No Serf City Times Oct. 14 and 21 - resumes Oct. 28. We heading north to Eugene, Seattle, Vancouver and Alert Bay. 

Photo by SARAH RINGLER

A field on Riverside Drive is shown just outside Watsonville city limits on RIverside Road that is adjacent to senior housing (at background of photo). It was covered in plastic and injected with a toxic fungicide tha sterilizes the soil. The plastic was then removed ten days later, see photo below.

Are We Guinea Pigs or Expendables?

By SARAH RINGLER

Those of us who signed up for the California Department of Pesticide Regulation’s six-month pilot notification program are feeling rather uncomfortable. The program in our county, one of four in the state, includes approximately 1,000 homes in the three senior villages of Watsonville. Between Aug. 27 and Oct. 6, we have received 20 email/text messages, about every two days, similar to the one below: 

9/29/29 "An application of TRI-CLOR EC FUMIGANT, a restricted material pesticide, is scheduled on 10/01/2022 approximately one mile from (my address). More information available HERE."

The three toxic chemicals that are part of the pilot program, 1,3-Dichloropropene, chloropicrin and metam potassium, were chosen, according to Santa Cruz County Agricultural Commissioner Juan Hidalgo, because of their toxicity and restricted use. Of course, there are more poisonous chemicals used in agriculture in our county. These particular fumigants are injected into the ground under plastic tarps in the late summer or early fall to sterilize the soil for next year’s crop. The exposure to the fumigants is not only while it is being injected, but also when the plastic is removed ten days later and the gases drift into the air. 

One of the components, chloropicrin is a powerful tear gas commonly used in building fumigation. 1,3-Dichloropropene, also known by Dow’s brand name, Telone, is a carcinogen currently banned in 34 countries. It was also banned in California from 1991-1995. Dow used its own in-house "science" to convince the EPA to re-register 1,3-Dichloropropene for use in 1995 to replace methyl bromide, which was being phased out due to its detrimental effects on the ozone layer.

Would it be an exaggeration to say we are being poisoned? In July, the Department of Pesticide Regulation released a study that showed that the entire Pajaro Valley is being exposed to levels of 1,3-Dichloropropene that are 2.4 times the safe harbor level as assessed by the Office of Environmental Health Hazard. So, this is not just our issue. Ann Soldo Elementary and a family housing development, Vista Montaña, are very close and within the one-mile radius of the of the applications. 

The pilot notification program has been helpful in letting us know how often we are being exposed. I hope that the number of notifications slow down in the future. The six-month program goes until December. Even if they do, few people with health conditions can afford to leave the area for a month and a half.

I just received the 2021 Santa Cruz County Crop Report and things do not look very good for organics. According to the press release, "Organic farming saw declines in 2021 in total acreage and in value with an estimated gross value of $110,310,000 representing an 18.7% decline from the previous year. Email me if you want the report. The file was too large to insert into a link. 

Watsonville City Council will be discussing the pilot program and Tuesday, Oct. 11, 6 pm at 250 Main St. - see flyer below. Please let them know what you think by showing up at the meeting and/or sending them an email HERE.

Photo by TARMO HANNULA 

A Julia Heliconian butterfly visits our backyard in the Pajaro Valley. 

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 and monkeypox in the county. Pfizer and Moderna Bivalent Covid-19 boosters are now available. Go HERE for details. 

There were no new Covid deaths this week. Click to view a graph of hospitalizations here.

The department is monitoring for monkeypox viral DNA in wastewater solids. The heatmaps and charts display data from WastewaterSCAN’s monitoring for monkeypox viral DNA; the results shown include the northern California communities served by the Sewer Coronavirus Alert Network (SCAN) and the communities in California and across the US participating in WastewaterSCAN.

Because of the availability of home testing, I will no longer report on changes in the active cases in the county. The Health Department is now collecting data from wastewater at the City Influent for the city of Santa Cruz, and from the Lode Street pump stations for the county. See webpage HERE. The first chart below shows the latest county data which is from Aug. 31.



Here are details on the county's vaccination data. There has been a small one percent increase in one dose and two doses since July 10 that does not include the boosters. 

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 still below one. See the second chart below. Numbers above one show the spread of the virus is increasing. Below one means the spread is decreasing. The chart, released from the California Department of Public Health below shows several predictions from different agencies. For information, click here.

The government is issuing free Antigen Rapid Tests here. If you have not ordered tests or have only ordered one set, you are entitled to a full 12 boxes. Order now while supplies last. To get information of COVID-19 testing locations around the county visit this site. You can make an appointment for a Rapid Antigen Test here.

Any Californian, ages six months and older can get vaccinated for free. For information on getting vaccinated, click here.

Photo by TARMO HANNULA

Fashion Street -  Farmstand with a faded mural in the Pajaro Valley. 

Labor History Calendar - Oct. 7-27, 2022

a.k.a Know Your History Lest We Forget

Oct. 7, 1879: Birth of Joe Hill, in Gavle, Sweden. 

Oct. 8, 1916: Soldiers attack IWW Hall in Sydney, Australia.

Oct. 8, 2020: More than 600 arrested on third day of national strikes against labor law “reforms” in Indonesia.

Oct.9, 1982: Solidarnosc union outlawed in Poland.

Oct. 10, 1912: IWW strike in Little Falls, NY.

Oct. 10, 1933: Cotton fields struck by 18,000 workers in Pixley, California; four killed but pay hike won.

Oct. 10, 1995: French general strike begins.

Oct. 11, 1424: Death of Jan Zizka, leader of the Bohemian Revolution.

Oct. 12,1492: Native Americans discover Columbus.

Oct. 12, 1898: Seven miners killed stopping scabs by company guards in Virden, Ill.

Oct. 12, 1902: 14 miners killed, 22 wounded by scab herders at Pana, Ill.

Oct. 13, 1909: Education reformer Francisco Ferrer executed; Spanish government says free school lead to workers’ revolt. 

Oct. 14, 1883: International Working Peoples’ Association founded in Pittsburgh, PA

Oct. 14, 1976: Canadian general strike

Oct. 15, 1915: IWW free speech fight begins in Fresno, CA.

Oct 16, 1859: John Brown attacks Harper’s Arsenal.

Oct. 16, 1919: Deportation Act for anarchist immigrants. 

Oct. 16, 2002: McDonalds workers strike in Glasgow, Milan, Norfolk, Paris etc 

Oct. 17, 1950: “Salt of the Earth” strike in Silver City, New Mexico; strikers’ wives walk picket lines for seven months during 14-month strike.

Oct. 18, 1927: IWW Colorado mine strike first time all coal fields out. 

Oct. 19, 1993: Air France workers strike against layoffs using direct action to close airports.

Oct. 19, 2011: Two-day strike against bank-imposed austerity shuts down Greece.

Oct. 20, 1887: Birth of John Reed, author of “Ten Days That Shook the World.”

Oct. 20, 1983: Death of Merle Travis who wrote the songs “Sixteen Tons” and “Dark as a Dungeon.”

Oct. 21, 1967: Massive anti-war demonstrations at the Pentagon.

Oct. 22, 1878: Anti-Socialist Law passed in Germany.

Oct. 22, 1956: Hungarian students and workers demonstrate in solidarity with Polish workers making the regime nervous. 

Oct. 23, 1956: Hungarian Revolution begins; workers’ council demand workers control society.

Oct 24, 1940: 40-hour workweek law takes effect in US.

Oct. 25, 1934: 25,000 dye workers strike in Patterson, NJ.

Oct. 25, 2011: Police evict Occupy Oakland, fracturing an Iraqi vet’s skull; protesters take the site back the next day. 

Oct. 26, 1905: First soviet in St. Petersburg.

Oct. 26, 1936: Hitler opens Office for Combatting Abortion and Homosexuality.

Oct. 27, 1920: 40,000 Philadelphia textile workers fired to rid factories of “troublemakers.”

Labor History Calendar has been published yearly by the Hungarian Literature Fund since 1985.

“In the world we want, everyone fits. We want a world in which many worlds fit.” 

Subcomandante Marcos

Photo by TARMO HANNULA

Lebanese Flatbread Pizza with Za’atar 

By SARAH RINGLER

The French have herbes de Provence, Indians have garam masala and curry, Chinese have Five Spice Powder and hippies have Spike. All are herb and spice mixtures that define a cuisine. Za’atar is an herb and seed mixture that is a common ingredient in Middle Eastern, North African and Arab cuisines. The core ingredients are usually thyme, oregano, marjoram, toasted sesame seeds and salt, but each family or region often has their own secret additions. Its use goes back at least 1,500 years ago. A simple, delicious and common way to eat it is to take fresh pita bread, dip it olive oil and then dip it in za’atar. 

Flatbreads are usually made with only flour, water and salt. Pizza is a kind of flatbread but the crust is made with yeast and is usually associated with Italy. This recipe is inspired by David Tanis of the New York Times who ate this Lebanese treat on the streets of Paris. This crust is not thin or thick but full of airy spaces that cushion the topping providing a nice chewy base to the blanket of herbs and spices, crunchy meat, creamy feta cheese and pine nuts.

You can ususally buy za’atar, pomegranate molasses, pine nuts and “00” flour at Staff of Life at 1305 Water St. in Santa Cruz and at 906 East Lake in Watsonville. The “00” flour is finer than all-purpose flour, and is often used to make pizza crusts. They also carry an exceptional smooth French feta that is creamy and not salty. It’s is a good substitute for goat cheese. 

Because the components of za’atar are common herbs that you may already have in your spice cabinet here, you can make your own. I made six small pizzas and served them with hummus and chopped cucumbers mixed with yogurt.  

Dough:

2 teaspoons active yeast

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup lukewarm water

3 cups “00” flour or all purpose

2 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Topping:

Olive oil

Salt

1 large onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

¾ to 1 pound ground lamb

½ teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon ground cloves

½ teaspoon allspice powder

¼ teaspoon cayenne

½ teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon coriander

½ teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon sumac powder

1 tablespoons pomegranate molasses

5 tablespoon za’atar mixed with 5 tablespoons of olive oil

8 ounces feta

¼ cup pine nuts, lightly toasted

Parsley, mint and cilantro leaves for garnish

Make the dough by mixing lukewarm water, sugar and yeast in a large bowl or stand mixer. Stir well to dissolve sugar and let sit until mixture is bubbly and foamy. Stir in 1 cup of flour and beat well. Let sit for around 20 minutes.

Add remaining flour, oil, and salt. Knead for about 5 minutes. Dough should be soft and a bit sticky. Add more flour if dough is too sticky. Oil a ceramic bowl with olive oil. Put dough out onto a floured board and shape into a ball. Put the ball in the oiled bowl, rub a little oil over the ball and cover with a cloth or plastic wrap. Let sit for one hour or refrigerate overnight. 

Make the topping by putting 3 tablespoons of olive oil into a frying pan over medium high heat. When oil is hot, add onions, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook until onions are soft and browned, about 5-7 minutes.  Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute more. 

Add the ground lamb, breaking it into the onions with a spoon until it crumbles. Add salt, pepper, cloves, allspice, cayenne, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, sumac and pomegranate molasses. Lower heat and cook for about 5 minutes until meat is cooked.

Heat oven to 450 degrees and prepare a pizza stone or cookie tin. If you are using a pizza stone, put it into the oven to heat. Punch down the dough and divide into 4, 6 or 8 pieces depending on how many you want to make and how large you want them to be. Cover pieces with a damp cloth and let rest another 20-30 minutes.

In a small bowl mix za’atar and olive oil 

When oven is hot, roll or stretch dough into small of large rounds from 6 inches in diameter to 12 inches. If baking on a cookie tin, put the dough on the tin, brush with olive oil/za’atar mix. Cover with meat mixture and top with dabs of feta and pine nuts. If you are using pizza stones, you will make the pizzas on a floured board and then carefully put them on the pizza stone. I folded my pizza up and then unfolded on to the stone and reshaped it there. Try and keep the oven hot. Bake for 5-8 minutes. Serve with roughly chopped parsley, mint and/or cilantro.  

Welcome to Serf City Times Our county has problems and many people feel 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 © 2022 Sarah Ringler - All rights reserved