Rob Brezsny’s Astrology: May 27 – June 2

Free will astrology for the week of May 27, 2020

ARIES (March 21-April 19): “The best of my nature reveals itself in play, and play is sacred,” wrote the feisty Aries author Karen Blixen, who sometimes used the pen name Isak Dinesen. The attitude described in that statement helps illuminate the meaning of another one of her famous quotations: “I do not think that I could ever really love a woman who had not, at one time or another, been up on a broomstick.” In my interpretation of this humorous remark, Blixen referred to the fact that she had a strong preference for witchy women with rascally magical ways. I bring this to your attention, Aries, because I’m inviting you to cultivate a Blixen-like streak of sacred play and sly magic in the coming days.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Taurus music legend Willie Nelson has played the same guitar since 1969. He calls it “my horse,” and named it after Trigger, a famous horse in Hollywood films. Although Nelson still loves the tones that come from his instrument, it’s neither sleek nor elegant. It’s bruised, with multiple stains, and has a jagged gash near its sound hole. Some Tauruses want their useful things to be fine and beautiful, but not Willie. Having said that, I wonder if maybe he will finally change guitars sometime soon. For you Bulls, the coming months will be time to consider trading in an old horse for a new one.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): I’ve got a message for you, courtesy of poet Lisel Mueller. I think her wisdom can help you thrive in the coming weeks. She writes, “The past pushed away, the future left unimagined, for the sake of the glorious, difficult, passionate present.” Of course, it’s always helpful for us to liberate ourselves from the oppressive thoughts of what once was in the past and what might be in the future. But it’ll be especially valuable for you to claim that superpower in the coming weeks. To the degree that you do, the present will be more glorious and passionate and not so difficult.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): When Lewis Carroll’s fictional heroine Alice visits the exotic underground realm known as Wonderland, she encounters two odd men named Tweedledee and Tweedledum. The latter tells her, “You know very well you’re not real.” He’s implying that Alice is merely a character in the dream of a man who’s sleeping nearby. This upsets her. “I am real!” she protests, and breaks into tears. Tweedledum presses on, insisting she’s just a phantom. Alice summons her courageous wisdom and thinks to herself, “I know they’re talking nonsense, and it’s foolish to cry about it.” I suspect you Cancerians may have to deal with people and influences that give you messages akin to those of Tweedledum. If that happens, be like Alice.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): “The less you fear, the more power you will have,” says the rapper known as 50 Cent. I agree with him. If you can dissolve even, say, 25% of your fear, your ability to do what you want will rise significantly, as will your influence and clout. But here’s the major riddle: How exactly can you dissolve your fear? My answers to that question would require far more room than I have in this horoscope. But here’s the really good news, Leo: In the coming weeks, you will naturally have an abundance of good insights about how to dissolve your own fear. Trust what your intuition tells you. And be receptive to clues that serendipity brings you.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): For his film Parasite, Virgo filmmaker Bong Joon-ho received Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. In his natal horoscope, Joon-ho has Pluto conjunct his sun in Virgo, and during the time Parasite began to score major success, Saturn and Pluto were making a favorable transit to that powerful point in his chart. I’m expecting the next six months to be a time when you can make significant progress toward your own version of a Joon-ho style achievement. In what part of your life is that most likely to happen? Focus on it. Feed it. Love it.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): According to my analysis of the astrological omens, the coming weeks will be a favorable time for you to seek out, seduce and attract luck. To inspire you in this holy task, I’ll provide a prayer written by Hoodoo conjurer Stephanie Rose Bird: “O sweet luck, I call your name. Luck with force and power to make change, walk with me and talk through me. With your help, all that can and should be will be!” If there are further invocations you’d like to add to hers, Libra, please do. The best way to ensure that good fortune will stream into your life is to have fun as you draw it to you.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Scorpio comedian John Cleese does solo work, but many of his successful films, albums, stage shows and TV programs have arisen from joining forces with other comedians. “When you collaborate with someone else on something creative,” he testifies, “you get to places that you would never get to on your own.” I propose you make this your temporary motto, Scorpio. Whatever line of work or play you’re in, the coming weeks will offer opportunities to start getting involved in sterling synergies and symbioses. To overcome the potential limitations of social distancing, make creative use of Zoom and other online video conferencing.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): “Wherever I am, let me never forget to distinguish want from need,” vows author Barbara Kingsolver. “Let me be a good animal,” she adds. That would be a stirring prayer to keep simmering at the forefront of your awareness in the next six weeks. According to my understanding of the astrological omens, you’ll be getting clear signals about the differences between your wants and needs. You will also discover effective strategies about how to satisfy them both in the post-pandemic world, and fine intuitions about which one to prioritize at any particular time.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Writing some Chinese characters can be quite demanding. To make “biáng,” for example, which is used in the name for a certain kind of noodle, you must draw 58 separate strokes. This is a good metaphor for exactly what you should avoid in the coming weeks: spending too much time and devoting too much thought and getting wrapped up in too much complexity about trivial matters. Your focus should instead be on simple, bold approaches that encourage you to be crisp and decisive.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Singer-songwriter Jill Scott is strongly committed to her creative process. She tells us, “I was once making a burger for myself at my boyfriend’s house and a lyric started pouring out and I had to catch it, so I ran to another room to write it down, but then the kitchen caught fire. His cabinets were charred, and he was furious. But it was worth it for a song.” My perspective: Scott’s level of devotion to the muse is too intense for my tastes. Personally, I would have taken the burger off the stove before fleeing the scene to record my good idea. What about you, Aquarius? According to my analysis, you’re in a phase when creative ideas should flow even better than usual. Pay close attention. Be prepared to capture as much of that potentially life-altering stuff as possible.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): To protect ourselves and others from the pandemic, most of us have been spending more time than usual at home—often engaged in what amounts to enforced relaxation. For some of us, that has been a problem. But I’m going to propose that it will be the opposite of a problem for you in the next three weeks. In my astrological opinion, your words to live by will be this counsel from author and philosopher Mike Dooley: “What if it was your downtime, your lounging-in-bed-too-long time, that made possible your greatest achievements? Would they still make you feel guilty? Or would you allow yourself to enjoy them?”

Homework: What’s the story or song that provides you with your greatest consolation? Freewillastrology.com

Santa Cruz’s Andrew Jay Brings His Guitar Wizardry to Into The Cosmos

Three years ago, local musician Andrew Jay started working on his debut solo album. It was to be the culmination of everything he’d accomplished as a musician up to that point.

When he was 9 years old, his dad bought him his first guitar. A little later, when his dad passed away, Jay made practice a never-ending part of his existence. In 2005, at 19, he made use of all those long hours and nearly won the Guitarmageddon National Finals. The contestants were given a backing track on a CD to play over. Most of them used the opportunity to show off their technical chops. Jay took a different approach and wrote a very intricate, gorgeous melody.

Not long after, Jay met producer/engineer/musician Dan Alvarez online. Among other musicians, Alvarez has worked with virtuoso guitarist Jason Becker. Alvarez and Jay connected over their love of good guitar-based music. They both had a feeling that if a wider audience could hear Jay play, he’d be able to turn his musical passion into a career.

“Alvarez was like, ‘You need this as a stepping stone to get into some really big band.’ We focused on getting my album released to get me into a band,” Jay says.

The solo album is still being finished, a long-term project that is sure to dazzle listeners. But in the meantime, Jay formed the band Into The Cosmos, who started gigging regularly about a year and a half ago. You can hear a lot of Jay’s solo material that he’s written over the past decade with Santa Cruz’s Into The Cosmos. It’s all-instrumental tracks, and musically dexterous, but not show-off guitar music.

“It’s not just your average shred stuff. It’s very well-composed. I tried to replace the vocals with excellent melodies and just see where that goes,” Jay says. “We have songs that are bluesy, songs that are jazz-fusion. We have songs that are more rock and roll and metal. It’s all over the place.”  

The group had been building some momentum in the local scene before the shelter-in-place order was placed. They had released their first single “Nebula” to Spotify and iTunes and were getting ready to release more. With a sudden halt to live shows, they’ve been plugging away on their EP. Last week, they finally released their second single, “Dancing Mountains.” It’s on all the platforms and their website.

Both “Nebula” and “Dancing Mountains” will be featured on their upcoming EP, which they hope to release this fall. Even though many of the compositions started as Jay solo ventures and were fleshed out by the band for live performances, as they record the songs, they’ve worked hard to give them a solid band feel, and to give the songs a good studio production.

“We take our time,” says drummer Garrett Hand. “It’s written live, but it’s a little bit different of a world because we add more guitar tracks. We add a little bit more layers to the solos. We’re building it in the studio. We take a microscope to it, if you will, because it’s on a record.”

Over the years, these songs have mutated and evolved. Some of the songs literally date back to Jay’s teenage years when he was composing songs for his YouTube channel. As Into The Cosmos has gelled more as a band, they’ve given these tunes more of a band feel, where each member’s character shines through.

Even though they can’t play shows for the time being, they continue to sculpt the band sound that they’ve been fostering all this time, and hope that when live shows return, they’ll have continued to build that momentum.

“Into The Cosmos is an opportunity for me to bring these songs that I’ve had for a long time, and new songs, to light,” Jay says. “I’ve been working on this music for a decade now. It’s great to see how it sounds with an actual band.”  

Pentecost – Tongues of Fire: Risa’s Stars May 27 – June 2

Esoteric astrology as news for the week of May 27, 2020

Gemini is the definitive sign of communication. Gemini radiates Ray 2 of Love/Wisdom into the world. When we understand each other via open, truthful communication, love appears—and wisdom, too.

Pentecost is a religious festival, signifying fifty days after Easter (Resurrection Festival) wherein Disciples, having gathered in an upper room (mental plane), experienced “tongues of fire” appearing above their heads, the result of which was the ability to speak and understand all world languages. This experience was a Ray 3 experience of Divine Intelligence penetrating the minds of the disciples. Ray 3 is called by many names: the Holy Spirit, the Comforter and the Mother. The Tibetan (via Alice Bailey) refers to Pentecost many times in his blue books (Ageless Wisdom teachings).

The emphasis during the Aquarian Age, which we are fast entering, will shift away from Bethlehem (Birth Initiation) to Jerusalem (Ashram of Peace), and from the infant and later crucified Savior to the Risen Christ (note: Christ symbolizes the soul of humanity). Pisces has seen, during two thousand years, the spreading light; Aquarius will see the Rising Light, and of both of these the Christ (World Teacher) is the eternal symbol.

The emphasis in the Aquarian Age will be on livingness, on freedom from the tomb of matter (death), and this keynote (resurrection) will distinguish the new world religion from all preceding religions.

There is one equation for peace on Earth: Intentions for goodwill creates right human relations, which creates the peace, harmony, intelligence, wisdom and the love all of humanity seeks. We can sing together on Pentecost, “Come Holy Spirit, Creator Blessed.”

ARIES: The month ahead sees you as a hard worker, working toward and within your values. If you don’t actually know your values, then observe yourself—actions, focus, communication. Note you’re slower than usual, caring for what you love (and value) with extra care. You see your ambition, the acquiring of possessions, your impatience or impulsiveness. Your senses are more alive. You eat more. Every Aries eventually becomes a Taurus.

TAURUS: Aries can sometimes steal your thunder, your Vulcan volcanic ability to make gold out of lead. You have so many abilities, you can share a few, yes? Notice your reactions to people and events. Turn reactions into responses. You’re more energetic, active, forceful these days. For a rare few moments or two, it’s ok for you to be overly assertive. However, as Aries has become Taurus, you’ve become a very interesting Gemini. It’s the planet Mercury always playing havoc.

GEMINI: You’ve become more of a Pisces. Meaning? More sensitive, more reluctant to push the river, more compassionate and understanding. Your confidence has taken a different path. You’re working more in secret, can be blamed for things you didn’t do, be misunderstood. Intuiting that the past is merging with the present and everything looks now toward the future. Dreams (day and night) appear, imagination becomes creative. Music (more of it), please.

CANCER: It’s most important to think about cooperation, teamwork and how your personality impacts groups. With all your emerging thoughts and ideas, you may be inclined to talk over others, attempt to direct and dominate everyone and everything. It’s best to work as a team when considering humanitarian goals. It’s also important personally to create daily agendas, schedules, plans and goals. They become your new context and protection.

LEO: You are the leader, the one everyone looks to, hopes to be, learns from, emulates, is guided by. Your accomplishments are acknowledged and recognized; be grateful. This pleases you. I have written before that for a Leo to evolve others must see, applaud, point out and praise their efforts, gifts, talents and abilities. Praise is how Leos can more fully identify themselves as creative, saying, “I now know that I AM because of what I create (and you see it).”

VIRGO: You long for a new undertaking, a new venture, a quest, an adventure, a voyage somewhere. And your restlessness won’t accept any hindrances. Your life does need an expansion coupled with new experiences. All the energy you’re feeling propels you into new travel, new studies, new interests and new books, along with opinions that may lead to disagreements, disputes and new points of view. Refrain from anything illicit, risky and forbidden.

LIBRA: You can no longer suffer exhaustion, overtime, or other people’s rules. You need deep solitude, a retreat from the world, and less stress, both subtle and overt. Careful with projecting suppressed disappointments or anger (from long ago to present) toward others, especially those close to you. You may be unaware of this. The issues may be conflicts around values, what you hold in common with another, joint money and resources. Careful with communication and consequences. Contemplate your true needs. Then love more.

SCORPIO: Everything may become challenging, especially interactions with friends, co-workers and intimates. Should you encounter conflict, measure it against your personal internal conflicts. We reflect each other, the heavens and the earth. Conflict contains information. If we struggle long enough a new level of harmony emerges. Be as courageous, dynamic and lively as possible. Everything eventually becomes conflictual, then it resolves, then there’s rapprochement. Help someone in the meantime.

SAGITTARIUS: Interesting new energy, at times quixotic and unexpected, is affecting daily routines, agendas, plans and work schedules. In between focus on health—exercise, diet, walking, running, archery, horseback riding, yoga, etc. You must have a daily regime of physical activity or restlessness will result. It may be difficult working with others. You may be too unusual and too fast for them. Harmony is needed in your work world. Be aware of this. Don’t disagree, clash or quarrel. When agitated, recite silent Oms. Laughter is the best meditation.

CAPRICORN: Questions: Do you have lots of energy and self-discipline? Are you seeking new and unusual creative expressions? Do you feel you are expanding out of the old ways of identity and being? Do you have enough money? Do you feel the need for a deeper spirituality? And do you want to communicate about this? Tend to the wounds of loved ones. The result will be more play, pleasure, more sleep. Is your home comfortable? Do you need a new couch? Do you need more comfort? How is your daily life changing?

AQUARIUS: You may find yourself being more and more creative, which gives you a greater sense of identity. Note how you feel more instinctive, protective and secure. Are new or unusual events occurring concerning where you live? Are you thinking about family matters? Gather up much of the past. Review everything. Assess what is useful, what you can give away, what you want to keep as family heirlooms. When issues from the past emerge, talk with someone about them. Someone safe and trusting. Watch the birds each morning.

PISCES: Perform daily tasks quietly and slowly. This creates mindfulness and efficiency. Consider professional needs. It’s soon time to tell everyone of your visions, ideas, plans, wants and needs. Communications may be quick, unusual, unexpected, futuristic. Step back and watch Mars at work. Pushing things forward into a dreamy and unknown future. Tend to hands and feet with care. Sew and paint. Use the mind to make order and beauty out of conflict and chaos. Neptune in Pisces.

Retail, Places of Worship Allowed to Open at Reduced Capacity

0

Santa Cruz County Health Officer Dr. Gail Newel on Tuesday revised her shelter-in-place order to align most of the county’s restrictions with that of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s stay-at-home order.

The new county order will open places of worship, in-store retail, outdoor museums and limited personal services such as car washes and pet grooming. It goes into effect at 11:59pm tonight, May 26.

State leaders on Monday loosened restrictions on places of worship, allowing them to throw their doors open with approval from their respective county health departments.

Retail, too, got the greenlight statewide to open for in-store shopping, giving businesses that have been devastated by state and county orders a fighting chance.

Newsom on Tuesday said counties that have met variance requirements and have received approval from the state may allow barbershops and hairdressers to open. Santa Cruz County has met the requirements and will apply for the variance on June 2, pending approval by the Board of Supervisors. State review may take up to a week, county officials said.

“As we move forward with these changes, I want to caution everyone that Covid-19 is still present in our community. Anyone who is 65 years old or older, as well as those who are medically vulnerable, should continue sheltering in place,” Newel said. “I urge all members of our community to help those who need to shelter by continuing to offer help and check in.”

Local churches, synagogues and temples are now allowed to resume services at 25% capacity or a maximum of 100 people—whichever is fewer. However, they must meet stringent guidelines provided on Monday by the California Department of Public Health and Cal/OSHA that aim to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.

The 13-page document calls on places of worship to enforce physical distancing measures, require use of face coverings and train all employees and volunteers on their workplace specific plan, which should include increased disinfecting routines.

It also says visitors should be screened for symptoms of Covid-19 before being allowed in, and that places of worship should strongly consider halting or modifying singing, group performances and other practices such as communion that increase the likelihood of transmission.

Places of worship will be open under the restrictions for 21 days. The interval accounts for seven days for religious communities to prepare and reopen in addition to a 14-day incubation period of Covid-19.

Following those three weeks, the CDPH and county health department will “review and assess the impact of the imposed limits on public health and provide further direction as part of a phased-in restoration of activities in places of worship.”

It is still unclear when churches in the Pajaro Valley and the greater Monterey Bay will open. Bishop Daniel Garcia of the Diocese of Monterey, which represents dozens of local churches, including St. Patrick’s Church and Our Lady Help of Christians in Watsonville and Our Lady of the Assumption in Pajaro, in a recent video announcement said its places of worship would not open until they put together comprehensive plans of how to do so.

“At each parish (we’re) trying to create the logistics of what would it look like when we return,” he said. “Who can come? Where can you sit? We do all want to return and go back into those celebrations that we’ve been accustomed to, and that we’ve been missing, but at the same time we want to do it in a very safe way.”

Retail stores, meanwhile, can take yet another step into Phase 2 of California’s so-called Resilience Roadmap by allowing customers to shop in-store.

Business owners must meet a long list of checkpoints from an 11-page document that stresses physical distancing between workers and customers alike. Employees, the document suggests, should be protected with Plexiglas barriers at checkout stations, increased cleaning practices and contactless payment systems, among other things.

Businesses are also asked to limit the number of people in the store, allowing no more than 50% of their maximum capacity.

Kelly Pleskunas, who owns Kelly’s Books at Watsonville Square Shopping Center on Main Street, says those loosened restrictions will give her business a chance at survival.

“This is huge,” she says. 

The small independent bookstore opened for curbside pickup two weeks ago, and Pleskunas says sales have picked up since then. They, however, have not returned to their pre-shelter-in-place totals.

“People want to browse,” she says. “That’s key for a bookstore.”

Pleskunas says she has converted certain sections of her store to meet the physical distancing requirements. She will require customers to use store-provided hand sanitizer before they walk in and will also provide disposable gloves.

“There’s little bit of policing that comes with it, but that’s fine,” she says.

On the other side of the city, Sindy Hernandez is taking a slower approach. She says her clothing boutique, Queen’s Shoes, will remain closed to in-store shopping until June. She then will allow customers in by appointment only, but will not allow them to try on clothes—a practice other clothing shops have implemented to lower the chance of transmission. Instead, she will take measurements to help customers find the right size.

“I’m not scared, but I want to take my precautions,” says Hernandez, who has two kids with asthma.

Though the shelter-in-place restrictions were initially rough on sales, Hernandez says they have also been a “blessing in disguise.” The closures forced her to refine her presence on the web and increase her marketing through social media.

She has since seen an uptick in sales, which included more than 2,300 face coverings—roughly 800 of which have helped raise money for nonprofits such as Families in Transition through her Mask for a Cause campaign.

“It’s a whole new process,” she says, “but I’m managing to make it work.”

The order maintains language on daily beach closures between 11am-5pm, as well as language restricting patronage at local hotels, motels and vacations rentals, including asking lodging owners to maintain a log of the purposes customers are staying at local lodging establishments.

The order will expire July 1.

Ocean2Table Delivers Fresh, Seasonal, Sustainable Food

So many of my friends were praising the incredible fresh fish, the bountiful organic produce, the mushrooms, the eggs, and the convenient home delivery—all from Ocean2Table. I’d heard enough. It was time for me to place an order myself. 

The fact that it was the opening of king salmon season was the final nudge. So I went to the website, drooled over the possibilities and made my first order. Simple. Then on Friday when they make Santa Cruz deliveries ($7 delivery fee), I put out a freshly sanitized Igloo cooler on my front porch and waited.  

The first king salmon of the local season, thick creamy sweet salmon—a thick one pound slab of it for $25. I ordered two so that another package is safely tucked in our freezer for the future. Each week the Ocean2Table entrepreneurs, Ian Cole and Charlie Lambert put together a Fish and Farm box, which includes the featured seafood of the week, plus a fresh-baked loaf from Companion Bakeshop bread, along with an assortment of produce—last week it included chard, dino kale, beets, Gem lettuce, dill lemons, Fuji apples, sweet potatoes fennel and a basket of strawberries. To this order patrons can also add salmon, or halibut, or mushrooms (porcini, morels, matsutake), Fogline Farm chicken, Pajaro Pastures eggs, and Swanton Farm jam. It arrives at your doorstep on Fridays. The mouth-watering website provides details and recipes. 

Essentially the fresh-caught/fresh-harvest concept allows those of us who crave fresh, seasonal and sustainably captured seafoods to get the best. Ocean2Table partners Cole and Lambert, former marine field biologists who both graduated from the UCSC Environmental Studies program, started up the marine equivalent of a CSA, a CSF—Community Supported Fishery, in 2014. Consumers buy into each upcoming harvest, thereby allowing Ocean2Table to bring in fresh supplies at sustainable prices. 

The salmon, which came onshore at Moss Landing, was delicious, practically vibrating with that wild rich flavor that defines king salmon. I top it with seasonings, salt it, and roast at 425 degrees for exactly 14 minutes. And it’s always perfect. You can bet I’ll be checking out Ocean2Table deliveries all summer long. 

Getocean2table.com.

Gayle’s Pops Back Up

I got a recent email from Gayle Ortiz with the news that the team at Gayle’s Bakery and Rosticceria had been “crazy busy reinventing the business” for prepaid, curbside pickup orders (plus DoorDash delivery). The items now available from the Capitola landmark include the most popular on past menus. A huge array of pastries, sandwiches, and those wonderful dinners, including a daily Blue Plate Dinner—are all ready to pop in your own oven or microwave. 

A heads up: You place your order for second day pickup, 11am-5pm daily. In other words, if you place your online order by 11am on Monday, your order will be ready for pickup on Wednesday. So plan ahead. I’ve been craving Gayle’s comfort meatloaf and tri-tip dinners. Okay, and the morning buns. 

Gaylesbakery.com.

Open!

Bantam on the Westside is now open for pickup Monday-Friday, 4-8pm, and that means Caesar salad, pastas, and countless pizzas. There’s even a make-it-yourself pizza kit! 

Bantam, 1010 Fair Ave., Santa Cruz. Bantam.alohaorderonline.com.

Bagelry is open! You know where your favorite neighborhood Bagelry is! Well, now it’s open and loaded with Santa Cruz Coffee Roasting Company java and all your bagel favorites. Live a little—order The Duke! 

Oswald is open (more on that next week), as is Zameen, Laili, Walnut Avenue Cafe, and Sotola Bar and Grill

However, after two decades on the Capitola Esplanade, Gary and Leslie Wetsel have closed their popular Paradise Beach Grille for good. Thanks for the delicious memories.

Correcting an error from last week’s column: India Joze pickup meals are online orders only at indiajoze.com/order/eat, Tuesday-Saturday, 5-8pm (not 8:30pm).

Updated: Memorial Day Weekend Presents Covid Test Case for Santa Cruz

This story was updated at 12:20pm on Tuesday, May 26, with information from the three-day weekend.

The weather is getting warmer, the days are getting longer, and Memorial Day Weekend is now behind us.

But when it comes to containing the Covid-19 pandemic, the traditional fun in the sun presented a worst-case scenario, explains Dr. Gail Newel, the public health officer for Santa Cruz County, where beaches have been partially closed for weeks.

“Of course, we’re concerned about beaches, and we’re concerned about tourism during the warmer summer months, which traditionally brings huge crowds into the Santa Cruz County area,” Newel said at a press conference Thursday, May 21. She added that she and her colleagues considered closing the beaches altogether over Memorial Day Weekend.

Beaches are still closed countywide from 11am-5pm to walkers and joggers. They remain open for surfing, swimming and water activities. The beaches are closed at all hours for lounging, sitting, barbecues and parties. Beachgoers must keep six feet from one another at all times. In consultation with law enforcement, county leaders and local city officials, Newel decided not to enact a full closure on county beaches this weekend, like she did over the week of Easter.

The stakes were high over Memorial Day Weekend, with the Fourth of July weekend hanging in the balance. “If it goes really well, we might be able to keep things open for Fourth of July,” Newel said last week. 

It did not go well. Although it was more low-key than previous Memorial Days, groups still crowded onto the beaches, toting large chairs and ignoring the lounging ban. Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Ashley Keehn says sheriff’s deputies made contact with 2,240 individuals or groups on the beaches over the three-day weekend. They issued 15 shelter-in-place citations and 107 parking citations. Parking citations were mostly on the North Coast, Keehn says, where deputies saw large crowds of beachgoers. 

“I know that tourism is a huge part of our culture and our economy,” Newel said last week, “but that is perhaps our greatest danger from a disease perspective. The governor’s stay-at-home order is still very much in place, and Californians are expected to remain local in their own homes and communities until the governor relaxes those, which will be probably many weeks or months in the future, if not longer. It’s a very important part of disease control to control non-essential travel, including that for tourism.”

There have been 200 known Covid-19 cases in Santa Cruz County, according to information provided Monday evening by county health officials. Two people in the county have died from Covid-19, and 133 have recovered. The case count has been climbing more quickly over the past two weeks, and county officials have announced four new clusters of cases in the Watsonville area. Statewide as of Sunday, there have been 94,558 Covid-19 cases and 3,795 deaths, according to the California Department of Public Health

FOR VARIANCE REASONS

Like most of California, Santa Cruz County is getting ready to continue proceeding with its coronavirus response and reopenings. Last week, Newel said she’ll issue a revised version of her shelter-in-place order that would go into effect at 11:59pm on Tuesday, May 26. As of press time, she had not made any announcements.

Aligning with state guidelines, the new order will allow for the opening of more businesses. That includes office spaces, car washes, pet grooming, and expanded childcare, as well as outdoor museums and open galleries in public spaces—all with modifications. California is currently in stage two of its four-stage reopening strategy. On Monday, May 25, Gov. Gavin Newsom paved the way for more operations to resume, including churches and in-person retail.

Also, Santa Cruz County is getting ready to file an attestation and apply for a variance, allowing the county to enter a more advanced portion of stage two, said Mimi Hall, director of the county Health Services Agency (HSA).

Earlier this month, the HSA did not meet the contact tracing and testing requirements necessary to qualify for a variance. Last week, the state of California loosened the requirements. As a result, Santa Cruz County now meets them. Hall said HSA administrators plan to submit the needed paperwork for the variance to the county Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, June 2, for a vote. The variance would additionally need approval from the California Department of Public Health before taking effect.

If approved, the variance would allow for the opening of shopping malls, swap meets, in-restaurant dining and schools—all with modifications. The county does not have the authority to open up additional sectors of the economy.

“Many people have questions about lots of other items, such as personal services and movie theaters,” Hall said. “None of those are currently in stage two of the state. They’re all in stage three, and our health officer does not have the ability to open those up before the state.”

Santa Cruz County now has robust enough testing to proceed with more reopenings, but the county is still ramping up test capacity toward where Hall and Newel say it needs it to be. Hall said the goal is for everyone in the county to be able to get a test, whether they are symptomatic or not.

Hall also said that the county will soon quadruple the size of the contact tracing team to 60 contact tracers over the next month. The contact tracing team follows cases of Covid-19 and works to contain its spread. 

PROTECTIVE MEASURES

Local supplies of personal protective equipment are mostly quite strong.

Local hospitals now have 30-day supplies built up, Hall said, and skilled nursing facilities all have two weeks’ worth of supplies. The county, she added, has been getting big shipments of nasopharyngeal swabs—5,000 at a time, which is welcome news, as they are essential for testing.

However, Deputy Health Officer Dr. David Ghilarducci said the county’s supply of gowns is low. Supplies became especially constrained, he said, once dentists returned to work and started requesting gowns from the HSA.

“We just don’t have them, and they’re not available,” he said. “I’m going to publicly ask all of our healthcare providers, to the extent possible, to obtain linen-type gowns or reusable gowns that can be laundered. Obviously, disposable gowns are the standard way of doing this, but they’re just in short supply.”

The county does take in some shipments of gowns, which the HSA distributes, Ghilarducci said, but dentists are at a lower priority right now for receiving them. He understands dentists have concerns about risk of exposure, given that they reach into the mouths of their patients, although he noted that offices should be screening patients ahead of time.

Ghilarducci added that some local firefighters have discovered a “reasonable substitute” by wearing rain jackets and then decontaminating them once they’re done using them.

PUT A RING ON IT

County Spokesperson Jason Hoppin says that if someone spots anyone who they believe to be violating the county’s health orders, they should call the county’s coronavirus call center at 831-454-4242.

County Spokesperson Jason Hoppin says that, if someone spots anyone who they believe to be violating the county’s health orders, they should call the county’s coronavirus call center at 831-454-4242.

Bigfoot Sighting: Sasquatch Boosts Felton Property Listing

0

Just about all online real estate listings, from anywhere in the country, have one thing in common: picture-perfect, rather boring-looking photographs of one room after another.

That was mostly the case with a five-bedroom, three-bathroom Felton home listed for sale on Hillside Drive. But once viewers start scrolling through the images, they notice that the 23rd photo contains a surprising character—none other than Bigfoot, or at least a man in a Bigfoot costume. Realtor Daniel Oster came up with the idea for the Bigfoot photo shoot, although he initially almost talked himself out of it.

“I was on the fence. The sellers were like, ‘Yes!’ immediately,” Oster says.

He continued to mull it over. His wife Christina Cady told him it was a great idea and that he had to do it. Oster went online and shopped for a Bigfoot costume—it was difficult at first to find one that wasn’t scary-looking—and also for some other simple props. Before the photo shoot, Oster looked through his own bookshelf for books that it would be funny for Bigfoot to read. He decided on Humans of New York and Edible Mushrooms.

Then Oster took it to another level. His wife Christina Cady suggested Bigfoot sit in on a Zoom call. Oster’s mom suggested Bigfoot should be playing the ukulele. The property owners suggested Bigfoot drink from the drinking fountain and do some carpentry.

The daily page views on Zillow grew from 400—which is really good, Oster says—to 146,000. “I was hoping it would make people smile,” Oster says. “The home buying process is stressful. It can have its ups and downs.”

The Felton home is listed for $999,000. Oster says he is currently negotiating offers for the house.

Here are some of the highlights from the pictures:


92-Unit Senior Housing Project Proposed Near West Cliff

1

A developer has submitted plans for a 92-unit senior housing project, near West Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz.

The proposed project would be on 126 Eucalyptus Ave., close to the intersection of Eucalyptus and Pelton avenues. The development would sit on the rear portion of the Oblates of St. Joseph Catholic church campus.

“The design for the new senior community aims to capture the best use of the extraordinary settings—the ocean views, the abundant greeneries around, the California sunshine—as part of the nurturing and healing environment for the senior living community,” the Minnesota-based developer Oppidan states in a pre-application submitted to the city of Santa Cruz.

The development, which will be the subject of a Wednesday, May 27, community meeting, would include four kinds of housing and take up nearly half of the church’s 6.6-acre campus. Although the initial pre-application calls for 100 units, the current plan is for 92, with a mix of independent living units, assisted living units, and memory care units, along with four units of affordable housing. According to the pre-application, the proposed two- and three-story buildings would surround a central common area that would include an urban garden.

A few buildings—like the recent home of the Gateway School—that stand in the proposed development’s path would need to come down, but the pre-application promises to take into account design elements from the campus’ different eras—with its arches, arcades, balconies and colonnades. The pre-application also highlights the desire to build the project as a collection of relatively small “blocks to respect the scale of the single-family residential neighborhood.” The document additionally cites both the Central Coast’s Monterey revivalist and California’s modernist architecture of the early 20th century as reference points.

The pre-application, a civil engineering concept design, a biotic assessment letter report, and a storm drain exhibit are all available on the city’s website.

The church issued a request for proposals at the site, and it studied several uses before choosing Oppidan’s plan, according to a statement issued to GT from Shannon Rusk, the developer’s senior vice president of development via a spokesperson.

“There is demand for Senior Living in Santa Cruz,” Rusk states. “There is not nearly enough supply in Santa Cruz County to meet the needs that are coming from the senior residents in the county.”

The project has already had one community meeting. The second will be Wednesday, May 27, from 6-7:30pm, via the online video platform Zoom. The link to join is us02web.zoom.us/j/88344213545, and the meeting ID is 883 4421 3545.

Santa Cruz County Jail System Still Free of Covid-19

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office has released 93 people from its jail system since March 20, when county Health Officer Dr. Gail Newel imposed a series of restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Of the 93 that were released, 14 have since been rearrested. Information on those arrests was not immediately available.

Newel’s orders included the closure of non-essential businesses, along with parks and beaches. They also directed Sheriff Jim Hart to reduce the jail population, in the Main Jail, the Rountree facility in Watsonville and the Blaine Street women’s facility and gave him discretion of how to do so.

This included the release of people charged, convicted or accused of low-level misdemeanors, non-violent, non-sexual and non-serious offenses, Sheriff’s spokeswoman Ashley Keehn says.

Jail officials also consider inmates’ age and health when considering them for early release. This includes inmates over 60, those with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, HIV and heart disease.

Keehn says that the releases have reduced the jail population “significantly,” and helped keep the system free from any cases.

“The goal has been to keep Covid-19 out of the population, to keep our staff and those staying at the facility safe, and to avoid overrunning our hospital system in the event there was an outbreak in one of the housing units,” she says. “And we’ve been able to do that.”

The jail has also established a protocol aimed at keeping Covid-19 out of the jails. This includes increased cleaning routines and face masks for all corrections officers. Officials have stopped all in-person visits except by clergy and attorneys, although free video and phone visitation is available, as is postage.

All inmates are tested for symptoms before they enter the jail and are housed in an isolation cell for 14 days. In addition, all employees are screened before entering jail facilities each workday.

“When you have so many people living in close proximity, you have to take all the precautions you can to keep everyone safe,” Keehn says. “These Orders were put into place early enough to prevent an outbreak like we have seen in other jails and prisons across the Country.”

How Safe Are Santa Cruz County Grocery Stores from Covid-19?

Like many stores, New Leaf Community Markets scaled back its hours in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, after both Santa Cruz County and the state of California issued stay-at-home orders aimed at slowing the spread of the novel coronavirus.

But New Leaf has extended its hours again, bringing the store closer to its regular schedule. All Santa Cruz County New Leaf locations are now open until 9pm. Early morning hours are still reserved for the elderly and vulnerable populations. For a full schedule, visit newleaf.com/store-hours.

New Leaf spokesperson Lindsay Gizdich tells GT via email that the grocery store chain “originally limited store hours to provide staff with time to keep the shelves stocked in response to the unusual shopping patterns”—ones that store workers experienced when the risk of community spread was growing in Santa Cruz County.  

It may seem reasonable to assume that going grocery shopping can be dangerous business—what with the often-long lines to get into stores and the nervous glances customers shoot one another whenever someone gets within their six feet of personal space. But Public Health Officer Dr. Gail Newel said in an April 23 press conference that shopping in a grocery store isn’t particularly dangerous, especially whenever everyone wears a face covering.

“The usual grocery shopping practices are very low-risk for being exposed to Covid-19,” Newel said last month. “In general, a person would need to be within six feet of someone without a face covering for several minutes or even longer in order to be at any significant risk for getting Covid-19. So it would be unusual for a shopper to be that close to an employee for that long of a period of time.”

Newel made those comments in the early days of a cluster of Covid-19 cases centered around New Leaf’s Aptos location. In all, New Leaf tested 80 employees, with 13 of those tests coming back positive. All of the infected employees have recovered. One of the 13 sick workers did infect a member of their own household. Other than that, the cluster did not appear to spread out of the store, and there were no known instances of the sick employees infecting any customers of New Leaf, which was locally owned until 2015 and is now owned by a Korean company.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recently confirmed that the coronavirus does not appear to easily transmit via surfaces, although it still could be possible for someone to get sick from touching a surface that has been infected.

British infectious disease specialist Muge Cevik recently told a Bloomberg columnist briefly walking past someone or making an errand to the market both probably pose low risks. By contrast, he said that dining together and being on public transit likely pose greater risks.

Special protocols are in place at all of the county’s grocery stores, including local ones like Shoppers Corner, Staff of Life and the Food Bin. Some store guidelines come from a county-issued social distancing protocol form that business owners are required to fill out. Also, a health order from Newel mandates that everyone wear a face covering before entering an essential business such as a grocery store.

Rob Brezsny’s Astrology: May 27 – June 2

Astrology, Horoscope, Stars, Zodiac Signs
Free will astrology for the week of May 27, 2020

Santa Cruz’s Andrew Jay Brings His Guitar Wizardry to Into The Cosmos

Local band Into The Cosmos builds momentum

Pentecost – Tongues of Fire: Risa’s Stars May 27 – June 2

risa's stars
Esoteric astrology as news for the week of May 27, 2020

Retail, Places of Worship Allowed to Open at Reduced Capacity

Revised county shelter-in-place order mostly aligns with state order

Ocean2Table Delivers Fresh, Seasonal, Sustainable Food

Community Supported Fishery provides convenient home delivery

Updated: Memorial Day Weekend Presents Covid Test Case for Santa Cruz

When the county will open up and how hospitals are coping

Bigfoot Sighting: Sasquatch Boosts Felton Property Listing

Large primate brings exponential growth to Santa Cruz realtor’s Zillow page views

92-Unit Senior Housing Project Proposed Near West Cliff

Development proposed for Catholic church’s backyard

Santa Cruz County Jail System Still Free of Covid-19

Protocol includes early release for some, increased cleaning

How Safe Are Santa Cruz County Grocery Stores from Covid-19?

New Leaf extending its hours, as grocery shopping is relatively low-risk
17,623FansLike
8,845FollowersFollow