Page 512 – Good Times

How the Health Crisis Could Empower a Healing Shift

Maria Grusauskas

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August 18, 2020

How the Health Crisis Could Empower a Healing Shift

The day I was asked to write a health story in the middle of a health crisis, I retreated to my mother’s garden to panic-weed the arugula.

Afterward, barefoot in the dirt and contemplating a morning glory vine, I noticed my anxiety had loosened its grip. I must have known this would happen, for I’d spent the last 12 weeks in that asylum of growth and decay—talking to plants, thinking, and more often than not, looking for the shovel I just had in my hands.

Evidently, I’m far from the only one who’s turned to gardening as therapy this year. And while the seeds I planted that day are now flowering bean stalks, I still haven’t been able to separate the psychological impact of the global, and acutely national, crisis we’re in from the topic of health. So, I gave up trying.

With grimey fingernails, I dialed Dr. Dawn Motyka, a Santa Cruz-based physician and host of the radio show Ask Dr Dawn, and I told her my theory: Our psyches are collectively experiencing the trauma of an unprecedented global breakdown. She didn’t disagree, but over the course of a two-hour Zoom interview and several phone calls, she introduced a solution-oriented perspective on health in the new paradigm that is, dare I say, empowering.

“The status quo is gone forever,” Motyka says. “And I think we can shift it into a time of great healing, because we’re not distracted by the trivial things.”

Indeed, if ever there were a spiritual call to becoming a better, healthier, happier, and more authentic human being, it is now.

Reset Button

At its most visceral, the act of facing one’s own mortality—which we’ve all grown accustomed to doing every day now—is its own motivating factor, and it may just be an ace up our sleeves.

“Use it as a pivot point,” Motyka says. “‘Since I’m not dead now, what do I need to shift? What will I regret not having done, what do I need to make amends for?’ Especially because our mortality is confronting us, this is not a good time to leave things unsaid. It is not a time to be guilty and avoidant.”

To our advantage, seizing the day becomes a whole lot easier when your schedule has become a tabula rasa.

“It’s a bit like that story about putting a frog in water and turning it up a little at a time, and the frog doesn’t realize it’s boiling to death,” Motyka says of our pre-pandemic pace and way of life—which was not only unhealthy to humans but also to the natural world that many of us have since rediscovered.

“The gift of Covid-19 has been the absence of the kind of moderate to high level of distracting buzz that we’ve lived in,” she says. “There’d been so many things to do, see, watch, and attend to, plus social engagements, we had lapsed into a sort of reactive hypnosis. We were just responding to texts and emails and consuming things, but we weren’t really being good critical thinkers.”

As of late July, when the American death toll had surpassed 150,000, Black people were dying of the coronavirus at nearly three times the rate of white people. Motyka credits the extra time people have had to reassess their values as a variable that’s empowered and enabled current movements for social justice.

She likens the phenomenon to an abstract version of Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing. On the individual level, it is an introspective weeding out of “junk” activities in exchange for ones that feed the soul.

“I think we can all use this as a moment to pause and maybe redirect our energies into more fertile, more nutritious directions,” Motyka says. “Find what strengthens you, and do more of it.”

To that end, the pandemic seems to have brought about the largest gardening trend since World War II’s Victory Garden movement. That movement, supported by ad campaigns and governmental funding, resulted in 40% of the nation’s vegetable supply being grown in home gardens.

“That’s actually probably a good thing,” says Renee Shepherd of Renee’s Garden Seeds, when I lament that there has not been a governmental campaign for gardening during the current crisis. Nevertheless, she reports a 700% increase in seed sales at the height of the pandemic—and although it’s tapered off slightly, it remains at an all-time high. “It’s unprecedented, and it’s never happened this big,” says Shepherd, who has been in business since 1985. “I’ve called up other members of the Home Garden Seed Association, and everyone’s seed business shot up 300, 400, and 500% this spring.”

Whether or not the grassroots trend will stick has yet to be seen. But the shift is profound when you consider that the nation’s last gardening resurgence, during the recession in 2009, saw just a 40% increase in seed sales, reported by both Renee’s Garden Seeds and Burpee.

Gardening, with its therapeutic flow-state and health-boosting outcome, certainly fits the bill, but Motyka says any creative, substantive activity is far better for our health right now than zoning out on Game of Thrones reruns or the “colorful brain candy” of social media we all carry around in our pockets.

“Nutrition, lowering your stress, doing something creative, feeling happy and joyful—these are all things that actually make your immune system work better,” Motyka says.

At self care’s most basic, she urges us not to slack on personal hygiene, as she’s seen an uptick in bacterial skin infections since the pandemic began, which she correlates with sleeping in the same clothes you’ve worn several days in a row. Don’t do this.

Healing a Divided Populace

So what do we do until vaccines—of which there will be “an embarrassment of riches” when it comes to options, Motyka says—arrive sometime in the next 18 months?

For one, we should continue to soak up the great outdoors. “It’s very evident that it’s about concentration—and if you can dilute the dose (of the virus), it doesn’t make you sick,” Motyka says.

The natural experiments have been done, and we now know that the coronavirus does not spread well outside. Do continue to wear your masks and socially distance—and we may very well see a light flu season as a result. And, she says, you can stop glaring at people who are running or riding their bikes outside without masks, “end of story.”

At a time like this, it is not only irresponsible but also dangerous to pass on any coronavirus information that you have not vetted for credibility. “Check the source, go to their website. Are they qualified? Are they credible? Are they selling something?”

“In fact, I suspect that many of the strongest advocates for not wearing masks are themselves being duped and really don’t understand that they’re the unwitting shills for adverse foreign powers who are trying to weaken our country—and very successfully, I might add,” Motyka says. “They found a way to play to our weaknesses, and we need to try to heal that. And I think one way to heal it is to be kind to every single person that crosses your path.”

As it turns out, being kind to others has been shown to boost levels of secretory immunoglobulin A, an important immune system antibody. And compassion, the feeling that motivates a kind act, has been found to have anti-inflammatory properties, since it stimulates the vagus nerve.

“You want to kind of be moderate, be mellow, seek out joy, avoid turmoil. Those are all good rules for living anyway, but in a time of a pandemic they’re real survival rules,” Motyka says.

According to Santa Cruz-based writer and consciousness researcher David Jay Brown, psilocybin mushrooms, which have been decriminalized in Santa Cruz since January, have become another popular way for some people to cope with the consequences of the pandemic.

“People report that the enchanted fungi can help to psychologically renew and empower them, and to shift their perspective in a more positive direction, which can be immensely helpful during these dark, scary, and uncertain times,” he writes in an email. Studies have shown that the active component in the mushroom can not only help to alleviate depression, but also enhance immune function and foster a greater sense of openness and connection to others, he adds.

The Post-Corona World

It’s like the Beatles song, says Motyka, and she launches into “You were only waiting for this moment to arise.” We’ve known about the potential for a widespread pandemic, basically since AIDS.

“It’s actually late, in my opinion,” she says. “I think we’ve dodged the bullet for a very long time.”

Well, you’re allowed to screw up with your first child, she says—and screw up, we have. “We’ve consistently, at every decision point, made the wrong call. The governors made the right call with the shutdown. That was never ordered at the federal level,” says Motyka, who believes there have been too many federal roadblocks toward progress in the fight against coronavirus in this country.

Though global air travel might never return to what it was now that everyone has learned to Zoom, Motyka thinks artificial intelligence systems that monitor human temperatures at airports will be critical moving forward.

“The stuff we do for customs and drugs, we’re now going to have to view imported diseases as another kind of import that we need to be surveying,” she says.

“And we have to have an international epidemic treaty, with teeth in it, that says you fess up,” she says. “Whatever is going on, you reveal it to the world, no fair trying to hide it. That was one big mistake—don’t stonewall this stuff. When you do, you give it a chance to get rolling, which is a bad idea.”

She also believes that vaccines should be shared by international treaty, and that Homeland Security’s Obama-era pandemic preparedness structures, which President Donald Trump dismissed upon taking office, must be reestablished.

If Trump is voted out of office in November, the next two years are crucial.

“Nothing happens if we don’t get those two years. So let’s assume we’ve got the two years. I hope that they are thinking big. We could do a Green New Deal, and we could invest more money in infrastructure, and we need to be really careful that social justice principles happen this time around. The alignment for that I think is good,” she says. “We have all been given a really big kick in the ass, and we need to develop our systems.”

An Overdose, New Services and Uncertainty on Homelessness

Jacob Pierce

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August 18, 2020

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An Overdose, New Services and Uncertainty on Homelessness

[This is part three of a series about the health impacts of homelessness. Part four will run next week. – Editor]

The man under the Water Street Bridge was slumped over, his skin turning purple, when fellow homeless residents and a homeless advocate found him in the bushes last Thursday.

They administered the overdose-reducing substance Narcan, and the advocate called 911. Medics did chest compressions, gave him oxygen and attempted life-saving measures, but the man died of a presumed drug overdose. (The coroner has yet to release additional information.)

His death came less than one week after a local health group, which does Narcan distributions, announced that it would be expanding its operations. It isn’t Narcan that typically draws attention to the Harm Reduction Coalition of Santa Cruz County’s work, though—nor do the bandages, condoms, lubricants, tourniquets, water, bleach or cotton balls that they also distribute.

Instead, the attention normally goes to the syringes that the group hands out. That’s also the aspect that’s expanding, with the California Department of Public Health certifying the coalition as a certified syringe exchange. Exchanges of used syringes for clean ones are designed to reduce infections, disease spread and other preventable health risks.

Critics of the Harm Reduction Coalition—including county supervisors and law enforcement officials—point to the large quantities of syringes found in public spaces as a bigger priority. It isn’t clear, however, whether syringe exchanges are part of that particular problem. Needles are available for purchase in pharmacies and online, and both the Harm Reduction Coalition and the county-run Syringe Services Program take in more needles than they give out. Advocates and county public health leaders say the existing evidence points to managed syringe exchanges correlating with less waste, not more.

Although syringe exchanges aren’t specifically a homeless issue, many clients are homeless, according to county survey data. And according to the 2019 homeless census, 30% of the county’s homeless suffer from alcohol or substance abuse.

In response to the concerns about litter, the state expanded the Harm Reduction Coalition’s scope, awarding the group extra funding and adding litter abatement to the project. Members of the public will be able to report syringes found littered in public spaces, and the coalition will come pick them up.

County Supervisor Bruce McPherson continues to have concerns, though, about syringe litter. He wants to find a better way to track where the distributed syringes go and where the littered needles come from. Although the coalition is independent of the county, he hopes the group stays engaged and refers clients to the county’s addiction services.

State decisions aside, McPherson still believes the county can improve its own Syringe Services program.

“The decision’s been made, and I’m going to do the best to improve our county program, even though the state approved this application over our objections,” he says.

COOPERATIVE LIVING

Over at San Lorenzo Park’s benchlands, a new homeless camp—a partnership between the county and the city of Santa Cruz—has essentially pulled off the vibe of a run-of-the-mill apartment complex.

One camp resident laid out a welcome mat in front of their tent. Another planted a small garden in vegetable pots. Occasionally, a squabble breaks out in the camp, like in any neighborhood, explains Jeremy Leonard, the camp’s assistant manager, but, for the most part, it’s been peaceful.

“People have a safe space that they’re not getting kicked out of all the time,” explains Leonard.

The tents are spaced out from one another. There are showers, and there’s a hand-washing station. Residents must wear face masks when they leave their tents to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus that causes Covid-19. Leonard and his colleagues have been able to offer some residents grief counseling and others access to addiction services. The Homeless Person’s Health Project came in to do some medical outreach.

The camp has expanded to meet more campers, and it’s a low-barrier facility, meaning that staff doesn’t turn anyone away. It doesn’t have a no-drug policy. Leonard presumes that may make some locals uncomfortable, given that the facility takes government money. But he says this model is the best way to get the homeless off the streets, reduce neighborhood impacts and help people.

“We can house people that couldn’t go other places or couldn’t get a housing voucher. At the bottom line, these people are human beings. No matter what trauma they’ve been through, they deserve a place to stay,” he says.

The Covid-19 pandemic has the potential to shift just about everything about homelessness. Local government budget crises created by the shelter-in-place order are prompting cuts to safety nets across the country, even as there are calls to give homeless individuals safer living conditions.

To that end, there are bright spots, as well. The county is housing 180 homeless individuals on state hotel vouchers. Earlier this month, the county Board of Supervisors approved a six-month work plan on homeless systems and accepted $1.9 million in emergency state funding.

On Aug. 11, the Santa Cruz City Council accepted an advisory report, gave direction for a new community engagement homelessness plan, greenlit a study of city facilities suitable for homeless services, and took steps toward expanding shelter and navigation services on Coral Street.

Meanwhile, the state’s homeless population could be headed for an untimely growth spurt. Although there’s still time for a legislative deal, California eviction protections are set to expire at the end of the month.

No one can say what exactly the potential looming cliff means, but a recent Aspen Institute analysis found that an estimated 30-40 million people nationwide could be at risk of eviction by the end of 2020.

CASH INJECTION

The Harm Reduction Coalition’s state-supported syringe services program is set to roll out this fall with one distribution site at its normal location, as well as with delivery services.

Denise Elerick, the group’s founder, says the coalition will purchase supplies from a clearinghouse in Washington state, just as other state programs do. A newly approved $405,000 in state funding will go toward three years of salaries and stipends for the coalition.

The group didn’t always plan to put quite so much focus on home deliveries. The Harm Reduction Coalition withdrew the previous version of its application last year over criticism that the group hadn’t reached out before proposing new distribution sites in Watsonville and in Felton. The coalition left those sites out of its revised application, which the state subsequently approved.

Over the past year, unsubstantiated rumors spread, however, that there had never been a syringe exchange in Felton or anywhere else in the San Lorenzo Valley.

Those misnomers are perhaps indicative of the way misinformation spreads on this topic. In fact, a previous volunteer-run effort, the Santa Cruz Needle Exchange Program, held distributions in Felton and in Boulder Creek two decades ago, according to the program’s training manual, its written policy, and two recent interviews by GT—one with a volunteer and another with the program director.

Former volunteer Rokki Baker remembers the needle exchange project as being uncontroversial in the late 1990s and early 2000s. She first got involved in the local harm reduction community after her husband, who had AIDS, died of a drug overdose in 1991.

“It’s been a great education. I’ve met a lot of people. I’ve helped a lot of people. I’ve lost a lot of people,” says Baker, a former addict who later led a drug recovery organization. “It’s been quite a ride. And it wouldn’t have happened if my husband hadn’t ODed, so I have to say it’s for him.”

The USC Center for Health Journalism’s 2020 California Fellowship supported reporting for this project.

Rob Brezsny’s Astrology: Aug. 19-25

Rob Brezsny

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August 18, 2020

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Free will astrology for the week of Aug. 19

ARIES (March 21-April 19): “We never know what is enough until we know what’s more than enough,” said Aries singer Billie Holiday. I don’t think that applies to everyone, although it’s more likely to be true about the Aries tribe than maybe any other sign of the zodiac. And I’m guessing that the coming weeks could be a time when you will indeed be vivid proof of its validity. That’s why I’m issuing a “Too Much of a Good Thing” alert for you. I don’t think it’ll be harmful to go a bit too far and get a little too much of the good things; it may even be wise and healthy to do so. But please don’t go waaayyyy too far and get waaayyyy too much of the good things.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Taurus author Honoré de Balzac (1799–1850) took many years to write The Human Comedy, an amalgam of 91 intertwined novels, stories and essays. For this vast enterprise, he dreamed up the personalities of more than 2,000 characters, many of whom appeared in multiple volumes. I bring this to your attention, Taurus, because I believe that the next 15 months will be an excellent time for you to imagine and carry out a Balzac-like project of your own. Do you have an inkling of what that might be? Now’s a good time to start ruminating.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Not until the 19th century did humans begin to take organized actions to protect animals from cruelty. Even those were sparse. The latter part of the 20th century brought more concerted efforts to promote animal welfare, but the rise of factory farms, toxic slaughterhouses, zoos, circuses and cosmetic testing has shunted us into a Dark Age of animal abuse. I suspect our descendants will look back with horror at our barbarism. This problem incurs psychological wounds in us all in ways that aren’t totally conscious. And I think this is an especially key issue for you right now. I beg you, for your own sake as well as for the animals’, to upgrade your practical love and compassion for animals. I bet you’ll find it inspires you to treat your own body with more reverence.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Cancerian literary critic Harold Bloom bragged to The New York Times that his speed-reading skills were so advanced that he could finish a 500-page book in an hour. While I believe he has indeed devoured thousands of books, I also wonder if he lied about his quickness. Nonetheless, I’ll offer him up as an inspirational role model for you in the coming weeks. Why? Because you’re likely to be able to absorb and integrate far more new information and fresh experiences than usual—and at a rapid pace.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): “Magic lies in challenging what seems impossible,” says Leo politician Carol Moseley Braun. I agree with her, but will also suggest there’s an even higher magic: when you devise a detailed plan for achieving success by challenging the impossible, and then actually carry out that plan. Judging from the current astrological omens, I suspect you’re in an unusually favorable position to do just that in the coming weeks. Be bold in rising to the challenge; be practical and strategic in winning the challenge.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “Joy is a mystery because it can happen anywhere, anytime, even under the most unpromising circumstances,” writes author Frederick Buechner. What he doesn’t say is that you must be receptive and open to the possibility of joy arriving anywhere and anytime. If you’re shut down to its surprising influx, if you’re convinced that joy is out of reach, it won’t break through the barriers you’ve put up; it won’t be able to land in your midst. I think this is especially important counsel for you in the coming weeks, Virgo. Please make yourself available for joy. P.S. Here’s another clue from Buechner: “Joy is where the whole being is pointed in one direction.”

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): “I transformed stillnesses and darknesses into words,” wrote Libran poet Arthur Rimbaud. “What was unspeakable, I named. I made the whirling world pause.” In accordance with current astrological potentials, I have turned his thoughts into a message for you. In the coming weeks, I hope you will translate silences and mysteries into clear language. What is unfathomable and inaccessible, you will convert into understandings and revelations. Gently, without force or violence, you will help heal the inarticulate agitation around you with the power of your smooth, resonant tenderness.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “Your desires, whether or not you achieve them, will determine who you become,” wrote author Octavia E. Butler. Now is a fertile time for you to meditate on that truth. So I dare you to take an inventory of all your major desires, from the noblest to the most trivial. Be honest. If one of your burning yearnings is to have 100,000 followers on Instagram or to eat chocolate-covered bacon that is served to you in bed, admit it. After you’re through tallying up the wonders you want most, the next step is to decide if they are essential to you becoming the person you truly want to be. If some aren’t, consider replacing them with desires that will be a better influence on you as you evolve.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): If you can manage it, I recommend taking a break from business-as-usual. I’d love to see you give yourself the gift of amusement and play—a luxurious sabbatical that will help you feel free of every burden, excused from every duty, and exempt from every fixation. The spirit I hope you will embody is captured well in this passage from author Okakura Kakuzo: “Let us have a sip of tea. The afternoon glow is brightening the bamboos, the fountains are bubbling with delight, the soughing of the pines is heard in our kettle. Let us dream of evanescence, and linger in the beautiful foolishness of things.”

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Rapper Eminem advises us, “Never take ecstasy, beer, Bacardi, weed, Pepto-Bismol, Vivarin, Tums, Tagamet HB, Xanax, and Valium in the same day.” What’s his rationale? That quaffing this toxic mix might kill us or make us psychotic? No. He says you shouldn’t do that because “it makes it difficult to sleep at night.” I’m going to suggest that you abide by his counsel for yet another reason: According to my analysis, you have the potential to experience some wondrous and abundant natural highs in the coming weeks. Your capacity for beautiful perceptions, exhilarating thoughts and breakthrough epiphanies will be at a peak. But none of that is likely to happen if you’re loaded up with inebriants.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “Everyone who has ever built a new heaven first found the power to do so in his own hell,” declared philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. That’s a rather histrionic statement! But then Nietzsche was a Maestro of Melodrama. He was inclined to portray human life as a heroic struggle for boldness and liberation. He imagined us as being engaged in an epic quest to express our highest nature. In accordance with your astrological potentials, I propose that you regard Nietzsche as your power creature during the coming weeks. You have a mandate to adopt his lion-hearted perspective. And yes, you also have a poetic license to build a new heaven based on the lessons you learned and the power you gained in your own hell.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Here’s some knowledge from author John le Carré: “In every operation there is an above the line and a below the line. Above the line is what you do by the book. Below the line is how you do the job.” According to my analysis, you have, at least for now, done all you can in your work above the line. That’s great! It was crucial for you to follow the rules and honor tradition. But now it’s time for a shift in emphasis. In the coming weeks, I hope you will specialize in finessing the details and massaging the nuances below the line.

Homework: Meditate on the possibility that you could gain personal power through an act of surrender. freewillastrology.com.

Venus Spirits Cocktails and Kitchen Opens for Outdoor Dining, Takeout

Christina Waters

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August 18, 2020

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Venus Spirits Cocktails and Kitchen Opens for Outdoor Dining, Takeout

Venus Spirits Cocktails and Kitchen opened last weekend. The long-awaited opening of the restaurant in the hand-craft distillery had been delayed by several months due to Covid-19, but will now open with outdoor dining and to-go food and cocktails.

The menu—featuring an assortment of made-from-scratch snacks, small plates, fresh salads, and shareable entrees—has been designed to complement various Venus Spirits distilled spirits. Chef James Manss, who has served as executive chef at both Sotola and Süda, has taken on the role of executive chef. Sous Chef Gabrielle Molina met Manss at Süda, and the pair will work together at Venus Spirits Cocktails and Kitchen.

The Venus plan is for a cocktail menu to include favorites from the tasting room along with classic and creative cocktails by bar manager Lindsay Eshleman, who ran the cocktail program at Seascape Beach Resort for several years. An award-winning competitor and spirit educator, Lindsay has also bartended at Jack Rose in Los Gatos.

The new distillery is right next door to Venus Spirits Cocktails and Kitchen, allowing guests to view where the spirits are made through an assortment of windows that have been placed in the shared wall. Cocktails may be enjoyed on the outdoor patios and most drinks will be available to-go. Entrepreneur Sean Venus always seems to surf the edge, and this latest expansion is just another example of his thinking. Gin and tonic in a can, hand-crafted spirits of every flavor and hue, and now a major kitchen/restaurant operation, opening in these unusual socially distanced times, yet with full-blown optimism and a stunning menu for outdoor seating.

The mouth-watering new menu is devoted to contemporary comfort foods, and it includes cornbread with bourbon bacon jam, fried chicken with sweet and spicy peppers, grilled rockfish tacos with salsa verde and avocado, and cheeseburgers you’ll want to eat all day and all night. The Venus Spirits Kitchen even sports an amazing wayward chocolate torte accented by cinnamon, chili and cacao nibs. It’s a good reason to mask up and come check out this exciting new dining venue.

427 Swift Street, Suite A, Santa Cruz. Thursday and Sunday, 3-8pm; Friday-Saturday, 3-9pm. venusspirits.com.

Wine of the Week

Livermore Ranch Merlot 2013 is an appealing red wine loaded with berry jam yet plenty of structure and 13.8% alcohol. It goes with everything! A true value purchase, on the Bargain Wine rack at Shopper’s Corner for a ridiculously low $9.99. Grab a couple bottles while they last.

Open al Fresco

Soif and La Posta are now offering outside dining. Soif’s new outdoor seating on Walnut Avenue is open Thursday-Sunday, 1-7pm, and La Posta’s open air dining is available Thursday-Sunday, 4-8pm. Soif will not be taking reservations, with seating on a first come, first served basis. Soif continues to offer takeout food, wine and cocktails. Takeout food orders may be placed by calling 831-423-2020 from 1-6pm or by ordering at the counter. For La Posta takeout call 831-457-2782 or email la***************@gm***.com.

Notes for the Season

Right now is the moment for local halibut, never fresher and sweeter, that we especially like to get from Ocean2Table or Shopper’s Corner. Peaches and nectarines are exceptional, as are dry farmed tomatoes and richly-flavored red bell peppers. It’s the heart of harvest time and we live in the best of places for abundant organic produce.

Check out our continually updating guide to local takeout, delivery and outdoor dining options.

Fires, Wind, Lightning, Blackouts Strike Santa Cruz

Jacob Pierce

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August 18, 2020

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Fires, Wind, Lightning, Blackouts Strike Santa Cruz

UPDATED Tuesday, Aug. 18, 12pm: This article was updated with more information about the heat wave and fires.

Fires popped up around the San Francisco Bay and Monterey Bay areas early Sunday as rare lightning storms struck the area, kicking off a wild week for weather in Northern California and along the Central Coast.

At the end of a day in which temperatures soared higher than 100 degrees in some areas, rolling blackouts began rippling through the state for the second day in a row.

Saturday’s blackouts affected PG&E customers in parts of Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Joaquin counties. In the midst of the nascent heat wave, this past weekend marked the first time since 2001 that the state saw rolling blackouts to conserve energy. The California Independent System Operator (ISO) is asking residents to conserve energy and turn thermostats to 78 degrees or higher during the current heat wave.

The outages are not like the public safety power outages in the past, PG&E said Saturday. Those outages are implemented during California’s fire season when weather conditions threaten to increase the chance of a blaze being lit and spreading quickly.

By 3am Sunday, fierce winds were whipping through Santa Cruz County and lightning began to strike.

The thunderstorms made way for tremendous gusts of wind. Cindy Palmer, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Monetery office, says the thunder clouds were high up in the air—about 5,000 feet. That gap between storms and the earth’s surface allowed wind to pick up speed, with gusts coming in as fast as 60 miles per hour. “It’s just the nature of the storms being high-based,” Palmer says.

Many of the lightning strikes happened out at sea, but others happened on land, often unaccompanied by rain to cool the area. This phenomenon, known as “dry lightning,” often poses very high fire risk. A red-flag warning was in effect Sunday morning from Monterey County to the northern San Francisco Bay Area, according to the National Weather Service.

Summers in this region are normally too dry for thunderstorms, but tropical storm conditions off the coast made this one possible, Palmer says.

Soon sparks started to fly. Cal Fire’s San Mateo-Santa Cruz Unit reported that it responded to at least 22 fires between Sunday morning and Monday at 8am.

Wildfires are now spread across the state of California like polka dots. Two fires in Santa Cruz County—both of them north of Davenport—continue to burn. Larger fires burned in the counties of Monterey, Santa Clara, Contra Costa and Napa. As of Tuesday morning, the River Fire near Salinas was at more than 4,000 acres and 10% contained, while the Canyon Zone Fire in Stanislaus County was 10,000 acres and 0% contained as of Monday night. After a dry winter, this year’s fire season is shaping into one that might last a long time, although Palmer says there’s no timeline for when it will end. “It’s something we’re monitoring,” she says.

A recent Santa Cruz County Grand Jury report found that Santa Cruz County’s fire agencies need to improve communications and that they are unprepared for high fire risk.

Meanwhile, Santa Cruz County officials say residents should expect to experience rotating power outages of 1-3 hours from 3-10pm while the heat wave persists. The state’s energy grid continues to struggle with increased demand because of the ongoing heatwave.

On Monday the ISO issued a statewide Flex Alert, a call for voluntary electricity conservation. The Flex Alert will extend through Wednesday and is in effect from 3-10pm each day.

California’s record-breaking heatwave has put extraordinary strain on the electric system, as air conditioners are working harder and longer to keep spaces cool during the high temperatures, the ISO said.

Between 3-10pm, the ISO is urging consumers to:

Set air conditioning thermostats to 78 degrees, if health permits
Defer use of major appliances
Turn off unnecessary lights
Unplug unused electrical devices
Close blinds and drapes
Use fans when possible
Limit time the refrigerator door is left open

Additional reporting by Janice Bitters.

How Wolf Jett Finds Redemption in Troubling Times

Aaron Carnes

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August 17, 2020

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How Wolf Jett Finds Redemption in Troubling Times

It wasn’t easy for Chris Jones to deal with both of his grandmothers living in nursing homes, in poor health, and nearing death. He wanted to write a song to them, but not have it be something that would make them feel sad. The song “One Sweet Day” came as a result.

“I was trying to find a song that they would listen to and it would give them peace,” Jones says. “‘One Sweet Day,’ it’s simply about, ‘When my life is over, I won’t have to suffer anymore. I’ll be redeemed.’”

This song isn’t the only track in his group Wolf Jett’s set where he takes dark, troubling subject matter and turns it into something redemptive. It’s kind of the whole point of the band. Formerly of the San Francisco band Scary Little Friends, Jones moved to Europe, where he scraped by busking on the street. It changed his whole life.

“I was playing on the streets, seeing a world of people that are miserable. I have this attitude now, kind of a gospel mentality,” Jones says. “I think people today are stuck in their patterns of living. They want some kind of redemption from their lives. That is what Wolf Jett is all about. The inner need in us to be more like children, laugh and dance and be free again.”

Eventually, Jones moved back to the states—New Jersey, specifically—where he and local musician Jon Payne and some other Santa Cruzans formed Wolf Jett. Their “street gospel” music, which is not religious, incorporates elements of folk and bluegrass, and, of course, gospel.

“Folk music and bluegrass is informed by gospel music. If you look at blues and country musicians, those artists were singing gospel, too. Hank Williams would have a drinking song and then on Sunday we have a whole set of gospel tunes,” Jones says. “I formed this band before Kanye made a gospel album. When Kanye is making a gospel record, you know there’s some human consciousness happening.”

Jones and the rest of Wolf Jett recorded the band’s debut self-titled album in late 2019. They had an exciting 2020 planned with three tours booked. They were going to release the album at DIO Festival in Santa Cruz this past spring. Of course, the pandemic halted all of those plans in their tracks.

“Pre-Covid times, everything was going to be sweet. We were going to play festivals. Everything was looking great,” Jones says. “We don’t know when all of this is going to be over. We’re holding this out until something exciting can happen. Everybody in the music industry, it’s all on hold. We’re no exception. Nobody feels sorry for us. We don’t feel sorry for ourselves. It’s just crazy.”

Jones was in a hot spot in New Jersey, so he left to stay at his parents’ house for a little while. After a few months, he came to Santa Cruz to live with Payne for the foreseeable future. They’ve released a few singles off their album, but they’re waiting for the right moment to put the album out. In the meantime, they’ve built a home studio on Payne’s property, something they had talked about doing for a long time, but only now had the time to actually do.

“We’re excited because the studio just got finished. We’re getting itchy to start recording again. We’ll have another album done by the time this album is ready to be released,” Payne says. “We’re going to keep writing, recording, and focus on trying to heal ourselves.”

The grand vision that Jones and Payne have for the group hasn’t changed. Even if they aren’t playing shows now, they plan to do so again when it seems safe. And when they return, they want to bring their “gospel” with them.

“I feel like it’s more meaningful. I know so many people who quit their jobs or lost their jobs or have lost a loved one. It’s made a lot of people search their souls,” Jones says. “People need that healing energy right now. I don’t know how to get it to them. That’s the tough part right now. After this darkness passes, there will be a lot of redeeming that needs to happen.”

For more information, check out wolfjett.com.

The Orange Peels Rerelease Breakthrough 1997 Album ‘Square’

Aaron Carnes

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August 17, 2020

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The Orange Peels Rerelease Breakthrough 1997 Album ‘Square’

In October 1996, Allen Clapp and His Orchestra played a successful show in Portland with Cake and John Cale. Things were looking up for the band despite the fact that their ’60s-jangle-pop sound was not the most sellable style in the mid-l90s. But there was one problem: They weren’t technically a band.

As they drove back to the Bay Area, the three members that backed Clapp spoke up. They wanted to be more than Clapp’s Orchestra. After a brief discussion, they landed on the name the Orange Peels.

“Honestly, I was so happy that they did it, because it meant that we were really a band,” Clapp says. “It wasn’t just the solo project with people helping me out. It was a real thing.”

It was good timing. The Orange Peels, originally based out of Sunnyvale and currently in Boulder Creek, were about to release their debut album Square on Minty Fresh Records. The 1997 record would become a hit with ’90s indie-rock fans who loved earnest, salty-sweet Beatles-pop, and it set them up for a career that has spanned two decades. They’re currently working on their eighth record.

But that first record was such an important moment for them, they decided to reissue it. On June 26, Square was rereleased for the first time on vinyl, along with several bonus tracks and alternative versions for a deluxe CD version.

Back when Clapp was working solo, he’d recorded an album’s worth of material on his battery-powered four-track tape recorder, playing every instrument himself. He showed the demos to friend Maz Kattuah, who liked it so much, he showed it to Brian Kirk—who owned hip indie the Bus Stop Label. Kirk dug the tape-hiss-filled, lo-fi recording, and wanted to release the tracks as they were. The album, One Hundred Percent Chance of Rain, was released on vinyl in 1993 and CD in 1994. It got great reviews and some radio play.

“I’ve never actually been a lo-fi guy. I wanted to sound as good as it possibly could. It hit at this moment when the lo-fi movement started to happen,” Clapp says. “I was partially excited for them to put it out. I was also partially mortified that it was going to come out. ‘These are just four-track demos, guys.’”

The record’s success led Clapp to form a live band, which included Jill Pries (bass) and Larry Winther (drums). As a trio, they started to record Square, Clapp’s follow up, on his four-track again. They were surprised when Atlantic subsidiary X-Mas Records signed them, providing the funding to record in a real studio. But X-Mas Records went under after spending all of their money on a lavish Melvins box set of 45s. Chicago-based indie label Minty Fresh picked them up and had them rerecord again. During this period, session drummer Bob Vickers joined the group, with Winther moving to guitar.

“Allen’s tunes were out of step with what was happening at the time. But for those of us who’ve always listened to music that’s been out of step, it was great,” Vickers says. “Allen’s stuff was really pop-oriented. It had humor in it, but also real touching sides to it as well.”

The original intention to reissue the record was to finally have Square on vinyl, something they’d wanted since day one. In the year-long process it took to obtain the original recordings to remaster it for vinyl, they found recordings for all three versions, and figured why not release it all?

“We knew we were never destined for household name status. But I think in that small little world, those people are passionate about their bands,” Vickers says. “We did find a following with that record.”

They raised the funds for the rerelease on Kickstarter just to make sure this wasn’t strictly a passion project; they wanted to make sure fans were interested. There were more than enough people ready to preorder.

“A lot of the people that backed the Kickstarter, those are people that have been there since day one. Square was the thing that kicked off everything,” Clapp says. “Those people are still with us. They drink the Kool-Aid—or the orange juice.”

For more information, check out theorangepeels.com.

Census Begins Final Count With Door-to-Door Visits

Tony Nuñez

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August 17, 2020

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Census Begins Final Count With Door-to-Door Visits

With roughly 64% of Watsonville having already taken the 2020 Census, the community is keeping pace with the state and national self-response rate.

That is something to be proud of, said Deputy City Manager Tamara Vides, considering the unprecedented circumstances the community has faced during the Covid-19 pandemic along with the political challenges the census has had to overcome.

“It’s good,” Vides said, “but we think we can do better.”

With time winding down on the 2020 Census, the U.S. Census Bureau for the next two months will be sending “Census Takers” to homes that have not yet filled out the decennial survey. Their goal is simple: make sure that every person in the community is counted.

“That’s all they’re there to do,” said Census spokesman Josh Green. “We’re going to every household, door-to-door, to get a complete and accurate count.”

These Census Takers will visit homes between 9am and 9pm and be easily identified by their official U.S. Census ID badge, vehicle and bag. They will also have a smartphone that they will use to help people complete the census on the spot.

The Census Takers are also trained in the latest health guidelines from both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local health officials, Green said. That means they will be wearing face masks and practicing physical distancing during their visit.

“We take this very seriously,” he said.

The Census Takers will be knocking on doors until Sept. 30. Representatives from the census will also make appearances throughout Watsonville at locations such as the Watsonville Public Library (Aug. 19 and 20), Pajaro Valley Loaves and Fishes (Aug. 17 and 18) and the Second Harvest Food Bank distribution (Aug. 21) at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds.

People who have not yet filled out the census do not need to wait for the knock on their door to do so, as they can still submit their survey via mail, phone (call 844-330-2020 from 7am to 2am daily) or online. Those who speak Spanish can call 844-468-2020 or visit 2020census.gov/es for information.

Filling out the census takes roughly 10 minutes, according to the Census Bureau.

A part of the U.S. Constitution, the census is a once-a-decade survey of the country’s population that determines congressional representation and how hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funding are allocated.

The data is also used to determine which communities need new schools, clinics, roads and more services for families, older adults and children. And it can also influence investment in the private sector, as businesses often use the results to determine where to open new stores, restaurants, factories or offices as well as where to expand operations and recruit employees.

“We know how important [the census] is,” Vides said. “It will affect us throughout the next 10 years.”

The data cannot be shared with another government agency or law enforcement. The Bureau is bound by Title 13 of the U.S. Code to keep the information confidential. Under Title 13, the Bureau cannot release any identifiable information about a person, their home or business, even to law enforcement agencies. Violating Title 13 is a federal crime, punishable by prison time and/or a fine of up to $250,000.

Still, city leaders fear that some Watsonville residents will be wary of responding to the census because they might incorrectly think the information could be used by federal agencies such as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It is a misconception that Green says the Bureau has tried to squash for years.

Along with assuring the community that the process is confidential through bilingual public service announcements in various media, the Bureau has partnered with the Santa Cruz County and the City of Watsonville on multiple outreach campaigns. One campaign hired various local artists to create bilingual chalk art on densely populated streets urging people to take the census. A more recent campaign was the Bee Counted Watsonville Bike Caravan in which dozens of cyclists rode through undercounted neighborhoods to promote the importance and raise awareness of the census.

“People do not need to be afraid about this operation,” Green said.

Vides, who has been the city’s point person for the census since it started its push in 2018, said there have been numerous “barriers” to achieving a complete count over the last two years.

Many of those hurdles have stemmed from the Trump administration, which decided to move the reporting deadline up from Oct. 31 to Sept. 30. President Donald Trump also tried to add a question about citizenship to the 2020 Census, a move that was denied by the Supreme Court.

President Trump has since issued a memorandum that calls for undocumented immigrants to be removed from the census count used for reapportioning House of Representatives members among states. A study conducted by the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics found that if that memorandum were to be implemented, California could lose two Congressional seats.

Numerous lawsuits have been filed against the Trump administration’s decision, including one spearheaded by the state of New York and backed by a coalition of states, counties and cities.

Monterey County joined that lawsuit late last month. The Watsonville City Council held a special meeting around the same time to determine whether it would join the lawsuit, but ultimately took no action on the item.

“It’s been one battle after the other,” Vides said. “At every level, from our city council members who have been closely monitoring all the steps the White House has taken lately to jeopardize a complete count, to all of us who have been involved in helping our community get counted, it is important that Watsonville residents consider completing the census form because, at the end of the day, that’s what’s shaping our future.”

Food Justice Nonprofit Raises $80,000 for Young People and Families

Johanna Miller

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August 14, 2020

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Food Justice Nonprofit Raises $80,000 for Young People and Families

FoodWhat founder and Executive Director Doron Comerchero said he is constantly impressed by the strength and resilience of the young people his organization serves.

The food justice nonprofit announced on July 30 it is giving $80,000 to those currently enrolled in its programs. Each of the 80 youth and their families are receiving $1,000 through FoodWhat’s Youth Resilience Fund.

“One young woman said to me, ‘I wanted to get stuff for myself, but my family always comes first,’” Comerchero said. “I think that reminds us that youth are essential members of their families. They take care of siblings, contribute economically, support their parents to find resources. They play a central role in the household.”

The $80,000 was raised in just over a month in partnership with Community Foundation Santa Cruz County and many local individuals, who would usually donate during the organization’s annual benefit dinner in September. Due to Covid-19 the event is canceled, but FoodWhat staff knew that support would be even more vital this year. So instead of raising money for the organization, they decided to move 100% of the funds directly to the families.

“As we moved through spring … we stayed in touch with our [youth] through email, text and calling,” Comerchero said. “There was this constant narrative of strain on their economic, social and mental health. They weren’t able to keep their jobs … and summer was approaching. We knew it would be incredibly difficult for them.”

Founded in 2007, FoodWhat offers a way for local low-income and resilient teens to engage in relationships with sustainable farming, food and each other in ways that are grounded in love and rooted in justice. It focuses on three primary areas: health, job training and personal growth. Teens who participate in the year-round programs can earn school credit and a paycheck.

The ongoing pandemic has not halted FoodWhat’s programming. Last week the organization wrapped up its Summer Job Training program, where members worked three days per week for $15 an hour. Summer youth participated over Zoom in gardening instruction at home with 5-gallon bucket gardens that FoodWhat dropped off at each of their homes. They also jumped on Zoom for weekly workshops and cooking sessions to make dinner for their families made with a kit of ingredients including a bountiful CSA share from the farm, delivered to their homes.

“We heard [from young people] that having a commitment to growing something, especially something that could help their families, gave them a sense of success and accomplishment and staying connected,” Comerchero said. “The heart of FoodWhat is connection—through food, land, community, love. Our challenge this year has been how we can offer this in new ways.”

Comerchero said that while the Youth Resilience Fund will indeed help its participants and their families, there is a long road ahead. Staff is currently leveraging its resources as another wave of the pandemic hits the Central Coast.

“This is still the beginning,” he said. “It’s very difficult to look ahead right now. We have to ground ourselves to each week, day, moment. Looking into the next growing season … our work will be rooted in what is happening then.”

County Proposes Budget Cuts to Health Services, Law Enforcement

Todd Guild

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August 13, 2020

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County Proposes Budget Cuts to Health Services, Law Enforcement

The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Monday held the first of a four-day series of talks that will lay out how the county will allocate its $878 million budget, a task made more complex by the financial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The supervisors in June were set to approve a budget by the July 1 deadline, but those numbers were upended when the virus forced businesses to close. The board then adopted a preliminary budget as a “placeholder,” knowing that further cuts would be necessary to address a $23 million revenue shortfall caused largely by business closures.

On Tuesday, Aug. 18, the supervisors will finalize and approve the budget plan, which includes potential cuts, furloughs and layoffs for every department in the county.

August’s revised budget includes about 37 layoffs. The county has implemented employee furloughs, but more than $12 million in additional reductions is still needed to balance the budget.

County budget manager Christina Mowrey said that the county is estimated to lose more than $3 million in sales tax and $4.9 million in transient occupancy tax during the 2020-21 fiscal year, in addition to slight dips in property and cannabis business taxes.

In all, the county’s Public Safety and Justice system cut about $90 million from its budget, while the Health and Human Services department cut $31 million, Mowrey said.

The parks department had revenue losses of more than $1 million, which it offset with reductions, Mowrey said.

The county has received $27.6 million from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act that must be spent by the end of the year and can only be used to reimburse Covid-19-related costs that were incurred in the current and previous fiscal year, County Administrative Officer Carlos Palacios said.

“Many difficult decisions had to be made in order to present you a balanced budget that focuses on the continuation of essential services,” Palacios said.

Palacios recommended that the county spend $14.2 million of its $56 million reserve to help offset the costs. But that would leave the county with just 7.5% reserves, barely the minimum level it set for itself, Palacios said, adding that the funds are one-time only.

“Normally I would never recommend this, nor would any government professional,” he said. “However it’s such an unusual situation—it’s not a normal situation—and there’s a thought that once a vaccine is successfully implemented that the economy will quickly recover.”

The county’s budgetary troubles are made worse by the uncertainty of further state and federal funding, Palacios said.

If the pandemic continues, there will be no additional money to help absorb the ongoing response, he said.

The Health and Human Services Agency is facing a cut of just over $1 million, and a reduction of about 14 positions, said director Mimi Hall.

A total of 14 employees are taking early retirement, Hall said, and the department has implemented seven furloughs and unfunded several vacant positions.

“Every facet of our community has been impacted,” she said. “What we expect is a recession that we have not experienced in our lifetimes.”

Sheriff’s Office Faces Cuts

The supervisors on Tuesday considered a $165 million budget for the County’s Public Safety and Justice departments, which includes the Sheriff’s Office, county fire departments, the Superior Court and the regional 911 center.

Sheriff Jim Hart told the supervisors that he has to slash about $3.8 million from his budget, which amounts to a 6.6% cut.

If the pandemic continues to ravage the county’s finances over the next two years, the Sheriff’s Office could close the Blaine Street and Rountree jail facilities, Hart said.

In all, the Sheriff’s Office is removing 13 positions and defunding nine, Hart said.

The potential cuts also include the county’s Sexual Assault Response Team (SART).

Hart said that he is considering laying off nine cooks that prepare meals for the county’s jail facilities and outsourcing the service to an outside vendor.

The Sheriff’s Office closed the county’s sobering center on June 30, where law enforcement officials took people when they were arrested for being intoxicated in public. That facility diverted some 2,000 people per year who would otherwise have been booked into jail, a cost-saving for the county and a time-save for officers, Hart said.

In addition, Hart suggested that the Sheriff’s Office eliminate all “non-mandated” training such as de-escalation and crisis intervention. He also said the department could disband the enforcement arm of the county’s cannabis compliance division, which among other things is responsible for making sure growers are licensed. That could compound the problem of illegal grows, Hart said.

“There’s really not going to be any incentive for people to follow the rules and go through licensing and curtail the black market we see here in Santa Cruz County,” he said.

In addition, the Sheriff’s Office will not send recruits to the police academy this year, and will not do so for at least another year, which Hart predicts will cause future staffing issues.

“We’re going to have a real vacancy problem of just maintaining our minimum staffing numbers,” he said.

An additional cost-saving measure is disbanding the Focused Intervention Team, which pairs law enforcement officials with mental health professionals to address chronic offenders.

Cuts could also include disbanding the investigations and property crimes divisions.

Finally, the Sheriff’s Office has suspended construction and accreditation of its DNA lab, which would allow the county to quickly analyze samples taken from crime scenes, Hart said, adding that the proposed lab would have allowed a return after 48 hours, whereas state labs can take from six months to two years.

“This was going to be a game-changer for law enforcement and the district attorney’s office here in Santa Cruz County,” Hart said.

Despite the grim report, the supervisors were not willing to accept some of the suggested cuts. Instead, they approved a series of amendments that would partially fund the Cannabis Compliance team by sharing the cost with the Sheriff’s Office.

Supervisor Ryan Coonerty also added a motion to fund the Focused Intervention Team from February through June in 2021.

In addition, the supervisors voted to use funds from the Risk Measurement department to pay for deescalation training, and to bring back funding for the SART program.

“I recognize that you have been presented as every department has with making choices that you never want to make,” said Supervisor Zach Friend, speaking about the SART program. “And we are here to try and ease some of that where possible, and I believe that within this program that’s an important one.”

As part of worker furloughs, most county offices will close on 19 days during the fiscal year. Many critical services, including health care and benefits enrollment, will continue to be offered on those days.

For more information on the budget plan, visit santacruzcounty.us.

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