Photo by TARMO HANNULA 

An art installation stands on the banks of the Salsipuedes Creek levee near the site of a homeless camper.

Labor Day Picnic

Santa Cruz County

11-3pm

Romo Park, 335 Main St.

Downtown Watsonville

Across from the Plaza



Music by Jimmy Kelly and Francisco Herrera

The Warming Center is Back As The Vessel Art & Music Community Space

BY BRENT ADAMS

You may have wondered what has become of Warming Center Program, the building at 150 Felker St., and what I have been up to. 

Despite being given notice that our building would be demolished to make way for a large apartment building, and then after winding down nearly all operations, we were given more time and additional freedom in the building. What then? How could I afford the lease on the building in order to keep Warming Wednesday afloat? 

The offer of a continued lease was too good to pass up, but regenerating the many homeless services we had offered was more than I was interested in being responsible for. If you recall, in 10 years we built and operated a scalable extreme weather shelter; storage, laundry, and showers; a volunteer operated 12-bed women's shelter; as well as the most robust homeless materials programs in the county. On top of all of this, we took responsibility for helping to improve the quality of life in nearby homeless camps by organizing trash removal and partnering with campers to institute a successful list of camp resident agreements. I'm proud of the work we did, yet I'm saddened that many of these services haven't been taken up by other nonprofits or local governments.

In order to continue Warming Wednesday-Hypothermia Protection Project at 150 Felker St., we've partnered with a creative endeavor that offers rentable space to artists and musicians. This project, and the building, is called The Vessel Art & Music Community Space. It has enabled Warming Wednesday to continue. Soon, I'll let you know how you might follow and enjoy some of what's happening. 

Here's an informative video about what we've been up to over the past couple of years, what we're doing to help improve the lives of those who sleep outside, and how you might help support this work.

I've been fortunate to do some traveling, as well as taking some family time following a series of tragedies. Less terrible yet no less impactful, someone hacked most of my social media accounts including Warming Center Program, We Are Santa Cruz, Keep Santa Cruz Weird, and several others and tried to sell them back to me. I denied them. This de-platforming had detrimental affects, so I took some valuable time off. I had planned to spend the past two winters editing a documentary telling the story of Warming Center and Footbridge Services. After editing the video included in this email, I've recommitted to this project over the coming year. I may rejoin community service as an organizer again because I see a vast set of possibilities and an under-activated and ever-divided community. If this is to be so, I'll have to engage more as a unifier; this might be the biggest challenge of all. As for now, I've been working on improving aspects of the building 150 Felker St to make it a more safe and enjoyable space. 

I've missed interacting with our many clients, volunteers, staff and supporters. I know that I had let many of you down when I made abrupt changes and I agree that many of those who sleep outside were directly affected. Yet feeling uniquely responsible was a reason that I had to finally stop. We did a lot together, and we might yet still. If you'd like to personally reach out to me, my email is compassionman@hotmail.com otherwise, all of the contact avenues below are still active.

Thank you for all support and awareness.

831-588-9892

Hotline: 246-1234

warmingcenterprogram@gmail.com

Instagram: @WarmingCenterProgram

Take the Survey

BY SARAH RINGLER

Rick Longinotti is working with a network of people who have been advocating that Rep. Jimmy Panetta vote to stop supplying arms that are devastating the population of Gaza. This group conducted a vigil in Rep. Panetta’s office at the Santa Cruz County Building daily during Hiroshima Week. See Sentinel article. 

Panetta’s office says that they are working on setting up a date to meet with this group of peace advocates.

The survey is their tool to elicit input on what requests to make of Panetta. The draft requests are listed in the survey where you can indicate which requests you support. Your feedback and suggestions are welcome. After the responses are collected, they will be shared with Rep. Panetta.

Please share the invitation to take the survey with others and invite them to collaborate. Here is a sample email:

Dear ______,

I’m writing on behalf of a network of people who have been advocating that Rep. Jimmy Panetta vote to stop supplying arms that are devastating the population of Gaza. We conducted a vigil in Rep. Panetta’s office during Hiroshima Week. See Sentinel article. 

Please take this survey to help direct our meeting with Panetta. We want to coordinate with you in advocating for a just peace in Israel and Palestine. Sincerely, ___________

Contact Rick Longinotti HERE.

PHOTO BY CHRIS KROHN

Uncommitted delegates hold a press conference in front of the United Center in Chicago where the DNC held their meeting.

DNC Report, Day 4, All Is Good Except in Gaza - “Uncommitted” Delegates Denied a Seat at the DNC Table

BY CHRIS KROHN - Aug 24, 3:50pm

Note: As I reported on KSQD's "Talk of the Bay," the major issue confronting Democrats on Day 4 of the Democratic National Convention was the absence of any speaker to address the genocide unfolding in Gaza and the call for a permanent ceasefire. This report is gathered from various delegates and also speakers at a press conference that occurred on the final night of the convention.

A large gaggle of media surrounded a large man recently outside Chicago’s United Center. It was the fourth and final day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC). At six feet six inches tall, “uncommitted” Michigan delegate Abbas Alawieh sounded like a gentle giant, but only until he started talking about the “genocide in Gaza.” It was a press conference and the 30 Uncommitted Democratic party Delegates are the center of attention here tonight, but outside the convention floor. They stand behind Abbas and Leila Al-Abed another cofounder of what they are calling the “Uncommitted Movement.” Many show somber faces, as they all represent thousands of primary voters in their respective states who presumably want a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, but the DNC will not let them speak. Their request seemed simple, address the convention about the unfolding genocide in Gaza and demand a permanent ceasefire. Or, maybe it was too big of an ask? After all, as early as November, 2023, 55% of Americans, over 70% identifying as Democrats, supported a ceasefire. So why the snub of uncommitted delegates now? The group had amassed a petition with thousands of signatures asking for a few minutes on the DNC stage to address the convention in which their spokesperson would call for a cease fire and a cessation of military aid to Israel, they were crystal clear on about this.

Al-Abed opened the news conference saying “we asked for a speaker on the main stage, a speaker to bear witness to the pain and suffering Palestinian-Americans are experiencing due to our disastrous policy in Gaza,” she said. A policy “that has emboldened a war criminal” (Benjamin Netanyahu). Al-Abed continued, “This has been a disastrous decision by the Democratic leadership to deny a bare minimum ask that we requested weeks ago, prior to the convention.”

Next up was Alawieh and he did not mince words. He told reporters, “You know what it means to be a ceasefire delegate? It means that you don’t send bombs to kill babies, that’s what it means…it means an arms embargo, a just call to stop sending weapons that are used to kill civilians,” he said. “That in order for us to achieve a ceasefire means you have to stop sending the fire.” 

Alawieh was the chief of staff for Congressmember Cori Bush from St. Louis who recently lost her reelection primary mainly due to the millions of dollars in donations by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (Aipac) who supported her opponent. Alawieh has worked around congress since 2018, also spending time in the congressional offices of fellow Michiganders, Rashida Tlaib and Andy Levine. He’s pretty familiar with the legislative process and how lobbying is done, but this issue would seem to defy normal congressional channels. Why was the uncommitted delegation denied a speaking slot on the DNC stage? 

The D.C. staffer, Alawieh, went on to outline the journey ceasefire delegates have been on since they arrived to this convention. “Us ceasefire delegates, just 30 of us uncommitted delegates, we did the work in these halls. We approached fellow delegates, Harris supporters, Harris delegates, and told them, ‘Hey, these are the two things we support, we support an arms embargo and we support a ceasefire to stop the bombs and make sure that all those held captive—Israelis and Palestinians—are reunited with their families. Do you believe like us?’ And guess what? It turns out, our movement is popular, our movement is winning. The overwhelming majority of democratic voters support a ceasefire.”

It is baffling to convention-goers I spoke to as to why the uncommitted delegates were denied a speaking slot. There seems to be a consensus that it likely comes from decisions at the top of the Democratic Party. More than 40,000 Palestinians, at least 15,000 children have died, according to the Gaza Health Ministry (Ralph Nader has cited figures that sets the dead at well over 200,000), during this unceasing and relentless Israeli assault on Gaza since last October 6th’s massacre of Israeli citizens by the Islamic Resistance Movement, or Hamas.

Abbas Alawieh wanted the world to know that this group went through the “policy channels,” but still they were denied a place on the stage. “These programmatic asks were about forcing this party that has not been having this conversation on its own, its leaders have not been creating space for talking about Palestinian human rights…let’s be clear, that [conversation] would not have happened without our leadership.” As the convention came to a close, there was no meeting with the candidate, Kamala Harris or her representatives, and no speaking slot offered to the uncommitted Palestinian-American delegates.

Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor, friends and all who are human,

When you talk about addressing the homeless population, please understand that there has been little done to address it in our county. It is just a problem that city and county officials have been able to use to legally embezzle from the poor.

As most know, over $8 million has been provided to permanently house people on the Pájaro River. But not one person has been housed.

This is a city that has no shelters and especially no shelters for people with disabilities who may need medical life saving devices so they don't die.

Our city of Watsonville has abused the homeless people far too long and now I have to talk about it. Somebody has to. If anyone in Watsonville is experiencing a situation like this, it's time to speak up. It's time to stop the ones who are doing nothing and work to keep them from being elected again. 

Monike Ilene Tone

CARTOON BY ELIZABETH WILLIAMS

Angels & Devils and Jose Orozco

BY WOODY REHANEK

I don't know if he had papers.

Jorge Orozco built his life on the creek.

He turned its bank into a garden.

His arrest for trespassing came later.

 Neatly nestling his shack under 

a bridge, Jorge turned his attention

to topsoil, flagstones & flowers--

a palm tree--& tons of sweat equity.

Two hundred feet of creekbank

became a splendid art assemblage

of living, breathing possibility.

Jorge was hardworking, kind & friendly.

Pleasant Hill got the angel's share,

being made brighter & kinder. The rowdy

devil's cut moved on, making neighbors

thankful for Jorge's dedication

& steadfastness in staking a claim

to transform stands of native ryegrass

into mosaics of majesty & diversity.

On March 11 Jorge was arrested

for trespassing. The devil got his due.

******************

Now Santa Cruz just passed an ordinance

to literally "sweep the streets" at least

once a week, for health reasons. Those 

living in vehicles have to move them.

In Grants Pass, the city council

made sleeping outside illegal.

The U.S. Supreme Court just ruled 

that it's legal to criminalize

people who cannot afford housing.

Someone claiming expertise once told me

"You can't build your way out of home-

lessness." How else can we solve this?

******************

"The causes of homelessness are many 

and complex. But hot coffee & clean 

socks we can do." — Volunteer doctor

making the rounds in Boston at night.

San Francisco Mime Troupe's American Dreams Comes to Santa Cruz, Sept. 7 and 8, 3pm, at London Nelson, 301 Center St. Santa Cruz

For a limited time, from Aug. 13 to Sept. 8, 11:59pm, PDT, audiences around the country and the world will be able to watch this critically-acclaimed original play American Dreams for free on Vimeo.

Visit VIMEO to watch FREE until Sept. 8.

To access for FREE use promo code: powertothepeople

Tip - enter code before logging your personal info.

Though free, we encourage you to make a 

suggested donation of $20.

Photo by TARMO HANNULA 

The Pajaro River mouth is shown from the south, looking north, with the Pajaro Dunes community in the background.

.

Santa Cruz County Covid-19 Report

By SARAH RINGLER

The California Department of Public Health and Santa Cruz County Health Department regularly release data on the current status of Covid-19 in the county as well as information on influenza, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), and Mpox. Since cases of Covid are still appearing, and there are still vulnerable people, I will continue reporting the graphs below.

The three graphs below were updated on Aug. 28.

The first graph is the Effective Reproductive Number. When the line rises above one, it shows that the spread of the virus is increasing. Below one means the spread is decreasing. 

The second graph below shows data that the Health Department collects for Covid from wastewater at the City Influent, for the city of Santa Cruz, and from the Lode Street pump stations for the county.



The third graph below shows hospitalizations.

Photo TARMO HANNULA

Fashion Street — A woman pushed a stroller along Freedom Boulevard in Watsonville past a mural by Paul De Worken.

Labor History Calendar - Aug. 30- Sept. 5, 2024

a.k.a Know Our History Lest We Forget

Aug. 30, 1834: National Traders Union founded to unite US craft unions in fight against economic inequality.

Aug. 31, 1942: General Strike begins against annexation of Luxemburg into Nazi Germany over conscription. 

Aug. 31, 1946: 79-day strike begins, breaking power of Hawaii sugar plantations.

Aug. 31, 1992: South Africa government outlaws national metalworkers’ strike.

Sept. 1, 1903: 30,000 women from 26 trades march in Chicago Labor Day parade.

Sept. 1, 1920: 500,000 Italian metal workers occupy their factories.

Sept. 2, 1921: Mineowners bomb West Virginia strikers by plane.

Sept. 2, 2016: 150 million government workers strike against privatization and for a higher minimum wage in the world’s largest strike in India.

Sept. 2, 2021: 13th KCTU president in a row arrested for organizing massive labor protests in South Korea. 

Sept. 3, 1891: Cotton pickers strike in Texas.

Sept. 4, 1894: New York City tailors strike against sweatshop conditions.

Sept. 5, 1882: 30,000 march in New York’s first Labor Day parade.

Sept. 5, 1917: Palmer raids on all IWW halls and offices in the U.S.

Sept. 5, 1934: 325,000 US textile workers strike against pay cuts; two killed.

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

"Strong women don't have 'attitudes,' we have standards."



Marilyn Monroe

Photo by TARMO HANNULA

Scottish Potato Pancakes

By SARAH RINGLER 

I have never been to Scotland so I can't verify how traditional these potato cakes are but I can tell you that they are good - even better, spread with butter and jam. This recipe is another from “500 Budget Recipes” edited by Lucy Doncaster in the Watsonville Library. 

Even though I know better, I can't help but associate potatoes with European and American cuisine. Maybe it's the popular image of the typical meat and potato American meal. Or, maybe it's the Irish potato famine stories, or our Norwegian friend who wouldn't eat a meal that didn't have potatoes. But, I can't get my head around the fact that potatoes are native to Peru - and that's South America, not Nebraska.  The first recorded mention of potatoes in Europe is a delivery receipt from a shipment brought from the Canary Islands to Antwerp on Nov. 28, 1567. Basque fisherman brought them to Ireland and Sir Francis Drake and Sir Walter Raleigh's employee, Thomas Harriot, are credited with bringing them to England.     

Potatoes transport easily and are simple to grow. Throw a part of a potato with an eye, the little dimple on the skin, into the ground and the plant will grow. Because of this, their popularity grew among all the social classes. They were cheaper than bread and yielded twice to four times as many calories per acre than grain. They fed the working masses cheaply and effectively. 

I have mentioned before the vast size, shapes, colors and flavors of potatoes in Peru. Even in Santa Cruz County, we have a fairly decent selection. I recommend the large brown russet potatoes for these pancakes. The grainy flesh is perfect.          

You can use a frying pan or a griddle but griddles make it easier to flip the pancakes.  I have a griddle that I rescued from an abandoned sinking logging camp that was tethered to the British Columbian coastline. It was too difficult to build the camps on the land so the bunks and kitchen would be built on platforms on logs. Then they were secured to the coastline by tying the buildings to trees on the shore. That way the camps could also be moved to another spot. Even though the griddle is crusty on the sides and bottom, it has the smoothest surface, which makes it perfect for flipping pancakes.

1½ pounds Idaho russet potatoes

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 - 1 cup flour depending on the volume of the cooked potatoes

Salt 

Jam and butter, optional

Peel potatoes and place in a large saucepan. Cover with salted water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer over medium heat until tender.

Drain the potatoes. Then add them back in the pan. Put over low heat for a few minutes to evaporate all the excess water.

Mash potatoes with plenty of salt. Then, add the butter and mix in well with a wooden spoon. Let sit until cool.

Turn out onto a floured board and knead in about one third of the volume of potatoes in flour until you have pliable dough. That means if you have 3 cups of potatoes, you will add 1 cup of flour or if you have 1 1/2 cups of potatoes, you will add 1/2 cup of flour. 

Roll out about ½ inch thick into a large round. Cut into triangles. 

Heat a dry griddle or heavy cast iron fry pan over low heat. Cook the potato cakes about 3-5 minutes on each side until brown. Serve hot with butter and jam. 

Send your story, poetry or art: Please submit a story, poem or photo of your art 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 this is a political issue. Submit to

coluyaki@gmail.com

Send comments to coluyaki@gmail.com

If you are enjoying the Serf City Times, forward it on to others.

Subscribe, contact or find back issues at the website https://serf-city-times.constantcontactsites.com

Thanks, Sarah Ringler