore the brunt of the pandemic. The majority of the county’s confirmed 17,272 Covid-19 cases and 209 deaths happened in its southernmost city. Seeing that, HSA invested the bulk of its federal and state Covid-19 funding into partnerships with Watsonville nonprofits and other community based organizations. It also chose to establish a free Covid-19 testing center, erect a vaccination center and run its massive weekly drive-thru clinic in Watsonville.

As a result, Watsonville has the highest vaccination rates in the county—69% are fully vaccinated and 81% are partially vaccinated.

“We are spiking the football,” Hall said, adding that not everyone agreed with HSA’s “equity” approach over the last year. “I truly think our efforts saved lives.”

HSA Assistant Director Jen Herrera said the Covid-19 testing centers in Watsonville and Santa Cruz will be open through the rest of the year. The vaccination center in downtown Watsonville, however, will close at the end of the month—both the testing and vaccination centers are funded by the state.

Herrera said that the county is trying to work with a local organization to offer an alternative when the downtown Watsonville center closes.

Things To Do in Santa Cruz: Aug. 11-17

GT Staff

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August 11, 2021

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A weekly guide to what’s happening.

ARTS AND MUSIC

ARCANE LULLABY FREE LIVE CONCERT AT SHANTY SHACK BREWING Local Santa Cruz band Arcane Lullaby will be playing an eclectic mix of original music at this free, outdoor, live show at Shanty Shack Brewing. Saturday, Aug. 14, 7-8pm. Shanty Shack Brewing, 138 Fern St., Santa Cruz.

BOTANICAL BEAUTIES OF SANTA CRUZ Botanical Beauties of Santa Cruz County, a selection of digital photographs of plants and blossoms photographed in Santa Cruz County by Marlene Mirassou, will be hanging at the Ugly Mug Coffeehouse. Wednesday, Aug. 11-Tuesday, Aug. 17, 6:30am-3:30pm. The Ugly Mug, 4640 Soquel Drive, Soquel. cafeugly.com.

SANTA CRUZ SHAKESPEARE: RII The story that sets England’s Wars of the Roses in motion, Jessica Kubzansky’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s Richard II tells the story of that king’s ill-fated reign using just three actors. What is our responsibility when a bad leader rightfully occupies the throne? This exploration of divine right, capricious leadership and bloody insurrection is packed with contemporary political relevance. A critic’s choice pick when it premiered at the Boston Court Theatre in Los Angeles, Charles McNulty, critic for the L.A. Times, called the play a “feat of ingenious stagecraft.” Santa Cruz Shakespeare performances take place in the Audrey Stanley Grove at Upper DeLaveaga Park in Santa Cruz. With a “safety first” mantra, Santa Cruz Shakespeare has implemented numerous Covid-19 safety protocols for its 2021 Season—including a revised seating layout that ensures adequate space and comfort for patrons. For more information about SCS, visit santacruzshakespeare.org. Due to limited capacity at the venue, early ticket purchase is encouraged.. Thursday, Aug. 12, 7:30-9:30pm. Saturday, Aug. 14, 8-10pm. Sunday, Aug. 15, 1-3pm. The Grove at DeLaveaga Park, 501 Upper Park Road, Santa Cruz.

SANTA CRUZ SHAKESPEARE: THE AGITATORS This play tells the story of Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony. Over the 45 volatile years they knew one another, they were friends, allies and adversaries. Their hopes and dreams for equality brought them to common ground and political battlefields. As agitators, they were not content to let either our nation or each other rest in complacency, and their respective fights for racial justice and gender equity continue to this day. Santa Cruz Shakespeare performances take place in the Audrey Stanley Grove at Upper DeLaveaga Park in Santa Cruz. With a “safety first” mantra, Santa Cruz Shakespeare has implemented numerous Covid-19 safety protocols for its 2021 Season, including a revised seating layout that ensures adequate space and comfort for patrons. For more information about SCS, visit santacruzshakespeare.org. Due to limited capacity at the venue, early ticket purchase is encouraged. Wednesday, Aug. 11, 7:30pm. Friday, Aug. 13, 8pm. Saturday, Aug. 14, 2pm. Sunday, Aug. 15, 7pm. The Grove at DeLaveaga Park, 501 Upper Park Road, Santa Cruz.

THE EIGHTH ANNUAL SANTA CRUZ COMEDY FESTIVAL (OUTDOORS) The Santa Cruz Comedy Festival has a different national headliner each week with a brand new all-star line-up. This is a fun and funny day in the park. Bring your blankets and beach chairs, check out the vendors and food trucks and get ready to laugh! Saturday, Aug. 14, 4pm. Laurel Street Park, 301 Maple St., Santa Cruz.

THE EIGHTH ANNUAL SANTA CRUZ COMEDY FESTIVAL AFTER PARTY Join Greater Purpose Brewery on Saturday evenings for 90 minutes of comedy featuring the best comedians in California and beyond. Hosted by DNA and friends, this is a great way to start off your weekend! The Afterparty will feature comedians from the festival, including regional and national headliners. Greater Purpose Brewing Company, 21517 East Cliff Dr., Santa Cruz. Saturday, Aug. 14, 7pm.

COMMUNITY

10 WARNING SIGNS OF ALZHEIMER’S WEBINAR Alzheimer’s and other dementias cause memory, thinking and behavior problems that interfere with daily living. Join us to learn how to recognize common signs of the disease, approach someone about memory concerns; the importance of early detection and benefits of a diagnosis; possible tests and assessments for the diagnostic process, and Alzheimer’s Association resources. Register at alz.org/crf or call 800-272-3900. Thursday, Aug. 12, 3-4:30pm.

A TASTE OF SPAIN ON YOUR PLATE—VEGAN COOKING AND WINE PAIRING CLASS Spend an afternoon enjoying the beautiful art of vegan Spanish cooking and wine pairing at the gorgeous FlipJack Ranch, nestled in the magical Santa Cruz Mountains. In this hands-on vegan cooking class, you’ll make a four-course meal: smoked paprika garbanzo bean and green olives tapa; fennel-orange salad with citrus dressing composed of Spanish olive oil, Meyer lemon, orange juice and rind; paella with roasted organic seasonal vegetables, shallots, garlic, artichokes, caper berries, Spanish green olives and lemon-saffron Santo Tomas bomba rice; fig tart (torta de higos) with crushed organic pistachios and honey. Class runs for four hours and is limited to 10 students. Early registration is highly encouraged. The class fee is $225.00 (nonrefundable) and includes a bottle of Truvee Red Blend Central Coast 2013, an apron and a name badge for each student. Saturday, Aug. 14, 1-5pm. FlipJack Ranch, 4600 Smith Grade, Santa Cruz.

A YEAR AGO TODAY: COMMUNITIES REFLECT ON THE CZU LIGHTNING COMPLEX FIRES Join collaborators from across the county as they collectively reflect on the one-year anniversary of the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex Fires. This event will highlight the stories of those affected by these fires as part of the MAH’s new exhibition, “Out of the Ashes,” which features an ongoing film and audio archiving project by Shmuel and Nikki, who began collaborating with MAH in September 2020 to document and record some of the personal stories of those who were impacted by these devastating fires. The evening will also feature a preview screening of Contents Inventory by local filmmaker Irene Lusztig, who has also been working closely with affected members of the community to document and share their stories. We hope you’ll join us at the MAH for an evening of collective storytelling and visioning our next steps as a community that continues to deal with the threat of fire and climate change. Comments and recommendations provided during this program will help shape an ongoing series of programs that will run throughout the year. Monday, Aug. 16, 6-7:30pm. Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History (MAH), 705 Front St., Santa Cruz.

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 is welcome. Thursday, Aug. 12, 10am. Tuesday, Aug. 17, 10am. Temple Beth El, 3055 Porter Gulch Road, Aptos.

DEMENTIA CONVERSATION WEBINAR When someone is showing signs of dementia, it’s time to talk. Often, conversations with family about changing behaviors can be challenging and uncomfortable. This program provides tips for breaking the ice with your family so you can address some of the most common issues that are difficult to discuss: going to the doctor for a diagnosis or medical treatment, deciding when to stop driving, and making legal and financial plans for future care. Register at alz.org/crf or call 1-800-272-3900. Friday, Aug. 13, 1-2:30pm.

DOWNTOWN SANTA CRUZ MAKERS MARKET Come out and support local makers and artists at the Downtown Santa Cruz Makers Market every third Sunday of the month on Pacific Ave at Lincoln Street. The market is now on the 1100 block of Pacific Ave. between Cathcart and Lincoln Streets near New Leaf and alongside so many amazing downtown restaurants. Support local and shop small with over 30 Santa Cruz County artists and makers. Don’t forget to stop in and visit the downtown merchants and grab a bite to eat from the downtown restaurants. Remember to social distance as you shop and wear your mask. If you’re not feeling well, please stay home. Friendly leashed pups are welcome at this free event. Sunday, Aug. 15, 10am-5pm. Downtown Santa Cruz Makers Market, Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz.

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, Aug. 12, 7am. California Grey Bears, 2710 Chanticleer Ave., Santa Cruz.

HEALTHY LIVING FOR YOUR BRAIN AND BODY WEBINAR For centuries, we’ve known that the health of the brain and the body are connected. But now, science is able to provide insights into how to make lifestyle choices that may help you keep your brain and body healthy as you age. Learn about research in the areas of diet and nutrition, exercise, cognitive activity and social engagement, and use hands-on tools to help you incorporate these recommendations into a plan for healthy aging. Register at alz.org/crf or call 800-272-3900. Tuesday, Aug. 17, 1-2:30pm.

VAX UP SANTA CRUZ! In partnership with the County of Santa Cruz and HSA Public Health Division, the MAH will hold a walk-in vaccination clinic offering the Janssen vaccine. While you’re at the MAH, contribute to the Tree of Hope activity. Free, walk-ins accepted, no registration required. Friday, Aug. 13, Noon-4pm. Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History (MAH), 705 Front 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, Aug. 13, 6pm. WomenCARE, 2901 Park Ave., Suite A1, Soquel.

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 front entrance, go straight down the hallway to the last door on the right. Thursday, Aug. 12, 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 at WomenCARE’s office. Currently on Zoom. Registration is required, call WomenCARE at 831-457-2273. All services are free. For more information visit womencaresantacruz.org. Monday, Aug. 16, 12:30pm.

WOMENCARE TUESDAY SUPPORT GROUP WomenCARE Tuesday Cancer support group for women newly diagnosed and through their treatment. Meets every Tuesday currently on Zoom. Registration required, call WomenCARE 831-457-2273. Tuesday, Aug. 17, 12:30-2pm.

WOMENCARE WRITING CIRCLE Writing Circle for women with a cancer diagnosis. Meets on the second Saturday every other month. Registration is required, please call WomenCARE at 831-457-2273. Saturday, Aug. 14, 10am-1pm. WomenCARE, 2901 Park Ave., Suite A1, Soquel.

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, Aug. 11, 3:30-4:30pm. WomenCARE, 2901 Park Ave., Suite A1, Soquel.

OUTDOOR

CASFS FARMSTAND Organic vegetables, fruit, herbs and flowers are sold weekly at the CASFS Farmstand, starting June 15 and continuing through Nov. 23. Proceeds support experiential education programs at the UCSC Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems. Friday, Aug. 13, Noon-6pm. Tuesday, Aug. 17, Noon-6pm. Cowell Ranch Historic Hay Barn, Ranch View Road, Santa Cruz.

FASCINATING FISH BONES: ARCHAEOLOGY FOR THE FUTURE OF FISHERS AND FISHERIES At coastal archaeological sites, thousands of fish bones represent the discarded remains of past meals. Fishbones provide important clues about how people of the past lived and how their daily activities shaped the identity of coastal residents, their relationships, and their interaction with the surrounding environment; an understanding of the long history of fishing can help us conserve coastal fisheries for future fishers. Join Eréndira M. Quintana Morales, Assistant Professor, Anthropology Department at UCSC to discover the fascinating world of fish bones and learn about her collaborative research on the archaeology of fisheries in the Western Indian Ocean. Register in advance for the online Science Sunday webinar (required): seymourcenter.ucsc.edu/learn/ongoing-education/science-sundays. Virtual Science Sundays are free for Seymour Center members and $10 per household for non-members. Please consider supporting the Seymour Center, and gaining free access to programs like Science Sunday, by becoming a member today: seymourcenter.ucsc.edu/get-involved/join. Sunday, Aug. 15, 1:30-2:30pm. Seymour Marine Discovery Center, 100 McAllister Way, 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. To register, visit santacruzstateparks.as.me/schedule.php. Saturday, Aug. 14, 1pm. Sunday, Aug. 15, 1pm. Wilder Ranch State Park, 1401 Coast Road, Santa Cruz.

LEAN ON ME: COMMUNITY STRUCTURES OF SUPPORT Return to the Farm for a Sunday afternoon community celebration with delicious food, music, volunteer opportunities, presentations, an interactive art activity and talk from artist M. James Becker about the new trellis and bench he is donating to HGP, and more. Holey Roller Bagels is creating a menu of fresh treats, bagels and spreads, and there will be coffee and tea from Alta Organic Coffee and Tea all for donations for HGP’s transitional employment program. The event will also feature music from Chris Jones of Wolf Jett, as well as a performance by Celadon. Sunday, Aug. 15, Noon-3pm. Homeless Garden Project Farm, Shaffer Road at Delaware Ave., Santa Cruz.

NATURAL BRIDGES LITTLE RANGERS Participants are invited to play games, listen to stories and songs, and learn about nature! Activities and games vary from week to week but always cover a topic relevant to Natural Bridges. Meet at the side porch of the Visitor Center. Parents or caregivers are required to stay and encouraged to help facilitate the fun and games. Day-use fee for vehicles is $10. For more information, call 831-423-0871. Masks and social distancing are also required at all programs. Although no pre-registration is required, this program has a class capacity and operates on a first come first serve basis, so make sure to arrive early. We can’t wait to see you again! Monday, Aug. 16, 10-10:30am. Natural Bridges State Beach, Swanton Boulevard and West Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz.

NEW BRIGHTON JUNIOR RANGERS This fun one-hour program offers kids ages 7-12 an opportunity to earn prizes while learning about birds, sea life, and local park animals, playing games, and doing arts and crafts. Meet at the campground Ramada. For more information, call 831-685-6444. 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. To register, visit: santacruzstateparks.as.me/schedule.php. Friday, Aug. 13, 3pm. Saturday, Aug. 14, 3pm. New Brighton Beach, 1500 Park Ave., Capitola.

PERMACULTURE FOOD FORESTS COURSE Do you want to gain hands-on skills and build a community around growing food? Interested in learning best practices for orchard establishment and management, food forestry, designing year-round productive vegetable farms and gardens, and preserving the harvest? We are pleased to offer this advanced practicum grounded in sound horticultural practices and spiced with the delicious seasonal fruits and vegetables our region has to offer. Before the area around San Jose was called the Silicon Valley, it was known as “the Valley of the Heart’s Delight” because of its apricot, peach and plum orchards, and the delightful abundance it produced. Join us in creating and celebrating these habitats on both home and broadacre scales. Learn more and register online at santacruzpermaculture.com/foodforests/. Saturday, Aug. 14, 10am. Santa Cruz Permaculture, 343 Soquel Ave. #185, Santa Cruz.

SEYMOUR CENTER OUTDOORS Activities include tide pool investigation: hone your observation skills and watch animals such as sea stars, sea urchins, and hermit crabs gracefully move in their environment; outdoor scavenger hunt: explore the pathway of giants and find nine outdoor objects hidden around the Seymour Center; larval fish geocache: why do baby fish look so different from their adult forms? What kinds of strategies do fish use for raising their young? And just what kind of fish live in Monterey Bay, anyway? Find the answers to these questions in five secret containers located throughout the Coastal Science Campus. Marine Animal Selfie Station: Grab a selfie with one of our life-sized wooden marine animals—be sure to use #SeymourCenter on your social media profiles. The Seymour Center Outdoors is free to visit with a suggested $10 donation per household. Become a sustaining supporter of the Seymour Center, and purchase a membership! To learn more see seymourcenter.ucsc.edu/visit. Saturday, Aug. 14, 11am-2pm. Seymour Marine Discovery Center, 100 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz.
SUNSET BEACH BOWLS Experience the tranquility, peace and calmness as the ocean waves harmonize with the sound of crystal bowls raising vibration and energy levels. Every Tuesday one hour before sunset at Moran Lake Beach. Call 831-333-6736 for more details. Tuesday, Aug. 17, 7:15-8:15pm. Moran Lake Park & Beach, East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz.

Carrie Nicole Robinson Moves from Backup Singer to Center Stage

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August 11, 2021

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Carrie Nicole Robinson Moves from Backup Singer to Center Stage

In the mid-to-late 2000s, Carrie Nicole Robinson sang backup vocals for the hip-hop group Serendipity Project and the reggae band Congregation. She also sang lead vocals briefly in blues-rock-soul outfit Robinson Family Band with her father, uncle and cousin. After being immersed in music for so long, life pulled her away from it.

But in 2019, as she found the confidence to return to music, she knew she didn’t want to be the backup singer anymore. She focused on writing and performing her own material and returning to the scene as a solo artist. In spring, she released the bluesy R&B track “Making Room,” her first official single. And it’s a powerful track that talks about her journey over the past decade to claim music for herself as she took control of her life.

“It’s been a long journey—mentally, spiritually, emotionally,” Robinson says. “I’ve done a lot of self-help, remaking who I am and what I want to do in life. When I came out, I said, ‘I’m ready to do my music again.’”

It was an arduous journey. In 2009, at the age of 25, Robinson became pregnant; her child was born with chronic medical conditions. To make matters more complicated, his father was sent back to Peru, making her a single mom. She’d already struggled with substance abuse and PTSD, which worsened.

“It was a very difficult, traumatic time in my life, and I began to try and numb my feelings with alcohol and substances. I got to the point where I needed to [go to] rehab to stop drinking,” Robinson says. “I never stopped music completely; I just lost a lot of self-confidence and wasn’t inspired, or didn’t feel safe enough to express myself and perform for a while. I was finding myself again.”

She is seven years sober now and has continued to improve her mental health, which she addresses in “Making Room.” It’s about ending bad habits and creating space for new, better ones; the song is full of soul and hope.

It would have been easy to pen a song that dwells on the dark moments of her past, but that’s not what she wanted to put out into the world.

“Music has always been an outlet for me to get through the hard times. When things are tough, I put on Alicia Keys or India Arie. They usually have an optimistic outlook,” Robinson says.

She recorded “Making Room” during the lockdown with her uncle James Robinson who co-wrote and plays guitar on the track. Carrie plays piano and sings on the tune. She brought in her cousin James Eric Robinson to play bass and Celso Alberti to play drums. Recorded at James’ house, surrounded by friends and family, the session was comfortable.

Once she got that first song out, more followed. Some are about her journey, and some have social commentary; others tell stories. Robinson has a whole album’s worth of material ready to go; she hopes to record it all and release it sometime next year.

“This is my talent, my purpose,” she says. “And the songs were coming so easily to me; I knew that I had more to say, and it was time for me to create that musical experience that I have visions of.”

Throughout the 20-plus years that Robinson spent as a backup singer, she had always dreamt of being front and center.

“I’m a little late, but I’m on the right track,” she says. “It gives me a new level of confidence. I hope my song can reach others and help them feel safe in their skin, too. You never really know. You just put it out there.”

Hear “Making Room” at carrie-nicole.com.

Longtime Aptos Musician Brent Pierce Goes Solo

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August 11, 2021

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Longtime Aptos Musician Brent Pierce Goes Solo

Aptos native Brent Pierce has been writing songs for a long time. Back in 1983, at the age of 17, he wrote the country ballad “Times Are Rough,” a fictitious song that details events that lead to the main character’s divorce. Years later, he went through one himself.

Surprisingly—to him, at least—many of the details are accurate. So now, when he plays it, it sounds like he wrote the song from his life experience.

“It’s weird, because normally you write a song about something that happened to you,” Pierce says. “This one was in reverse—I wrote it, and then lived it.”

The original version was written for his first group, Brent Pierce and the Larson Hill Band, which featured him, his brother and some high school friends. They disbanded in 1987. A re-recorded version of “Times Are Rough” appears on Pierce’s new EP Sweet RoseMarie, his first solo record, released in June.

Other than a few tweaks in the lyrics, the addition of a fiddle and some tighter finger-picking, the updated rendition of the song is very similar to the one he wrote as a 17-year-old.

These days, locals likely know Pierce for his group Brent Pierce and the Acid Grass Boys, which has been around for a few years. It originally started when he joined local rockers Monkey Boys, blending bluegrass and rock.

“Acid Grass Boys are a group of rockers backing up this hillbilly,” Pierce quips.

As much as he’s enjoyed playing with the Acid Grass Boys, he’s wanted to record a solo album for the past 14 years. When live music shut down last year, Pierce finally had the time to make it happen. He wanted to pull tunes from his several decades of songwriting and find the best players for each song. He started recording in May 2020, and it took him a year to complete.

“I’ve been in the business a long time, and I’ve made a lot of friends, some local and some out of town,” Pierce says. “I was home a lot, and so were my friends in Nashville. I wanted to do a full LP, but due to my pickiness, I decided to do five strong recordings, and hopefully get to do a follow-up.”

There’s a lot of diversity on the record. Pierce wanted to show everyone that he’s much more than a banjo-playing bluegrass guy.

“I wanted to put out a wide range of what I do musically, from the traditional mountain music sound to a more progressive rocking feel,” he explains. “And hit some traditional country bluegrass. Since it is my first release, I want the folks to get a feel of all my music styling.”

This record is also special to pierce because he spent several years away from the local scene. In the early ’90s, he got married and had his first daughter. He had to work a real job, which left little time for gigging. He worked as an audio engineer at Warner Brothers in Burbank, as the Master of Sound at Paramount Great America and as a stage/sound tech at Harrah’s in Reno.

He kept playing music, though not as much. After his divorce in 2015, he moved back to Aptos and immersed himself in the music scene again.

“She had enough of me. So I moved back to Aptos—my home,” Pierce says.

His return to Aptos was a re-education process for him in music as well. And it continues with the solo EP.

“I just wanted to give a little something for everyone,” Pierce says. “I wanted to play all my instruments and not be put into a box. Music to me is an expression of the emotion that you’re in—sometimes it’s a banjo, and sometimes it’s a Telecaster.”

For more information, check out brentpiercemusic.com.

Letter to the Editor: Police Need Independent Oversight

Letters to the Editor

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August 11, 2021

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Letter to the Editor: Police Need Independent Oversight

Re: “Chief Concerns” (GT, 8/4): My appreciation to Jake Pierce for illuminating policing and public safety concerns in our city. His in-depth reporting points out the deepening schism between calls for police reform and demands for tougher enforcement, raising a question about the direction that Chief Mills leadership is taking.

Activist Ayo Banjo focuses on police reform, citing the pressing need for an independent police accountability review board. Reading his outcry for accountability, I recalled information about Santa Cruz policing from the Police Scorecard, a group conducting the first nationwide public evaluation of policing in the U.S. Their Santa Cruz report cited that of 47 civilian complaints against police between 2016-2018, only one in five were ruled in favor of civilians—a statistic that points to our pressing need for civilian oversight.

There have also been recent calls for an Oversight Review Board for our county jails. A 2021 Grand Jury report called “Justice in Jail” cited recent problems in our Main Jail including inmate deaths, violence, equipment failures, criminal conduct, and sexual assaults by correction officers. It’s noteworthy that the three most recent deaths of jail inmates have all been people of color. (For more, see Good Times’ Dec. 8, 2020 story “What’s going on in the county jail?”)

Ayo also advocates for reform in crisis response to nonviolent emergency calls, based on the nationally acclaimed Eugene Oregon CAHOOTS mobile crisis model. This year, a number of communities across the nation initiated non-police mobile response pilot programs including Denver’s STAR and Oakland’s MACRO mobile crisis units. Interestingly, Huntington Beach’s HOPE (Helping Out People Everywhere) received more than 1/2 their funding from Biden’s American Rescue Plan Act, which encourages cities to implement non-law enforcement mobile crisis units.

Unfortunately, Chief Mills and our city leaders did not actively pursue the new Covid funding opportunities to implement a pilot CAHOOTS model program for Santa Cruz, despite the fact that 2018 statistics revealed only 15.5% of SCPD calls were designated as crime-related, with 60%—7 calls an hour— related to the unhoused. While Chief Mills himself has thrown up his hands, remarking, “If someone could take the homeless issues entirely from us and stop us from responding to mental health calls—please, take the money!”, he has not actively advocated for a non-police alternative.

Finally, Jake mentions increased community questioning of Chief Mills’ initial commitment to police reform and compassionate response to our homeless crisis and cites egregious blog posts. Unfortunately, a recent police Facebook post points in the direction of a punitive, hardline approach. The account of the August 4 “Operation Sit on the Bench” raid of the homeless encampment on Highway 1 at the river in response to citizen complaints strongly emphasizes the criminal aspect of the residents. The post contains a detailed listing of the specific drugs and weapons confiscated and states, “all of today’s arrests would have been felony arrests, but Prop 57 and 47 reduce them to misdemeanor charges.” Also mentioning AB109— the posting blatantly lobbies for rescinding recent legislation aimed at reducing the jail population by making nonviolent, nonserious property and drug crimes a misdemeanor. The SCPD Facebook post concludes with: “Fact: SCPD arrests criminals everyday. If you want them to be booked and remain in jail, contact your state and elected representatives.”

Sheila Carrillo

Santa Cruz

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Opinion: Tracking the State of Fitness

GT Staff

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August 11, 2021

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EDITOR’S NOTE

The story behind this week’s Health and Fitness Issue reveals something bigger about the state of our health and fitness than we even intended. When Hugh McCormick conceived of this story months ago, it was a relatively simple idea about what people have been doing to stay healthy and fit in the pandemic. At the time he started working on it, California was still using color-coded tiers to categorize the state of each county’s Covid situation. I can’t remember exactly which tier Santa Cruz County was in at the time, but it wasn’t good. Gyms were only open for outside activities, and after the scary surges in winter, many people still weren’t going out.

Hugh had already reported that story pretty thoroughly, but when things started to open up, he found he had to go back and revise a lot of what he had written. Then June 15 came and changed everything, with California ditching its tier system and declaring the state fully opened. That meant—you guessed it—more changes for the story. Then, within just a couple of weeks of this story going into production, mask mandates came back as the Delta variant became a serious concern even for people who have been vaccinated.

And as with so many stories related to the pandemic, what’s most impressive is the way people have innovated out of necessity, and made it work. Liza Monroy’s companion piece about Leela Kalow and Dean Yerushalmy’s Santa Cruz Movement, which was originally set to open in March of 2020, is a great example of that. All in all, I think this issue reflects the weird world of health and fitness we’ve all been living for the last year and a half. Here’s to sticking with it—the hardest part of any fitness regime.

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

KEEP SCHOOLS OPEN

School season is upon us, and only 43% of children ages 12-19 are vaccinated. The Santa Cruz County Office of Education has partnered with the Santa Cruz Public Health Department to push those numbers up by distributing the Pfizer vaccine to students at vaccination clinics across the county. Over the next two weeks, current students 12 and older can receive a vaccine at local schools in Santa Cruz, Felton, Pajaro Valley, Watsonville and more. Pre-register and learn more at santacruzcoe.org.

GOOD WORK

READY TO REBUILD

It’s wildfire season, and after last year—when more than 8,000 wildfires burned across California and destroyed more than 5,700 homes—we welcome good news. Here’s some, bittersweet though it may be: California’s Statewide Consolidated Debris Removal Program has cleared wildfire debris from more than 50% of properties across the state, at no cost to the property owners. This means all remains of wildfire survivors’ homes and property have now been cleared, and owners can begin the permitting process for reconstruction. Learn more at https://wildfirerecovery.caloes.ca.gov/.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“The Darwinian concept of the survival of the fittest has been substituted by a philosophy of the survival of the slickest.”
-Martin Luther King, Jr.

Santa Cruz Movement Brings Inclusive Philosophy of Fitness

Wellness

Cat Johnson

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August 10, 2021

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Santa Cruz Movement Brings Inclusive Philosophy of Fitness

Santa Cruz Movement’s Leela Kalow and Dean Yerushalmy were excited to open their beautifully renovated, airy Midtown studio in March of 2020. After teaching at the Tannery since 2018, they had leased a former furniture store and invested in turning it into a movement studio with mirrored walls, an appealing, light-filled aesthetic, hanging bars and rings, and a marley-type floor. Safe to say (no Covid pun intended), the space did not open as planned. Kalow and Yerushalmy pivoted to Zoom—followed by outdoor options when it was permitted to do so—and continued to pay full rent on the unusable indoor space.

Worldanz founder and local fitness star Gina Garcia made a resonant point about gyms and business owners such as herself during the pandemic: while retail or restaurants were able to receive bailout money, the fitness industry did not.

On March 9th, 2021, Kalow and Yerushalmy were finally able to hold their inaugural class in the space. Despite financial struggles, they were able to keep the lease, and community members are welcomed to the couple’s mask-optional, well-ventilated Ido Portal-movement style classes, held seven days a week.

With Santa Cruz Movement, Kalow and Yerushalmy aim to appeal to everyone regardless of fitness level or ability, age or any defining characteristic. Truly inclusive, it’s not just something for everyone—it’s everything for everyone. Kalow and Yerushalmy, who come from backgrounds of dance and yoga, and personal training and surfing, respectively, make a point to provide options in each class for clientele ranging in age from 18 to 70, whether its a pro-surfer looking to increase mobility, a teacher rehabbing old martial arts injuries, or someone who hasn’t exercised and wants to get moving in an accessible way.

Kalow and Yerushalmy emphasize a generalist approach. “It’s a wide-ranging practice, not one specific thing,” Kalow says. “We’re a very obsessive culture, because we like to do the thing that makes us look and feel good.” While you’ll look and feel good during SCM classes, it’s a byproduct rather than a focal point.

“We have a lot of people who got injured dancing or other stuff, they come every day to practice with us,” Yerushalmy says.

The only prerequisite: curiosity about movement.

CORE MOVEMENT

Kalow, a Santa Cruz native, met Yerushalmy, who is from Tel Aviv, while both were living there. In 2014, the couple met renowned movement master Ido Portal (for those unfamiliar, please stop reading, Google or Instagram immediately, and prepare to be amazed). Portal developed the methods taught. In 2016, Kalow and Yerushalmy joined the Ido Portal Mentorship, a core group of students meeting and studying with Portal. They’re the only members of this circle in the Santa Cruz area.

Yerushalmy and Kalow trade off as lead teacher in each class. The one who isn’t the main teacher serves as backup, going around the room to observe and give tips to each student, and to help the other demo movements and sequences. Their presence and passion is palpable. There is no “typical class,” because every class is different.

A new program starts every 6-8 weeks. “The subjects and systems are new, with new refinements,” Yerushalmy explains. “If you finish juggling three balls for a minute, you reach a certain point in a specific task and we update it. We move on to something else that is also connected to that subject, which is object manipulation. It’s all connected. Your body will become better at being more efficient and solving new problems when you’re challenging yourself in new ways. Look at it like a puzzle. If you know one piece you have to look at how to connect the next one, then start from somewhere else. It’s a puzzle that’s never ending, how to connect those pieces to a whole practice.”

STICKING TO IT

On a recent Tuesday, I arrived for the hour-and-a-half long class at Santa Cruz Movement’s Midtown studio, which I was pleased to note is only a short distance from the Crepe Place and Lillian’s.

The class is performed barefoot, shoes and belongings left in organized cubbies in the front. Hand sanitizer is available upon walk-in, and the clean, tidy space gives off a welcoming vibe, as do Kalow and Yerushalmy themselves as they take time to greet students and orient new ones. The style felt attentive and remained so throughout.

Our warm-up, in a circle, involved opening the thoracic spine—“the least mobile part,” as Yerushalmy explained. We then moved into a continuation of the warm-up that’s a game; another fun aspect to SCM classes is play. My partner held a long stick while I balanced on one leg. He moved the stick to different spots, low and high, left and right, and issued commands—“right hand,” “left hand,” or “foot”—while I had to touch the end of the stick with the body part named. The result was a very fun balance-challenge. We then switched roles.

Next, allowable body parts were expanded: head, shoulder, elbow, upper/lower back, knee…one cannot help but laugh, wobble, and get a hell of a stabilizer and core training. The final part of the warmup was the “spinal wave,” which can move in two directions, head to hips or hips to head, and is pretty much what it sounds like, turning yourself into a kind of human snake and warming up all parts of the spine.

The main part of class entailed floor-work: locomotion including “rotational sit ups,” “helicopter” (on your back, legs travel above the head), “roll” (a sort of cartwheel where feet don’t leave the ground but go around behind the body) and a strength-training circuit involving push-ups, pull-ups on rings or the bar, and stepping up onto a box and lowering yourself slowly down.

My second class of the week was, as predicted, very different—no floor-work, we worked instead on some tricky coordination exercises followed by various kinds of handstands and hanging or pulling into an upside-down position on rings or the bar. Every class includes some strengthening elements like wrist-flexion, spinal engagement, and hip opening.

Toward the end of classes, mind-and breath-work come into play, whether it’s receiving a card with numbers 1-25 scrambled out of order and having to touch the numbers in the correct order (very confusing, in a fun way!) or learning to juggle, or breathwork and meditation, the mind feels as stretched as the body. That post-class crepe or bowl of pasta feels so well-deserved.

The class was both vigorous and restorative at the same time. I felt no soreness the next day, but definitely elevated in mood and challenged in my range of movement possibilities. This is a great class for any level because the instructors have a variety of modifications for injuries or immobilities. I’d recommend it to anyone, because if you’re some kind of pro athlete, it’s going to help increase strength, mobility, and flexibility, and if you’ve never exercised before, it’s a warm and welcoming environment, collaborative and noncompetitive. Some of the movements were challenging, and the teachers gave alternatives and modifications to some students who were rehabbing injuries or more limited mobility.

Email in**@***************nt.com or check out santacruzmovement.com.First class is free for Santa Cruz County residents Sign-up and membership options are at mindbodyonline.com.

The Rapidly Shifting World of Pandemic Fitness

Hugh McCormick

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August 10, 2021

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The Rapidly Shifting World of Pandemic Fitness

Located in the heart of normally sleepy downtown Soquel, Play it Again Sports is straight-up-bonkers on a cool and foggy Saturday morning. A steady stream of customers—perusing the shop’s small selection of used and new disc golf discs, testing out the few remaining fitness machines in stock, and searching high and low for the now-fabled free weights—keeps assistant manager Josue Diaz on his toes and in a flurry of perpetual motion.

“Business has been non-stop this past year. We’ve been trying to meet the community’s needs, but we are slammed,” admits Diaz. “When the gyms shut down suddenly, everything went crazy. From the start of the pandemic, demand has remained constant. People come in to buy gear and fitness equipment to set up their home gyms. We’re a year in, and business has never been better.”

The coronavirus forced millions of fitness fans to be immensely adaptive. Left gym-less, class-less, and trainer-less pretty much overnight, many Americans had to upend their fitness regimes completely—totally changing when, where, and how they work out. Socially distanced, quarantined, and quite leery of venturing into a diseased and treacherous world, Americans got creative—hitting the great outdoors or bringing fitness activities into their homes.

“It scared people. Folks needed to be incredibly cautious and scrambled to find options that worked for them in their homes,” says In-Shape Fitness GM Zach Rankin. “Even when we opened, not everyone felt comfortable coming back in.”

Covid wasn’t kind to the gym industry—at all. According to the group International Health, Racquet, and Sports Club Association, the pandemic led 15% of all gyms to shut down permanently. It’s estimated that over 50% of members either froze or canceled their memberships, and the industry hemorrhaged, losing billions of dollars and eliminating over 500,000 jobs. Several workout behemoths, including Gold’s Gym and 24 Hour Fitness, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

With gyms shuttered, and with more American homebodies than at any time in modern history, you might believe that physical fitness was being neglected during the pandemic. Not so! According to UnitedHealthcare’s 2020 Wellness Checkup Survey, it actually spurred more than 35% of Americans to ramp up their physical activity. Adopting healthier habits might just be Covid’s strangest, and most unexpected side effect.

STAYING IN-SHAPE

While members continue to return to the fully reopened In-Shape, Rankin admits that “many people are hesitant at first. It’s a gym with a lot of people and moving parts.”

To assuage the fears and calm the nerves of potential and former members, In-Shape has made cleanliness a top priority. All gym surfaces are cleaned every hour, and sanitary wipes are provided instead of spray bottles throughout the complex.

“At this point, everything is open now,” says Rankin. “The same amenities are available from the pre-Covid days. “We have the relaxation, comfort, and recovery area open as well as our fitness and swimming offerings.”

Outdoor exercise offerings are available to club members. Half of the gym’s parking garage is devoted to outdoor activities—full of plate-loaded machines, free weights and a bevy of cardio options.

Everything at the Capitola gym is based on an app-based reservation system. In-Shape is offering regular classes, but at a limited capacity. Its popular yoga classes, usually attended by 50-60 members, are limited to 30 lucky yogis. Attendees must make reservations at least two days in advance and adhere to strict 10-foot separation and spacing. No more just showing up and hoping for the best.

GOING DIGITAL

A sign of the times, all of In-Shape’s classes are also available for online streaming through the club’s proprietary web-based application. Members can select various pre-recorded classes and personal training routines via laptop or desktop computer, television or tablet.

“The goal is for people to feel comfortable getting their necessary exercise—just not in the gym’s physical location. Our digital fitness platform gives people flexibility and a way to fit fitness into their busy schedules,” says Rankin.

Kickstarted by Covid’s “dirty globetrotting dance,” and fueled by stay-at-home regulations, physical, digital and virtual fitness exploded onto the scene. 2020 was the year gyms like In-Shape fully embraced the digital revolution. Madly scrambling to deal with a precipitous decline in memberships, close to 70% of gyms currently livestream and offer on-demand workouts. Only 25% did so in 2019, according to fitness research firm Clubintel.

Quarantine and mandated social distancing reminded Americans that they could exercise almost anywhere. Experts believe that a hybrid model—a combination of digital and in-person services—is the way of the future.

Virtual exercise has become the cornerstone of millions of Americans’ exercise routines. A whopping 80% of fitness consumers have livestreamed a workout since the onset of the pandemic, compared with just 7% in 2019. Gyms and firms in the fitness industry are constantly reimagining the average workout and dreaming up new and ingenious ways for members/customers to sweat and stay in shape from home.

SWEAT FROM HOME

The pandemic has created a legion of gym DIYers. Spending on gym basics like treadmills, ellipticals and stationary bikes shot through the roof. And free weights? Good luck.

“This area is different than most,” admits Rankin. “Most people living here have a considerable amount of money. They have been able to afford to buy equipment and establish substantial home gyms. A lot of vendors capitalized on the moment and raised their prices.”

The second quarter of 2020 was the strongest ever for Icon Health and Fitness, the umbrella health and fitness corporation that includes NordicTrack in its portfolio. Net sales rose 94% to $114 million year over year. Sales of Bowflex—yup, the same dope setup you saw in commercials as a kid—went ballistic, as well.

“For some products, we’ve had to wait months to get restocked. Exercise machines have been hard to keep in the store. Every vendor and supplier has been out of them. Prices have increased with the demand and limited supply. Many items have been hard to get, for sure,” says Play It Again’s Diaz.

Meanwhile, dumbbells—just like toilet paper, bidets, hand sanitizer and Nintendo Switches—were one of those curious things that became exceedingly hard to find during the pandemic. Experts say that America’s yearlong dumbbell shortage is what happens when colossal demand careens into a broken supply chain.

“From the start, the most popular things, by far, were the dumbbells. People rushed in to buy 10s, 15s, 20s and 25s. The weights became highly coveted. We had to close a whole section of the store off. Customers rushed in when we got a shipment. It was busy and chaotic. It’s what kept us alive in the beginning. Now we have to wait months to get restocked,” says Diaz.

A large number of fitness junkies gritted down and took the plunge, investing in a set of NordicTrack or Bowflex adjustable dumbbells, considered holy grails of gym toys. But these favorites will set you back a cool $4,000 or more.

The appeal? They take up much less space than standard weights, and thanks to nicely designed fasteners and switches, they can be as heavy as 55 pounds or as light as 10.

Historically, the market for dumbbells is cyclical; sales ramp up in the fall, peak with New Year’s “I’m gonna do it this time!” resolutions, and then taper off when the temperatures start to rise. Stores like Play it Again Sports weren’t equipped to handle the tidal wave of demand.

“I remember when dumbbells were $1.09 a pound,” says Diaz. “Now they are at least $1.75 a pound—when we have them in stock.”

It turns out 95% of all dumbbells are manufactured in China, and Covid lockdowns there pretty much decimated the free weight supply chain overnight. Joining Play It Again Sports on the weight waitlist are Dick’s Sporting Goods, Big 5 and Modell’s. Good luck finding them on Amazon. And if you come across some on eBay, be prepared for some serious price gouging. A run-of-the-mill 15-pound pair of dumbbells will set you back $169.

FUTURE OF FITNESS

If the pandemic did one thing, it shined a light on just how important it is for all of us to prioritize—and invest in—our wellness, fitness and health. Digital and at-home fitness have received a most likely permanent boost, and gyms are eyeing headlines about the Delta variant warily. Will the run on weights, exercise equipment, bikes, and shoes persist? When will supply chains normalize? Only time will tell.

But one thing is for certain: things are still changing—fast. Since I began researching this article, California has done away with capacity limits and reopening tiers, only to start urging indoor mask use again when Covid cases started to rise due to the Delta variant. Just last week, Bay Area health officials in seven counties reinstated an indoor mask mandate.

A year and a half of quarantine and isolation have left many previous gym-goers craving human interaction and social engagement. Some will undoubtedly stick with home workout routines. At-home exercise will likely become complementary rather than a direct competitor to health clubs.

“Covid has been terrible for all of us, but in a positive light, we’ve been able to try things that we’d never done before. We’re starting to see members come back to us,” says Rankin. “We love to hear their stories about what they’ve done to stay fit and active during this past year and a half.”

The Complicated Search for Police Chiefs in Capitola and Watsonville

GT Staff

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August 10, 2021

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The Complicated Search for Police Chiefs in Capitola and Watsonville

By Aiyana Moya

Balance is critical to being a good police chief, says interim Watsonville Police Department Chief Thomas Sims.

“I started my career over 30 years ago,” Sims says. “And so I’ve seen a lot of good [police chiefs], and I’ve seen bad ones. And the good ones are the ones that can balance their engagement with the community, with the city that they’re working for and with their own department members.”

It’s this capacity for balance that Sims hopes the new Watsonville police chief will have.

Last month, Watsonville Chief David Honda retired after five years with the department and more than 30 years in law enforcement. Capitola is also in the midst of a search for a new police chief, with Chief Terry McManus set to retire at the end of the year. Both retirements come following a year of increased scrutiny for law enforcement agencies throughout the country.

Officers have had to navigate in real time how to enforce pandemic protocols while also dealing with calls for police reform following the killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. Chiefs across Santa Cruz County publicly condemned Floyd’s murder, and Santa Cruz Police Chief Andy Mills and Chief Honda knelt in solidarity at protests in their respective cities in the days after. But some community members called these acts of solidarity hypocritical; at the same time Mills and Honda took a knee at local Black Lives Matter protests, Santa Cruz County police were in riot gear at the Oakland protests.

“So you took a knee. Anyone can do that. And I understand your intent, but, you know, the road to hell is paved with good intentions,” says former Education and Training Manager at the Diversity Center Lesley-Reid Harrison. “I think that you really need to be doing the work within the community, and taking the lead of the local community.”

It was a moment where balancing community concerns, supporting their own department and executing policy duties came to a head.

“Sometimes, there are situations where police officers are at odds with the community,” Sims says.

Community Connection

The relationship between police and the community they serve has been in flux since the very inception of law enforcement, and the role of a police chief has evolved, as well.

But during the early 1900s, police departments were at their most distant from their communities, as a nationwide move toward professionalization—where the prevailing ideology was that police knew best—resulted in the separation of the police from the community, according to the Bureau of Justice Assistance. It was the 1960s era of protests, led by the Black civil rights movement, that reinvigorated the conversation around community and police relationships.

Since then, there has been an ever-increasing emphasis on police chiefs providing opportunities for the community to give feedback to police departments. Both Chief McManus and Chief Sims say their respective police departments have worked to create these opportunities for community feedback and engagement.

“We’ve worked very hard to develop those relationships with our community, so that when we do make a mistake or something bad happens there, [community members] at least come into the conversation with an open mind, and we can have a civil conversation with them,” Sims says.

Last year, in an attempt to incorporate community feedback and demonstrate his commitment to accountability, then-Chief Honda created an Ad-Hoc Committee on Policing and Social Equity, a group that over the last nine months has performed community outreach to hear residents’ concerns about the Watsonville Police Department. Whether the city is receptive to these concerns remains to be seen.

In Capitola, Chief McManus says the department implements community policing through its Neighborhood Watch program and offers in-person officer response to every report of an incident.

“That’s where community policing starts. Because if you present yourself in a professional, respectful and kind manner, as an officer to a citizen, they’re likely to return that story to their neighbors, and they’re likely to share feedback about the Capitola Police Department,” McManus says.

As far as community oversight or input, the chief relies on residents to bring concerns to city council meetings or directly to officers.

“As a small city, city council meetings are a fantastic way to engage with the community as police department heads in the city,” McManus says.

Balancing Act

It’s always been important for police officers, especially police chiefs, to be knowledgeable on the social issues happening around the country and in the city they serve, says Dr. Ginger Charles, who serves as the chair of the Criminal Justice program at Cabrillo College, and has taught more than 100 police officers—including a few who went on to become police chiefs.

The events of the past year, however, have demanded police chiefs possess a more substantial understanding of social justice issues. In response, State Community College Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley issued a call-for-action statement that encouraged the rethinking of police training, and mandated that all police curriculum begin to incorporate social justice concepts. However, that curriculum is very, very slow to change, says Charles, as curriculum and ideology shifts from a warrior to guardian mentality.

“I put it within all my courses—there’s always a flavor of social justice, so there’s room for discussion. But we need to start to see that within all police academies, and then hopefully within training—or retraining—within police departments,” Charles says.

Social issues seemed to hit an apex in 2020. Monarch Services, a Watsonville organization that responds to domestic violence calls, reported a 75% increase in services last year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, adults across the U.S. reported considerably elevated adverse mental health conditions associated with the Covid-19 pandemic and the social issues the deadly virus left in its wake. Santa Cruz County as a whole has one of the highest per-capita rates of homelessness in the state—an issue that was only exacerbated by the pandemic.

Although the responsibility to find the solution to and address these problems falls on the community as a whole, police are often the first responders to civilians experiencing these issues.

“That’s the difficult part of policing today. We have these social problems that probably should be handled in other programs, but those programs don’t have the resources, and they’re really not equipped to handle the level of violence that we will usually see within those calls,” Charles says.

There are opportunities for the police department to engage with the resources available to help address these concerns, especially when it comes to training, says Co-Director of the Diversity Center Deanna Zachary.

While the Watsonville police department has done workshops with the Diversity Center, an organization dedicated to helping professionals understand specific needs of the LGBTQ+ community, Zachary says she still hears stories of discrimination.

“Lots of people share their own stories of discrimination at the hands of the police because of being LGBTQ,” Zachary says. “I think that the police chief sets the tone for the department. Not only coming into how they interact with LGBTQ folks, but in terms of, you know, setting up trainings on implicit bias towards LGBTQ folks and communities of color.”

Funding is an important part of the police department’s capacity for training and workshops to address social issues, McMancus says. He acknowledges that social issues, like mental health and homelessness, are some of the biggest challenges the department faces, and he is open to the reallocation of money in order to support a program that is better suited to provide the most effective services to a person in need. But, he says, “we often struggle to find the funding sources to access the minimum level of training that we all think we need.”

Harrison agreed with Zachary and said that police chiefs must also follow through on the commitments made to the community regarding social justice issues and police reform. At a protest she attended, she said she saw Watsonville police high-fiving Blue Lives Matter protesters who were harassing Black Lives Matters protesters.

“I just thought it was very telling that the police officers, how they reacted with the people who were Blue Lives Matter folks … you’re meant to be police officers, you’re meant to be looking at the quote-unquote ‘neutrality’ of the law. And yet clearly you’re favoring one group of people over the other,” Harrison says.

Both Sims and McManus say their police department supports Black Lives Matter protests. At the same time, Sims expresses frustration that his department has been criticized for the behavior of a police officer on the other side of the country.

“Things that happened 3,000 miles away, our police department is getting blamed for. Do you think that’s fair? I don’t. I don’t think that’s fair, because that’s not our police department,” Sims says.

Regardless of where police brutality occurs, its effects will be felt by communities across the country, Charles says.

“Everything that happened with former officer [Derek] Chauvin, the police officers in Santa Cruz will have to respond as if it happened within their city,” Charles says. “They may say it’ll never happen here. Well, that may be true, but you’re going to feel the effects and you’re actually going to be policing to the effects.”

A police chief shapes a department, and his or her responsiveness to community concerns and partnership with local issue-driven organizations will help determine the progress on important social issues Santa Cruz county faces. As Capitola and Watsonville look for new police chiefs, balancing these relationships will be important—but perhaps equally important will be finding someone who will be adaptable, maybe even a proponent of change, as we close a year of unpredictable and unprecedented events.

“Law enforcement, typically across the United States, does not necessarily like to give up authority. [But there is] pressure on law enforcement to change, because the communities, all the communities are saying this is how we want it done now, because we don’t feel it was equitable or somebody overstepped … and so we’re going to change it,” Charles says.

Capitola will be having a community meeting regarding police chief recruitment Monday, August 23 from 6-8pm, open to the public. Location to be determined.

Sutter Health’s Scotts Valley Urgent Care Facility to Move

dpenner

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August 10, 2021

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Sutter Health’s Scotts Valley Urgent Care Facility to Move

Two years ago, when 75-year-old Shirli McLaughlin had a minor medical emergency, she headed across the hills from Felton, where she lives, to Sutter Health’s Urgent Care facility on Scotts Valley Drive.

“I was grateful to have a place to go that was so close,” she says.

Now that Sutter Health is transforming their Scotts Valley facility from urgent care to family medicine and pediatrics—with some same day appointments—McLaughlin says she’s concerned. “I would have had to go all the way to Dominican.”

Sutter Health plans to make the switch Aug. 30. It’s also reopening its Westside Urgent Care location at 1301 Mission St. in Santa Cruz. But the health giant is having a hard time bringing in doctors—as company officials confirmed during a virtual Q&A involving Sutter Health and community members on July 26. The one-hour meeting was hastily organized after local congressional representative Anna G. Eshoo, who chairs the health subcommittee of the House of Representatives in Washington, D.C., put pressure on Sutter CEO Sarah Krevans to host one.

A few days earlier, when Good Times reached Eshoo, she’d just emerged from a Capitol Hill mark-up session that touched on Medicaid, the opioid crisis, and children’s vaccinations. She says she was troubled to hear Sutter was decreasing access to health care for residents in her district.

“This issue is deeply upsetting to people,” says Eshoo. “This really landed like a bomb in the community.”

Eshoo says she feels like the issue was “mishandled” and revealed she’d just met with top Sutter brass to push for the community meeting. She asked them to explain why some residents will be forced into crosstown traffic to reach other urgent care destinations.

“Being struck in traffic with a 45-minute drive doesn’t fit with the word ‘urgent,’” she said. “Their patients deserve better.”

During the Monday evening Q&A, in response to a question about transparency, Dr. Lawrence DeGehtaldi, president of the Palo Alto Medical Foundation Santa Cruz at Sutter Health, apologized for not including patients in the decision-making process.

“That is a fair point,” he said. “I’m sorry.”

Sutter, through the affiliated nonprofit Palo Alto Medical Foundation, serves one million patients across San Mateo, Santa Clara, Alameda and Santa Cruz counties.

During the livestream, patients weren’t given the opportunity to speak, instead submitting written questions. Officials claimed financial concerns weren’t at the heart of their shifting of local health priorities.

Instead, administrators said, it represents a strategic realignment, as the health system plans for an influx of more than 5,000 new potential patients to the area.

Dr. Rebecca Barker, Sutter’s chief physician in Santa Cruz County, tried to impress upon virtual attendees the difficulty involved in attracting physicians.

“There’s not been enough primary care doctors,” she said. “That has been a big challenge for me. I’ve had to figure out how to get you all primary care doctors.”

Dr. Chris Bernardi, who’s worked at the Scotts Valley Urgent Care Center, said in many ways the location already functions as a de facto family medicine facility and pointed to staffing challenges.

“You can see all the development popping up in Scotts Valley proper and in the surrounding communities,” he said. “I’m doing everything I can on my end to bring in new patients.”

Sutter plans to reduce hours at the location from 8am-5pm seven days a week to 8am–5pm on weekdays, but will still take same-day appointments. Officials pledged doctors would continue to take on evening and weekend work, but wouldn’t commit to forcing them to do this, suggesting it would make retaining employees harder.

And that would be a problem, Barker said, since it’s competitive right now to attract family physicians.

DeGehtaldi said the services Sutter is bringing to Scotts Valley will better serve people with behavioral and mental health issues—like an anxiety attack—care which has been increasingly required during the pandemic, particularly after the CZU Lightning Complex fire.

Barker said the vast majority of these cases aren’t handled by urgent care doctors or psychiatrists, but by primary care physicians. That’s all happening online now, since the coronavirus showed up, she added.

With its Westside Center Urgent Care location reopening, the tension in the system will be easing shortly, Barker says.

“I’m not saying that the Scotts Valley patients will ultimately go there,” she said, adding another problem is health care workers who spent a year-and-a-half on the frontlines of the pandemic are taking “well overdue vacations” this summer.

When a community member asked about the problem some people have encountered in which their insurance plans charge them more money to get primary care or to visit the emergency room than if they were to go to an urgent care location, DeGehtaldi brushed off the concern.

“The standard office visit charges are the same,” he said, suggesting urgent care actually costs more with some insurance providers. “Sutter’s support for this community has been strong and important.”

When the same questioner claimed Sutter was removing care options in the area, DeGehtaldi disagreed. He pointed to Palo Alto Medical Foundation’s expansion from three county sites to almost 20 in recent years.

But he conceded there is one big gap in their Santa Cruz County strategy: the San Lorenzo Valley.

Scotts Valley City Councilman Randy Johnson said DeGehtaldi was invited to attend a small gathering of patients two days earlier, but didn’t show up. There, multiple area residents shared about situations where urgent care saved their lives.

“It just keeps piling on that this has been and will be a top-down decision, with zero collaboration,” Johnson said. “It’s business for them. It’s personal for us.”

Johnson said Sutter needs to stop complaining about Kaiser Permanente not taking a bigger share of poor, government-covered patients and come up with effective care solutions.

“They’re kind of taking the easy way out,” he said. “You have problems? Be creative.”

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