Page 482 – Good Times

Family of Santa Cruz Girl Slain in 2015 Awaits Supreme Court Ruling

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December 1, 2020

Family of Santa Cruz Girl Slain in 2015 Awaits Supreme Court Ruling

California Supreme Court justices will hear oral arguments today about a major criminal justice question. The court will consider the constitutionality of a law that changed the rules about how young criminal defendants can be tried in court.

The law—Senate Bill 1391, which took effect in 2019—has implications across California. The case is garnering particular interest from the family of 8-year-old Madyson “Maddy” Middleton, who was kidnapped, raped and murdered by 15-year-old Adrian “A.J.” Gonzalez in 2015, prosecutors say. But SB 1391 prohibits anyone under the age of 16 from being tried as an adult. So under the law, Gonzalez has to be tried as a juvenile.

Four of Middleton’s family members—including her parents, Michel Middleton and Laura Jordan—released a statement saying they hope the high court does declare SB 1391 unconstitutional. The family members say they’re worried Gonzalez, now 21, may walk free in the next few years, instead of serving what could otherwise be a life sentence behind bars.

“This is wrong and lets an intentional, vicious murderer walk free,” a statement from the family reads.

Five years ago, they say Gonzalez planned to kidnap, sexually assault, torture and kill Maddy—and then did so, with an alarming level of sophistication.

“He researched it, planned it, shopped for the plan, executed the plan then hid her body in the bottom of a recycling bin under layers of cardboard,” the statement explains. “Next he hid her scooter and made himself helpful to the search teams in an attempt to manipulate law enforcement as they searched the complex looking for her.”

The current court case is O.G. vs. the Superior Court of Ventura County, case number S259011. In hearing the case, the state Supreme Court will seek to resolve conflicting rulings from different appellate courts on questions about SB 1391.

Over the last half-decade, shifting state law has left Gonzalez’s case in a somewhat dizzying state of limbo. Proposition 57, approved by voters in 2016, introduced new criminal justice reforms. Among them was that it made it easier for youths to be tried as juveniles.

This was before the passage of SB 1391, mandating that suspects under 16 actually have to be tried as juveniles. One appellate court ruled that SB 1391 contradicts Prop 57. It’s a view that Maddy’s family shares.

The concepts behind SB 1391 do have supporters. Some criminal justice reform advocates say criminals can be juvenile convicted criminals can be rehabilitated by age 25 and that they don’t need to spend life behind bars.

Attorney Frankie Guzman, who co-authored Prop 57, has said that most young criminals can be rehabilitated. He told GT in 2017 that one problematic factor shaping the discourse is that the news media often places more emphasis on the stories of the victims. In doing so, he argued that reporters craft incomplete narratives around criminal cases, spinning public opinion in the process.

“Media looks for the big story, the sensationalized story,” said Guzman, director of the California Juvenile Justice Initiative in Oakland, adding that he would not discount the pain or suffering of any victim’s family. “The coverage is designed to evoke an emotional response.”

Covid-19 Outbreak Puts Santa Cruz Jail Officers On Leave

Jacob Pierce

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December 1, 2020

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Covid-19 Outbreak Puts Santa Cruz Jail Officers On Leave

Late last week, several correctional officers displayed symptoms of illness at work and have since tested positive for Covid-19.

As a result, 15 correctional officers are now off work, according to a press release sent by Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Sergeant Christopher Shearer. No incarcerated people have tested positive or shown symptoms of illness, the press release states.

Nine correctional officers tested positive for the disease. An additional six officers are quarantined based on contact with infected coworkers, the release says. Contact tracers from the county’s Health Services Agency are attempting to determine the source of the outbreak.

In consultation with the health department, all correctional staff and incarcerated people will be tested during the next 72 hours as of the press release time Monday, and people will be treated or quarantined as necessary.

“Enhanced safety procedures, screening, and hygiene protocols to protect staff and incarcerated persons were put in place in March and have been updated as new information and methods to prevent infections develop,” the statement says. “The sheriff’s office will continue to work closely with the health department to reduce the likelihood of further spread of the virus in correctional facilities.”

The release did not specify which correctional facilities are impacted, but this is the first outbreak in any Santa Cruz County jail. Beyond Santa Cruz, outbreaks in jails have posed a serious concern.

So far, at least 200,000 inmates nationwide have already been infected with Covid-19, and at least 1,450 inmates and correctional officers have died from the virus, according to a database maintained by The New York Times—numbers that likely represent an undercount, the Times reported.

Additionally, older inmates could show particular medical vulnerability after decades of “hard living,” Dr. Charles Lee, president-elect of the American College of Correctional Physicians, told the Times.

“From my experience, their physiological age is generally 20 years greater than their chronologic age,” he said, “from drugs, from fights, from being incarcerated and homeless, and not getting health care.”

Here’s What You Need to Know About California’s Covid-19 Vaccine Plan

CalMatters

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November 30, 2020

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Here’s What You Need to Know About California’s Covid-19 Vaccine Plan

BY ANA B. IBARRA AND BARBARA FEDER OSTROV

Lea este artículo en español.

California is in the throes of another COVID-19 surge — cases are skyrocketing and hospital beds are filling up quickly. On Tuesday, hospitals had 3,300 more COVID patients than at the beginning of this month, state health officials said.

But a glimmer of hope has emerged in the last leg of 2020: The first batch of vaccines could arrive in early December.

On Nov. 20, the pharmaceutical company Pfizer announced that it had requested approval for emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Pfizer’s vaccine has shown an efficacy of 95% against COVID-19 “with no serious safety concerns observed to date,” said Albert Bourla, the company’s CEO.

Moderna’s vaccine has similar results. AstraZeneca announced that its vaccine was, on average, 70% effective.

Distribution details are still developing, and it remains unclear how many doses California will get before the year’s end.

Dr. Frances Collins, director at the National Institutes of Health, has said that if all goes to plan, he expects 40 million doses to become available nationwide in December. Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which are first in line, require two doses, meaning 20 million people could be vaccinated that month. California gets just a slice of that.

Manufacturers and the federal government will likely distribute doses based on state conditions and population size, said Dr. Mark Ghaly, the state’s Health and Human Services Secretary. “So California should get a significant and even the highest amount of vaccination based on those distribution plans,” he said Tuesday.

So when can most people expect to get one? How much will it cost? And how much longer will Californians be urged to wear a mask?

Here’s what we know so far about the state’s vaccine rollout.

If you’re not a health worker, don’t expect a vaccine soon

Initial vaccine supply will be limited. To help decide who gets a vaccine first, the state is adopting a three-phase plan from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The state’s plan will guide counties, which will be in charge of on-the-ground coordination.

So far, we know that health workers and first responders who are likely to treat or be exposed to COVID-19 patients will go first. Last Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom said the state would first target 2.4 million health care workers. Those workers are also being divided into subgroups, in case of a shortage in the first rounds.

Health workers will be followed by those living in congregate settings, such as nursing homes, along with other essential workers and people who are at higher risk of falling severely ill, including people 65 and over.

The definition of an essential worker in the distribution guidance has not yet been determined, Ghaly said. Teachers, for example, will be a priority so that children can return to school, he said. But where exactly teachers and others will fall in the state’s priority ranking will be decided in coming weeks.

Everyone else will likely have to wait a few more months. “Mass vaccination is unlikely to occur anytime soon,” Newsom said. Public health officials have estimated broader vaccine availability will come in the spring.

State health officials have appointed more than 65 advocacy, labor and businesses organizations to a new community advisory committee to help ensure that the vaccine is distributed equitably.

“The point of having all these groups at the table is to avoid blind spots,” said Anthony Wright, executive director of Health Access, one of the committee member organizations. “If we’re not mindful of our most vulnerable populations, we’re undermining our efforts to (control) this pandemic.”

Cost shouldn’t be an issue

Out-of-pocket costs for a COVID-19 vaccine are likely to be low, if anything at all. According to the CDC, doses purchased with taxpayer dollars will be free. Providers, however, can charge for administering the vaccine, which insurance would cover.

“For those who are uninsured and those in the Medicaid program, they should rest assured…the state is going to step in and make sure that the cost of vaccination in no way gets in the way of someone’s decision to be vaccinated,” Ghaly said on Tuesday.

California has ‘second set of eyes’ on vaccines’ safety

Last month, Newsom announced that the state would form its own panel of experts to review efficacy and safety data of any vaccine candidate.

California’s experts have already reviewed the first two phases of clinical trials for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines and have no concerns so far, Newsom said last Monday. His panel will review Phase 3 data within 24 hours of it becoming available, he added, noting that the state’s review process would not slow vaccine distribution.

This process is in addition to the FDA’s review. The idea behind the work group, made up of public health and immunization experts from across the state, is to instill trust among the public, Newsom has said.

Still, challenges lie ahead

If people are looking to buy stocks, dry ice would be a good investment, said Dr. Rais Vohra, Fresno County’s interim health officer. That’s because counties and health care providers are scrambling to get their hands on both ultra-cold freezers and dry ice to help store Pfizer’s vaccine, which needs to be kept at minus 70 degree Celsius — that’s extremely cold.

“Not a lot of those freezers exist,” Vohra said. “The flu vaccine doesn’t need to be ultra cold.”

Moderna’s vaccine can be stored in a standard freezer.

Primary care doctors and other community providers may not be able to offer the first vaccines available because they may not have the freezers needed to store it, Dr. Martin Fenstersheib, Santa Clara County’s COVID-19 testing officer, told county supervisors at a meeting earlier this month.

Newsom said the state is looking to acquire 16 ultra-cold temperature freezers and 61 smaller freezers. He said the state already has identified regions to distribute these freezers, focusing on more rural areas that might have a hard time obtaining their own.

Hospitals seeking their own freezers are already bumping into supply issues. “They are in many cases back-ordered until the spring,” said David Simon, a spokesperson for the California Hospital Association.

Yes, you’ll likely still have to wear a mask after you get a vaccine

No vaccine candidate is 100 percent effective. And experts say while a COVID-19 vaccine is likely to protect you from serious illness, it remains to be seen whether it will keep you from passing the virus to someone else. Scientists also don’t know yet how long a vaccine’s protection will last.

The three leading vaccine candidates all require two shots, spaced a few weeks apart, so you won’t be fully protected after your first dose. You’ll want to continue to wear a mask to protect others until most people are fully immunized — and that could take many months.

“While experts learn more about the protection that COVID-19 vaccines provide under real-life conditions, it will be important for everyone to continue using all the tools available to us to help stop this pandemic, like covering your mouth and nose with a mask, washing hands often, and staying at least 6 feet away from others,” the CDC notes.

Beware of misinformation

Public health experts worry about misinformation, spread widely on social media by anti-vaccine activists and others, that has led some Americans to fear the coming vaccines. The politicization of vaccine development also has contributed to distrust.

A Gallup poll conducted in October found that about 58 percent of Americans would agree to be vaccinated against COVID-19 vaccine, compared to just 50 percent in September. In California, about half of Republicans said they would “definitely or probably” get the vaccine compared to about 56 percent of Democrats or independents, according to an October poll conducted by the Public Policy Institute of California. Demographics matter, too: In that poll, only about 30 percent of African-Americans said they would get vaccinated, compared to about 62 percent of whites.

The CDC offers advice for finding credible online information on vaccines in general and more specific information on COVID vaccine safety. The New York Times’ Coronavirus Vaccine Tracker also offers frequent updates on vaccine progress.

CalMatters COVID-19 coverage, translation and distribution is supported by generous grants from the Blue Shield of California Foundation, the California Wellness Foundation and the California Health Care Foundation.

CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.

Church Christmas Tree Farms Looks Ahead to Busy Season

Johanna Miller

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November 30, 2020

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Church Christmas Tree Farms Looks Ahead to Busy Season

In 2019, Church Christmas Tree Farms celebrated its 60th year. The family-owned business, now run by Glenn Church and his two sons, has become a local destination for families to come and cut down their own tree during the holidays.

And the Covid-19 pandemic has not slowed things down—in fact, Church says he’s received numerous calls from people interested in coming out to visit, some for the first time. The farms will be open until mid-December.

“We are expecting that it will be quite busy,” Church said. “People are looking for ways to celebrate the holidays safely. We are at a big advantage, being outdoors and in an open space like this. ”

Another less-than-ideal reason they are expecting more visitors, Church admitted, is because a major tree farm in the Santa Cruz Mountains was burned up by the CZU Lightning Complex fire. Crest Ranch, which was established in 1948, lost about 40 acres in the blaze, and as such their supply will be low this year.

“I couldn’t imagine going through what they did … it must have been devastating,” Church said.

The fires in Monterey County did not reach the Church’s trees, though there was plenty of ash that coated them for a while. This is why a couple of recent rain storms were welcome, as they washed off the debris and soaked into the surrounding soil.

The farms were even lucky temperature-wise; the 100-degree weather that scorched parts of the area in August and September did not quite reach their locations off of Hidden Valley Road.

With temperate weather on the way for the next two weeks, Church says things are looking up for the farms, which offer 30 different varieties of evergreen trees. Despite a shortage of pre-cut trees coming in from Oregon, especially large types such as Noble Firs, their own stock seems to be doing well, especially smaller species.

“I think it might be our best crop we’ve had in years,” he said. “The young trees are coming on well, thriving.”

The farms are implementing a number of Covid-19 protocols: guests must wear masks and practice social distancing while on property, and tree saws will be sanitized after every use. While the business cannot offer their usual holiday treats such as hot chocolate to visitors, they will be offering pre-wrapped candy canes. Guests are asked to wear sturdy shoes for hiking around the property.

“I always say, everyone should go out at least once in their life and cut down their own Christmas tree,” Church said. “It might as well be this year.”

Church Christmas Tree Farms are located at 470 Hidden Valley Road and 377 Hidden Valley Road in Royal Oaks. They are open rain or shine weekdays noon-4:30pm and weekends 9am-4:30pm. The business also operates a pre-cut lot at the Northridge Mall, 796 Northridge Drive, Salinas.

Camp Krem Looks to Rebuild Education and Recreation Space

Tony Nuñez

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November 30, 2020

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Camp Krem Looks to Rebuild Education and Recreation Space

When the Santa Cruz Mountains caught fire in August after a dry lightning storm passed through, almost every community was forced to evacuate the area. Many of those evacuees were left wondering whether their homes and businesses—their life’s work for some—were consumed by the devastating CZU Lightning Complex fire.

That included Christina Krem, the camp director of Camp Krem, a nonprofit located in Boulder Creek that provides children and adults with developmental disabilities recreation, education and adventure opportunities in a safe environment.

As the CZU fire raged, Krem said she was holding out hope that the 92-acre campus had miraculously survived the blaze’s wrath. But then the calls came in.

“We heard from these couple of journalists that the damage was pretty extensive, and then shortly thereafter we were given the opportunity to go back for ourselves and see it,” Krem said.

Krem called the first walkthrough “crushing” and “mind blowing.”

“Places that for decades have been full of people and music and dancing and joy, just seeing them completely decimated, it was heartbreaking,” she said. “Walking around was quite a surreal experience.”

Krem says that 95% of the campus was either destroyed or damaged, and that it will take at least $5 million to rebuild more than 27 facilities—many of which have stood for decades.

“It could be possibly $10 million to get us back up and running,” she said. “We have a long road ahead.”

Camp Krem has tabbed its rebuild “Project Phoenix.” It plans to use the cash to reconstruct many of the old buildings with various upgrades such as using fire-resistant materials, making some areas more spacious, installing bathrooms in every cabin and improving the design to be more eco-friendly.

Those looking to donate to help Camp Krem rise from the ashes can do so by donating through Santa Cruz Gives, the online countywide holiday giving campaign that kicked off Nov. 18.

From now until year’s end, people can donate to Camp Krem and 39 other nonprofits serving various communities in Santa Cruz County at santacruzgives.org. There, donors can learn about each nonprofit’s mission and “Big Idea” project for 2021 that will be funded with the online donations.

Camp Krem’s “Big Idea” is to rebuild its campus and welcome back campers.

Alexander Angel Krem (Christina’s grandfather) founded Camping Unlimited in 1957, and established the camp in 1962 after purchasing 45 acres of land near Boulder Creek. Since then, Camp Krem has welcomed in an estimated 14,000 children and adults with various special needs. Before the fire, it offered a wide array of programs, including a Sleepaway Summer Camp and Weekend Respite program.

In 2019, Camp Krem served more than 600 families and 1,250 campers.

In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and the CZU fire, the camp will shift to virtual programming, Krem said.

“It is important to us that we continue to provide our campers with connection and engagement during these difficult times,” she said.

Santa Cruz Gives, which was founded by Good Times with the support of The Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County, prides itself on reaching donors during their busy day-to-day schedules.

The Press Banner joined the campaign this year, its sixth.

Projects represent a variety of needs: youth, seniors, animals, the environment, education, health and wellness, food and nutrition, housing and homelessness, arts, families, the disabled and LBGTQ+. A seven-member committee with nonprofit experience vetted the applications.

Selected nonprofits will receive donated funds, matching funds and be eligible for three awards: Most Donors Overall, Most Donors Under 35 years old and Most Innovative Program. Each honor comes with a $1,000 award.

Last year, Santa Cruz Gives raised $413,161 for 37 nonprofits. Total donations increased by 74.5% over 2018, and the number of donors increased by 48% over 2018.

‘Love You Madly’ Fire Relief Livestream Adds Steve Earle, More

Steve Palopoli

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November 29, 2020

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‘Love You Madly’ Fire Relief Livestream Adds Steve Earle, More

The upcoming livestream by the “Love You Madly: Artists for Santa Cruz Fire Relief” campaign has added co-headliner Steve Earle, along with several other new artists, organizers announced today.

The free livestream event on Saturday, Dec. 5, is part of the campaign’s effort to draw attention to the ongoing needs of those affected by this summer’s CZU Lightning Complex fire, and it encourages donations to Community Foundation Santa Cruz County’s Fire Response Fund, which has already provided hundreds of thousands of dollars in assistance to fire victims.

Since September, “Love You Madly” has been posting weekly videos from national and local musicians featuring performances and messages of support at santacruzfirerelief.org.

The livestream—which features more than two dozen music performances, along with artwork, photos and the stories of some of the people impacted by the Community Foundation’s fund—is a way to boost the profile of the recovery effort, at a time when a number of issues are competing for attention nationwide, says co-organizer Jon Luini.

Besides outlaw-country icon Earle, the new artists just added to the livestream line-up include the California Honeydrops, Y&T, Pete Sears, Con Brio, Wolf Jett, T Sisters, Andrew St. James and Aria DeSalvio. They’ll join previously announced performers Bonnie Raitt and Boz Scaggs, Sammy Hagar, Kevin Cronin of REO Speedwago, Los Lobos, Joe Satriani, Colin Hary, Laurie Lewis, the String Cheese Incident, John Doe of X, Rogue Wave and many more.

Like the weekly video drops, local and regional artists are well-represented on the livestream roster, including not only Wolf Jett, but also James Durbin, Alwa Gordon, Good Riddance, Goodnight Texas and Camper Van Beethoven bassist Victor Krummenacher.

There will also be an online auction featuring autographed guitars from Satriani and Hagar, along with a custom-built guitar from Santa Cruz Guitar Company.

The event begins at 7pm on Saturday, Dec. 5 and can be viewed for free on nugs.tv. A limited edition T-shirt is available up until the event. To donate to the fund, or for more information, go to santacruzfirerelief.org.

Why Employers Find It So Hard to Test for Covid-19

Hannah Norman

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November 27, 2020

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Why Employers Find It So Hard to Test for Covid-19

Brandon Hudgins works the main floor at Fleet Feet, a running-shoe store chain, for more than 30 hours a week. He chats with customers, measuring their feet and dashing in and out of the storage area to locate right-sized shoes. Sometimes, clients drag their masks down while speaking. Others refuse to wear masks at all.

So he worries about COVID-19. And with good reason. Across the U.S., COVID hospitalizations and deaths are hitting record-shattering new heights. The nation saw 198,633 new cases on last Friday alone. In California, COVID case counts are growing at the fastest rate yet.

Unlike in the early days of the pandemic, though, many stores nationwide aren’t closing. And regular COVID testing of workers remains patchy at best.

“I’ve asked, what if someone on staff gets symptoms? ‘You have to stay home,’” said Hudgins, 33, who works in High Point, North Carolina. But as an hourly employee, staying home means not getting paid. “It’s stressful, especially without regular testing. Our store isn’t very big, and you’re in there all day long.”

To the store’s credit, Hudgins said the manager has instituted a locked-door policy, where employees determine which customers can enter. They sanitize the seating area between customers and administer regular employee temperature checks. Still, there’s no talk of testing employees for COVID-19. Fleet Feet did not respond to multiple requests to talk about its testing policies.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidance to employers to include COVID testing, and it advised that people working in close quarters be tested periodically. However, the federal government does not require employers to offer those tests.

But the board overseeing the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health, known as Cal/OSHA, on Nov. 19 approved emergency safety rules that are soon likely to require the state’s employers to provide COVID testing to all workers exposed to an outbreak on the job at no cost to the employees. Testing must be repeated a week later, followed by periodic testing.

California would be the first state to mandate this, though the regulation doesn’t apply to routine testing of employees. That is up to individual businesses.

Workplaces have been the source of major coronavirus outbreaks: a Foster Farms chicken-processing facility in the Central Valley town of Livingston, grocery stores in Los Angeles, a farmworker housing complex in Ventura County, Amazon warehouses — largely among the so-called essential workers who bear the brunt of COVID infections and deaths.

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspects workplaces based on workers’ complaints — over 40,000 of which related to COVID-19 have been filed with the agency at the state and federal levels.

In California, Cal/OSHA has cited 54 workplaces for COVID-related violations to date, amounting to more than $1.5 million in proposed penalties.

Workers “have every right to be concerned,” said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an epidemiologist at the University of California-San Francisco. “They are operating in a fog. There is little economic incentive for corporations to figure out who has COVID at what sites.”

Waiting for symptoms to emerge before testing is ill-considered, Chin-Hong noted. People can exhibit no symptoms while spreading the virus. A CDC report found that, among people with active infections, 44% reported no symptoms.

Yet testing alone cannot protect employees. While workplaces can vary dramatically, Chin-Hong emphasized the importance of enforcing safety guidelines like social distancing and wearing face masks, as well as being transparent with workers when someone gets sick.

Molly White, who works for the Missouri state government, was required to return to the office once a week starting in July. But White, who is on drugs to suppress her immune system, feared her employer’s “cavalier attitude toward COVID and casual risk taking.” Masks are encouraged for employees but are not mandatory, and there’s no testing policy or even guidance on where to get tested, she said. White filed for and received an Americans With Disabilities Act exception, which lasts through the end of the year, to avoid coming into the office.

After a cluster of 39 COVID cases emerged in September in the building where she normally works, White was relieved to at least get an email notifying her of the outbreak. A few days later, Gov. Mike Parson visited the building, and he tested positive for COVID-19 soon after.

Following pressure from labor groups, Amazon reported in a blog post last month that almost 20,000 employees had tested positive or been presumed positive for COVID-19 since the pandemic began. To help curb future outbreaks, the online retailing giant, which also owns Whole Foods, built its own testing facilities, hired lab technicians and said it planned to conduct 50,000 daily tests across 650 sites by this month.

The National Football League tests players and other essential workers daily. An NFL spokesperson said the league conducts 40,000 to 45,000 tests a week through New Jersey-based BioReference Laboratories, though both organizations declined to share a price tag. Reports over the summer estimated the season’s testing program would cost about $75 million.

Not all companies, particularly those not in the limelight, have the interest — or the money — to regularly test workers.

“It depends on the company how much they care,” said Gary Glader, president of Horton Safety Consultants in Orland Park, Illinois. Horton works with dozens of companies in the manufacturing, construction and transportation industries to write exposure control plans to limit the risk of COVID-19 outbreaks and avoid OSHA citations. “Some companies could care less about their people, never have.”

IGeneX, a diagnostic testing company in Milpitas, California, gets around 15 calls each day from companies across the country inquiring about its employer testing program. The lab works with about 100 employers — from 10-person outfits to two pro sports teams — mainly in the Bay Area. IGeneX tests its own workers every other week.

One client is Tarana Wireless, a nearby telecommunications company that needs about 30 employees in the office at a time to operate equipment. In addition to monthly COVID tests, the building also gets cleaned every two hours, and masks are mandatory.

“It’s definitely a burden,” said Amy Beck, the company’s director of human resources. “We are venture-backed and have taken pay cuts to make our money extend longer. But we do this to make everyone feel safe. We don’t have unlimited resources.”

IGeneX offers three prices, depending on how fast a company wants the results: $135 for a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test with a 36- to 48-hour turnaround — down to around $100 a test for some higher-volume clients; one-day testing costs $250, and it’s $400 for a six-hour turnaround.

In some cases, IGeneX is able to bill the companies’ health insurance plan.

“Absolutely, it’s expensive,” said IGeneX spokesperson Joe Sullivan. “I don’t blame anyone for wanting to pay as little as possible. It’s not ‘one and done,’ which companies are factoring in.”

Plus, cheaper, rapid options like Abbott’s antigen test, touted by the Trump administration, have come under fire for being inaccurate.

For those going into work, Chin-Hong recommends that companies test their employees once a week with PCR tests, or twice a week with the less sensitive antigen tests.

Ideally, Chin-Hong said, public health departments would work directly with employers to administer COVID testing and quash potential outbreaks. But, as KHN has reported extensively, these local agencies are chronically underfunded and overworked. Free community testing sites can sometimes take days to weeks to return results, bogged down by extreme demand at commercial labs like Quest Diagnostics and LabCorp and supply chain problems.

Hudgins, who receives his health insurance through North Carolina’s state exchange, tries to get a monthly COVID test at CVS on his own time. But occasionally, his insurance — which requires certain criteria to qualify — has declined to pay for it, he said.

“Being in the service industry in a state where numbers are ridiculously high,” he said in an email, “I see volumes of people every day, and I think getting tested is the smart and considerate thing to do.”

This story was produced by Kaiser Health News (KHN), an editorially independent program of the Kaiser Family Foundation. KHN is a nonprofit news service covering health issues.

Hannah Norman: ha*****@kf*.org, @hnorms

Providing Youth Access to Environmental Education, Work Experience

Johanna Miller

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November 27, 2020

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Providing Youth Access to Environmental Education, Work Experience

For the past six years, Watsonville Wetlands Watch (WWW) has invited high schoolers to work alongside professionals to experience a range of environmental-based careers.

The organization’s Green Careers Institute aimed to give students an understanding of the impacts of climate change and a window into the work being done to stop it.

Things changed in 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent shelter-in-place orders went into effect worldwide. WWW began looking for ways to adapt its education programs, including Green Careers, in a safe way. Thus, the organization’s new Climate Corps Leadership Institute (CCLI) was born.

“This year, with conditions so different … we had to rethink our programs,” said Watsonville Wetlands Watch Executive Director Jonathan Pilch. “This community has had a huge challenge with distance learning, so we’ve been doing what we can to help out. [CCLI] was one way we could do that.”

The institute is a blend of distance learning and in-person activities, following current Covid-19 safety guidelines. CCLI students participated in a four-week training program over the summer, focusing on climate change and local environmental projects. This fall, their work has continued through a paid internship, helping plant trees, maintain trails, restore wetlands and work at WWW’s native plant nursery.

Pilch said it was important that the students are paid a stipend for their work given the current unemployment rate.

“[The pandemic] has been especially hard for youth who usually work during the summer to help support their families,” he said. “We wanted to connect the work we do with addressing that issue. And it’s supporting them through their academic careers … helping them move into fields that are meaningful to them.”

On Nov. 16, WWW had a group of 12 students from the institute planting new Shumard Oak trees at Brentwood and Victoria Park. The planting was part of the Watsonville Community Forest Project, an ongoing effort with the city of Watsonville to add thousands of trees to the city. For the next month, more plantings will be held at various parks and schools, bringing the total number of new trees to 450.

Ileana Ortega Brunnetti, WWW’s Community Outreach and Development Director, said programs like CCLI are instrumental in bringing equity into a community.

“With all that’s happening in the world currently … this is how we can support families, in our areas of expertise,” Brunnetti said. “And in terms of academic development … they’re learning a lot, and seeing careers they never thought possible.”

Another upside is what it gives the students personally—especially during the pandemic, when they are usually stuck at home and have little connection with their classmates.

“They get joy from it,” Brunnetti said. “They’re just excited to get out of their houses, see their peers … when you go up and talk to them they are just so happy to be outside, together in a community.”

Added Pilch: “This is a really hard time for teens. One thing I’ve noticed about [CCLI] is that it gives them hope. They talk about how working on these projects gives them hope for the future of their community, and their planet.”

WWW is moving ahead with its other work, including supporting the Pajaro Valley Unified School District in its extended learning model and continuing its Adopt a Tree program. Brunnetti and Pilch extended their thanks to the community for their support in 2020, which has been a challenging year for environmental nonprofits.

“We really want to recognize the difficult year it’s been … but also extend our gratefulness to the community,” Brunnetti said. “We’ve felt the support and the care … so thank you for that.”

Watsonville Wetlands Watch is participating in this year’s Santa Cruz Gives holiday giving campaign. Learn more about how you can support them and other local groups by clicking here.

Youth N.O.W. Seeks Support to Tutor, Empower Students

Tony Nuñez

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November 27, 2020

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Youth N.O.W. Seeks Support to Tutor, Empower Students

For 10 years, Youth N.O.W. has tutored and empowered hundreds of students throughout the Pajaro Valley, providing an essential outlet for those struggling to pick up various subjects in class or finding a safe space to study after the bell rings.

Now, after a sudden loss of one of its major funding streams because of the Covid-19 pandemic, that nonprofit is at risk of failing, according to Executive Director Michele Chaney.

“It’s that dire right now,” she said. “We were in a really good position and now we’re very seriously impacted for being able to provide services next year.”

Youth N.O.W., Chaney said, would need to fundraise at least $100,000 to provide its free-of-cost tutoring sessions and “pro-social” activities—those that focus on bringing out each of the students’ strength and creativity—that have positively impacted numerous students throughout the last decade.

Those looking to donate can do so through Santa Cruz Gives, the online countywide holiday giving campaign that kicked off on Nov. 18.

From now until year’s end, people can donate to Youth N.O.W. and 39 other nonprofits serving various communities in Santa Cruz County at santacruzgives.org. There, donors can browse individual pages to learn more about each nonprofit’s mission and “Big Idea” project for 2021 that will be funded with the online donations.

Youth N.O.W.’s “Big Idea” for 2021 is continuing to deliver no-cost tutoring to distance-learning students.

Chaney said that the organization has conducted three-fourths of its tutoring services digitally since the pandemic began in mid-March. That has meant those services have gone from small groups to one-on-one sessions with roughly 130 students from various schools and grade levels. Volunteers, including 40 service learners for Cal State Monterey Bay, have been the lifeblood of the program, Chaney said.

But making the move online proved costly. The nonprofit had to purchase new programs and tech to provide its services, and it helped fill the “digital divide” vacuum during the early stages of the pandemic by purchasing multiple “hotspots” and WiFi extenders to help students attend class.

Now, they need help of their own.

“We want to prevent students from falling behind in this time,” Chaney said. “These were students that were struggling to keep up in the first place, and the inequity in this is these students are far more impacted by Covid right now.”

Youth N.O.W. has also set up a GoFundMe account.

Santa Cruz Gives, which was founded by the Pajaronian’s sister paper Good Times with the support of The Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County, prides itself on reaching donors during their busy day-to-day schedules.

The Pajaronian joined the campaign last year, its fifth.

Projects represent a variety of needs: youth, seniors, animals, the environment, education, health and wellness, food and nutrition, housing and homelessness, arts, families, the disabled and LBGTQ+. A seven-member committee with nonprofit experience vetted the applications.

Selected nonprofits will receive donated funds, matching funds and be eligible for three awards: Most Donors Overall, Most Donors Under 35 years old and Most Innovative Program. Each honor comes with a $1,000 award.

Last year, Santa Cruz Gives raised $413,161 for 37 nonprofits. Total donations increased by 74.5% over 2018, and the number of donors increased by 48% over 2018.

Other nonprofits primarily serving South Santa Cruz County youth selected by Santa Cruz Gives:

BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

Organization Mission: We create and support one-on-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. We have served more than 7,000 local at-risk children, providing a crucial foundation at a critical time of their lives. Mentors make Santa Cruz County a safer and healthier place by helping children make better decisions, which increases their chances of staying in school and decreases their challenges with substance abuse, teen pregnancy, and the criminal justice system.

Big Idea: Virtual and In-Person Mentoring

More than one-third of youth in Big Brothers Big Sisters have become caretakers, breadwinners and tutors since the pandemic began. Covid-19 disproportionately affects the families we serve.

All of our services are available virtually now, and one positive outcome is that this opens up mentoring for more volunteers, including seniors and others who also may be experiencing isolation. We are uniquely positioned to provide consistent out-of-school and virtual support if needed, and our mentors continue to serve as a vital source of consistency and connection.

CASA OF SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

Organization Mission: CASA of Santa Cruz County advocates for children, providing court-appointed volunteers so each child in the Dependency Court system feels cared for and connected with the people, families, and resources they need to heal and flourish into adulthood.

Big Idea: Advocating for Foster Youth in Santa Cruz County

Covid-19 is affecting all of us, but children in foster care are especially vulnerable to abuse and neglect. CASA volunteers make sure these children are protected from the isolation that comes with this pandemic. Children in foster care rely on members of their community to ensure they aren’t left behind as the world shelters in place.

CASA recruits, screens, trains, and supervises Volunteer Advocates to work one-on-one with children and their families to support reunification or permanent placement into a safe and healthy home. Advocates get to know their child’s situation and needs, help caregivers access resources to meet those needs, and advocate for the child’s best interests in court, community, and school settings.

ECOLOGY ACTION

Organization Mission: We help people, businesses and communities act now to reduce carbon emissions at scale for a healthy, thriving future. Ecology Action was founded in Santa Cruz in 1970 and has helped to start and run programs that help our region lead the nation in environmental sustainability. Our initiatives include Earth Day Santa Cruz, Bike to Work Day/Bike Challenge, Safe Routes to Schools/BikeSmart/WalkSmart, Electric Vehicle Incentive Programs/National Drive Electric Day, and Monterey Bay Friendly Landscaping/Green Gardener Programs.

Big Idea: Bike Skills are Life Skills

In our lowest income neighborhoods, children walk and bike to school on the dirt shoulder of roads where big rigs roll by less than 20 feet away. One way Ecology Action achieves transportation justice is to ensure all of our children have equal access to skill development training for safely biking and walking by providing free, online classroom training. We support both teachers and students in low-income areas. We seek community support (donations, volunteers, and sponsors) to ensure every fifth-grader rides safely on their bikes and every second-grader can cross a street safely in traffic. There are 109 classes in the county and we seek funds for training the last 25 classes in Live Oak, Bonny Doon, San Lorenzo Valley, Scotts Valley, Watsonville, and Happy Valley.

FOOD WHAT

Organization Mission: “Food, What?!” is a youth empowerment and food justice organization. At FoodWhat, youth cultivate their well-being, liberation and power by engaging in relationships with land, food and each other. Youth from Watsonville to Santa Cruz join the FoodWhat Crew through our Spring Internship, Summer Job Training and Fall Project Management programs. Within the supportive space of FoodWhat, youth grow, cook, eat and distribute farm-fresh, organic food while addressing local food justice issues.

Big Idea: Youth Empowerment, Food Justice

As economic, health and food insecurity deepens in our community, youth of color continue to struggle in these areas with disproportionate difficulty. That’s why at FoodWhat, we will continue to get fresh, healthy food to marginalized youth and their families—no matter what. Whether from growing their own food on the farm, or receiving fresh CSAs at their doorsteps, FoodWhat families will have a food access point that is stabilizing, nourishing and community-driven.

GIRLS INC.

Organization Mission: To inspire all girls to be strong, smart, and bold, and to respect themselves and the world around them. Girls Inc. serves 1,700 girls in 41 schools with trained professionals (often older teens) who mentor them in a safe environment. Girls are inspired to pursue secondary education, develop leadership and decision-making skills, serve their communities, and acquire the ability and wisdom to lead healthy lifestyles.

Big Idea: Virtual Leadership Mentoring Program for High School Girls

The overriding goal of our new virtual program is that girls will learn to set and achieve goals, boldly confront challenges, resist peer pressure, see college as attainable, and explore nontraditional fields. The virtual setting eliminates transportation issues and will allow girls throughout Santa Cruz County to participate more easily. Participants will meet twice a month for 12 interactive, virtual sessions.

JACOB’S HEART

Organization Mission: Jacob’s Heart exists to improve the quality of life for children with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses by supporting their families in the challenges they face. We provide emotional, practical, financial and peer support to hundreds of local children with cancer and thousands of their family members. We envision a community where every child with a serious or life-threatening condition has a strong, supported and informed family empowered to fully participate in their care.

Big Idea: Medically Fragile Children

Caring for a medically fragile child is always rife with fear and uncertainty. Financial stress compounds when your child is seriously ill. Siblings are confused and scared. A simple trip to the grocery store is always a risk when caring for an immunocompromised child. Early in 2020, no one could have imagined the challenges that were about to befall the children and families we care for at Jacob’s Heart. We seek support for our new laser-focused emergency relief plan to address the immediate physical and emotional needs of families of medically fragile children during the pandemic: safe housing, food, transportation to treatment and crisis counseling.

LIVE LIKE COCO

Organization Mission: We help kids in the Santa Cruz County area to grow up healthy and with opportunities to pursue their dreams. Our foundation is inspired by Coco Lazenby, who was killed in a car accident in 2015 at age 12. We work to provide local children with opportunities that made a difference in her life.

Big Idea: Improving Book Diversity

This year, we are stepping up efforts to improve language diversity and to represent a wider variety of ethnicities, family backgrounds and abilities for our literacy program. Our program provides books to students at local public schools, at little free libraries we’ve placed throughout the community, and to local organizations that reach our most vulnerable communities. We also sponsor a forest and community garden, pay for scholarships, and organize beach cleanups and field trips, among other efforts to improve the lives of local kids, with a focus on those in low-income communities.

SENDEROS

Organization Mission: Senderos is a volunteer-based organization that forges pathways to success for Latino youth through free traditional music and dance programs, and fosters educational opportunities. Senderos has established cultural pride in the face of racism and gang involvement, and has grown from serving seven youth in 2001 to more than 150 youth and young adults each year.

Big Idea: Equity in Education and Arts for Latino Youth

In 2021, we will focus on academic and cultural arts equity for Latino youth. Senderos will provide homework help, tutoring, and mentoring for youth, and computer literacy training for parents. Distance learning has illuminated the disparities for low-income, immigrant families. Where possible, improved connectivity, headsets, and quiet learning spaces could make a difference. Senderos also seeks to build our scholarship fund to motivate first-generation students on their pathway to higher education. Finally, we aim to enhance methods to engage youth in our free, now virtual, music and dance classes.

TEEN KITCHEN PROJECT

Organization Mission: The Teen Kitchen Project builds healthier communities by cooking food. Chefs and nutritionists help volunteer teens cook nourishing meals that are delivered to individuals and families in crisis due to severe illness throughout Santa Cruz County.

Big Idea: Support the Critically Ill with Home Delivered Meals

Help us increase delivered meals by 200% to support those who are isolated due to illness during the pandemic. Your support will provide uninterrupted meal delivery service to 500 Santa Cruz County individuals and families who are impacted by a life-threatening illness. We’ll also continue to engage teens as a paid, stable workforce in order to deliver a total of 97,000 meals in 2020, representing an increase in production of 140% as we respond to the evolving impact of the pandemic.

WATSONVILLE WETLANDS WATCH

Organization Mission: Watsonville Wetlands Watch works to preserve, restore, and foster appreciation of the wetlands of the Pajaro Valley, and involve the Watsonville community. Our education programs reach over 4,000 students with outdoor learning that helps to develop the next generation of environmental leaders.

Big Idea: Climate Change Leadership Institute, Expanding Urban Forest

In response to Covid-19 and to support our initiative Wetlands Action for Climate Change, we launched a paid job training program that helps Watsonville teens expand their leadership skills and take local actions to curb climate change and address environmental justice issues. Funds raised from Santa Cruz Gives will enable the development of the Climate Corps Leadership Institute, a multi-year paid internship for teens, and will also support the expansion of urban tree plantings in Watsonville. Teens will plant trees on streets, parks, schools, and neighborhoods and will develop small group action projects to affect big changes related to climate change resilience and urban forests in Watsonville.

2020 Holiday Gift Guide

Special Publications

GT Staff

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November 25, 2020

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It seems like all year I’ve been saying one thing after another is “more important than ever.” But I think you already know that supporting local businesses this holiday season is literally more important than ever.

There are dozens of ways to do so in this year’s Holiday Gift Guide, and I certainly hope you will. I also hope that in the midst of a pandemic that has sucked the fun out of so many things, this guide will bring some humor, color and creative inspiration to your holiday shopping effort. Finally, I hope you’ll go to santacruzgives.com and support the incredible Santa Cruz County nonprofits we’re raising money for this holiday season. It’s more … well, you know.

STEVE PALOPOLI | EDITOR

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BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

CASA OF SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

ECOLOGY ACTION

FOOD WHAT

GIRLS INC.

JACOB’S HEART

LIVE LIKE COCO

SENDEROS

TEEN KITCHEN PROJECT

WATSONVILLE WETLANDS WATCH