Fresh seafoodโgrilled, baked, or sautรฉed with lemon and herbs, Gordon Ramsay-style. What could be more simple, healthy and delicious?
The answer depends on where you buy your fishโbecause in todayโs seafood market, thereโs a good chance youโre not getting what you think. Mislabeled species, questionable origins and misleading freshness claims are surprisingly common. So that perfect piece of โwild-caughtโ seabass? It might not be wild, or even seabass.
Ocean2Table, founded in 2014 by UCSC Environmental Studies graduates Ian Cole and Charlie Lambert, is a Santa Cruzโbased Community Supported Fishery dedicated to delivering ultra-fresh, traceable food straight from the ocean and earth to your plateโno airplane required. Originally focused on sustainable seafood, Ocean2Table now offers a range of high-quality choices, all sourced with integrity and transparency with an emphasis on local.
Cole and Lambert launched Ocean2Table after working in fishery management, where they witnessed firsthand the alarming extent of seafood fraud. From rampant mislabeling to misleading catch data, they saw a system that left consumers in the dark. Their solution: build a direct connection between local fishermen and community members that is grounded in transparency and trust.
Today, Ocean2Table works with dozens of fishermen, offloading catch from fleets theyโve known for years or catching fish themselves via hook and line. They avoid species or methods linked to bycatch, habitat destruction or poor stock status. Their Fish Alert emails update customers on whatโs available based on when the boats come inโthereโs no fixed schedule, but there is a promise: delivery within a day of the catch being unloaded.
Over time, Cole and Lambert have continued to expand their offerings beyond seafood. They now manage a small orchard in Santa Cruzโs Ocean Street Extension, supplying avocados, peaches, plums, citrus, apples and pears, and locally grown or foraged mushrooms, plus poultry, dairy and pantry itemsโall traceable to the source.
The result is high-quality, responsibly harvested items from growers pushing the boundaries of sustainability. Their website even lists the name of the grower, harvester or producer to caption the image of each offering. The focus is on building a better food system for future generations: sustainability 2.0.
With multiple pickup sites, including a newly opened location on Swift Street (around the corner at the end of the building) combined with pickup and home delivery throughout Santa Cruz, Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, Ocean2Table is reimagining local food systems. The mission: to shorten the supply chain, reduce waste and help people reconnect with the origin of their foodโone catch, crop and connection at a time.
Ocean2Table, 427 Swift St., Suite C, Santa Cruz. 831-295-8403. getocean2table.com
Summerโs here and the drinking is easyโor at least it should be. To help out folks who are looking for a new day-drinkinโ BFF, our taste testers sacrificed themselves in the name of scientific research. We set out to responsibly taste test the trendiest new crop of canned, boxed, balled and otherwise contained cocktails. These are the results of our experiences. Cheers!
SELTZER WATER WITH BENEFITS Local brand West Peak got positive reviews from Good Timesโ tasters. Photo: Contributed
Best Starter Booze: Beat Box
Overview: From the leak-free, totally resealable, eco-friendly โjuice boxโ design with bright hues to the swirly line drawings and animations straight out of a coloring book, everything about this brand screams out for the youthful drinker. This is โ100% babyโs first juice-booze box,โ snarked one taster. And while it is pitched as โthe worldโs tastiest party punch,โ our tasters did not always agree.
One of the main issues (as with BuzzBallz, see below) is the use of an ingredient called โpremium other than standard orange wine.โ While we have no idea what that even means (apart from the obvious), this tends to create a sticky-sweet-aspartame taste with a nasty-gross aftertaste that lingers. For a while. We found the flavors Orange Blast and Fruit Punch to be completely undrinkable, with one taster saying โthis is the flavor of the last thing I drank before I puked.โ
That said, the Green Apple flavor tastes almost exactly like the Jolly Rancher hard candy and the color is so green it could easily be The Hulkโs signature cocktail. Hard Tea was a favorite among tea drinkers (duh), but not so much among our non-tea folks. But with 11% alcohol, only 100 calories and just 4 grams of carbs, Beat Box offers the highest โbuzz-per-calorieโ rating in our overall test. Just be forewarned about that funky orange wine.
The Deets: 11.1% alcohol; 100 calories; 4 grams carbs
Overview: We enjoyed absolutely everything about this line of canned cocktails made with blue agave tequila. We also got a lot of thumbs up and heart emojis from our friends on social media, where VMC is getting a lot of (forgive us) buzz lately. From a marketing standpoint, if Beat Box is for your young, maybe-still-pimply VR-gaminโ cousin who just came of drinking age, VMC is for your beautiful, sophisticated niece who dresses impeccably, likes gold and wants a drink that doubles as an accessory (when she finishes her Matcha). This is the quintessential drink for posing poolside. Our tasters also felt the flavors were fresh, light and tasty and โyou could easily chugโ these drinks if the situation called for that, as it sometimes does. We taste. We donโt judge. We were disappointed that the Tamarind flavor was not in the sampler we purchased, because that sounds delicious.
The Deets: 5.5% alcohol; 130-150 calories; 10-14 grams of sugar
Fave Flavors: Jamaica Hibiscus Cocktail and Margarita
Didnโt Love: Paloma smelled like Fresca, which was nice, but had a too-sweet, almost powdery consistency
Best Frozen Solid: Cut Water Spirit Pops
โThe ice is nice and crunchy,โ our taster said. โThis would be great for those who like to munch on ice.โ Cut Water spirit pops are like โOtter Pops with benefitsโ according to another taster. And that is an apt description because they are exactly like an Otter Pop, with that same packaging, easy grab and go convenience and no cup or glass needed. Plus, they come with great flavor and a nice little kick of alcohol. Our tasters liked the crunchy first bite, but also enjoyed the pop once it reached more of a slushy consistency. Itโs unclear if they would remain fully frozen in a cooler at the campsite, picnic or the beach, but frozen solid straight out of a freezer, they were refreshing, icy-cold and satisfying. Following the recommendation of friends, we tried freezing a few of the Beat Box flavors, which didnโt work because, well, the box froze and then we couldnโt get any of the liquid out. But with the Cut Water pops, you simply cut the plastic top off and push the frozen part up. Weโll say it again: Otter Pop with a kick, anyone? Count us in!
The Deets: 5.9-7% alcohol; 80 calories; gluten free
Fave Flavors: Rum Mojito, Rum Mai Tai
Didnโt Love: Chocolate Bananaโฆwhich probably doesnโt need an explanation
Best After Alligator Wrestling: Cayman Jack
โThis is something I can drink around my guy friends without apologizing that itโs not a beer,โ said one of our male tasters. โItโs very manly.โ While the gals in the group were not exactly sure why that mattered, it did definitely seem like the more testosterone you had, the more you liked this brand. Stunned that the standard Cayman Jack margaritas have 33-38 grams of sugar per can, we decided to try the โzero sugarโ Margarita sampler pack. While they were not as pleasing as the VMC margaritas, they were fine enough. While sort of โmehโ and nothing to write home about, for the manly-men out there looking for a highly masculine non-beer alternative on the next fishing, cross bow or hunting trip, we raise a glass!
The Deets: 4.8% alcohol; 100 calories
Fave Flavors: Mango, Strawberry Margarita
Didnโt Love: Passion Fruit Margarita, Margarita
READY TO POUR Just add ice to get the party started. Photo: Teodor Costachioiu Shutterstock
The Best Balls: BuzzBallz
Of all the pre-made cocktails generating buzz out there today, few are doing it better than BuzzBallz. Whether itโs the little ballz (6 oz.) or the โBiggieโ ballz (1.75 liters), they seem to be bouncing around everywhere. As deeply committed researchers, we gave our all to this exercise and tried no fewer than 12 BuzzBallz flavors. We had some very low scores with flavors such as Berry Cherry Limeade, which sounds like itโs having a massive identity crisis, and Horchata, which all of us WANTED so much to love, but just couldnโt. It was awful. The only flavor we liked LESS than Horchata was the Hazelnut Latte, which has the sad distinction of being the only flavor in this entire project that got a ZERO rating from everyone who tasted it.
We discovered that the trouble with BuzzBallz is similar to the issue with Beat Box, but in the case of BuzzBallz itโs peach (not orange) wine. Whatโs the problem? โIt tastes like ass,โ our most emphatic taster offered up.
But never to be called out for our lack of commitmentโremember, we tried 12 flavorsโwe had the most heart for the Chili Mango flavor (which surprised us all) and the Tequila Rita (which surprised no one). The Cran Blaster flavor also pleased some of our tasters.
But overall we sort of struggled to see what all the buzz about BuzzBallz is about. We questioned if we werenโt young, hip or cool enoughโeven though we are all of those things! We ultimately arrived at a few flavors we would willingly drinkโฆand not just because itโs the last thing in the cooler at the end of the party. But it took a lot of work and the vile aftertaste of that peach wine almost wasnโt worth it.
Whatโs funny about BuzzBallz is despite being a so-called pre-made cocktail, they still seem like they are missing something. Many times our tasters found themselves saying, โif you just put some more coffee in itโ or โit needs lime, salt and cilantroโ or โif you added a little Irish Cream or Kahluaโโฆwhich sort of defeats the whole notion of a pre-made cocktail. That said, these little ballz could also play nicely as a mixer in a blended drink where additional zhuzh can help mask the nastiness of that peach wine.
Yesterdayโฆtodayโฆtomorrow. Like true love, we are forever here for the High Noon. Itโs the OG of OGs in the canned seltzer category, alongside White Claw and Truly, which all of our testers agreed are all still quite good, if a little played out. But thereโs just something about High Noon that stands apart. We got the sampler that included Grapefruit, Pineapple, Watermelon and Black Cherryโand every flavor rated at least an 8 on our 1-10 scale. Our tasters had previously experienced Mango and that was also considered a favorite. In 2023, High Noon was the top-selling โRTDโ (Ready To Drink) brand and by all accounts they are still going strong.
The Deets: 4.5% alcohol; 100 calories; 2.6 to 3.0 grams sugar
Fave Flavors: Grapefruit, Pineapple, Watermelon and Black Cherry
Didnโt Love: Weโve never met a High Noon we donโt like!
Best Regional Bevvie: West Peak
One of the newest entrants to the canned cocktail game is Santa Cruzโs own West Peak. True to its local roots, West Peakโs marketing claims it is โnot just creating a new product, weโre igniting a rebellion against the mundane.โ They seek to achieve this by offering the refreshment of a seltzer with the complexity of a cocktail. Our tasters especially liked the Sparking Tequila Paloma which the label says contains a hint of ruby red grapefruit and sea salt, both of which rang deliciously true on our taste buds. The sea salt in particular was a nice additionโfresh and unexpected in terms of the taste, but also charming in a nod to the ocean environment from which the West Peak brand originates. The Sparkling White Rum Cooler claims a hint of Yuzu lemon and Ume plum, neither of which we were familiar with, but make for a clean, light, refreshing thirst quencher. โI could see these being a huge hit with the La Croix, Spindrift crowd when they want an added kick,โ said one taster, referencing two popular brands of canned sparkling waters. โSeltzer water with benefits, perhaps?โ asked another taster. โExactly!โ
After seeing them half a dozen times over the past decade or so, I can safely say thereโs nothing like a Primus concert. Theyโre one of the only bands around today that can bring kids, parents and grandparents along with rockers, hippies, trippers, metalheads and punks all together in one area happily dancing, smoking and getting along with one another.
Last Sunday night, Aug. 2, at the UC Santa Cruz Quarry Amphitheatre was a perfect example of that.
First off, for those who have never been to the Quarry Amphitheatre, do yourself a favor and find a concert you want to see there and buy the ticket. The 2,600 standing capacity, 2,300 sitting capacity, open air venue is nestled between the redwoods under the stars and has an air of magic about it. The sound in the natural amphitheatre is immaculate and the lights cast an enchanting glow. This was my first experienceโdespite having written about it when it reopenedโand it definitely wonโt be my last.
Unlike most of the fans there, I was working the show as a volunteer. The tickets were divided into several different tiers with VIP holders getting an intimate Q&A with the band prior to the show. The group I was assigned to wrangled the โLucky Bastards,โ as they were called, into the college classroom for the event. After everyone filed in, the band was brought out into director chairs in front of a backdrop featuring the โOnward & Upwardโ tour poster art.ย
Unfortunately, I was only able to stay for part of the Q&A and neither photos, audio recording or video recording was allowed. Fans were asking questions for the bandโs new drummer, John Hoffman, about touring; questions for bassist Les Claypool and guitarist Larry LaLonde about recording with the late, great Ozzy Osbourne; and if Primus was a pizza, what would the toppings be.
โCheese,โ LaLonde laughed.
One of the more interesting questions was directed toward Claypool and LaLonde about ifโand howโHoffman has changed the dynamic of the band.
After explaining the band wasnโt expecting to be on tour at the moment, Claypool gave Hoffman credit for โblowing some exciting wind into the Primus sails.โ He added theyโre currently talking about going into the studio following the debut of their newest track, โLittle Lord Fentanyl,โ released this past May despite having no intention pre-Hoffman earlier this year.
One thing I took away from the Q&A was that Primus loves a good shirt. For the first several questions, either the band or the fansโor bothโexchanged mutual respect and love for the various shirts each was wearing. It was quirky and fun to observe the pleasantries and something that felt so very Primus for some reason. Especially when Claypool said one fanโs shirt looks like the formica sinks at his Claypool Cellars winery in Sebastopol.
SETTING THE STAGE Nestled between the redwoods under the stars, the Quarry Amphitheatre has an air of magic about it. PHOTO: Mat Weir
Despite being toward the end of the tourโwhich finalizes Aug. 8 in Sacramentoโthe band was in great form. While indie rock act Rooney was billed as openers, Primus went on without them around 8:20pm. Their first set was a mix of deep cuts and mellow jams like โGroundhogโs Day,โ โRestinโ Bonesโ and โBobโs Partytime Lounge.โ
In a surprise twist, they ended the first set with โThela Hun Ginjeetโ by prog rock legends King Crimson. It was reminiscent of shortly after the Covid lockdowns were lifted in 2021, when Primus went on tour performing Rushโs A Farewell to Kings album in its entirety. Does the inclusion of King Crimsonโs track hint at a future cover tour? We shall see.
After a brief intermission, Primus hit the stage for a second set that was packed with energetic bangers and fan favorites. They opened with โThe Heckler,โ off 1999โs Antipop, then went straight into โLittle Lord Fentanyl.โ From there they unleashed an arsenal of strange goodness like โAmerican Life,โ โWelcome to This World,โ โMy Name is Mudโ and into the aquatically atmospheric โThe Olโ Diamondback Sturgeon (Fishermanโs Chronicles Pt. 3).โย
Like I said, Primus brings all types of music fans together and Iโve seen some of the strangestโand nicest in demeanorโmosh pits at their shows. Surprisingly, not a single pit broke out until โJerry Was a Racecar Driver,โ the third to last song of the night. The set ended with a hearty version of โFollow the Foolโ then came back out for a very extended (10- to 15-minute) encore of โHarold on the Rocksโ where LaLonde went off on a jam that sounded like it had hints of Led Zeppelinโs โDazed and Confusedโ mixed in.
Maybe it was the outdoor venue under the stars. Maybe it was the three hours of sleep I got the night before working multiple jobs all day. But this was one of the more interesting Primus shows Iโve been to in terms of energy and songs played.
Thatโs not to say it was badโnot in the slightest. At this point in their career LaLonde and Claypool are finely skilled musical warriors, especially with the addition of new blood behind the kit.
From a longtime fanโs point of view, the inclusion of Hoffman signals a golden era for the band that promises plenty of new chapters. But first they have to see just what they can do with this versionโgrowing without the painsโand this tour seems like itโs the starting point for an upcoming marathon of frizzle frying, rhinoplasty and those damn blue-collared tweakers.
One thingโs for sure, Primus sucks and we love them for it.
The morning sun beams between the charred trunks of redwood trees towering over a work site on Rambling Road, deep in the Riverside Grove neighborhood of Boulder Creek. Hammers pound and saws slice as volunteers begin erecting wood framing over the recently poured concrete foundation for what will be Tonia Weaklandโs new home.
Almost five years ago, the cabin that had been in her family for decades burned to the ground in the CZU Lightning Complex Fire that tore through the area in late August 2020. Her neighborhood had been one of the first to be evacuated, and the home was gone within the first days of the infernoโs monthlong siege.
Since then, the single mother of two has been renting an apartment in Santa Cruzโall the while holding out hope that someday she would rebuild. Now, that โsomedayโ has finally arrived. The project broke ground just a few weeks ago with the help of volunteers from the Santa Cruz County Long-Term Recovery Group and Habitat for Humanity Monterey Bay.
โThe last five years have been so damn hard,โ Weakland says. โIโm so grateful to get the help with the rebuild.โ
These and other organizations are helping residents like Weakland rebuild as part of the community-led recovery and rebuilding efforts. They are working alongside county officials and partner organizations to bolster both the immediate response and lasting recovery efforts after disasters.
The CZU Lightning Complex Fire blazed from Aug. 16 to Sept. 22, 2020. It was among the 650 wildfires that scorched over 2 million acres in Northern California due to dry lightning strikes. It displaced over 60,000 residents, burned more than 86,500 acres and razed almost 1,500 structures, including 911 homes.
Tonje Switzerโs home in Bonny Doon was lost in the flames. At the time, she was the operations manager for the Family Resource Collective, run by county nonprofit Community Bridges.
โWe were personally impacted. Our house burned down in Bonny Doon, so that was my entry point, really, into that work,โ Switzer says.
Switzer is now the executive director of the Long-Term Recovery Group. Formed in late 2020, it was created as a collaboration of agencies and organizations to provide coordination of recovery services to CZU Fire victims. In 2023, the organization obtained nonprofit status to formalize their efforts. They work with the countyโs Office of Response, Recovery and Resilience, which was also formed in the wake of CZU. Partner organizations include Community Foundation Santa Cruz County, Catholic Charities Monterey Bay, Community Bridges, Habitat for Humanity, and Valley Churches United. Representatives of these organizations form part of the Long-Term Recovery Groupโs Unmet Needs Committee, which identifies residents still needing assistance with recovery.
RECOVERY MODE Tonje Switzer (right), executive director of the Long-Term Recovery Group, lost her Bonny Doon home in the CZU fires. PHOTO: Josuรฉ Monroy
To this day, CZU victims are still grappling with permitting and other issues stopping them from rebuilding, and the Long-Term Recovery Group is continuing to show up.
โItโs my community; talking to my neighbors, being aware of the people that live here that still havenโt been able to recover, and why, has allowed me to also be an advocate in the community. And sort of bridge that gap between the community and the county,โ Switzer says.
The countyโs permitting process has been a major roadblock and despite years of promises to โstreamlineโ processes, residents continue to have issues. But county officialsโincluding a recently elected supervisorโhave been pushing to fix the problems, working to get residents back in their homes and better prepare for the next disaster.
Changing the Culture
Santa Cruz County Fifth District Supervisor Monica Martinez had to evacuate her Felton home during the fire. Luckily, her home was spared, but many of her neighbors lost theirs.
Martinez, who at the time was the CEO of healthcare nonprofit Encompass Community Services, saw the difficulties they faced as they embarked a rebuilding process mired by red tape, and decided to run for the fifth district seat, winning in November 2024.
โTo rebuild in the Santa Cruz Mountains is incredibly difficult, and our county didnโt have the process or the infrastructure or the support it needed to expedite the rebuilding process at the time. There were really outdated systems and protocols in our planning department that became barriers,โ Martinez says.
The county began tracking the pace of recovery in February 2022 with the CZU Fire Recovery Permit Center Dashboard. As of this writing, the dashboard shows 155 single-family homes rebuilt in the CZU fire area, with outstanding permits for another 142 dwellings. Less than a third of the total lost homes have been rebuilt five years on.
David Reid, director of the Office of Response, Recovery and Resilience, acknowledges residentsโ frustration and says the county has been working to streamline processes where it can, but that rebuild timelines are unique to each case, and certain regulatory requirements like geological surveys and septic system designs canโt be skirted.
โAll of these things…can make recovery harder, and yet, thereโs not a lot the county can do to streamline those things or make them go away,โ Reid says.
Despite these efforts by the county, Tonia Weakland is still skeptical.
โI think there needs a more consolidated effort to make rebuilding more affordable.โ
Many residents were underinsured for fire damage, with payouts not being enough to cover rebuilds. Weakland says she had a $250,000 policy on her home, less than the estimated $400,00 cost to rebuild. The federal response was also a challenge for residents, as the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Weakland says that she, like many, was denied FEMA assistance because she already had some form of fire protection insurance.
In response, disaster recovery is being supported by a community-built safety net.
Local Safety Net
Erin Shiroda is a disaster case manager for Catholic Charities Monterey. Sheโs seen her clients go through the โgruelingโ permitting process to rebuild. But despite that, she sees a community coming together.
โWeโve seen the strength of our community up in the SLV area. Itโs been really amazing to see people come together to recoverโthe neighbors help each otherโand all the different partner organizations that are involved,โ Shiroda says.
They are working to fill the gap in funding needed for clients to rebuild. These efforts are primarily supported by Community Foundation Santa Cruz Countyโs Fire Fund. The fund has provided over $7 million in assistance.
Community Foundation CEO Susan True says that the relationships her organization built with other nonprofits during the COVID-19 pandemic response helped lay the ground for the local response to CZU.
โOur neighbors rely on us both for the early and for the enduring response. After the TV cameras leave, itโs us thatโs left, and thatโs just the way it is. This community has continued to give to help their neighbors recover and we are responsible for making sure those dollars go to help people rebuild their lives,โ True says.
HANDS ON Long-Term Recovery Group project manager Dylan Childs leads the all-volunteer work crew helping out on Tonia Weaklandโs rebuild. PHOTO: Josuรฉ Monroy
County officials recognize the importance of partnering with other organizations.
โWhat the Long-Term Recovery Group and the philanthropy support through the Community Foundation has been able to do is to support closing that gap for community members and getting more people in through their new front door. And I think the importance of that work cannot be understated,โ Reid says. โI think one of the greatest learnings and successes, I would say, of the aftermath of the CZU.โ
Back at Tonia Weaklandโs rebuild site, Long-Term Recovery Group project manager Dylan Childs is leading the all-volunteer work crew, which is saving her the high cost of labor.
โThe struggle is to be underinsured and to be able to afford to rebuild with the new regulations…out here itโs most of everybodyโs budget. On projects like this, weโre able to save close to $200,000,โ Childs says.
Lydia Morgan is volunteering with the Santa Cruz County Long-Term Recovery Group through AmeriCorps.
โItโs beautiful to see the reaction from our clients, like when they see that weโre breaking ground. โฆ I think itโs a very emotional thing for them. Itโs been almost five years, and I think for them to finally see progress is just very validating and very important, and to be a part of that is super fulfilling,โ she says.
Weakland is feeling the love.
โIf thereโs any silver lining around it, certainly Iโm much more connected to my community and my neighbors now than I was before.โ
Josue Monroy is communications coordinator for Community Foundation Santa Cruz County. For more about the foundation, visit cfscc.org.
On a normal Friday afternoon, the farmers market in downtown Watsonville is a bustling, joyous event, with gaggles of children playing in a bounce house and families happily in long lines to purchase fresh produce and freshly made food.
But since President Donald Trump took office in Januaryโand the Republican-led government began enforcing his hardline immigration policiesโthe definition of โnormalโ has shifted significantly.
Now, with fears that immigration officials could be patrolling communities on the lookout for undocumented residents, many people are opting to stay away from events that normally encourage large gatherings.
Ivanโs Baked Potatoes, which has been a mainstay at the Watsonville market for more than 20 years, usually boasts a line of dozens of people.ย
Vanessa Cosio, whose family owns the stand, said that the crowds at the Hollister farmers market have also been lower, and were significantly down at the recent Salinas Rodeo.
โSeeing that impact is sad, because it impacts not just us, but all of the local businesses,โ she said. โWeโve definitely had a hit, but hopefully we get better days.โ
โWe want to support the community any way we can,โ Cosio added. โThey supported us for many years, and this affects us not just business-wise, but seeing our community in pain and scared, that definitely is sad.โ
Alvaro Acosta, whose business MJ Bees Honey began selling last year, said he has seen a 30% decline in his walk-up business at both the Watsonville and the Salinas markets.
โEveryone is afraid,โ he said. โThey donโt feel free walking around.โ
The same is true at the Tu Universo farms produce stand, said that some customers are now having their food delivered, rather than risk going to the market in person.
Citlalli Nunez, 23, who has been working at the Watsonville farmers market for 14 years, said she has seen a huge decline in business at local markets.
โEver since we got the notice that ice was in town, people are scared,โ she said. โBut I try to encourage people to come out and get what they need, because everyone has to eat.โ
Farmers Market Manager Jesus Madrigal said the problem is the same across the U.S.
โI think there are a lot of people who are afraid of being out,โ he said.
One vendor stopped coming, saying they said they didnโt want to put their employees at risk.
โYou get the feeling itโs not very festive,โ he said. โIt feels more quiet.โ
CHILLING EFFECT The Watsonville Certified Farmers Market has experienced thinner crowds recently following President Trumpโs crackdown on immigration. PHOTO: Tarmo Hannula
Madrigal says he has not yet seen any immigration enforcement at the market.
A big part of the problem, he said, is that many people are spreading rumors that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents are in townโand even at the marketโwithout first checking on the truth of the claims.
Spreading rumors without checking their veracity, Madrigal said, can unnecessarily scare residents and harm businesses.
Still, there have been confirmed actions by ICE in both Watsonville and Santa Cruz.
According to the city of Watsonville, ICE contacted Watsonville eight times between March 1 and June 19 to say they were conducting various operations, and each time called to report when they were finished. The federal agency did not, however, request assistance from WPD.
โThere are a lot of people that are afraid, for very good reasons, and we see that throughout the country,โ Madrigal said. โThere is a fear that if you are legally here and you happen to look a certain way, they will take you.โ
The foot traffic now, he said, is far lower than the 3,000-plus people he usually sees on a typical Friday.
โIโd like to say donโt be afraid, but I canโt say that because it is happening throughout California and throughout the country. The fear is real,โ he said.
He suggests people have a plan wherever they go, and to refer to the โred cardโ listing everyoneโs rights and responses when contacted by immigration officials.
โEverybody has rights, even if they are illegally here,โ Madrigal said.
Martin Rubalcava came to the U.S. in 1979 from Mexico, and before he earned his citizenship, he constantly worried about getting rounded up by immigration officials.
โWith the papers, I could begin to feel safe,โ he said through a translator. โI could invest, help my kids get ahead, and feel free. Nobody could kick me out anymore.โ
Rubalcava told his story July 25 in Watsonville, during a press conference, as Rep. Zoe Lofgren introduced H.R. 4696, a bill that updates parts of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), better known as the registry.
Rubalcavaโs fellow field workers are now facing the same fears as President Donald Trump and his administration enforce their hardline stance against undocumented residents.
โI feel bad watching my community be afraid,โ he said. โThe workers today deserve the same thing I received: the opportunity to become American citizens and get ahead.โ
H.R. 4696 would allow immigrants who have lived in the U.S. for seven years or more and have a clean criminal record to apply for permanent residency.
Watsonville Mayor Maria Orozco called the bill โa proposal that could change lives.โ
It would, she said, provide a pathway to legal residency to immigrants โwho have built their lives here, raised families here, and contributed to cities like Watsonville for decades.โ
Santa Cruz County Supervisor Felipe Hernandez agreed.
โIn Santa Cruz County, immigrants arenโt just a part of our community, they are the heart of it,โ he said.
Lofgrenโs bill, he said, is โabout giving people who have proved their commitment to this country the opportunity to step out of the shadows and into the light.โ
But while the bill is likely to strike a chord with many residents, not everyone is on board with it.
Santa Cruz County Central Republicans Central Committee Chairman Mike Lelieur said that the proposed legislation effectively functions as an amnesty program for undocumented individuals.
โWhile proponents argue that this update modernizes an outdated system and provides stability for long-term residents who contribute to society, we view it as undermining the legal immigration process,โ Lelieur wrote in an email. โBy prioritizing those who entered or remained in the U.S. unlawfully, H.R. 4696 risks creating an unfair advantage over immigrants who have diligently followed legal pathways, waiting years for visas or green cards.โ
That could โdisincentivize lawful immigration and reward illegal entry, contrary to the principles of fairness and the rule of law,โ he said.
Lelieur added that the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 legalized approximately 2.7 million people, but failed to curb illegal immigration in the long term.
โWe argue that such policies may encourage further illegal immigration by signaling that long-term unlawful presence will eventually be rewarded,โ he said.
Lofgren said that most people agree with President Donald Trumpโs campaign promise to deport violent criminals.
But many people, such as day laborers, busboys and farm workersโeven those without criminal recordsโare being rounded up by immigration officials, she said.
โI think thatโs outrageous, and it deserves condemnation,โ she said.
Lofgren said that the local agriculture industry generates some $1.5 billion annually.
โClearly farmworkers are invaluable in Santa Cruz County,โ Lofgren said. โIn fact, Americans around the country have food on their tables day in and day out because of the backbreaking labor in the fields by farmworkers. Providing stability to our communities versus terrorizing them will make our country stronger.โ
The bill is almost certain to get pushback from the Republican-controlled U.S. government, but how much is unclear.
Because the hardline stance on immigration issues is affecting law-abiding residents, many Republican lawmakers are receiving backlash from their constituents, Lofgren said.
โThis is a bill that gives them a way out,โ she said. โItโs in keeping with American values, and I hope that they come to their senses.โ
Lofgren authored the bill along with Representatives Norma Torres, Lou Correa, Grace Meng, Adriano Espaillat and Rep. Jesรบs โChuyโ Garcรญa.
The registry provision was first enacted on March 2, 1929.
It allows certain immigrants who have been continuously present in the U.S. to apply for permanent residency if they have a clean record.
The press conference coincided with U.S. Senator Alex Padillaโs reintroduction of the Senate companion legislation at an event in Los Angeles.
Click here for the full text of H.R. 4696. Click here for a one-pager about H.R. 4696.
Monterey County officials have finally broken ground on a โtiny villageโ project that was delayed for months after neighbors raised concerns and twice appealed to the city of Watsonville.
The 34 small dwellings were intended to give homeless residents living along the Pajaro River a place to live while construction crews rebuild the levee.
But as they prepare for construction to start soonโwith a target completion date of late Novemberโofficials in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties and several nonprofits are scrambling to find places to move the more than 100 people living in unsanctioned encampments along the levee.
โWeโve got to clean up the river sometime later this summer, and itโs likely to be before the tiny homes are fully ready, and thatโs unfortunate,โ said Mark Strudley, director of the Pajaro River Flood Management Agency, which is responsible for the levee operation and maintenance. โItโs not the way we wanted it to happen.โ
Plans to do a wintertime preemptive cleanup in January fell through when bids for the work came back between $600,000 and $2.2 million, Strudley said.
The agencyโs annual maintenance budget, he added, is $2.5 million.
โEven at the lower end we just canโt spend that much money out of our budget to deal with encampments,โ he said. โOur budget is really meant to address levee maintenance and channel maintenance.โ
The main issue, Strudley said, is that the task of cleaning up from unsanctioned encampments is beyond the purview of a flood management agencyโs expertise and experience.
โItโs not something a flood control should or could deal with alone, and thatโs going to require that acknowledgement and partnership with both counties and the city, and quite honestly the nonprofit community as well, to help move people out of the river on a permanent basis and to deal with the cleanup itself,โ he said.
This includes repairing damage created when people dug shelters into the levee walls, he said.
โItโs actually a risk to the community itself,โ he said. โThatโs a major structural deficiency to the levee system that protects the community. Thatโs something we canโt have.โ
The project was funded by an $8 million Encampment Resolution Funding grant in 2023 from the State of California.
Management of the 34-unit facility is intended to be a collaboration between Monterey Countyโs Homelessness Services Program, Santa Cruz Countyโs Human Services Department and the City of Watsonville.
The project, planned for the parking lot of Westview Presbyterian Church on First Street in Watsonville, has been controversial since it was proposed last year, with neighbors separated from the lot only by a chainlink fence expressing concern how it will affect their quality of life.
Monterey County Homeless Services Director Roxanne Wilson said that both counties are dedicated to ensuring the project is going to be a benefit to the community.
โWe are very excited to see movement after more than a year of going through the process of getting a building permit, and we still have a long way to go,โ Wilson said.
But with the Encampment Resolution Funding grant expected to last only two years, and with the Trump administration threatening to slash Medicaidโwhich in part would help fund the villageโofficials are grappling with funding concerns, Wilson said.
The units will start being delivered next week, Wilson added. Once they are placed, work crews will begin hooking up the electricity.
They will be fully powered with air-conditioning and heating, and a separate bathroom and laundry facility will be available.
Once ready, the village will be run by Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County.
The village, once completed, will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the public, Wilson said.
Currently, more than 100 people live along the levee, and several nonprofit organizations are working to find shelter for them.
This includes San Luis Obispo-based Access Support Network and Community Action Board, along with housing organizations and the County of Santa Cruz.
So far, 50 people have asked for help, Wilson said.
โWeโre not going to get to 100,โ she said. โThereโs not enough resources on either side of the levee. But clearly that there are individuals that need help now; that canโt wait, and they canโt be displaced. As long as we have people who say they want help and donโt want to be homeless, weโre going to do everything we can to help them.โ
Time again for the mighty Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music to fill the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium and its surrounding landscape with unexpected, unpredictable and unrepeatable sights and sounds. And in honor of the 50th anniversary of Santa Cruz Pride, this season spotlights musical LGBTQ luminaries from Lou Harrison to Jennifer Higdon.
Lots of new energy in this yearโs summer festival, starting with guest conductor Daniela Candillari, who will open up the first week, and ending with the return of Music Director Cristian Mฤcelaru for the final two concerts.
Honoring 50 years of Santa Cruz Pride celebrations, the seasonโs composers in residence include Jake Heggieโwhose operatic setting of Dead Man Walking receives its 25th anniversary revival at San Francisco Opera this fallโPulitzer Prize winner Higdon and festival veteran John Corigliano.
Joining the opening evening is the dazzling Missy Mazzoli with the West Coast premiere of her violin concerto for violinist Jennifer Koh. A returning guest to the festival, Mazzoli has been commissioned to create an opera of Lincoln in the Bardo for New Yorkโs Metropolitan Opera. (more on Mazzoli )
There will be some huge concerts, filled with a half-dozen choice new works by current and up-and-coming masters of an evolving genre. Expect some life-changing sonic moments. At the least some very intriguing encounters.
In a departure from past seasons, this festival finds a new opening conductor at the helm. Candillari is currently in her fourth season as principal conductor at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. A rising star in the opera world, the conductor grew up in Serbia and Slovenia and holds a doctorate in music from the Universitรคt fรผr Musik in Vienna.
A frequent guest conductor at top orchestras throughout the country, Candillari is also a sought-after composer. She has worked with several of the festivalโs featured musicians in the past, and her presence at the podium should broaden the instrumental interpretations of new music with โconfidence and inexhaustible verveโ (per The New York Times).
Started in the 1960s, and dedicated to performing new and contemporary works, mostly by living composers, the festival continues to earn its worldwide reputation. Five major concerts are programmed for the two-week musical array. It all starts with โLuminaโ on Aug. 1, with works by Corigliano and Mazzoli, as well as a new piece by Nina Shekhar. On Aug. 2, โChasing Lightโ spotlights women composers, including Stacy Garropโs Frederick and Susan B, sourced from letters between Civil Warโera correspondents Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony.
The โGrand Finaleโ on Aug. 10 concludes with a new song cycle by Heggie co-commissioned by the Cabrillo Festival. Heggieโs Good Morning, Beauty features mezzo-soprano Gabrielle Beteag with poetry by Taylor Mac.
Excitement at the Edges
The festival is also famous for more intimate offerings, the ones that fill the margins of its two-week run with surprises and interactive workshops, many of them free events. And itโs a chance to hear from the composers themselves about this strange and wonderful thing they do for a living: compose music that will stretch our ears and imaginations.
Open rehearsals are a prime chance to watch and hear the development of the programs. These rehearsals are held on July 29โ31 and Aug. 6โ8. Each day in the afternoon the Civic will be filled with the sounds of musical passages rehearsed, refined and rehearsed again until the musicians and conductor are satisfied. This is a great way to learn the variations of oneโs favorite instrument in an orchestral context. Rehearsals are free and open to the public. (As long as the public is quiet.) Check the program for times.
Arguably my favorite event of the entire festival, Meet the Composers takes place this year on August 2, 1:30โ2:30pm, in the Civicโand itโs free. The in-depth discussion among visiting composers will be moderated by maestra Candillari and include Corigliano, Mazzoli, Garrop, Rene Orth and Aleksandra Vrebalo.
The Family Concertโalso freeโunfolds Aug. 3 and, in addition to works by Karen LeFrak and Frank Duarte, continues its Tour of the Orchestra tradition, an invitation for those interested to visit the various orchestra sections and learn more about how each segment of the whole company adds to the overall texture. New this year, in a partnership with Santa Cruz/Pajaro Valley, selected honor students will perform side-by-side during the Family Concert and will enjoy mentorship and coaching by orchestra musicians.
The second weekend, which begins with โBecomingโ on Aug. 9, finds maestro Mฤcelaru back on the podium with Creative Labโs colorful world premiere by Darian Donovan Thomas. Following is a powerful exploration of environmental impact by Anna Thorvaldsdottir, a West Coast premiere. And no celebration of pride would be complete without something from innovator and festival co-founder Lou Harrison: Concerto for Violin with Percussion Orchestra, with festival concertmaster and dazzling violinist Justin Bruns.
Concluding on Aug. 10, the program โRisingโ offers the excitement of Jennifer Higdonโs Cold Mountain Suite and the new composing voice of Tyson Gholston Davis, winner of the Cabrillo Emerging Black Composers Prize. A song cycle newly composed by celebrated Jake Heggie (creator of the opera Moby Dick) brings the festival to a close, embroidered with original poems from Taylor Mac and voiced by guest mezzo-soprano Nikola Printz.
Lineup of Luminaries
The season features 20 composers (many in residence) and seven guest artists, plus three world premieres and four festival commissions. Works commissioned especially for this festival include an orchestral song cycle by Garrop, a second Creative Lab filled with surprises from Darian Donovan Thomas, and a new co-commission by Heggie.
In addition to pieces by the composers in residenceโHeggie, Corigliano, Garrop, Mazzoli, Higdon, Davis, Orth, Vrebalov and Thomasโworks by Lou Harrison, Anna Thorvaldsdottir, Adolphus Hailstork, Julia Wolfe, Karen LeFrak, Nina Shekar and Frank Duarte are also on the program. This yearโs guest artists include violinists Koh and Justin Bruns, Tim McAllister on saxophone, soprano Michelle Areyzaga, mezzo-soprano Nikola Printz and baritone Sidney Outlaw.
The Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music fills our downtown with the sounds of new and exciting music every year. Join friends and fellow lovers of adventurous music for an always-surprising two weeks.
A blazing-hot composer of radical multi-genre music, Missy Mazzoli brings her Violin Concerto (Procession) to this seasonโs Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music. The piece was written for violinist Jennifer Koh, who will perform it at the opening concert on Aug. 1.
A prodigy approaching her hyper-productive mid-forties, Mazzoli can boast of being one of the first two women to receive a commission from New Yorkโs Metropolitan Opera House, and sheโs also the founder and keyboardist for Victoire, an electro-acoustic band. A go-to creator of musical storytelling, her operatic works include SALT (a mini-opera about Lotโs wife) and the Met-commissioned Lincoln in the Bardo, from the book by George Saunders with libretto by Pulitzer Prize winner Royal Vavrek (premiering in 2026).
And sheโs writing the music for The Galloping Cure, an opera about the opioid crisis (another 2026 premiere). The operaโs developer, John Berryโthe former artistic director of the English National Operaโcalls Mazzoli โone of the worldโs most exciting opera composers.โ
Collaborators for 16 years, Mazzoli and Koh have grown into a simpatico creative collaboration, one that inflects and flavors their musical relationship. In Violin Concerto (Procession) the soloist is soothsayer, sorcerer and healer, leading the orchestra through five interconnected healing spells, from medieval processions to cast out evil spirits, through hymns to cure broken limbs and ancient charms to prevent plague. In the final movement, โAscending,โ the piece circles back to its beginning and leads the orchestra upward in a burst of sheer joy.
In a recent interview, Mazzoli talked about her work for the festivalโs opening concert.
On her collaboration with violinist Jennifer Koh: โSheโs just this incredibly deep person who investigates everything, feels everything very deeply. Her interests range from film to philosophy to literature, and everything in between. The first piece I wrote for her was in 2009 and was called Dissolve, O my Heart. It was a solo piece commissioned by the LA Philharmonic. That was actually the first time I met her. And then I wrote three other solo works for her throughout the years, and have performed with her, toured around the country and Canada. A couple years ago she said, โYou know, I really think that we need to work on a concerto together.โ I feel a lot of her wide-ranging intellect made its way into the concerto.โ
On sheer willpower: โI was really struck when we started performing together at how much Jen rehearses. Sheโs a rehearsing machine, always working. And I really relate to that. I think that my success as a musician, so much of it is just sheer willpower and hours put in. I donโt think thereโs necessarily anything mysterious going on in our brain chemistry or our wiring. Itโs just that we worked so hard we put in the hours. Itโs just a joy to be around her.โ
A favorite passage of the concerto: โThereโs a bit at the end of the concerto where it just kind of becomes a joyous ascension. So the final movement of five movements is called โProcession Ascending,โ and it sort of takes all the material from the first movement and reorders it so that itโs going from low to high. The end is just like pure release and pure joy. So I really, I love that.โ
Composing this piece in Ingmar Bergmanโs house on the Baltic Sea: My friends Mika Karlsson and Royce Vavrek were working on a residency on an island in the Baltic Sea, where Bergman had his house and foundation, and they invited me to join them. It was in 2021 and it was very much inspired by the circumstances of the pandemic. We were exploring every day in Bergmanโs world. It was a magical two months, watching his films in his own theater. Weโd go to this beach where they filmed Persona, for example. We were just kind of in that world. And so a lot of the themes that he was obsessed withโyou know, life and death, the afterlife, human relationships in times of great struggleโthey were really floating around in my mind as I made this music.โ
Read our cover story: Cabrillo Festival Brings It: Colorful and courageous season celebrates transformative music, by Christina Waters
For two weeks a year, Santa Cruz is at the center of the universeโฆthe universe of new classical music. During the internationally celebrated Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, now in its 60th year, which runs from July 27 to Aug. 10, there are activities that will appeal to those who know nothing about classical music all the way to fans who travel far and wide to hear the most experimental and world-shaping new notes.
One of the beauties of the fest for us locals is that there are free rehearsals, a family concert, a chance to meet the conductors and a fun street fair outside the Civic. Iโm surprised when I meet local people who didnโt know about this state-of-the-art music festival, considering that tourists come from all over the world to experience it.
Christina Watersโ cover story gives you all you need to enter a new world, one that we are so privileged to have in our hometown. Perhaps because it is in our still weird town, the festival is neither snooty nor overly cerebral, although there are parts that may seem that way. My advice is to follow Christinaโs tips to find the shows that will make you comfortable.
Also, donโt forget to bring your kids, particularly to the free rehearsals, so they can see whatโs behind the music. Weโve really enjoyed watching them practice and then later seeing the finished work. Itโs ear- and eye-opening for everyone and particularly educational for kids to hear great music played by the top musicians in the world.
How does it feel to be a local Southern drummer elevated to a nationally known band Primus? Mat Weir has the inside story interviewing the new guy, living his dream come true.
Do you know the indie artist Ezra Furman, who plays this week? She wrote that her new album is โtwelve songs, twelve variations of completely losing control.โ Sounds like our kind of show, right? Stuart Thornton gives you her background in his story this issue.
A friend of mine who is new to town was surprised that the community college students at Cabrillo put on such a professional version of the musical, Sweeney Todd. Hereโs a lesson: the theater company, like the Cabrillo Music Festival, brings in national talent and puts on world-class productions. Cabrillo Stage does in fact use Cabrilloโs stage, but these are Broadway-level productions, as Christina Watersโ review points out.
Mangia and enjoy our midsummer issue.
Brad Kava | Editor
PHOTO CONTEST
NIGHT MOVES I saw one of the most amazing and riveting sunsets on West Cliff this past Wed, I’ve ever seen anywhere on Earth. Definitely one from the โWow, what a cool planetโ category! Photograph by Ross Levoy
GOOD IDEA
It has been roughly 165 years since strawberries were first grown commercially in Watsonville.
In 1994, the city of Watsonville hosted the first Strawberry Festival, a late-summer extravaganza that features strawberry-themed performances, art and carnival rides.
More importantly, festival-goers can also partake in such delicacies as strawberry tacos, pizza, beer, desserts and other concoctions inspired by the distinguished berry.The festival begins downtown Watsonville on Friday, Aug. 1 and continues the next day from 11am-8pm, and on Sunday from 11am-7pm. During the festival, there will be free METRO shuttle service running every half-hour from 500 Westridge Drive.
GOOD WORK
The Santa Cruz County Office of Education and United Way of Santa Cruz County are teaming up to send local students back to school with the supplies they need to succeed as part of the 16th annual Stuff the Bus school supply drive. The campaign aims to distribute 2,500 backpacks filled with essential school supplies to Santa Cruz County students experiencing homelessness, housing insecurity and other hardships. After raising funds and supplies from generous donors, itโs time for a team of dozens of volunteers to fill up the backpacksโand Stuff the Bus 10am-1pm on Saturday at Kaiser Permanente Arena. The Stuff-A-Thon is hosted in partnership with the Santa Cruz Warriors and UPS. For more information, visit unitedwaysc.org/stb.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
โBuild your own dreams or someone will hire you to build theirs.โ โFarrah Grey
We set out to responsibly taste test the trendiest new crop of canned, boxed, balled and otherwise contained cocktails. These are the results of our experiences.
Martin Rubalcava came to the U.S. in 1979 from Mexico, and before he earned his citizenship, he constantly worried about getting rounded up by immigration officials.
โWith the papers, I could begin to feel safe,โ he said through a translator. โI could invest, help my kids get ahead, and feel free. Nobody could kick me out anymore.โ
Rubalcava told his story...
Time again for the mighty Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music to fill the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium and its surrounding landscape with unexpected, unpredictable and unrepeatable sights and sounds.
A blazing-hot composer of radical multi-genre music, Missy Mazzoli brings her Violin Concerto (Procession) to this seasonโs Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music.
