Taxing Times

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Taxing Times

With federal legalization now (perhaps) a far-off pipe dream as Republicans descend into the White House and Congress to assume full control of the government, one of the chief hopes for California’s badly ailing pot industry has (perhaps) been dashed.

While it wouldn’t solve every problem, by a long shot, federal legalization would at least open up new markets for cannabis companies that are prepared to import and export their products, and at least theoretically give a big boost to smaller firms, too, including local dispensaries.

With an unstable federal government led by a lunatic, it’s impossible to know for sure whether legalization might happen despite general GOP opposition. But the prospects don’t look good, and that leaves California pot companies sitting with the problems they’ve had ever since California voters legalized weed eight years ago (that is, but for a few bright spots, like during the worst of the Covid pandemic, when sales soared). And yet more problems might be on the horizon.

The bad news continues to pile up: bankruptcies, layoffs, cutbacks, high prices, thin profit margins and enormous losses. Public companies like the Salinas-based Lowell Farms have laid off tons of people (nearly half the workforce in Lowell Farms’ case). Lowell reported a loss of $3.6 million in its most recent quarter. Gold Flora, meanwhile, reported a quarterly loss of a swoon-inducing $18.8 million and the Costa-Mesa-based company is reportedly having trouble paying its debts (at least one lawsuit alleges that, anyway). The company also announced that it would be trimming its staff by 10%.

All that combined with other grim news led John Schroyer of the trade publication Green Market Report to wonder “how long until more of them join the conga line into receivership and bankruptcy?”

Probably not long. This situation is not what anyone expected (or promised) in 2016. The reasons for it are the same intertwined ones the California industry has been facing all along: high taxes, the state’s “home rule” provision (which allows local governments to ban cannabis companies from setting up shop), and the continued success of the illicit pot industry.

Some of these problems could be solved, or at least lessened, with government action. Lowering taxes, for example. But the state government is doing the precise opposite. The industry and consumers alike have complained all along about the state’s 15% excise tax on weed, which comes on top of the regular sales tax and any additional local taxes.

So with the industry in crisis, you’d think maybe the Legislature and governor would be looking for ways to lower it, right? Wrong. The tax is set to increase to an outright insane 19% in July barring some intervention in the Legislature in the coming session. This is part of the bargain that was reached in 2022 when the state eliminated the cultivation tax, which was itself ruinous—particularly for growers, but really for the whole industry.

Adding four points to the excise tax doesn’t seem like much of a bargain, though. All it will do is send more people back to the illicit market, and the ones who buy from dispensaries are refusing to pay more than they already are, meaning that the additional cost will be borne entirely by the industry.

There is a huge effort under way to forestall the increase, but it’s impossible to tell at this point how successful it might be. Dustin Moore, a founder of the Embarc chain of dispensaries, told Green Market Report that the potential increase represents “an existential threat to the industry.”

During a recent industry conference, Nicole Elliott, director of the California Department of Cannabis Control, told attendees that “reforms are needed,” and encouraged them to lobby lawmakers.

But efforts to lower the tax during years when the state government had a budget surplus went nowhere. Given that the state is now running deep deficits, with the Trump administration poised to stick it to California in several ways that would make things worse, the challenge will be that much greater. But so is the industry crisis, so maybe enough lawmakers and Gavin Newsom (who reportedly brokered the deal to trade one tax for another) will finally see the light.

Free Will Astrology

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Free Will Astrology

ARIES March 21-April 19

Renowned composer Mozart had a sister nicknamed Nannerl. During their childhoods, she was as much a musical prodigy as he. They toured Europe doing performances together, playing harpsichord and piano. Some critics regarded her as the superior talent. But her parents ultimately decided it was unseemly for her, as a female, to continue her development as a genius. She was forcibly retired so she could learn housekeeping and prepare for marriage. Is there a part of your destiny, Aries, that resembles Nannerl’s? Has some of your brilliance been suppressed or denied? The coming months will be an excellent time to recover and revive it.

TAURUS April 20-May 20

Do you know if you have any doppelgangers, Taurus? I bet you will meet one in the coming weeks. How about soul friends, alter egos or evil twins? If there’s no one like that in your life right now, they may arrive soon. And if you already know such people, I suspect your relationships will grow richer. Mirror magic and shadow vision are in the works! I’m guessing you will experience the best, most healing kind of double trouble. Substitutes and stand-ins will have useful offers and tempting alternatives. Parallel realities may come leaking through into your reality. Opportunities for symbiosis and synergy will be at an all-time high. Sounds like wild fun!

GEMINI May 21-June 20

Humans have been eating a wide range of oranges since ancient times. Among the most popular type in modern times is the navel orange. It’s large, seedless, sweet, juicy and easy to peel. But it didn’t exist until the 1820s, when a genetic mutation on a single tree in Brazil spawned this new variety. Eventually, the navel became a revolutionary addition to the orange family. I foresee a metaphorically comparable development in your life during the coming months, Gemini. An odd tweak or interesting glitch could lead to a highly favorable expansion of possibilities. Be alert for it.

CANCER June 21-July 22

Cancerian, you are a finalist for our “Most Resourceful and Successful Survivor of the Year” trophy. And if you take a brief trip to hell in the next two weeks, you could assure your victory. But wait! Let me be more exact: “Hell” is an incorrect terminology; I just used it for shock effect. The fact is that “hell” is a religious invention that mischaracterizes the true nature of the realm of mystery, shadows and fertile darkness. In reality, the nether regions can be quite entertaining and enriching if you cultivate righteous attitudes. And what are those attitudes? A frisky curiosity to learn truths you have been ignorant about; a brave resolve to unearth repressed feelings and hidden yearnings; and a drive to rouse spiritual epiphanies that aren’t available when you’re in the trance of everyday consciousness.

LEO July 23-Aug. 22

In my astrological opinion, you need and deserve big doses of fun, play, pleasure and love. Amusement and enchantment, too. As well as excitement, hilarity and delight. I trust you will schedule a series of encounters and adventures that provide you with a surplus of these necessary resources. Can you afford a new toy or two? Or a romantic getaway to a sanctuary of adoration? Or a smart gamble that will attract into your vicinity a stream of rosy luck? I suggest that you be audacious in seeking the sweet, rich feelings you require.

VIRGO Aug. 23-Sept. 22

December will be Home Enhancement Month for you Virgos. Get started immediately! I’ll offer tips for how to proceed and ask you to dream up your own ideas. 1. Phase out décor or accessories that no longer embody the style of who you have become. 2. Add new décor and accessories that will inspire outbreaks of domestic bliss. 3. Encourage everyone in your household to contribute creative ideas to generate mutual enhancement. 4. Do a blessing ritual that will raise the spiritual vibes. 5. Invite your favorite people over and ask them to shower your abode with blessings.

LIBRA Sept. 23-Oct. 22

Libran songwriter and producer Kevin MacLeod has composed over 2,000 pieces of music—and given all of them away for free. That’s why his work is so widespread. It has been featured in thousands of films and millions of YouTube videos. His composition “Monkeys Spinning Monkeys” has been played on TikTok over 31 billion times. (PS: He has plenty of money, in part because so many appreciative people give him free-will donations through his Patreon page.) I propose we make him your inspirational role model in the coming weeks and months, Libra. How could you parlay your generosity and gifts into huge benefits for yourself?

SCORPIO Oct. 23-Nov. 21

According to my grandmother, I have such a mellifluous voice I should have pursued a career as a newscaster or DJ on the radio. In eighth grade, my science teacher admired my work and urged me to become a professional biologist. When I attended Duke University, my religious studies professor advised me to follow his path. Over the years, many others have offered their opinions about who I should be. As much as I appreciated their suggestions, I have always trusted one authority: my muses. In the coming weeks and months, Scorpio, you may, too, receive abundant advice about your best possible path. You may be pressured to live up to others’ expectations. But I encourage you to do as I have done. Trust your inner advisors.

SAGITTARIUS Nov. 22-Dec. 21

I invite you to get a head start on formulating your New Year’s resolutions. January 1 is a good time to instigate robust new approaches to living your life, but the coming weeks will be an even better time for you Sagittarians. To get yourself in the mood, imagine you have arrived at Day Zero, Year One. Simulate the feeling of being empty and open and fertile. Imagine that nothing binds you or inhibits you. Assume that the whole world is eager to know what you want. Act as if you have nothing to prove to anyone and everything to gain by being audacious and adventurous.

CAPRICORN Dec. 22-Jan. 19

There was a long period when many popular songs didn’t come to a distinct end. Instead, they faded out. The volume would gradually diminish as a catchy riff repeated over and over again. As you approach a natural climax to one of your cycles, Capricorn, I recommend that you borrow the fade-out as a metaphorical strategy. In my astrological opinion, it’s best not to finish abruptly. See if you can create a slow, artful ebb or a gradual, graceful dissolution.

AQUARIUS Jan. 20-Feb. 18

When he was young, Aquarian musician and sound engineer Norio Ohga wrote a critical letter to the electronics company now known as Sony. He complained in detail about the failings of their products. Instead of being defensive, executives at the company heeded Ohga’s suggestions for improvement. They even hired him as an employee and ultimately made him president of the company at age 40. He went on to have a stellar career as an innovator. In the spirit of the Sony executives, I recommend that you seek feedback and advice from potential helpers who are the caliber of Norio Ohga. The information you gather in the coming weeks could prove to be highly beneficial.

PISCES Feb. 19-March 20

What would your paradise look and feel like? If you could remake the world to suit your precise needs for maximum freedom, well-being and inspiration, what changes would you instigate? Now is an excellent time to ponder these possibilities, Pisces. You have more ability than usual to shape and influence the environments where you hang out. And a good way to rouse this power is to imagine your ideal conditions. Be bold and vivid. Amuse yourself with extravagant and ebullient fantasies as you envision your perfect world.

Homework: What do you really want but think you shouldn’t want it? Can you find a loophole? Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com

© Copyright 2024 Rob Brezsny

Promoting Responsible Gambling: Innovative Approaches for Positive Outcomes

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Promoting Responsible Gambling: Innovative Approaches for Positive Outcomes

Published in cooperation between 99bitcoins and Good Times

The risks associated with gambling are quite numerous, from addictions to financial issues, mental health issues, relationship strain, social isolation, legal consequences, general health risks and so on. They are taking a toll on individuals and society at large. 

Since the advent of online gambling, everyone has access to casinos and betting sites, and it has become more difficult to control how much money and time people spend on these platforms. However, all hope is not lost; gambling platforms have to step up and take the necessary steps to promote responsible gambling. We have highlighted some of these innovative approaches in this guide, and certainly, they will yield positive outcomes.  

Time Limits on Gameplay

Casinos, both land-based and online, should make it possible for players to be able to set time limits or duration for gameplay willingly. No matter how excited they get, this can serve as a reminder of how much time they have spent there and help them prevent excessive gambling activities, thereby helping them avoid and manage gambling addiction. 

Education and Awareness Campaigns

These days, there is so much information about casino games and the possible rewards. Still, there isn’t enough info about the challenges or side effects of prolonged gameplay and gambling activities. So people are enticed by everything they hope to get from gambling without caring for safety and moderation. 

Hence, it would be very effective if users were educated and informed about the potential risks associated with gambling and the symptoms of these issues so they can be careful and know when they need help. This awareness can be done through websites, advertisements and social media platforms.

Innovations in Technology

In this digital age, there are many tech tools casinos can leverage and integrate into their websites to help promote responsible gambling. For example, there are AI-based tools that detect patterns of potential gambling addiction and analyze data to identify problematic behavior. 

There are also tools for self-regulation, such as the self-exclusion feature, which allows players to voluntarily exclude themselves from all gambling activities for a specific period. Those who are already struggling to overcome the addiction can benefit greatly from this tool because it completely stops them from accessing the platform during the set time. 

Deposit Limit

Deposit limits are also another effective way to promote responsible gambling. Casinos should implement a limit on how much money players can deposit and spend per time. Of course, every casino wants to make a profit from its business, but this shouldn’t be done at the expense of its players’ well-being. So, it is vital to enable players to have a threshold on the money they can deposit within a time frame to help them control their spending habits. 

Enhanced Player Verification

Many players love casinos with little or no verification processes, such as the no-KYC casinos you can find on 99Bitcoins guide because they offer more convenience and privacy. However, advanced user verification systems can go a long way to promote responsible gambling habits. Casinos can identify underage players, individuals on restricted lists, PEPs, and risky users before they can be allowed to use a gambling platform.

Collaborating With Support Service

While gambling operators have the bulk of the workload in this quest, they also need the services of counselors, support groups, mental health experts and helplines to help players who are already struggling with gambling addiction, debt, criminal issues resulting from gambling or so many other problems. 

Limiting Gambling Ads Online

One thing that pushes people to gamble excessively, even when they are losing money, is the persistent gambling ads they see online. Some of these ads promise them so many unrealistic rewards. But if they are limited and or at least regulated, some players will struggle less with the compulsive urge to gamble. If the ads provide accurate information, new players will be fully aware that gambling and casino games are primarily for entertainment, not a gateway to riches. 

Collaborating With Stakeholders

Enforcing responsible gambling requires a joint effort involving various stakeholders, including regulators, gambling operators, communities and government organizations. That is why countries like the US have strict government regulations for casino games; they are just trying to ensure a safe gaming environment for their citizens. If all these bodies can work together, they will be able to pool resources to develop and implement innovative strategies, such as the ones we have discussed so far, to promote responsible gambling. 

The main essence of responsible gambling is to ensure that players can stay entertained and bet on games without harm or risks to their finances and well-being. Also, it is to address the already existing gambling problems, which some people may not even be aware of. However, promoting a culture of responsible gambling and addressing the existing issues of gambling requires a joint effort from regulators, gaming operators, communities, advocacy groups, and even players. 

If everyone involved can put these measures in place and adhere to them, we will have a safer and more enjoyable gambling environment, and the way gambling is perceived in some societies will improve.

New Rail Trail Details

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New Rail Trail Details

A new overhead rail line near the Boardwalk and a bridge or tunnel crossing Highway 1 at Cabrillo College are amongst two new proposals that the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) revealed last week at its Watsonville and Live Oak community meetings.

The meetings highlighted transformative plans for public transit along the county’s 32-mile rail line from Watsonville to Santa Cruz. The rail trail was approved in concept by 75 percent of voters two years ago. However, many of the specifics were unknown at that time. The rail line was built in 1876. 

The project proposes a single track accommodating a zero-emissions commuter train alongside freight train operations. In 2018 the RTC gave the freight company Progressive Rail a 10-year contract to operate on the tracks.

One of the things some 70 community members learned at a meeting held at the Live Oak Community Center was that the public could petition for quiet zones around housing and schools—however, those zones would absolve the train operators from any damage they cause there.

Trains are required to blow horns before 29 road intersections to warn traffic and pedestrians. However, residents could petition the federal rail agency for so-called quiet zones. These zones, however, would shift liability to the community in the event of an accident.

RTC project manager Riley Gerbrandt said the community has requested 20 station stops along the route and the agency would like to have one train in each direction every hour. However, he said, it might be impossible to maintain that schedule if electric trains stopped at every station. 

 “We want to work with the community to weigh the pros and cons and finalize station locations, trail alignments, and design considerations,” Gerbrandt said.

Because of the heavy pedestrian and car traffic by the Boardwalk, the RTC is considering an elevated track. The tracks now run along the street in front of the tourist attraction. Trains would make navigation difficult, RTC staff said and would be a hazard for emergency vehicles.

Gerbrandt told audience members that the trail would have to split from the rail in several places in Live Oak, Capitola, Rio Del Mar and South County, including around 41st Avenue and by McGregor Street in Aptos because the area wasn’t wide enough to accommodate both the tracks and a path. At 41st Avenue and around Jade Street Park bikes, wheelchairs and pedestrians would have to navigate along streets. At McGregor the tracks would become a path and new train tracks would have to be built closer to Highway 1.

Cabrillo College President Matthew Wetstein praised the potential rail stop near campus, highlighting its alignment with the college’s planned 271-unit student housing project. “This provides an excellent alternative transportation option for students traveling between Santa Cruz and Watsonville,” he said.

The RTC is currently in the project concept report stage, with further refinements expected in January. Community feedback will continue to be gathered through Dec. 20. Construction is tentatively scheduled following the completion of environmental reviews and design finalizations in 2027.

The rail trail project is partly funded by federal and state grants, including $37.7 million from the Federal Lands Access Program and $13.8 million from Measure D, a local sales tax. The RTC purchased the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line in 2012 from Union Pacific for $11 million. 

Many in the audience were critical of the plan, including residents of a mobile home park who said they would have to move. The RTC will hold a public hearing on Dec. 5 to discuss the project and its potential impact on local communities.

Coastal Trail Conservancy member Jack Brown said the project was “an incredibly poor use of resources” mentioning a lack of cost information.

“On a twelve-foot trail, with six feet each direction, it’s not gonna fit,” Brown said.

Estimates for the project, which would include replacing historic wooden bridges, range in the hundreds of millions of dollars. 

You Can Help

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You Can Help

Local nonprofits work incredibly hard to improve the quality of life in Santa Cruz County, from cleaning our beaches and monitoring our drinking water quality to mentoring our children and providing informative local news. Now it’s our turn: Visit SantaCruzGives.org to learn about and donate to one or more of this year’s 63 participating organizations whose programs benefit our community.

November 20-December 31  |  Donate @ SantaCruzGives.org

Santa Cruz Gives is funded by the generosity of Good Times, Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County, Community Foundation Santa Cruz County, Applewood Foundation, Joe Collins, Driscoll’s, Inc., Monterey Peninsula Foundation, 1440 Foundation, Santa Cruz County Bank, Wynn Capital Management, The Pajaronian, and Press Banner.

AMAH MUTSUN LAND TRUST

Amah Mutsun Land Trust’s Vision for 2025: We are the only tribe in Santa Cruz County that provides Indigenous leadership in conservation through research and education, conservation and restoration, and Indigenous stewardship. We engage approximately 200 members of the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band and 500 residents of Santa Cruz County annually. We collaborate on projects at the UCSC Arboretum, the MAH, Cotoni-Coast Dairies National Monument, Wilder Ranch State Park, Soquel Demonstration Forest, and more. This year the Land Trust completed its second strategic plan in consultation with majority tribal members. Join us as we build land acquisition capabilities, defend sacred sites from development and destruction, and create our first-ever climate change program

ARTS COUNCIL SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

Arts Education for Everyone: Imagine arts in every school, every day, across our county. We’re at a pivotal moment in arts education with exciting Proposition 28 funding available to expand programming. Schools are eager to enhance their programs, but there’s a shortage of teaching artists and credentialed arts teachers. As the top provider of arts education in local schools, we must grow our team, launch new training and expand our Summer Arts Education Institute to meet the need. Our community understands: Art is essential. Together, we ignite imaginations, enhance learning, empower educators and create vibrant learning environments.

ASSOCIATION OF FAITH COMMUNITIES

Add Shelter Beds in South County: Watsonville has seen a 60% rise in homelessness and has no low-barrier shelter beds for single adults. We hope to start a 20-bed shelter using the space and resources of local faith communities. AFC has operated an effective shelter model in both cost and outcomes in North County for 12 years. Last year, 46% of shelter members moved to permanent housing. We’re working to bring this model in partnership with local faith communities and organizations. Funds raised will go toward startup costs, which include sleeping mats, shelter supplies and a vehicle to transport shelter members from site to site.

BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

It Takes Little to Be Big: In Santa Cruz County, many children face mental health challenges without adequate support systems. We recognize the transformative power of mentorship in their lives. Through meaningful relationships, we provide the support to navigate life’s hurdles, addressing social isolation and instilling confidence and resilience in youth. Caring adult mentors empower them to overcome obstacles and build a brighter future. Our small staff of three coordinate hundreds of volunteers. Currently we’re recruiting more volunteer mentors to match with youth. Your donation helps cover the cost of enrolling and training mentors, ensuring each child is paired with a safe, prepared adult.

BIRCHBARK FOUNDATION

Saving Pets, Supporting Families: Our core initiative is to reduce financial barriers that prevent loving families from accessing life-saving care for their pets that have a good prognosis. In partnership with local veterinarians who reduce costs for our clients, BirchBark channels the compassion and generosity of our community to provide stability to families faced with fixable but unaffordable, urgent veterinary care. We estimate that 25%, or 30,000 pets, are owned by seniors, low-income families or marginalized populations in Santa Cruz County.

BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS OF SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

Upgrading Our Clubhouse for the Next Generation!: As more families move to Downtown Santa Cruz, we must ensure our Clubhouse is safe and modern. We aim to improve the essentials: a new roof, gutters and renovation of the indoor swimming pool, where thousands of local kids have learned to swim. This facility (built in 1969) suffers from decades of deferred maintenance. With your support, local families will have access to affordable, high-quality programs where kids can learn, grow and thrive. With the rising cost of living, requests for financial assistance have increased significantly. Our donor-funded scholarship program helps us provide youth with the resources and support they need to succeed in school and life.

CAMP OPPORTUNITY

Send At-Risk Kids to Camp!: An all-volunteer nonprofit, we hope to raise money to send 20 kids to camp. Our campers come from various backgrounds and living situations; all have been involved in the child welfare system, and many are at risk of abuse and neglect. Campers develop skills to make safe life choices and cultivate positive relationships that can be transferred to their community, school and home. No family is charged for their child’s participation. The estimated cost for one child to attend camp for a week is $1,500. This includes campground rental, room and board, as well as activities and supplies such as swimming, archery, tie-dye and more.

CASA OF SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

Advocating for Children in the Foster Care and Juvenile Probation Systems: Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) are volunteers who work one-on-one with children and youth in the foster care and/or juvenile probation systems. Each devotes a few hours a week getting to know one child and gathering information from everyone involved in the child’s life, and are part of a team that works for the child’s best interests. CASA recruits, screens, trains, matches and supervises volunteer advocates, who get to know their child’s situation and needs, help caregivers access resources to meet those needs, and advocate for the child in court, community and school settings.

CENTER FOR FARMWORKER FAMILIES

Empowering Farmworkers—Bridge the Digital Divide: This computer literacy program will provide farmworkers with essential digital skills and computers so they can access online resources and support their children’s education. Participants will learn to navigate digital platforms and connect with community resources. Your support will help cover the costs of computers, training, and ongoing assistance to create lasting positive change for farmworkers and their families.

COMMUNITY BIKE COLLECTIVE

Build a Cycling Habit: Currently there are no pathways for underserved youth in Santa Cruz County to get regularly involved in cycling and progress their skills in a supportive setting. Our idea is to offer youth a progression of coordinated cycling skills with opportunities to earn badges, cycling gear and even a bike as they complete designated “CBC Pathway” levels. The goal is to move youth from basic bike handling skills to engaging them in a lifelong activity that boosts physical and mental health, reinforces valuable life skills and builds community.

COMMUNITY BRIDGES

Wrap Them in Care—WIC Program Diaper Initiative: Our local Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program, run by Community Bridges, has served thousands of families in Santa Cruz County and the Pajaro Valley since 1977. Rising diaper costs are a major challenge, with prices up 22% since 2018. To help, we launched the WIC Diaper Program in 2023 and have distributed 852 packs in nine months. However, demand exceeds supply. Your donation can help us expand this vital program, ensuring no family has to choose between diapers and other essentials.

COASTAL WATERSHED COUNCIL

A Thriving San Lorenzo River for All: The San Lorenzo River is vital as the primary source of drinking water, wildlife habitat and open space. However, this river faces challenges. To improve its health, CWC and 300 volunteers pick up trash, pull invasive weeds and plant native vegetation. Every year 800+ youth in our education program learn about their river and participate in solutions. The Riverwalk is the only large space to access nature in the heart of the city, a thoroughfare from the beach to downtown, and a safe recreation area. Our vision is a river that’s attractive and welcoming for recreation and reflection, and helps sustain diverse plants, animals and people.

DIENTES COMMUNITY DENTAL CARE

Elevating Care for a Healthier Community: Dientes’ largest clinic in mid-county serves over 100 people a day, 6 days a week. We want to serve more patients and offer a comfortable, modern, facility consistent with providing high quality care. Your support will help improve workflows, enhance patient interaction, and support more patients. More than 50,000 SC County residents with public insurance (Medi-Cal) are not able to see the dentist. For those without insurance, like seniors on Medicare, access to care is even more challenging. Dientes serves those with public insurance and provides free care and subsidized, affordable sliding-scale fees to your neighbors who need it most.

DIVERSITY CENTER OF SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

Never the Last Love Letter—A Documentary: Our project is a documentary produced with talented local volunteer filmmakers that explores untold stories of those who saved lives in Santa Cruz during the AIDS crisis. Through personal interviews, archival footage and historical artifacts, the film captures the creativity, courage and defiance of the LGBTQ+ community and illustrates how grassroots activism can transform public health and advance human dignity. The documentary will be released in summer 2025 with the Threads of Love art exhibit at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History, which will display the AIDS Memorial Quilt. Please join us in presenting local stories of resilience, hope and rebellion.

EAT FOR THE EARTH

Salud en tu Plato: Latinos face disproportionate barriers to health and higher rates of diet-related disease. This project is accessible, effective and relevant for Latinos suffering from chronic disease. Through a proven immersion in a whole-food, plant-based diet, participants feel better quickly and experience measurable improvements in biomarkers for health such as cholesterol, blood pressure and fasting glucose. Eating the healthiest human diet is so countercultural that people who want to improve their diet need evidence-based education, support, tools and community. We provide these for anyone, prioritize the underserved, and serve via word-of-mouth and our outreach events, including nutrition presentations, food prep classes, potlucks, film screenings and conferences.

ECOLOGY ACTION

Empowering Climate Action for Santa Cruz County: This campaign provides a climate action platform for community groups and residents. It offers leadership training to prepare locals for climate change impacts and to encourage household climate actions that foster more resilient and connected communities. This project provides locally specific resources and incentives for 120 climate learning topics and actions so homeowners and renters can easily reduce emissions, save money and prepare for climate change impacts. Nearly 40% of US GHG emissions come from five household sources: electricity, home heating, transportation, food choices and our waste stream. This online resource also supports school clubs, neighborhood groups, faith communities and co-worker teams to make small changes that together add up to big collective impact.

FAMILIES IN TRANSITION

Housing Services Fund: FIT’s project serves vulnerable families with children and young adults aged 18-24 who are heads of households and whose income is at or below 30% of Area Median Income for Santa Cruz County. We are fundraising to provide rental assistance, case management, housing navigation and staffing, or to supplement those selected for our Guaranteed Income Project (the latter addresses systemic inequities, supports lasting success and closes California’s racial wealth gap). Your contribution will directly impact youth and families in need, providing access to stable housing and the comprehensive support required for self-sufficiency, well-being and the overall health of our community.

FARM DISCOVERY AT LIVE EARTH

Growing Healthy Communities Through Food and Education: We are dedicated to addressing nutrition insecurity by growing and distributing organic produce to vulnerable residents. In addition, we provide education, including field trips and farm camps, where youth learn about sustainable agriculture, nutrition and environmental stewardship. Combining food distribution with hands-on learning empowers youth to transform their relationship with food, agriculture and their community. In 2025 we will grow, harvest and deliver 5,000 pounds of produce through the Farm Discovery fields, and 50,000 in partnership with Live Earth Farm, which allows us to glean excess produce. We’ll also add family farm partners to expand our reach (we currently partner with nonprofit pantries).

FREE GUITARS FOR KIDS

Santa Cruz Arts Council Guitar Giveaway: We will pilot a program to address arts funding cuts in schools. By distributing 240 guitars to four schools, in partnership with Santa Cruz Arts Council and Mariposa Arts, we aim to empower 240 students in grades 5-8—a critical age range for cognitive and creative development—with access to music education. Research shows that playing a musical instrument enhances cognitive, creative and mental focus, and also provides children with a better chance to lead productive, successful lives. Our long-term goal is to serve the entire county.

GIRLS INC.

7th & 8th Grade Programs: Our programs are offered to girls—ages 9-14—to inspire them to set health and wellness goals that include developing healthy relationships, practicing assertive communication skills, avoiding unhealthy behaviors, managing stress, handling conflict, understanding reproductive health, and identifying and standing up for their values. We request your support for 150 girls to participate in 10-12 interactive sessions, plus a college field trip.

GREY BEARS

Healthy Food for Seniors—Full Plates and Full Hearts: Santa Cruz County’s senior population is rapidly growing and many face barriers to accessing fresh food and social connections. This Grey Bears’ project ensures seniors receive fresh, locally sourced food through weekly deliveries, a free on-site market and hot meals. These efforts are powered by senior volunteers who deliver to more than 1,200 homebound recipients, and foster social connections to fill both plates and hearts. With you, hundreds of amazing volunteers, generous donors and community partners, our community is stronger and engaged at every age.

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

13 Affordable Homes in Watsonville: Habitat for Humanity is building 13 homes for low-income, first-time homebuyer families. Santa Cruz County is one of the least affordable places for housing. This means that many people leave the area, weakening the economy and community. Our affordable homeownership helps to transform communities into places where people can thrive and build families for years to come. To qualify, first-time homebuyer households must earn 50%-80% of area median income, have a need for improved housing, and provide 500 hours to help build their homes alongside our professional construction crew and generous volunteers. Families then obtain an affordable mortgage, and receive homeowner education to improve all facets of their lives and build stability and self-reliance.

HOMELESS GARDEN PROJECT

Feed 2 Birds: Our trainees are individuals experiencing homelessness who work on their farm, earn wages, build job skills in hands-on roles on our farm and retail enterprise, and overcome barriers to stability. This program donates organic healthy produce that’s grown locally to other peer organizations to provide for their clients. Thanks to donors from Santa Cruz Gives and partnerships with 15 local nonprofits, in 2024 we increased the number of shares again. We grew our program to provide free, organic produce to individuals battling food insecurity from 30 weekly boxes to 45 in 2022. In 2023 the program grew to 60 shares. Please help us grow again and visit our online retail shop featuring 40+ products year-round (and at the Downtown Pacific Avenue and Capitola Esplanade stores).

HOPES CLOSET

The Basics: While we are blessed by donations of gently worn clothing, we are short on the basics of socks, shoes and new undergarments. Every child deserves to have these basic necessities as new items when possible. We use donated funds to thriftily shop for these items, but requests have grown exponentially in the last year. We provide up to 300 bundles a month and still cannot meet the demand. Hopes Closet serves the most vulnerable children in our community of Santa Cruz County.

HOSPICE OF SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

Your Choice, Your Journey: At the heart of hospice care is a focus on improving the quality of life, not just extending it. Founded 46 years ago by visionary nurses, Hospice of Santa Cruz County offers holistic care that nurtures the medical, emotional and spiritual well-being of patients and their families. As the County’s only nonprofit hospice provider, we prioritize people over profits, ensuring patients receive high-quality care that honors their goals, values and choices. Navigating serious illness can be overwhelming, especially for those facing language challenges, fear of the medical system or cultural barriers. We are committed to accessible care, education and grief support in English and Spanish.

JACOB’S HEART

Forever Loved Grief Retreat: The loss of a child to cancer is an unimaginable reality that families face. Our Grief Retreat creates an environment for bereaved families to explore, feel and release grief, supported by a community that understands without words. In 2025, 70 family members will grieve together with our bilingual/bicultural staff onsite to build safety, security and belonging as they move toward hope and healing. We envision a community where every child with cancer or in remission from cancer has a strong, informed family empowered to participate in their care. We strive to inspire compassionate action to create a safety net of support for each child and family.

KSQD 90.7FM

Amplify Community Voices—Broadcast/Podcast Workshops: KSQD will offer workshops for community members and radio hosts to learn and improve broadcast skills such as interviewing, editing, announcing and podcasting. By skills training, KSQD will increase access to the airwaves by diverse community members such as youth, seniors, farm workers and musicians, just to name a few. We will hold workshops in libraries and other easily-accessed places. Through our frequencies at 90.7, 89.7 and 89.5FM, we serve a potential audience of 645,000+, and estimate an audience of at least 2,000 at any given time. We stream programming at KSQD.org and archive stories on our website so more people can hear them.

LIFE LAB

Wildlands to Watering Cans Summer Scholarships: Life Lab offers children joyful, nature-based experiences to grow their love of nourishing food and nature, and we have trained thousands of college students to become outdoor educators who inspire the younger children. This Summer Camp has been in high demand in Santa Cruz County for 20 years, and with your support, children from low-income families can attend. The setting on a university campus allows them to develop a sense of belonging, to build community, and to exercise their bodies and minds. Your donation to our scholarship program will give up to 70 children the opportunity to attend the Wildlands to Watering Cans Summer Camp in 2025.

LIVE LIKE COCO

1,000 Graphic Novels: We launched a bookmobile this year with your help from last year, rolling it out for free book giveaways at summer school sites, community events and farmers markets. Each year we give out about 8,000 free new books to students at 18 local public schools. The #1 Request: Graphic novels, especially Dog Man. But buying these books is expensive, even with the discounts given to a nonprofit serving largely Title 1 schools. This fund would allow us to provide a collection that kids really love!

MENTORS DRIVING CHANGE FOR BOYS, MEN AND DADS

Generation Resilience: Our project empowers youth, especially those from underserved or vulnerable communities, to take the lead in creating innovative, community-based solutions to the challenges they face. The focus is on areas such as mental health, substance abuse prevention, environmental sustainability, social justice and economic empowerment, with an emphasis on social and emotional development. Research indicates that boys are more likely than girls to experience academic failure, substance use, binge drinking, violent crime, behavioral disorders and prescription of stimulant medications. Boys are twice as likely as girls to drop out of school and four times as likely to be expelled. Your support will increase our measurable impact on individuals and families.

MONARCH SERVICES—SERVICIOS MONARCA

Children and Youth Support—Empowerment & Education: We provide support groups at high school and middle schools across Santa Cruz County for survivors and allies of youth experiencing domestic violence, family violence, sexual violence and human trafficking. Monarch offers these at limited school sites based on funding and staffing restrictions, and all schools request a safe environment during school hours for students to receive peer counseling and resources. Our groups serve as an empowerment and leadership opportunity for youth to learn about safe relationships, healthy boundaries, informed consent and more. Our team of three is at capacity. Your funds will train volunteers and interns, and hire a staff person to offer these services.

MOTION PACIFIC

Free Dance for Parkinson’s Classes: We offer free weekly classes that serve critical needs for exercise, mental health, community and meaningful exchange for those diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and their caregivers who are underserved and financially strained community members. With support from Santa Cruz Gives, we hope to grow our reach and partner with assisted living homes, in-home care providers, physical therapists and local neurologists specializing in movement disorders to ensure anyone diagnosed with PD can participate in these life-changing classes, clinically proven to support the health of people with PD. Please join us.

PAJARO VALLEY ARTS

Build a thriving arts hub for Watsonville!: PVA is transforming a 40-year-old arts organization into a vibrant new landmark destination in downtown Watsonville by building community through inspiring exhibitions, uplifting underserved youth, celebrating culture and changing lives. We’ve outgrown our tiny 1,200-square-foot home! Your funds will help remodel the historic 12,000-square-foot Porter Building on Main Street (we were able to purchase it!) to expand our programs, scale our free exhibitions and live performances, provide a professional space for artists to create and sell their work, and improve access to the arts for all.

PAJARO VALLEY LOAVES & FISHES

Groceries for Folks Without Access to a Kitchen: Our BIG IDEA is to create grocery bags for families and individuals experiencing homelessness in South County. These will include high-protein foods, water, and non-perishable, easy-to-open items. Santa Cruz County’s 2024 Point-in-Time (PIT) study highlights a significant shift of homelessness to Watsonville, particularly among older and disabled adults. The reasons individuals face food insecurity are complex, and asking for resources can carry shame. We serve our guests with dignity and compassion. This year we served 11,376 individuals, including 4,645 children, through our pantry program, and 27,875 lunches.

PAJARO VALLEY PREVENTION AND STUDENT ASSISTANCE

Embrace the Change: This Youth-Led Conference is presented by the Empower Watsonville Youth Leadership program, founded by passionate youth leaders who support each other and the greater Pajaro Valley. Each year we host this conference, created by and for youth, with a goal of creating systems of change, amplifying youth voices and collaborating with partner youth-serving agencies. We hope to engage 350 youth with an opportunity to attend multiple workshops. Funding will support coordination, planning and implementation of one conference in 2025.

PAJARO VALLEY SHELTER SERVICES

Sustaining Emotional Stability Program: Many parents face emotional instability. The stress of securing basic needs like shelter, food, safety and stability can push mental health concerns to the background. Through our family-strengthening workshops they are able to address emotional issues and build resiliency. An in-house counselor is a beacon of guidance for parents as they confront and resolve issues that may have been long buried. We have seen a 51% increase in the number of adults participating. Please help us build a brighter future for local parents and children.

PLANNED PARENTHOOD MAR MONTE

In This Together: Amid abortion bans and anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric, PPMM provides safe, accessible and judgment-free care to local patients and those who travel here from areas hostile to their care. Beyond reproductive health, PPMM is a trusted provider of evidence-based comprehensive sex education, youth development programs, community outreach, and capacity-building programs for schools and youth-serving organizations. Thanks to the support we receive through Santa Cruz Gives from people like you, PPMM can continue to provide lifesaving services at our Westside and Watsonville health centers.

POSITIVE DISCIPLINE

Less Stress More Joy—Tri-lingual Support: Parenting is hard! It is humbling and can feel isolating at times. We receive more requests for parenting support than we can fill. Your gift helps us create greater access to our whole-child, whole-family relationship-based approach for 1,000+ families across our diverse county. Our program is evidence-based, trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and developmentally appropriate, providing 120+ programs year-round in English, Spanish and Mixteco (Indigenous language to Oaxaca). Our programs use coaching, workshops, classes, playgroups and parent/youth learning groups.

QUEER YOUTH TASK FORCE

Trans Teen Project: We would like to support trans, nonbinary and gender-expansive youth in Santa Cruz County with a website resource that educates and raises awareness among parents and the community about trans issues, and facilitates conversations and understandings. Trans teens will control their narratives and share stories and experiences that are important to them. Our goals are to promote existing resources available for the trans community, make short documentary films, implement teens-led small projects, promote an activity titled “Unbox Me,” and host radio shows. Please help us raise funds to keep the site updated and support trans teens.

REGENERACIÓN—PAJARO VALLEY CLIMATE ACTION

Pathways to Leadership for Young Climate Justice Champions: Young people will live longer with the effects of climate impacts and their leadership is needed now! Here and worldwide, people who’ve done the least to cause the problem suffer most from its effects. Regeneración leads Santa Cruz County in climate action focused on social justice. In 2025 we will mentor 10 or more students and amplify their voices, actions and leadership through photo storytelling, social media, tabling and other community engagement activities. We’ll present to a minimum of six high school classes and clubs. Every year we will employ one or more high school students through paid internships.

REGGIE STEPHENS FOUNDATION

RSF—New Education Programs: We’ve helped student-athletes secure scholarships, earn walk-on opportunities, and develop the confidence needed to excel in their pursuits. Beyond athletics, our foundation is committed to seeing student-athletes through to college graduation. Since starting with 60 kids in 2018, we’ve grown to serve 300+ kids across our programs. We’ve provided over five scholarships per year and offered free speed and agility training for every high school student athlete in Santa Cruz County. Funding will support youth scholarships to 10 kids and families in need, a visit to Morgan State University for five youth, and the first-ever RSF Girls Flag Football All-Star Game.

SAN LORENZO VALLEY MUSEUM

Teaching Industrialization: Sharing the region’s cultural history increases a sense of belonging, which leads to stronger civic engagement. We plan to implement a grade 4 in-person program with in-classroom resources and on-site programming tied to California core curricula with a focus on early San Lorenzo Valley industries of lumber, leather, lime, blasting powder and mining at our Felton museum. Accomplished by expanding our volunteer base, offering paid internships, fabricating interpretive panels, and developing and distributing “marketing” materials to schools, parents, clubs and partner institutions such as libraries.

SANTA CRUZ CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF DISCOVERY

Be Part of Our Epic Exhibit—The Enchanted Forest Adventure: You are invited to be part of a truly magical journey by supporting the creation of The Enchanted Forest Adventure. This exhibit will be a captivating space where children can let their imaginations soar as they explore a mystical forest filled with wonder and adventure that fosters creativity, curiosity, and a love for storytelling. Your generous contribution will help us build a hobbit hole, a climbable stump, and interactive elements that engage young minds in imaginative play and learning. We provide play-based science, engineering and arts education to around 50,000 locals per year.

SANTA CRUZ SHAKESPEARE

Transportation Fund for Students: This year, we will expand the Transportation Fund to not only help schools rent buses to bring students to our theater for professional performances, but to reach more students by bringing professional theater performances to dozens of schools and other venues throughout Santa Cruz County. Our goal is to ensure that every single high school student in Santa Cruz County has seen a live, professional production of a play by Shakespeare or another playwright. We offer school matinee performances of ALL productions. Please help us expand opportunities to more students.

SANTA CRUZ SPCA AND HUMANE SOCIETY

More Than Shelter: Going the extra mile is our specialty! No animal will ever be euthanized due to extended stays or overcrowding. That said, we have a finite amount of space. We must ask our community to open their homes to homeless pets so that we can increase lives saved and provide “More Than Shelter.” By covering the cost of care for animals in foster homes, we can expand our program, from specialized medical treatments to behavioral training. Your compassionate support will help 550 homeless animals find families; care for 200+ animals in foster homes; give 82,000 pounds of pet food; teach 2,500 children about humane animal care; and host 27,000 volunteer hours.

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER FOUNDATION

Planned Pethood: Puppies and kittens are adorable, but unplanned litters result in animals living miserably as strays, very real strain on owners and shelters, and higher euthanasia rates. After a break in services during and after the pandemic, the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter now seeks to reboot the Planned Pethood program! With your help, we will expand this program by subsidizing even more high-quality spay/neuter surgeries for companion pets. Our work doesn’t start or end at the shelter’s doors: It is community-based, carried out by field officers, shelter staff, volunteers, business partners and the grateful communities we serve. SCCASF provides critical services for our community’s most helpless animals.

SANTA CRUZ WELCOMING NETWORK

Affordable Housing for Asylum Seekers and Refugees: We support legal asylum seekers and refugees who are trying to secure legal status through the court system. Refugees and asylum seekers from around the world arrive in Santa Cruz County each month. They have been forced to flee their homes because of war, violence and oppression. The two greatest needs are legal representation and housing. Many we help do not receive work permits for up to a year. Sometimes they end up in homeless shelters or sleep in cars. Until they receive work permits and secure employment, transitional rent support is needed. Asylum seekers face deportation if they do not win their cases in immigration court, so we work to make legal representation accessible. We are an all-volunteer group, 104 strong.

SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK

Help our community and its partners to thrive!: Did you know there has been a 15% increase in demand on our food bank since the pandemic and atmospheric floods? Your support can help us to provide food to over 73,000 community members at distribution sites through our partner agencies. Every dollar you donate creates three healthy meals for our community providers to serve and will fill pantries with fresh produce, proteins and shelf-stable supplies for families, seniors and the unhoused. More than 3,200 volunteers help power Second Harvest Food Bank.

SENDEROS

¡Artes Culturales! Cultural Arts Pathways for Latino Youth: Senderos will provide FREE after-school Mexican folkloric dance and traditional music instruction for Latino youth, most of whom are low-income. Senderos youth proudly showcase their talent in over 18 community and school festivals annually with 8,000 in attendance, and are encouraged to achieve their dreams for college and career. Senderos provides musical instruments and traditional dance outfits for practice and performance. Senderos programs connect young people to their family heritage, enhance self-esteem and push for academic success.

SHARED ADVENTURES

Family Connectiveness: Shared Adventures provides 100+ activities for over 1,000 individuals with disabilities each year. Some of our most successful activities are those that include family: parents, children, siblings and partners. Our initiative this year is to make more activities family oriented and encourage families to participate. This will enrich the activities for all participants and bring about family bonding through shared experiences. Our work helps disabled individuals and their families achieve stable, healthy conditions and integrate in jobs and schools, leading to less institutionalization, crime and drug use, and family fragmentation. We hope to include 300 family members along with the disabled persons.

SAVE OUR SHORES

The Shores of Tomorrow: Over the past year and a half, we extended our education programs into communities where there is little or no funding for marine science and experiential learning opportunities. As a state grant ends for our Junior Sanctuary Stewards program, we are looking for additional resources to keep it afloat. This after-school education program was implemented for 215 underserved middle school students and their families this fall. In 15 weeks, Save Our Shores built meaningful one-on-one mentoring relationships, collaborated with 18 Santa Cruz County schools, reached 1,429 youth, and completed 41 marine conservation education programs.

TWDCC

SCOPEDance Scholarship: The program provides need-based scholarships to low-income and underrepresented youth in Santa Cruz County, enabling access to quality dance education. Serving up to 20% of our students, this donation-supported initiative fosters discipline, confidence, and personal growth. By making dance accessible, we build a more inclusive community, empower young people, demonstrate dance’s transformative power and nurture talent. Last season, we supported 41 students totaling $52,430 and increased our scholarship program to include classes and costumes, Youth Company fees, etc. For this season, through August 2025, we already have 21 new scholarship applicants in addition to our current roster. Join us to include more students.

TEEN KITCHEN PROJECT

Refrigerated Van for Meal Delivery: Approximately 150 teen chefs from all areas of Santa Cruz County learn to prepare, cook and package meals for delivery. In 2024-25, TKP plans to provide 125,000 meals to 1,200 individuals who face life-threatening illnesses. We are seeking $25,000 to purchase a refrigerated van, which will allow us to expand our medically tailored meal delivery to an additional 100 clients per week. Your support will help ensure that more members of our community receive the nutritious, ready-to-heat meals they need to maintain their health and well-being during serious health challenges.

THE BIKE CHURCH

Education and Volunteer Program: Education and community are what makes our shop unique. Your support will allow us to expand our education program by offering sliding-scale beginner-to-advanced level workshops. Building our volunteer program will serve as a training ground for people to develop employable skills in the bike industry, create a greater sense of community ownership of the shop, and provide an avenue for experienced community members to give back. We hope to add 12 monthly bike mechanics workshops, six advanced workshops and 12 monthly volunteer events.

THE EQUINE HEALING COLLABORATIVE

Therapy for Underserved Populations: We use Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy with rescued horses and donkeys and specifically trained licensed or licensed-eligible psychotherapists and clinical social workers. All equines are rescued or surrendered, and clients’ recovery is directly associated with the recovery of our equine partners. We hope to raise funds to cover 200 therapy sessions. Our curriculum includes Mindfulness, Metaphor Analysis, Motivational Interviewing, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. We also provide prevention programs with our miniature horses at schools and libraries, and visit assisted living facilities to provide joy and comfort to residents.

THEATRE 831—COLLIGAN THEATER

Heart of the Arts at the Colligan: As the new stewards of the Colligan Theater, the nonprofit Theatre 831 is committed to upholding its legacy while charting a course for continued growth and vitality. Through innovative programming, community engagement initiatives and strategic planning, we aim to establish the Colligan Theater as a beacon of artistic excellence and a catalyst for economic development at the Tannery Arts Center and beyond. We are confident that our experience, expertise and unwavering dedication to the arts make us the ideal partner to manage this theater.

UNCHAINED

Say “Yes” More!: We provide youth with the opportunity for personal growth while training homeless dogs in need of adoption. We need your help to say “Yes” to the growing number of community partners seeking our Canines Teaching Compassion program. Limited resources and the need for properly trained staff means that we frequently wait-list requests. We hope to expand our positive impact by hiring passionate coaches and trainers that provide comprehensive training. Your support empowers at-promise youth, rehabilitates rescue dogs, and strengthens communities.

VENTURES

Semillitas (Seeds): Semillitas opens a college savings account (CSA) for every baby born in Santa Cruz County and automatically makes their first deposit. Studies show that kids with CSAs are three times more likely to go to college and four times more likely to graduate than kids without one—even with an account balance of only $1. And these accounts have a greater impact on children from working-class households. Our Santa Cruz Gives project is to deposit $50 in the CSA of every baby born into a working-class household: approximately 1,000 babies per year.

VETERANS SURF ALLIANCE

Wave Warriors Surfing for Life: Many of our veterans live by the credo “Surfing Saves Lives.” We also serve the community with beach cleanups and storm cleanups, and assist other organizations and those with various needs, individually or as a group. There is a ripple effect as we become better spouses, parents, friends, colleagues and neighbors. Some lack surfboards, preventing them from accessing this life-affirming activity. With your support, we will establish a fund to reduce the barriers to surfboard ownership. With 140+ formal and informal events annually, we connect veterans to community organization, promote health and wellness, and abide by a Code of Conduct that articulates our expectations.

VETS 4 VETS SANTA CRUZ

Ending Social Isolation for Veterans: We connect veterans with each other and the broader community through community-focused events like veteran art showcases, bowling tournaments, chili cook-offs, and monthly meetings. We raise awareness of veteran mental health challenges and suicide rates, addressing isolation through social engagement and active participation. Your support helps Vets 4 Vets offer critical support and meaningful community-building events for all veterans and their families in Santa Cruz County.

VILLAGE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

Co-generational Connection: Across the age spectrum, people are affected by social isolation and loneliness. And while the highest rates of social isolation are found among older adults, studies show that young adults are almost twice as likely to report feeling lonely as those over 65. Our goal is to form lasting bonds between seniors and young adults, with half of our members engaging in at least one activity involving young adults during the year. We are planning for one event a month. We estimate 200 to 300 attendees in the first year. Your support will help with venue rental, equipment, speaker/facilitator fees and such needs.

WALNUT AVENUE FAMILY & WOMEN’S CENTER

A New Normal: This project focuses on our Early Education Center (daycare/preschool), and family needs. EEC is one of few subsidized childcare centers in Santa Cruz. For 50 years now, our team has worked with local families who receive childcare for little or no cost, as we aim to provide them with community resources and specialized care. We are thrilled that this program is a success; however, these families still struggle with limited school supplies, car seats, back to school clothes/shoes and more. Our hope is to inspire consistency, confidence and care, and to help reduce stress, fear and inequity.

WATSONVILLE WETLANDS WATCH

Student-led School Greening: We will engage paid youth interns and student leaders in the Pajaro Valley to create living schoolyards by planting and providing ongoing care for shade trees, fruit trees, native plants and pollinator gardens on school campuses that support student and environmental health and offer hands-on learning opportunities. Trees reduce surface temperatures on high heat days and sequester atmospheric carbon, cleaning air and filtering groundwater before it flows to the Pajaro River. Just 9% of Watsonville is covered by tree canopy. Our goal is 30% coverage to achieve parity with similar communities in the region.

Ghost Story

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Ghost Story

Mark Twain declared that A Christmas Carol had no heart, to which Charles Pasternak, Santa Cruz Shakespeare’s artistic director, says, “Bah, Humbug!” Pasternak has adapted Charles Dickens’ beloved novella and will direct the production that opens next week.

A Christmas Carol was an instant hit the minute it was published in 1843. Perennially in debt, however, Dickens found himself without much to show for its success. After a year in Italy the workaholic writer returned to London and went on tour giving public readings of the tale, which expanded his celebrity and ultimately made him the fortune he needed to keep a wife, mistress and ten children in style.

Pasternak explains his approach to the adaptation, explaining that the key was to trust Dickens. “With the exception of a word here or there, the entire adaptation is taken straight from Dickens and arranged dramatically. I’ve stolen the idea of narrative voices from Dylan Thomas’ Under Milkwood to create a framework of narrators that are exciting and dramatically within the action, not just standing aside commenting on it,” Pasternak says. “This story has been adapted hundreds of times—I don’t believe I’ve done anything new, but I’m proud of the exciting pattern we’ve found of telling a dynamic story with only five actors (and two kids!).”

Former Santa Cruz Shakespeare Artistic Director Mike Ryan plays Scrooge, with young actors Lincoln Best and Joseph Pratt Lukefahr alternating the role of Tiny Tim. Julie James, Charlotte Munson, Robert Zelaya and Andrea Sweeney Blanco round out the small cast.

As the main character, Ryan says, “the actor gets to play one of the greatest character arcs ever written. What thrills us about the story is the total transformation that occurs from the start of the play, when Scrooge is such a ‘covetous old sinner,’ to the end when he is ‘as good a man as the good old city knew.’ The greater these opposites, the more joy there is in the journey.”

Ryan says he finds beauty and joy in playing Scrooge by “watching the light reach the dark places, and in seeing his vulnerability. I may not be the wickedest old coot of an actor that ever graced the stage, but I like to believe that one of my strengths as an actor is my ability to express vulnerability on stage, to find light and humor where there is often little to be found, and in expressing joy.”

An actor and producer of Jewel Theater fame, Julie James plays many parts.

“It is a lot of fun to do multiple roles,” James says. “But it is definitely challenging too, because you want them all to be distinctly different from each other, so you go about finding the particular vocal and physical aspects of each character that helps contrast them compared to the other characters. But you also want what you are doing to feel organic to the character and be believable to the audience. So there is a balance needed to not go too broad just for contrast’s sake.”

In addition to playing Fezziwig, the Ghost of Christmas Present and Mrs. Dilber, James also plays Jacob Marley—“a narrator type character, which is great fun.” How does she juggle in all? “I do have different costumes for each,” James explains, “but that means when I’m not on stage acting, I’m off stage changing my costume, usually very very quickly. Most of us in the play have several quick changes. So no time to think about what’s next—just jumping from one thing to the next and hope I don’t skip anything!”

A Christmas Carol runs Nov. 23–Dec. 24 at the Veterans Memorial Hall, 846 Front St., Santa Cruz. For tickets, visit santacruzshakespeare.org.

Twisted Roots

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Twisted Roots

Emerging from the Appalachian mist for three moonlit performances, In Some Dark Valley: The Testimony of Reverend Brand is coming to the Santa Cruz Actors’ Theatre this month with a haunting solo performance by Robert Bailey.

Most recently performed at the Hollywood Fringe Festival in Los Angeles, where it was awarded “Best of the Fringe,” the play, directed by Billy Siegenfeld, explores the life of a religious fanatic in the aftermath of the American Civil War as he discovers within himself “the key to softness.”

Inspired by 1940s recordings of Southerners from all walks of life, singing traditional songs, Bailey wanted to explore the roots of the real people who have lived and died in the South.

“I was fascinated by field recordings of white and black Southerners, of regular people singing songs that had been passed down, ballads, hymns, stories of hard lives. It sort of resonated with me. I grew up in Virginia so I am from the South, and I wanted to put this music into a theater piece, and somehow during Covid when I was by myself I realized I could make a solo piece,” Bailey says.

During the pandemic, while he was adapting Henrik Ibsen’s verse tragedy Brand into Some Dark Valley, Bailey kept finding himself exploring how this country’s deep roots have been twisted to a point where we cannot understand each other.

“What I kept coming back to was that we were going through this period in our country that I didn’t understand. I didn’t know how we got here, how we got to people not even born in the South marching the Confederate flag through the Capitol—I have a lot of respect for this class of people in the area of the country I grew up in who come from very hard backgrounds and realities and rely on each other and religion to get by. It’s been a part of the American story since the beginning. People shipped over from England and expected to do the work, and if they lived they lived. If they died they died.”

Bailey explains that the character of Brand, a moral hero and a monster at the same time, “comes from that place—it makes me upset that these very deep roots are twisted in the fabric of our society that we can’t understand what’s going on.”

Siegenfeld and Bailey, who went to Brown University together, are a true actor/director dynamic duo. Siegenfeld’s work involves building performances out of primal human behavior, and Bailey’s training with legendary Polish director Jerzy Grotowski, who empowered actors to explore their relationship with the space itself, makes for a team that brings not only Reverend Brand to life but also each character he embodies throughout the play.

“We’re seeing a person who has a twisted mentality about religion, which we’ve seen a lot throughout history, where they believe they are right. He is a fanatic, and as a fanatic, he uses that belief, that dogma, to not treat people well. Throughout the play he meets people who are not like him … people with good hearts, softness and compassion, including his wife, including an older black woman. His journey thrashing around like number 47 [the 47th president] is suspenseful. Is Reverend Brand going to stop being an asshole fanatic? We don’t know,” Siegenfeld says.

Performances are Nov. 22–23 at 8pm and Nov. 24 at 2pm at Center Stage, 1001 Center St., Santa Cruz. The Nov. 23 show is a benefit for the Hurricane Helene relief fund. santacruzactorstheatre.org

Things to do in Santa Cruz

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Things to do in Santa Cruz

THURSDAY 11/21

INDIE

TREVOR HALL

Raised in coastal South Carolina, Trevor Hall recorded his first album, 2004’s Lace Up Your Shoes when he was only 16. Soon after, he signed with Geffen Records, where he recorded an EP and an album which went unreleased. Eventually, the singer-songwriter landed at the folk label Vanguard Records, and in recent years, Hall has returned to the world of independent releases. Hall’s work expresses the spirituality, philosophies and musical textures of the Far East. His most recent album is a live set, 2024’s Trevor Hall and The Great In-Between (Live From The Barn). BILL KOPP

INFO: 8pm, Felton Music Hall, 6275 Highway 9, Felton. $69. 704-7113

FRIDAY 11/22

ROCK

HUSBANDS

The Oklahoma City foursome known as Husbands mix indie, garage, surf, power pop and rock into a gripping, atmospheric, guitar-driven stew and are slowly but steadily building a devoted following with their attention-demanding appearances on both the mainstage and side stage at several music fests, like Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits. Their current trek has them reaching the West Coast for a show with known chaos-bringer Worn-Tin, who’s slated to warm the crowd up. KEITH LOWELL JENSEN

 INFO: 9pm, Catalyst, 1101 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $25. 713-5492.

THEATER

IN SOME DARK VALLEY

After debuting in Los Angeles earlier this summer, In Some Dark Valley: The Testimony of Reverend Brand now takes Center Stage, presented by Jump Rhythm and Actors’ Theatre. Set against a harrowing backdrop of war and poverty, post-Civil War preacher Reverend Brand is a religious pioneering man working through the consequences of unrelenting will. The story, written and performed by Robert Bailey and directed by Billy Siegenfeld, takes place in the Appalachian Mountains on an evening lit only by moonlight and soundtracked with traditional Southern music. Bailey’s performance was awarded a “Best of the Fringe” rating at the Hollywood Fringe Festival. MELISA YURIAR

INFO: 8pm, Center Stage Theatre, 1001 Center St., Santa Cruz. $35. 431-8666.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

Be our guest! Enjoy the fantastical musical Beauty and the Beast, with its drama, love and action. The plot, based on the animated Academy Award-winning movie, follows young Belle as she handles being a little different from the folks of her town and navigates imprisonment in an enchanted castle. True love is in the air, but will the Beast that inhabits the castle and Belle realize it before it is too late? Filled with all the songs from the original movie written by Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman and new songs written by Menken and Tim Rice, the audience will be enchanted by the thrilling tale. ISABELLA MARIE SANGALINE

INFO: 7pm, Civic Auditorium, 307 Church St., Santa Cruz. $20/adv, $25/door. 298-0001.

SATURDAY 11/23

THEATER

A CHRISTMAS CAROL

Countless stagings, revivals and variations on A Christmas Carol have become staples of the holiday season. Whichever way the tale is told—in its original prose, in film and television or on the stage—the novella’s message of selfishness and redemption resonates with successive generations. Santa Cruz Shakespeare’s faithful reading is an adaptation by Artistic Director Charles Pasternak. After preshows on Nov. 23, 24 and 27, A Christmas Carol’s regular season runs Nov. 30 through Dec. 24. BK

INFO: 2pm, Vets Hall, 846 Front St., Santa Cruz. $5-$50. 454-0478.

HIP HOP

BROTHER ALI

Growing up in Minneapolis, the reaction of White classmates to his albinism (a lack of melanin in his skin) had the effect of making Brother Ali feel more welcomed and embraced by the Black kids. He started beatboxing at age seven and rapping at eight. Following the conscious, thoughtful example of rappers like Rakim, KRS-One and Public Enemy’s Chuck D, Ali has developed an upbeat but defiant musical style that reflects his unique situation as a White, Muslim, albino rapper. Currently touring with DJ Ant, special guest Dee-1 joins them at the Catalyst. KLJ

INFO: 8pm, Catalyst, 1101 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz, $32. 713-5492.

SUNDAY 11/24

SKA

THE BAR STOOL PREACHERS

The Bar Stool Preachers set out to record some songs in 2021. That two-and-a-half-week session ended up being their third full-length, Above the Static. The result is a 12-track collection of “21st-century storytelling”—evolved punk and ska songs of love, hope and fury. If the British ska-influenced seven aren’t enough, they’ll be joined by Orange County (home of Third Wave ska) musicians Bite Me Bambi, who have been making and releasing waves of skankin’ singles over the last several years. MAT WEIR

INFO: 8pm, Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $20/adv, $25/door. 479-1854.

SATIRE

TOM LEHRER TRIBUTE

Famed author Toni Morrison once said, “This is precisely the time when artists go to work—not when everything is fine, but in times of dread. That’s our job!” Right now, the world needs more art—and humor—than ever, and Santa Cruz musicians are showing up. This Sunday, celebrate the social commentary of famed satirical musician Tom Lehrer in a tribute concert directly benefiting music programs in local schools. Singing their favorite covers, local musicians like Christa Taylor, Ralph Anybody, Dylan Music and Mike Parks will season the songs with their own blend of creative spices. Take a break from the dread, share some laughs and invest in the community because we need each other now more than ever. MW

INFO: 7pm, Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 320 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. $29. 427-2227.

MONDAY 11/25

JAZZ

JIMMIE HERROD

Jimmie Herrod’s voice is inimitable, and his style is singular. The acclaimed genre-bending vocalist first came into the national spotlight as a finalist on America’s Got Talent. Since then, he’s performed with the National Symphony Orchestra and several others. The joyous, talented singer-songwriter just sold out Carnegie Hall and has made his way to the humble Kuumbwa; any jazz, cabaret and musical theater-obsessed person will surely enjoy it. MY

INFO: 7pm, Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 320 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. $35/adv, $37/door. 427-2227.

Holy Mole

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Holy Mole

Two feel good—and taste good—stories are finding synergy in Watsonville.

My Mom’s Mole, the flavorful food truck startup from Cesario Ruiz, who is also kitchen incubator program manager at El Pajaro CDC, which is currently cultivating dozens of startup food businesses, now sets up shop at nonprofit craft beer destination Watsonville Public House (625 Main St., Watsonville).

From 4–8pm Thursdays, Fridays, Mondays, 2–8pm Saturdays and 2–6pm Sundays, Ruiz et al. dish their signature mole dishes plus rotating seasonal items starring fresh Pajaro Valley produce, much of it sourced within a mile of MMM’s commercial kitchen.

WPH owner-operator Robbie Olson voices the excitement. “We’ve always admired My Mom’s Mole for not only its exceptional food but its commitment to providing healthy, culturally rich options that reflect the diversity of our community,” he says. “At WPH, we’re creating a welcoming space where people can gather, enjoy great food and drinks, and feel part of something bigger—together with [My Mom’s Mole], we’re building a place where community is at the center.” mymomsmole.com, watsonville.pub

HUMMUS HO

Basel’s Falafel has upgraded the offerings at Dale’s Liquor (2139 Freedom Blvd., Watsonville). Chef William Hamshao brings Damascus heritage to bear on breakfast, lunch, or dinner by way of falafel wraps, tacos, burgers and burritos arriving at reasonable price points ($8.99 up). “It’s very good,” Hamshao told me matter-of-factly when I called to see how opening week unfolded. “The special is shawarma.” Namesake owner Basel Joseph Masoud elaborates: “We wanted to offer something unique and special to the residents and businesses in the area. We invite the local community to enjoy meals that are not only rich in taste but also in tradition and culture.” baselsfalafel.com

SPILLING INC.

Monterey Bay’s own Eric Schlosser, award-winning investigative journalist and author, hosts a screening of Food Inc. 2, which he co-wrote and produced, in support of Homeless Garden Project this Saturday, Nov. 23. In addition to the sequel to the 2008 Oscar-nominated documentary Food, Inc., Dani O Bakeshop does bites and HGP presents a holiday shopping installation featuring a range of items crafted by participants in its transitional employment/organic farming program. The venue is 418 Project (155 River St. South, Santa Cruz) and tickets run $13 at HGP’s downtown shop (1338 Pacific St.). Alice Waters ranks among many endorsing the film, saying, “Food, Inc. forever changed the way people think about what they eat. Fifteen years later, Food Inc. 2 is just as urgent and essential.” homelessgardenproject.org

CURRENT KERNELS 

Laughing Monk Brewing (262 Mount Hermon Road, Unit 103, Scotts Valley) now has a Santa Cruz Warriors “Sea Dubs” branded American IPA, laughingmonkshop.com…Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association (ALBA) has announced the development of the Farmworker Opportunity Center, a pioneering project designed to equip the area’s Latino farmworkers with the tools and knowledge they need to succeed as independent organic farmers, albafarmers.org…You gotta hand it to Chaminade Resort (1 Chaminade Lane, Santa Cruz) for conjuring additional incentives to visit the 300-acre grounds and lofty restaurant, like the Thanksgiving brunch/early dinner and Christmas Day Buffet, and Breakfast with Santa: 9–11am Dec. 7, $25 for a loaded buffet and a jolly ol’ cameo, chaminade.com.

Sweet Emotion

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Sweet Emotion

By Andrew Steingrube

Working in the Bay Area five years ago as both a pastry and savory chef, Crescenzo Pelliccia says he had several ideas to which his bosses didn’t listen. Being laid off when the pandemic hit became the inspiration he needed to go into business for himself and execute his own vision, opening Emozioni Pasticceria& Rosticceria four years ago.

Born in Naples, Italy, and having lived in Rome, Tuscany and Switzerland, he grew up in the restaurant industry and went to culinary school. He eventually settled in Santa Cruz, a place he says, “Even coming from the other side of the Earth, feels like home.” Primarily featuring southern Italian pastries, Emozioni’s downtown Soquel location offers counter-service with available on-site dining amidst a simple and clean white-walled ambiance, accented by plants and paintings, intentionally “an Italian café in America.”

The menu is headlined by cake favorites like the Pistachio Tiramisu, Baba Rum, and the Burnt Almond, a custard layered sponge cake with Amaretto cookie crumble and Italian torched meringue reminiscent of marshmallow. And there’s the savory Pizza Parigina, a literal pizza pie with Italian ham, provolone cheese and light tomato puff pastry top.

Delve into your passion for pastry?

CRESCENZO PELLICCIA: I consider myself a food chemist, I really like to balance out the nutritional qualities of food and I love being able to use all different kinds of flours and sugars. I really channel my artistic perspective that I’ve had since childhood and really express myself through my food. And pastry has a lot of rules, but also not, and you can do so many different things. The only limit really is my own creativity.

What does the future hold for Emozioni?

CP: People have been really enjoying our concept and food, so we want to offer more. We hope to expand our menu, especially our lunchtime savory items and we are working on getting our beer/wine license to pair with our great food. We are also renovating our enclosed courtyard patio to make it more beautiful and winter-friendly. It is so peaceful out there, it’s very private and gets sun all day and we continue to improve its ambiance.

2841 Porter St., Suite B, Soquel, 831-334-6820.

Taxing Times

With federal legalization now (perhaps) a far-off pipe dream as Republicans descend into the White House and Congress to assume full control of the government, one of the chief hopes for California’s badly ailing pot industry has (perhaps) been dashed. While it wouldn’t solve every problem, by a long shot, federal legalization would at least open up new markets for...
Read more

Free Will Astrology

Astrology, Horoscope, Stars, Zodiac Signs
ARIES March 21-April 19 Renowned composer Mozart had a sister nicknamed Nannerl. During their childhoods, she was as much a musical prodigy as he. They toured Europe doing performances together, playing harpsichord and piano. Some critics regarded her as the superior talent. But her parents ultimately decided it was unseemly for her, as a female, to continue her development as...
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Promoting Responsible Gambling: Innovative Approaches for Positive Outcomes

promoting responsible gambling
Published in cooperation between 99bitcoins and Good Times The risks associated with gambling are quite numerous, from addictions to financial issues, mental health issues, relationship strain, social isolation, legal consequences, general health risks and so on. They are taking a toll on individuals and society at large.  Since the advent of online gambling, everyone has access to casinos and betting sites,...
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New Rail Trail Details

View of the proposed train stations
An elevated track, 20 stations and a bridge over Highway 1 are some new details of the rail trail.
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You Can Help

Local nonprofits work incredibly hard to improve the quality of life in Santa Cruz County, from cleaning our beaches and monitoring our drinking water quality to mentoring our children and providing informative local news. Now it’s our turn: Visit SantaCruzGives.org to learn about and donate to one or more of this year’s 63 participating organizations whose programs benefit our...
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Ghost Story

Mark Twain declared that A Christmas Carol had no heart, to which Charles Pasternak, Santa Cruz Shakespeare’s artistic director, says, “Bah, Humbug!”
Read more

Twisted Roots

"In Some Dark Valley" explores the life of a religious fanatic in the aftermath of the American Civil War
Read more

Things to do in Santa Cruz

The joyous, talented singer-songwriter Jimmie Herrod just sold out Carnegie Hall and now comes to the humble Kuumbwa, Monday at 7pm.
Read more

Holy Mole

"We’ve always admired My Mom’s Mole for not only its exceptional food but its commitment to providing healthy, culturally rich options"
Read more

Sweet Emotion

The menu is headlined by cake favorites like the Pistachio Tiramisu, Baba Rum, and the Burnt Almond, a custard layered sponge cake with Amaretto cookie crumble
Read more
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