Page 458 | Good Times

Red Tape and ‘Shadow Debt’ are Pushing Renters to the Edge

GT Staff

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July 27, 2021

Red Tape and ‘Shadow Debt’ are Pushing Renters to the Edge

By Aiyana Moya

Elizabeth has been waiting for her Covid-19 rent relief application to be processed since she applied at the beginning of May.

“At this point, we are prioritizing rent over other things. Since May, I have been paying rent in full, and so in May, June and July we had to ask our family members to borrow money,” says Elizabeth, who requested GT withhold her last name.

A month after she sent in her application, she received a letter saying she was missing necessary documents, and that her application was on hold. For the past two weeks, Elizabeth has been trying to contact someone working at Housing is Key, the state program that processes rent relief applications, or Community Bridges, a local nonprofit that is helping tenants fill out the forms.

Now, Elizabeth, 34, is in limbo, unsure if she qualifies for assistance. “It’s a very scary place to be,” she says.

Over a year after losing their jobs to pandemic-related causes, Elizabeth remains unemployed, and her husband, a landscaper, is only able to get work once a week. Elizabeth says she knows that her family, theoretically, qualifies for the Covid-19 rent relief: they are below 80% of the Area Median Income and experienced financial hardships due to the pandemic.

But Elizabeth says she can’t afford to rely on theoretical assistance. With a family of five, including a 1 year-old, her primary concern is staying housed—even if it means cutting back on other essentials to pay rent.

“I have cut back on food, my internet, PG&E,” she says.

Elizabeth first heard about the Covid-19 rent relief program at a local food bank. It was there that she met a leader from Communities Organized for relational Power in Action (COPA), a faith-based nonprofit addressing issues like affordable housing. The COPA leader told her about the eviction moratorium and Senate Bill 91—now updated as Assembly Bill 832.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 832 on June 28, along with an executive order that extended California’s eviction moratorium through Sept. 31. SB 91 was originally enacted in January 2021 with the goal of distributing funds to California renters experiencing pandemic-induced financial loss.

The updated bill attempts to correct the gaps that excluded certain renters from the first round of applications. For instance, the new bill allows tenants with informal leases to qualify, requires either the tenant or the landlord to apply (the former bill required both parties to apply) and distributes $250,000 to Community Bridges to help facilitate in-person assistance and outreach —a critical component given the application must be submitted online.

COPA advocated for these changes and more, like 100% of back-rent forgiveness, up to three months of future rent, assistance with utility arrears and tenant records during the pandemic to be “masked,” or hidden, which are now included in the updated bill.

“Of course there’s still some obstacles, but I think what we have now is much better than what we saw initially,” says COPA organizer Mayra Bernabe.

But even though some obstacles were removed, their impact lingers, Bernabe says. “I know some of our families have mistrust for our government programs, because of the way they’ve been rolled out before,” she says.

A Rocky Roll Out

One barrier that continues to discourage applicants is its limited non-digital accessibility.

Santa Cruz currently has a C- grade on its California Broadband Infrastructure Report Card, leaving almost 16,000 households without access to adequate internet—primarily, low-income and minority households.

Minority households are also the most in need of rental assistance: in Santa Cruz County, the Latinx population accounted for over half of the Covid-19 cases, and statewide the Latinx population accounts for 40% of Covid-19 rent relief applicants.

“When clients hear about this, they go out and they try to find it, and then they get burned out, and so people get frustrated,” says Community Bridges CEO Raymon Cancino.

Even with recent local efforts to bridge the digital divide, and AB 832’s increased assistance for those with less access to digital resources, Elizabeth thinks that having an online application remains the biggest deterrent for people applying to the new bill.

“The hardest part of the application was the online system,” she says. “I know a lot of people who know about this program. But they couldn’t apply [to SB 91], because they weren’t able to do it online.”

This obstacle was taken into account when awarding funding to local organizations, says Housing and Community Development Specialist Jessica Hayes, who helped draft AB 832.

“Now applicants can also just call the list of partners, who will actually come to a person’s house and sit with them and complete the application online right there,” says Hayes.

That’s not the only obstacle tenants face: long processing times leave them to decide whether to fall behind on rent while they wait to qualify for assistance, or to try to find a way to continue paying, says Watsonville Housing Manager Carlos Landaverry.

“I don’t know of anyone that has received any money from the state,” Landaverry says.

Santa Cruz County has received $16 million in federal funds to distribute to renters in need. More than 700 residents have applied for nearly $6.7 million in rent relief and $700,000 in utility arrears.

“We have over 300 people that we have helped apply for the program since March. And these people, their application is still in progress. They haven’t got a yes or no answer,” Landaverry says.

Hayes says there are multiple reasons for the months-long processing times, including building out fraud and duplication protection, establishing a secure auditing process, and the system of prioritization based on income and risk of eviction applied to each application.

“We’re hopeful that in the next couple of weeks, we should be through all of those older applications,” says Hayes. “Our target is to get within a two-to-four-week turnaround time.”

Greg, who asked to have his last name withheld, owns four houses in Santa Cruz County and submitted an application for rent relief with his tenant three months ago. Currently, his tenant owes around $15,000 in back rent.

“[The state says] the application submitted, but won’t give any estimate on how long it might take. But I’m cautiously optimistic,” says Greg. “I may be getting a windfall of like 15 months of rent, which I sort of wrote off.”

Greg qualified for a mortgage forbearance, which he used for six months and provided him with a financial cushion for the tenant falling behind on rent. And, out of his 40 tenants, this is the only tenant who still has back rent. “The 40 other tenants that I have, everybody caught up eventually,” he says.

There’s a prioritization of rent, especially in Santa Cruz County, which is experiencing a housing shortage, Cancino says. “There’s an old saying that goes, the rent beats first. And so a lot of people, you know, put other expenses on credit cards borrowed money to pay the rent. So it isn’t the fact that they have rent debt—they have debt to their neighbor, or to their friend,” he says.

In The Shadows

This practice of borrowing money in order to pay rent creates what has been coined ‘shadow debt,’ and refers to rent-adjacent debt tenants accrue when prioritizing paying rent.

Elizabeth and her husband are $5,700 in debt to family and friends, a debt they accrued to keep their family housed.

“We went from having three incomes to having nothing,” says Elizabeth.

Initially, Elizabeth was unaware of the eviction moratorium that Newsom signed on March 27, 2020. With limited access to the internet and no outreach from local or state organizations, her family was left in the dark about the order and rental assistance opportunities.

Even though Elizabeth is aware of the moratorium now, she doesn’t want to put her relationship with her landlord in jeopardy. And without the guarantee that her application for rent relief would be processed, she would rather incur debt with family than risk her housing situation.

“[When I applied for rent relief], I was unsure about qualifying for the program because a lot of the requirements were so hard,” she says.

Elizabeth isn’t alone. Landaverry sees renters choosing to self-evict or prioritize rent over other basic necessities rather than tarnish their relationship with their landlord and test the eviction moratorium. Tenants opt to accrue debt to family and friends before getting behind on rent.

“The truth is that people around here, [renters] have been very responsible, they’ve been paying the rent. A lot of them have to borrow money, or use credit cards,” Landaverry says.

Housing and Community Development Specialist Jessica Hayes, who helped draft AB 832, says the state attempted to account for shadow debt by incorporating the chance for future rent coverage and receiving aid for utility arrears.

“We can help pay future rents in three-month chunks now, that would give renters some relief in their personal budget to pay that debt that they incurred,” Hayes says.

But as far as accounting for debt accrued via credit cards, or informally with family and friends?

“It’s really, really hard to address that debt once it has become removed from the original payment. So we’re continuing to have conversations with that at the federal level, but I don’t honestly foresee, in the immediate future, any sort of solution,” Hayes says.

The important thing, Hayes stresses, is that if tenants think they might be eligible for rental assistance, to apply. “If folks feel like they need assistance to apply for it, and really put it on us to evaluate that application,” she says.

If you think you might qualify for Covid-19 rent relief, apply at housing.ca.gov/ or call 1-833-430-2122 between 7am-7pm. Resources for those who need help with their application include (South County) Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County, 831-778-4535, Families in Transition, 831-740-2947, (Mid- and North County) Community Bridges-Live Oak, 831-476-7284, Community Bridges-Beach Flats, 831-423-5747 ext. 13, (San Lorenzo Valley)

Community Bridges, 831-335-6600.

Alarming Incidents Fuel Tannery Backlash Against Encampment

Todd Guild

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July 27, 2021

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Alarming Incidents Fuel Tannery Backlash Against Encampment

Linda Cover strolls along a smooth, paved walkway that runs behind the Tannery Arts Center and along the San Lorenzo River on a sunny Tuesday afternoon. As she walks past well-kept landscaping unsullied by a hint of trash on the ground, a young girl calls happily down to her from a balcony overlooking the path.

“Hi, Linda,” she says. “What are you doing?”

“I’m walking,” Cover replies, adding jovially, “Is that OK?”

Cover, an artist and art teacher who has lived at the center since it opened in 2009, says the community of roughly 300 is a vibrant one full of artists of every ilk. It also features a gallery and theater, and numerous arts education opportunities.

On the other side of the path, just across the river in a long swath of wooded area, is a homeless encampment of roughly 200 people. The contrast between this shambolic collection of ramshackle, tarp-covered lean-tos and tents and the neighboring arts center is striking. On that same Tuesday, groups of people sit talking in their campsites, while others push bikes along a dirt pathway or haul tattered bags full of belongings. One woman sitting halfway out of her tent—in full view of the pathway—is injecting herself with a syringe. There is a surprisingly small amount of litter, possibly thanks to several trash cans scattered throughout the area, but the smell of urine permeates the site.

Residents of the Tannery say that because of the encampment, they contend with open drug use, crime such as vandalism and vehicle burglaries, loud noises at all hours and increased fire danger. Cover pulls out her phone and shows a video taken at 6am on July 8 of a giant blaze that followed an explosion somewhere in the camp. Sometimes, she says, she puts towels around her door to block smoke emanating from fires at the encampment.

Next to Chaos

“We hear screaming,” Cover says. “We hear people in domestic abuse situations, we hear dogs barking at all hours, we hear chopping, we hear generators, we hear chainsaws. We’ve had problems here at the Tannery for a very long time.”

This is not to mention the damage to the riparian habitat caused by a large group of people living without sewer facilities, she says.

The problem grew worse recently when Caltrans disbanded several homeless camps along the Highway 1 corridor, Cover says. Residents have sent letters to city officials, pleading for help.

“I think it’s important that the city of Santa Cruz not put this on the back burner,” Cover says.

Art Pitts, a Tannery resident and musician, says he has found drug paraphernalia and has called the police at least four times to report explosions, drug dealing and other issues.

Pitts says he lives in fear that a fire could jump the short distance and destroy the 12-year-old art complex, displacing the residents, many of whom are low income and would have nowhere to go.

“We’re really concerned that all the money that has been invested in this community will be gone,” Pitts says.

He adds that he and the other Tannery residents care about their homeless neighbors. But he says he wants the community to understand the danger posed by the encampment.

“This is the worst risk we have ever faced,” he says. “It’s not the people who are truly homeless and trying to find their way we’re worried about. We could be totally homeless in an instant because these people are living basically lawless.”

Santa Cruz Police Department Chief Andy Mills says that his officers visit the area frequently, but with multiple areas of concern, including Pogonip, Sycamore Grove and Hells Trail, it is a question of priorities for the city and allocation of resources for the police. The encampment near the Tannery, he says, does not get the same number of calls for service as other similar areas do.

“You can’t do everything at once,” he says. “We understand it’s a problem that needs to be dealt with, and we’re working on it.”

AK and AGM, both of whom asked that their full names not be used, live in a tent-and-tarp complex at the end of the trail in the encampment. A generator buzzed nearby as they talked briefly about their lives there.

AK, who came to the camp after he was displaced by the CZU fire, says that the residents have a vested interest in protecting and preserving the place they call home since a fire would mean losing the one tenuous place they have. And so the residents meet weekly to talk about safety issues, such as fire danger, escape routes and excessive trash, he says.

In addition, some residents patrol the camp looking for safety issues, and try to encourage their fellow residents to keep the noise down, AK says.

“This is our home,” he says. “We try to nip that stuff in the bud.”

AGM said he and the other residents would be open to feedback from their neighbors across the river. He also asked for the community to understand the plight of the people living there.

“Have a little compassion for us, and understand that we’re not trying to be here forever,” AGM says. “This is a stepping stone for us, and we’re trying to keep the peace.”

A Dry Spell

The city is looking to the remainder of the summer season with a wary eye. Many officials were in the Pogonip area Tuesday clearing campsites and making sure people were staying out of off-trail open space areas, part of an effort to reduce fire danger in the drought-wracked county.

An order signed by Santa Cruz Fire Chief Jason Hajduk on July 9—which began to be enforced on June 16—says that the heat and dry conditions present a risk of “significant wildland fire.”

“There is an urgent need to close off-trail areas of city-owned wildland open spaces,” Hajduk says.

He says that the danger comes from low moisture levels in fuels such as grasses and brush, which is down to 30% of normal, closer to those found in September and October.

Dozens of fires in the city’s open spaces, Hajduk says, have largely been caused by unsanctioned encampments. A recent grand jury report says that the city experienced 75 fires between May and June.

Under the order, anyone found within the closed spaces faces misdemeanor charges. As of Tuesday, officials had handed out more than 20 citations since enforcement began, Hajduk says, adding that most of the areas included in the order are already prohibited. Hajduk says that the majority of the enforcement efforts will focus on education.

It is unclear how the grand jury report will guide policy in the Santa Cruz Fire Department and the city as it seeks to tackle the problem.

Among other things, the grand jury recommends that the city create a vegetation management plan focusing on the removal of more flammable eucalyptus trees, in addition to establishing “Firewise” communities in neighborhoods that abut natural areas, also known as wildland-urban interfaces.

Hajduk points out that neither of those recommendations is easy, since even removing every eucalyptus tree would still leave behind fuel sources. In addition, Firewise communities require citizen volunteers, which can be difficult to recruit, he says.

Also unclear is where the displaced people will go once they move. A federal judge in June lifted a preliminary injunction preventing the city from evicting hundreds of homeless people from San Lorenzo Park, where they have been living since July 2020. But the city has no plans to immediately remove them.In May, the Santa Cruz City Council passed an ordinance that bans camping in most areas of the city, but that rule won’t be enforced until the city establishes 150 “safe sleeping sites.”

Rob Brezsny’s Astrology: July 28-Aug. 3

Rob Brezsny

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July 27, 2021

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Free will astrology for the week of July 28

ARIES (March 21-April 19): What does it mean to feel real? Some people have a hard time doing that. They have such false ideas about who they are that they rarely feel real. Others are so distracted by trivial longings that they never have the luxury of settling into the exquisite at-home-ness of feeling real. For those fortunate enough to regularly experience this treasured blessing, feeling real isn’t a vague concept. It’s a vivid sensation of being conscious in one’s body. When we feel real, we respond spontaneously, enjoy playing, and exult in the privilege of being alive. After studying your astrological potentials, Aries, I suspect that you now have an enhanced capacity to feel real.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): When she was a child, author Valerie Andrews visited her secret sanctuary at sunset every day for seven years. She lay on the ground among birch trees and aromatic privet plants, feeling “the steady rhythmic heartbeat of the earth” as she basked in the fading light. I’d love for you to enjoy the revitalizing power of such a shrine. The decisions you have to make will become clear as you commune with what Andrews calls “a rootlike umbilicus to the dark core of the land.” Do you know of such a place? If not, I suggest you find or create one.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): I suspect that your immediate future will be a patchwork of evocative fragments. You may be both annoyed and entertained by a series of flashing attractions, or an array of pretty baubles, or a hubbub of tasks that all seem at least mildly worth doing. Chances are good that they will ultimately knit together into a crazy-quilt unity; they will weave into a pattern that makes unexpected sense. In the spirit of the spicy variety, I offer three quotes that may not seem useful to you yet, but will soon. 1. “Isn’t it possible that to desire a thing, to truly desire it, is a form of having it?” — Galway Kinnell 2. “It is not half so important to know as to feel.” — Rachel Carson 3. “Like all explorers, we are drawn to discover what’s out there without knowing yet if we have the courage to face it.” — Pema Chödrön

CANCER (June 21-July 22): A Tumblr blogger named Cece writes, “The fact that you can soak bread in sugar, eggs, cinnamon, and vanilla, then butter a pan and fry said bread to make a meal is really liberating.” I agree. And I share this with you in the hope of encouraging you to indulge in other commonplace actions that will make you feel spacious and uninhibited. You’re in a phase of your astrological cycle when you’ll thrive on doing day-to-day details that excite your lust for life. Enjoying the little things to the utmost will be an excellent strategy for success.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Leo poet Renée Ashley articulates a perspective I recommend you adopt. She writes, “I’m drawn to what flutters nebulously at the edges, at the corner of my eye—just outside my certain sight. I want to share in what I am routinely denied, or only suspect exists. I long for a glimpse of what is beginning to occur.” With her thoughts as inspiration, I advise you to be hungry for what you don’t know and haven’t perceived. Expand your curiosity so that it becomes wildly insatiable in its quest to uncover budding questions and raw truths at the peripheries of your awareness.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “There are many things in your heart you can never tell to another person,” declared Virgo actor Greta Garbo (1905–1990). “It is not right that you should tell them,” she concluded. “You cheapen yourself, the inside of yourself, when you tell them.” I presume Greta was being melodramatic. My attitude is the opposite of hers. If you find allies who listen well and who respect your vulnerability, you should relish telling them the secrets of your heart. To do so enriches you, deepens you, and adds soulful new meanings to your primary mysteries. The coming weeks will be a favorable time to seek this wise pleasure in abundance.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Now is a fantastic time to seek out effervescent socializing and convivial gatherings and festive celebrations. If you surround yourself with lively people, you’ll absorb the exact influences you need. May I suggest you host a fun event? If you do, you could send out invitations that include the following allures: “At my get-together, the featured flavors will be strawberry chocolate and impossibly delicious. There’ll be magic vibrations and mysterious mood-enhancers. Liberating conversations will be strongly encouraged. Unpredictable revelations will be honored. If possible, please unload your fears and anxieties in a random parking lot before arriving.”

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Scorpio author Andrew Sean Greer writes, “As the Japanese will tell you, one can train a rose to grow through anything, to grow through a nautilus even, but it must be done with tenderness.” I think that’s a vivid metaphor for one of your chief tasks in the coming weeks, Scorpio: how to carefully nurture delicate, beautiful things as you coax them to ripen in ways that will bring out their sturdiness and resilience. I believe you now have an extra capacity for wielding love to help things bloom.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Suggested experiments to try soon: 1. Remember a past moment when you were touched with the sudden realization that you and a person you’d recently met were destined to fall in love. 2. Remember a past moment when you kissed someone for the first time. 3. Remember a past moment when someone told you they loved you for the first time or when you told someone you loved them for the first time. 4. Allow the feelings from the first three experiments to permeate your life for five days. See through the eyes of the person you were during those previous breakthroughs. Treat the whole world as expansively and expectantly as you did during those times.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Capricorn poet Kenneth Rexroth was shirtless as he strolled along a rural road. To his delightful amazement, a fritillary butterfly landed on his shoulder, fluttered away, landed again, fluttered away—performed this dance numerous times. Nothing like this had ever happened to him. Later he wrote, “I feel my flesh / Has suddenly become sweet / With a metamorphosis / Kept secret even from myself.” In the coming days, I’m expecting at least one comparable experience for you. Here’s your homework: What sweet metamorphoses may be underway within you—perhaps not yet having reached your conscious awareness?

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “Each time we don’t say what we want to say, we’re dying.” Aquarian artist and singer Yoko Ono said that. I will add a further nuance: Each time we’re not aware of the feeling or experience or situation we want, we’re dying. And these will be key themes now that you’ve entered the “I KNOW WHAT I WANT AND I KNOW HOW TO ASK FOR IT” phase of your cycle. The most healing and vivifying thing you can do during the next six weeks is to be precise about your desires.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In 1829, Piscean author Victor Hugo began work on his novel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame. He had other projects, though, and by September 1830, he had made scant progress on Hunchback. Growing impatient, his publisher demanded that he finish the manuscript by February 1831. In response, Hugo virtually barricaded himself in his room to compel himself to meet the deadline. He even locked his clothes in a closet to prevent himself from going out. For the next five months, he wore only a gray shawl as he toiled nonstop. His stratagem worked! I recommend you consider trying a somewhat less rigorous trick to enforce your self-discipline in the coming weeks. There’s no need to barricade yourself in your fortress. But I hope you will have fun taking stringent measures.

Homework. Send descriptions of your wildly hopeful dreams for the future. ne********@***************gy.com

Ram’s Gate Delivers a Refreshing and Textured Sauvignon Blanc

Josie Cowden

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July 27, 2021

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Ram’s Gate Delivers a Refreshing and Textured Sauvignon Blanc

Family came into town on one of those rare hot days in Santa Cruz—an ideal time to open up a chilled bottle of Ram’s Gate Sauvignon Blanc. They stopped off at Casa Rossy in Aptos on the way and picked up tamales, enchiladas, rice and beans for lunch. We had wine and food, a perfect combination if ever there was one!

The estate vineyard 2020 Sauvignon Blanc ($38) has a layered nose of honeydew, lychee nut and gooseberry, leading to a textured, focused palate with notes of lemongrass and grapefruit. Refreshing and downright beautiful.

Ram’s Gate says of their wines: “These fresh and compelling wines are inspired by our love of food and community. They are an expression of varietal character and the joy of our favorite meals and celebrations.” That just about says it all.

Ram’s Gate is based in Sonoma and tasting is by appointment only.

Ram’s Gate Winery, 28700 Arnold Drive, Sonoma, 707-721-8700. ramsgatewinery.com.

Good Juju

With the departure of Odwalla in August 2020, store shelves have been a bit bereft of good juices. No more Mango Tango or Blueberry Monster from the popular success story that started in Santa Cruz in 1980 and became known far and wide. Greg Steltenpohl, one of the founders, sold his thriving company to Coca-Cola in 2001, but they decided to discontinue the Odwalla brand last year. Another successful local company is Drink La Vie, which makes the most pure and unadulterated juices and superfoods. Some of my favorites are Beet Kvass, Coconut Almond Milk and Mocha Coconut Yogurt from their healthy and nourishing yogurt range. And I love the Turmeric Shots for a zingy morning boost. Founded by Yeyen Gunawan in Santa Cruz, her delicious wellness drinks can be found all over the Bay Area at farmers markets, including most local ones. Visit the website for the full range of products or visit the Drink La Vie store in Watsonville (recently relocated there from Capitola).

Drink La Vie, 170 West Lake Ave., Watsonville, 831-316-0875. drinklavie.com.

Sugo is a Local Take on Euro-Style Pasta Bar

Andrew Steingrube

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July 27, 2021

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Sugo is a Local Take on Euro-Style Pasta Bar

Sugo serves authentic Italian cuisine Tuesday-Sunday from 11:30am-2pm for lunch and 4:30pm-9pm for dinner. Opened in July 2020, the restaurant prides itself on the pairing of high-quality food with affordable prices and a casual atmosphere. Many of the ingredients they use are imported from Italy and are combined with locally sourced fresh ones, with a focus on not Americanizing the dishes. Co-owner Andrea Loporcaro learned to cook in Italy and has worked in food service since he was a teenager. He spoke to GT recently about the idea behind the restaurant and the food in front of it.

What is the restaurant’s concept?

ANDREA LOPORCARO: So basically, we opened with the concept of a pasta bar, which is very popular in Italy and all of Europe. You can choose your own pasta shape with options like spaghetti, fettuccini, penne and, of course, ravioli. And we have gnocchi, too. Once you choose a shape, then you can match it with one of our housemade sauces. The most popular is our Bolognese, which is a marinara sauce with organic ground meat and blended veggies. Another great sauce we have is our Tres Formaggi, a cheese sauce with a blend of gorgonzola, pecorino, and parmigiano. And lastly, you can add toppings such as organic chicken, wild shrimp, pancetta, Italian sausage, and assorted vegetables.

What other entrées do you feature?

Besides the build-your-own, we have two other sections on the menu. One is called “From the Oven” and has a baked lasagna, eggplant parmigiana, and spinach and ricotta cannelloni. We also have a traditional plate section that we encourage people not to modify, because they’re balanced and rich as they come. One is spaghetti with meatballs, and we also have spaghetti carbonara, a vodka salmon penne, and a Roman-style rectangular pizza with a flaky crust.

What about appetizers, salads and desserts?

We have a few appetizers, such as bruschetta, fried calamari and a great vegetarian antipasto plate. We have a classic green salad with Italian dressing, a caprese salad and a very popular Caesar salad. Our two most popular desserts are tiramisu—a classic with espresso-soaked lady fingers that are imported directly from Italy—and the housemade cannoli with a crumbly crust filled with ricotta cheese and finished with powdered sugar. It’s very simple and traditional, like everything we do, because simple is best.

1116 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz, 831-431-6965; sugoitalianpastabar.com.

Gelato Goes Vegan, With Surprising Results

Christina Waters

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July 27, 2021

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Gelato Goes Vegan, With Surprising Results

I’m such a fiend for gelato that all it took was an email from the Staff of Life folks alerting me to their new gelato bar offerings, and I was hopping in the car. Yes, I would like to try something very Santa Cruz purist in the way of gelato: organic vegan gelato!

A gelato bar has bloomed in Staff of Life’s atrium café, with 16 flavors (and a dozen in the Watsonville store). But what should excite the finicky gelatophile are the brand-new organic vegan flavors—chocolate, vanilla, and salted caramel date, for starters.

Not being a vegan myself, I had my doubts about the idea of a creamy frozen dessert made without cream. And while the chocolate vegan gelato, once it had softened a bit, was nice, the salted caramel studded with bits of dates was very, very good. No offense vegans, but let me say I was stunned by how delicious and creamy this cream-free gelato was. I ate the entire half-cup of this wonderful stuff ($5 for a large cup) before I even got out of the parking lot.

The organic vegan gelato was made specifically for Staff of Life by Fiorello’s, which has been making Italian artisan gelato in San Rafael for 40 years. After the success of the most popular flavors supplied by the company, Staff buyers had a brilliant idea.

“We originally brought in the flavors that he [entrepreneur Fiorello “Tony” Bonviso] normally offers,” a Staff spokesperson told me. “People loved it, and we knew our customers would really appreciate organic and vegan.”

Fiorello was approached and asked if he could make some special batches for the landmark natural foods store. And he did. Try it—you’ll be as surprised (and delighted) as I was. Staff of Life, 1266 Soquel Ave, Santa Cruz and 906 E. Lake Ave., Watsonville.

Nectarines and Lunch

High summer likes a picnic. And so do we, especially since the fruit is damn nigh perfect right now. Apricots, nectarines, peaches—and, of course, avocados. Shoppers Corner is famed not only for its major selection of local wines, but also for seasonal fruit. That’s where we’ve snapped up some of the best stone fruit of summer. And for the full picnic, you might take a serious look at the prepared foods coolers at New Leaf. The tuna salad is great on one of those half loaves of sourdough from La Posta. We always stock Haig’s dolmas and hummus, the essentials of lunchtime indoors or out. So many cheeses, grab a few for dining emergencies. Right now is the moment for cherries. And for especially delicious local dry-farmed fruit—Red Haven Peaches and Shiro Plums—head over to the Ocean2table website (getocean2table.com) and order some unforgettable flavors to go with your King Salmon and Petrale Sole. I know, I know, food—especially organic—is expensive these days. But eating as well as you can afford is crucial for staying strong and healthy (I sound like an ad). Processing and preservatives undermine your entire bodily infrastructure. Buy organic and local as much as you can; your body (including tastebuds) will thank you.

Word on the StreetLaili Restaurant has temporarily closed through August. Stay tuned for re-opening details. Laili – 101B Cooper St., Santa Cruz. 831-423-4545.

Strawberry Commission Reports Healthy Fruit, High Demand

Johanna Miller

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July 26, 2021

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Strawberry Commission Reports Healthy Fruit, High Demand

According to the California Strawberry Commission, about 90% of all strawberries in the U.S. are grown in California.

The fruit thrives in the state, due to its need for year-round moderate weather, which allows its roots to grow strong and stable.

On the Central Coast, consistent sunny days and foggy nights even during the summer months give the crop a level of protection from extremely high and low temperatures.

“We have the absolute perfect climate to grow strawberries here,” said Chris Christian, California Strawberry Commission (CSC) senior vice president, who reported that the 2021 season is looking strong.

“Overall, right now things are going very well,” she said. “We’re at peak season moving into the second part of the summer.”

Christian admitted that the industry did face some challenges in the early part of the year; mainly delays due to weather. Most regions were for a while looking at a three-week delay in production.

But getting through that made the plants even stronger, she said.

“One of the great things with the recent cooler weather is that the quality of our berries has been outstanding,” she said. “With great flavor, and a high fruit quality.”

While strawberries are grown year-round in California, their primary harvest season lasts from mid-spring through fall. In mid-summer, farmers send out about 6 million trays per week.

That is compared to the offseason (November-February, depending on weather), which produces about 1 million trays per week.

“We have a very long season here in California,” Christian said. “Farmers just keep harvesting all the way until we get rain. And in Santa Maria [Valley], a second crop is often planted in the summer, for a new crop in the fall.”

The pandemic had brought hardships to the strawberry and greater agriculture industry in 2020. A sudden drop in production as the food supply chain began to break down resulted in backlogs of berries that went to waste.

But now, as the effects of Covid-19 wane, strawberries have bounced back, and are now more popular than ever, Christian says.

“Coming out of Covid … we have noticed a whole other level of strong demand for strawberries,” Christian said. “People are still looking for foods with good immune support … and strawberries are key for that. It’s exciting.”

Strawberries are high in potassium, manganese, folate (vitamin B9), and fiber. They can help with heart health, and keep blood pressure low, and their bright red color indicates that they are packed with compounds that benefit vascular and metabolic health.

They can also help prevent diabetes; a serving of strawberries (8 large) only has about 50 calories and eight grams of sugar.

“[Strawberries] are now the largest source of vitamin C in Americans,” Christian said. “We should be really proud of that … and of the hard work of our farmers and farmworkers in bringing the fruit to America’s plates.”

Watsonville’s premier festival returns

On Aug. 8 the Watsonville Strawberry Festival will return, after being canceled last year due to Covid-19.

This annual event began in 1995 as a fundraiser to help downtown Watsonville recover from the destruction of the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake. Now, it will act as a support to local nonprofits and other groups, many of whom were hurt by the pandemic.

The festival, which will be held from 11am-5pm, will offer people a chance to sample various strawberry delicacies and other food, enjoy live music, family activities, browse local art vendors and more.

Unvaccinated individuals are strongly encouraged to wear a face covering while in large crowds, and to stay home if experiencing any Covid-19 symptoms.

For information about the festival go here.

Annual Sculpture Exhibit Returns to Sierra Azul Nursery

Art

Johanna Miller

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July 26, 2021

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Annual Sculpture Exhibit Returns to Sierra Azul Nursery

Sierra Azul Nursery and Gardens in Watsonville is once again brimming with art as Pajaro Valley Arts’ annual “Sculpture Is” exhibit returns for the 15th year.

Installed in late May and officially opened on June 7, the popular outdoor exhibit will be up through October. Visitors can browse sculptures by 42 artists, of various sizes and mediums, which are situated among the nursery’s two-acre demonstration garden.

Pajaro Valley Arts Exhibit Coordinator Hedwig Heerschop said that a good number of pieces have already been sold in the first month of the show.

“We actually sold a lot of pieces last year, and now we’re closing in on that record,” she said. “It’s really cool. I think some people have money to spend. Maybe they couldn’t go on vacations, or they got a little extra from the government and thought, ‘Hey, why not?’”

Artists from Walnut Creek to Pacific Grove were selected to be part of this year’s exhibit, which features 100 pieces, including everything from garden totems, glass work, abstract steel, mosaics, musical sculptures—ones that include bells, gongs and chimes—and more.

**REEDS** Pajaro Valley Arts’ Exhibit Coordinator Hedwig Heerschop shows a steel sculpture by San Jose artist Jeff Owen. —Johanna Miller

Heerschop said that certain pieces are collaborative, meaning they are created by a number of artists working together. This includes a tall, sugar skull-themed totem created by a group who used to work together at Watsonville/Aptos Adult Education.

“We also have some brand new artists here this year, which is really nice,” Heerschop said.

“Sculpture Is” was one of PVA’s only exhibits that was able to be physically installed last year, due to its open-air location. And this time around, they were also able to hold a small outdoor gathering for the artists to celebrate the show’s opening.

Shoppers will also have a chance to give back this year. The proceeds of one specific sculpture by Santa Cruz artist Mike McClellan will go to PVA. Entitled “RP 3” and made from marble, steel and wood, the piece will be donated back to the garden as a permanent fixture.

Heerschop said that the exhibit is unique in that it lasts for nearly five months. As such, if a piece is sold, artists have an opportunity to bring in another piece in its place.

“They have an opportunity to make a little extra money,” she said. “And they love it—they love being here.”

The longtime partnership with Sierra Azul has only grown stronger over the years, Heerschop added. Nursery owners Jeff and Lisa Rosendale have been heavily involved in the show, with Jeff Rosendale often being a co-juror—including this year, along with Susan Arias.)

“We’re a family now,” Heerschop said. “I always appreciate everybody, what everybody does for [the artists], to provide them a space. It’s so appreciated. That’s what we’re doing it for.”

“Sculpture Is” runs through Oct. 31. Sierra Azul Nursery and Gardens, 2660 East Lake Ave., is open daily 10am-5pm.

Monterey Bay Birding Festival Canceled Again

Tarmo Hannula

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July 26, 2021

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Monterey Bay Birding Festival Canceled Again

The Monterey Bay Birding Festival has been mothballed for the second year in a row due to pandemic complications.

Despite most levels of society, from schools, businesses, services and government, edging back toward normal operations, the festival—in its 17th year—couldn’t get off the ground.

“The festival is definitely canceled for this year,” said Jeff Manker, board president of the Festival. “The reason is that it takes nearly a year to get everything in place. To have a festival this year we would have had to book a venue back in November 2020. Back then, no one was booking because the certainty of a vaccine was still up in the air.”

Additionally, Manker said organizers could not book speakers or workshop presenters because no one knew if it would be safe to hold events by September 2021.

“There was still so much we did not know about this pandemic and were getting very mixed messages from the government,” Manker said. “One thing we did know was that the most vulnerable group were seniors; many birders fall into that category.”

The festival, centered in Watsonville, fans out around the Monterey Bay area and beyond with field trips, lectures, special guests, authors and workshops. Typically run in September, the three-day event draws birders—from amateurs to experts—from around the globe. A major draw is their opening reception, which features the Taste of Pajaro Valley, an informal spread of the Pajaro Valley’s bounty of edibles, from strawberries to fine wines and local brews.

Manker said the board is expected to start planning out the future of the festival at an upcoming meeting. The board will also have new leadership next year, Manker said.

“The only big change I know of for now is that I am planning to move out of the area sometime in the next year, and so I will be giving up my position as board president,” Manker said. “So there will be a change in leadership and that may determine changes to come.”

Pajaro Valley has long been a huge attraction to birders, especially being situated along the migratory flyway with its six sloughs, lakes, rivers and the Pacific shoreline.

Field trips in the past included Pinto Lake, Big Sur River, Natural Bridges and West Cliff in Santa Cruz, Owls of Robinson Canyon and Ospreys and Owls of Elkhorn Slough.

Two arrested in Santa Cruz Black Lives Matter mural vandalism

Todd Guild

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July 25, 2021

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Two arrested in Santa Cruz Black Lives Matter mural vandalism

Santa Cruz police arrested two men suspected of vandalizing a large Black Lives Matter mural in Santa Cruz on Saturday by making a series of long, sinuous skid marks over it with a pickup truck carrying the United States flag.

Brandon Bochat, 20, of Santa Cruz and Hagan Warner, 19, of Boulder Creek, are suspected of damaging the art piece painted on the 800 block of Center Street sometime Friday night.

Investigators believe that both Bochat and Warner took turns driving the vehicle during the commission of the crime. The suspects posted a video of the vandalism on social media, with one of them writing, “‘BLM’ is a joke cry about it pussys,” with a United States flag emoji in the center of the statement.

In the video, at least one person can be heard laughing.

The suspects were booked into the Santa Cruz County Jail on charges of felony vandalism and conspiracy to commit a felony. They were released after posting bail, Santa Cruz Police Department Chief Andy Mills said Sunday during a community meeting at the police station attended by more than 50 people.

Police are still seeking two suspects in the crime, but it is not yet clear what their roles were, Mills said.

The department is considering hate crime charges, Mills said, if investigators can collect enough evidence to prove it.

“The investigation continues,” he said. “There is a lot of work still to be done.”

Abi Mustapha, one of the artists who worked on the mural along with roughly 500 community members, said that the act caused psychological damage to the community.

“This is out here,” she said. “It exists. If bigots can do this, why do I want to walk around these streets?”

Bochat and Warner were arrested after detectives received videos of the crime. In the videos, a white truck is seen intentionally “burning out” and applying tire tread marks across the length of the mural.

The mural was painted last September, three months after the murder of George Floyd sparked nationwide protests. It was approved by the Santa Cruz City Council last June.

“The mural is considered a public art installation, guided and funded by community members who desired a reminder of the struggle Black members of our community endure both locally and across the nation,” Santa Cruz Mayor Donna Meyers said at Sunday’s meeting.

She called the vandalism “heartbreaking and violating.”

“I can assure you that all of my City Council colleagues will work closely with our community to repair this damage as soon as possible, and more importantly to combat the roots of why such an act was committed,” she added.

Santa Cruz Vice-Mayor Sonja Brunner called the vandalism “scary,” and said it did more than simple physical damage.

“It also caused emotional, psychological and in-my-soul damage, and I know it’s not just me,” she said.

Brunner added that she plans to work with local organizations, schools and others in the wake of the incident.

“Progress is being made, but there is still so much that needs to happen,” she said. “It’s actions like this that remind us that there is still work to be done.”

Mills said that the damage estimate is well above the $450 required for a felony-level crime.

“This really struck a chord with many of our community members,” he said. “The Black community, the community of large, the people of color in our community, felt this was a personal attack.”

Mills pointed out that, out of more than 5,000 street segments in the city of Santa Cruz, the suspects chose to leave tread marks over a Black Lives Matter mural.

“We can see what took place here,” he said. “This wasn’t just a couple of kids fooling around, doing a burnout on the street. This was an intentional act of vandalism on something our community holds dear—a symbol of hope.”

Mills also had a message for anyone minimizing the crime.

“For those who seek to minimize the events that took place, to negate the responsibility by saying ‘these are just kids fooling around,’ shame on you,” Mills said. “This was meaningful to this community, and we will do everything in our power to make sure that those who did this are brought to justice.”

Santa Cruz City Manager Martin Bernal said the city plans to repair the mural as soon as possible, but the damage must first be estimated by Public Works employees.

Numerous people spoke about the vandalism Sunday. Some called for community-wide education to combat inherent racism issues that they said must be addressed at the elementary school level.

One woman who declined to give her name said the incident is not an isolated event and is about more than young kids harboring racist ideology.

“The issue is that it’s clear that there is a white supremacist community in this area, not just racist people,” she said. “I’m talking about a white supremacist community that has infiltrated itself in this area.”

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Summer Swell

Low-Key Lux

Red Tape and ‘Shadow Debt’ are Pushing Renters to the Edge

A Rocky Roll Out

In The Shadows

Alarming Incidents Fuel Tannery Backlash Against Encampment

Next to Chaos

A Dry Spell

Rob Brezsny’s Astrology: July 28-Aug. 3

Ram’s Gate Delivers a Refreshing and Textured Sauvignon Blanc

Sugo is a Local Take on Euro-Style Pasta Bar

Gelato Goes Vegan, With Surprising Results

Strawberry Commission Reports Healthy Fruit, High Demand

Annual Sculpture Exhibit Returns to Sierra Azul Nursery

Monterey Bay Birding Festival Canceled Again

Two arrested in Santa Cruz Black Lives Matter mural vandalism

Red Tape and ‘Shadow Debt’ are Pushing Renters to the Edge

Alarming Incidents Fuel Tannery Backlash Against Encampment

Rob Brezsny’s Astrology: July 28-Aug. 3

Ram’s Gate Delivers a Refreshing and Textured Sauvignon Blanc

Sugo is a Local Take on Euro-Style Pasta Bar

Gelato Goes Vegan, With Surprising Results

Strawberry Commission Reports Healthy Fruit, High Demand

Annual Sculpture Exhibit Returns to Sierra Azul Nursery

Monterey Bay Birding Festival Canceled Again

Two arrested in Santa Cruz Black Lives Matter mural vandalism