Cartoon by STEVEN DECINZO
The Right to Know What is Being Sprayed Near Our Homes and Schools
By KATHLEEN KILPATRICK, WOODY RENANEK AND ROBIN SPRING
On Aug. 24, four out of five Santa Cruz County Supervisors rejected the County Civil Grand Jury’s recommendation proposing an online pilot program that would have required that the public be provided with advance notice of hazardous pesticides being applied in their neighborhoods. Only Greg Caput, from Pajaro Valley’s District 4 supported the recommendation. Zach Friend, Ryan Coonerty, Bruce MacPherson and Manu Koenig also denied the need to support these efforts at the state level.
Meanwhile, pesticides were being sprayed on raspberry fields near Ann Soldo Elementary, Franich Park, Vista Montana, and adjacent to three neighborhoods in Watsonville that comprise 900 homes with well over 1,000 senior residents.
Although these senior neighborhoods have a common courtesy agreement with the growers to receive advance notice of pesticide applications, HOA leaders at the senior communities were only initially informed that “something” would be sprayed between Aug. 23 and 29. When asked, the grower’s representative later cited that the broad-spectrum insecticides being applied for up to a week were malathion, and a pyrethroid insecticide called Mustang.
Malathion is a neurotoxin and carcinogen, an organophosphate chemical in the same class as chlorpyrifos, which was banned over two weeks ago by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Concerned seniors are asking that growers find safer alternatives than malathion for insect control.
Malathion is not a pesticide currently requiring a Notice of Intent (NOI) — specific approval by the agriculture commissioner’s office before spraying begins. It may have somewhat lower toxicity from acute exposure than chlorpyrifos, yet risks of repeated exposure, or in combination with other chemicals, are little studied.
Pesticides do drift, sometimes far beyond the 200 feet buffer zones established by recent city regulations. Numerous homes, both in the senior neighborhoods and throughout the county, were built before those rules went into effect, and have almost no buffer zones next to them. Research, some done as nearby as Salinas, has shown harmful effects of organophosphates on children, even starting before birth, when mothers lived a mile or more from the fields. There is little research on impacts to seniors and other vulnerable groups. Nor is there much known about effects of exposures, over time, or to multiple pesticides.
We do know a potential for harm exists. For example, the 20-year UC Berkeley School of Public Health study,CHAMACOS, done in the Salinas Valley is one of several that links organophosphate exposures of pregnant women and young children to learning disabilities, ADD, ADHD, asthma, and autism in young children.
Records from California’s Department of Pesticide Regulation are collected and displayed by Tracking California’s Pesticide Mapping Tool. In 2018, the most recent year for which comprehensive data is available, the square mile section in which the three senior homeowner associations are located had 9,500 pounds of carcinogenic pesticides applied, including 810 pounds of malathion. A total of 44,467 pounds of pesticides were applied in this same 640-acre section that year.
It is possible to farm without harm. One example is Lakeside Organic Gardens, which grows 45 varieties of organic fruits and vegetables on 3,000 acres in and around our valley. Many smaller organic farms exist throughout Santa Cruz County, growing commercially viable produce and specialty crops. 30 to 40% of our county’s Ag is organic.
We are disappointed in those four supervisors who dismissed the importance of notification, and grateful to Greg Caput for standing up for us. Advance notice of pesticide applications is essential, both for public health and for environmental justice. When it comes to pesticide exposure, farmworkers, children and seniors are our most vulnerable populations. All residents of agricultural communities have a right to know before hazardous chemicals are applied near their neighborhoods.
You can thank Supervisor Caput here. To ask the other four why they didn’t stand behind Supervisor Caput, the vulnerable school children at Ann Soldo Elementary and the over 1,000 senior citizens, contact Bruce MacPherson, Zach Friend, Ryan Coonerty and Manu Koenig and Santa Cruz County Ag Commissioner Juan Hidalgo at 831-763-8080
|
|
The Newsom Recall - Santa Cruz 4 Bernie Report
By JEFFREY SMEDBERG
On Sept. 14, California voters pummeled the right-wing, anti-science, anti-labor, anti-woman, anti-immigrant recall attempt by a wide enough margin that the Republicans will have second thoughts about trying it again - anywhere. This is certainly a triumph.
But did we win anything else? What did we buy for $300 million? This total of state and county costs to conduct the election, paid by taxpayers, does not include an additional $100 million in campaign expenditures. We managed to maintain the status quo. We staved off the erosion of significant environmental and social gains over the last decade. But we lost the opportunity to direct those funds to socially useful purposes. Will the Governor, buoyed by the election results, feel confident in taking bold steps to mitigate climate change and implement Medicare For All? Only if we keep up the pressure on him and our legislators! We'll keep you posted on actions to take.
SC4B helped make it happen. During the last three weeks of the campaign, 20 stalwart SC4B members volunteered to call our whole membership list of 2,200 with the message to Vote NO and Vote NOW. We reached a quarter of you which is an incredibly high contact rate for a phonebank, and you were all so kind and friendly. Although many of you mailed your ballots back on the first day, we did convince a few of you that this was not an election to sit out.
For an off-year election in an unusual month, voter turnout was expected to be low. In Santa Cruz County, 49% of registered voters turned out, compared to 41% statewide. County voters rejected the recall by an 80% to 20% margin, compared to 64% No to 36% Yes, statewide.
In Santa Cruz County, 50% of voters entirely skipped the second question on the ballot, and Larry Elder, who bested the field of 46 replacement candidates, was favored by only 14% of voters here. Statewide, 45% of voters skipped question #2, and Elder was picked by 26% of voters. No surprise: our county is bluer and more progressive than the state average.
These numbers are based on unofficial results, as the many ballots mailed in the last days and a significant number of "same-day registration" votes will not be verified and counted for weeks. For more information on Santa Cruz 4 Bernie, click here.
|
|
Photo by TARMO HANNULA
A jellyfish, the size of a Frisbee, washed up on the beach at Salinas River State Beach, Potrero Entrance, in Moss Landing.
|
|
Photo provided by COAST FUTURA
Free rides on a similar streetcar will be available Oct. 16-17 in Watsonville and Oct. 21-24 in Santa Cruz.
Come Ride the Free Streetcar
By SARAH RINGLER
Imagine commuting on a clean, quiet, zero-emission streetcar that could service the 22-mile length of the Santa Cruz Branch Line with a car running every 20 minutes! Fueled by Central Coast Community Energy and using batteries and hydrogen, this streetcar would help fight climate change by producing zero emissions. It also demonstrates what car-free commuting would look like, part of the discussion about transportation equity for hardworking commuters who are currently driving cars.
Sept. 21, Coast Futura announced a free demonstration of a clean-energy, affordable, accessible streetcar on the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line, presented by Roaring Camp Railroads, that will take place over two weekends in October.
The Coast Futura demonstration rail vehicle was manufactured by California-based TIG/m, LLC. The TIG/m ViaTran Streetcars are battery-dominant hydrogen fuel cell hybrids, that are wireless and will move quietly through neighborhoods alongside the Rail Trail, portions of which have been completed or are already moving forward.
The Santa Cruz Regional Transportation Commission authorized the demonstration as a chance for locals to see what a streetcar would look like. Tickets will be free for the 45-minute demonstration ride on the Coast Futura, that take place Oct. 16-17 in Watsonville, and Oct. 21-24, in Santa Cruz. The demonstration, originally planned for spring 2020 and delayed due to the pandemic, will follow current COVID safety guidelines that require all passengers to wear a mask. Reservations for the free tickets will be available online starting Friday, Oct. 1.
The demonstration routes will each be approximately 4 miles, with the Watsonville route running from the intersection of West Beach and Walker Streets to Harkins Slough and back, and the Santa Cruz route running from the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk to Capitola and back.
Learn more here. Get on board the Coast Futura!
|
|
“Cities who do not have trams always look less literary, less poetic, and less mysterious!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan
|
|
Santa Cruz County Covid-19 Report
By SARAH RINGLER
The Santa Cruz County Health Department regularly releases data on the current status of Covid-19 in the county. The number of cases on Thursday totaled 19,103, up 206 from last Thursday's 18,897. The number of deaths rose to 212. The latest death, on Sept. 14, was a unvaccinated male in his mid 30s with underlying health conditions. It is the fourth death since the arrival of the Delta variant. There were few changes overall. Click to view a graph of hospitalizations here.
On the county's vaccination webpage, as of Sept. 20, 70% of the county have had at least one dose and 63% have had two doses. Those numbers have not changed from last week. Here are more details on the county's vaccination data.
This webpage also has a link where you can get a digital copy and scannable QR code of your vaccination record. Keep track of your four digit code because that is your access to the site.
The county's Effective Reproductive Number is below one. See chart below. Numbers above one show the spread of the virus is increasing. Below one means the spread is decreasing.
The county is offering more free COVID-19 testing locations around the county. For information on how to get tested at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium, at Ramsay Park in Watsonville or by the mobile testing bus that covers the San Lorenzo Valley, visit this site.
Any Californian age 12 or up can get vaccinated for free. For information on getting vaccinated, click here.
|
|
 |
% deaths by ethnicity:
White - 55%
Latinx - 36%
Black - 1%
Asian - 7%
American Native - 1%
Unknown - 1%
% deaths by gender/% of population:
Female - 50%/50%
Male - 50%/50%
Other - 0
Under Investigation - 0
Deaths by age/212:
25-34 - 2%
35-44 - 2%
45-54 - 2%
55-59 - 1%
60-64 - 6%
65-74 - 18%
75-84 - 22%
85+ - 45%
% tested positive by region/% of population:
Mid-county - 11%/12%
North county - 55%/56%
South county - 32%/32%
Under investigation - 0%
Weekly increases in positive tests:
June 12-19 - 7%
June 19-26 - 23%
June 26 to July 3 - 22%
July 3-9 - 23%
July 9-16 - 40%
July 16-23 - 20%
July 23-30 - 27%
July 30-Aug. 6 - 13%
Aug. 6-13- 12%
Aug.14-20 - 16%
Aug.20-28 - 10%
Aug. 28-Sept. 3 - 10%
Sept. 3-10 - 6%
Sept. 10-17- 8%
Sept. 17-24 - 7%
Sept. 25- Oct.1 - 5%
Oct. 1 - 9 - 4%
Oct. 9-15 - 4%
|
|
|
|
Oct. 15-22 - 5%
Oct. 23-29 - 4%
Oct. 30-Nov. 5 - 6%
Nov. 5-12 - 10%
Nov. 12-19 - 11%
Nov. 19-26 - holiday
Nov. 19-Dec. 3 - 29% 2 weeks of data for this week only
Dec. 3-10 - 16%
Dec. 10-17 - 17%
Dec. 17-24 - 14%
Dec. 24-31 - 19%
Jan. 1-7 - 13%
Jan. 7-14 - 14%
Jan. 15-21 - 11%
Jan. 21-28 - 5%
Jan. 28-Feb. 4 - 5%
Feb. 5-11 - 2%
Feb. 11-18 - 2%
Feb. 18-25 - 1%
Feb. 25-March 5 - 1%
March 5-11 - 1%
March 11-18 - 2%
March 18-25 - .5%
March 25 - Apr. 1 - .7%
Apr. 1-8 - 0.1%
Apr. 9-15 - 1%
Apr. 16-22 - 2%
Apr. 22-30 - 2%
Apr. 30 - May 6 - .3%
May 6-13 - 2%
May 13-20 - 0%
May 24 - Data readjustment by county means percentages cannot be calculated this week.
May 27 - June 3 - 0%
June 3-10 - 0%
June 11-17 - .25%
June 18-24 - 0%
June 25-July 1 - 0%
July 2-8 - .3%
July 9-15 - .2%
July 16-22 - .5%
July 23-29 - 1.2%
July 30-Aug. 5 - 2%
Aug. 6-12 - .7%
Aug.13-19 - 4%
Aug. 20-26 - .7%
Aug. 26-Sept. 2 - 3%
Sept. 2-9 - 2%
Sept. 10-16 - 1%
Sept. 17-22 - 1%
|
|
|
|
Photo by TARMO HANNULA
Fashion Street - Ride Brightly
By SARAH RINGLER
Flags, an orange jacket and a yellow bike make this tricyclist easier to see when riding the neighborhoods.
|
|
Labor History Calendar for September 24-30:
Sept. 24, 1918: IWW outlawed in Canada.
Sept. 25, 1995: 80 Liverpool dockers fired for refusing overtime, sparking 26-month global fight against Mersey Docks & Harbour Co.
Sept. 26, 1786: Shay's Rebellion, Springfield, Massachusetts.
Sept. 26, 1995: 250,000 Russian teachers strike against low pay and crumbling schools.
Sept. 26, 2016: Hyundai workers in illegal strike in South Korea.
Sept. 27, 1875: Striking textile workers demand bread for starving children in Fall River, Massachusetts.
Sept. 27, 1933: IWW strikes Murray Body plant, Highland Park, Michigan.
Sept. 28, 1864: International Workingmen's Association founded in London.
Sept. 28, 1917: 166 IWW indicted on charge of interfering with war effort.
Sept. 28, 1995: 329 Liverpool dockers fired for honoring the picket line.
Sept. 29, 1883: English publication Johann Most's "Hymn of the Proletariat."
Sept. 29, 1931: RCMP fire into coal miners' parade, kill 3 in Bienfair, Saskatchewan.
Sept. 29, 2007: Tens of thousands of textile workers start illegal strikes and win demands in Ghazl el-Mahalla, Egypt.
Sept. 30, 1911: National strike of more than 40,000 railway shopmen inspires Joe Hill's song, "Casey Jones - The Union Scab."
|
|
Photo by TARMO HANNULA
Getting Along with Butter and Soy
By SARAH RINGLER
Despite the many things in life that divide humans, the food we prepare and eat can unite us. Although there is a group of people who are very specific - some call them picky - about what they eat, many of us are excited to, at least try, something different. It would be nice if this tendency extended to other aspects of human interaction.
Polenta, although made from corn that is native to the Americas, is an Italian dish. Soy sauce is an Asian condiment. Asian food rarely uses butter and cow's milk. Here Sam Sifton, food columnist for the New York Times, combines the ingredients from at least three cultures in this creamy polenta and mushroom dish that he titles "The Elegance of Butter and Soy."
This dish can stand alone with a salad or greens, or as a nice side dish with pork chops. You can buy bulk, dried porcinis at Staff of Life. It's not a good idea, according to David Arora, author of "Mushrooms Demystified," to mix mushroom varieties so I would use only dried porcinis and one other fresh mushroom. Also, the dish is very rich and has a lot of butter, so I just used milk in the mushroom mixture without sacrificing flavor. It calls for such a small amount of cream anyway.
Polenta:
2 1/4 cups water
1 cup milk
1/ 2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup polenta or cornmeal
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan
Mushrooms:
1/4 ounce dried porcinis mushrooms
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pats
1 clove garlic
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, washed, dried and sliced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon whole milk, heavy cream, or sour cream
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper
Make the polenta by mixing 2 1/4 cups of water and the milk in a medium sized heavy bottomed saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a bubbly simmer. Add salt. Pour the cornmeal slowing into the liquids mixing with a whisk to prevent clumping. Continue to stir until mixture begins to thicken for about 2-3 minutes.
Turn heat to low and cook for about 40-45 minutes stirring every 5-10 minutes. Add more water if it becomes too thick. After it has cooked, add butter and stir well. Add cheese and taste. Add more salt if necessary. Cover pan and keep warm by placing the pot over another pot of simmering water.
Put the dried mushrooms in a small bowl and cover with 1/3 cup of boiling water. Let it steep for 2 minutes the remove mushrooms and mince. Reserve liquid. Wash, dry and slice mushrooms, and mince garlic and thyme leaves.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a frying pan over high heat and cook until it has melted. Working quickly, add garlic and thyme, and when it begins to sizzle, add all the mushrooms. Stir and cook for about 3-4 minutes until mushrooms are brown and tender. Add the mushroom stock and stir to remove bits of cooked mushroom from the bottom of the pan. Cook to reduce liquid down if necessary. Add 2 tablespoons of butter whisking to combine. Then add soy sauce, cream or milk and olive oil. Cook until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Put polenta in a shallow bowl and cover with mushroom sauce. Serves four.
|
|
YOUR STORY OR ART HERE: Please submit a story that you think would be of interest to the people of Santa Cruz County. Try and keep the word count to around 400. Also, there should be suggested actions if possible. Submit to coluyaki@gmail.com
If you are enjoying the Serf City Times, forward it on to others. We need readers, artists, photographers and writers.
Thanks, Sarah Ringler
|
|
Welcome to Serf City Times Over time, our county has grown more stratified and divided with many people feeling left out. Housing affordability, racism and low wages are the most obvious factors. However, many groups and individuals in Santa Cruz County work tirelessly to make our county a better place for everyone. These people work on the environment, housing, economic justice, health, criminal justice, disability rights, immigrant rights, racial justice, transportation, workers’ rights, education reform, gender issues, equity issues, electoral politics and more. Often, one group doesn’t know what another is doing. The Serf City Times is dedicated to serving as a clearinghouse for those issues by letting you know what is going on, what actions you can take and how you can support these groups.This is a self-funded enterprise and all work is volunteer.
Copyright © 2021 Sarah Ringler - All rights reserved
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
