Photo by SARAH RINGLER

In 2020, Mexico enacted a law that required informational labels on products that alert customers about health hazards. Here are labels on Coca Cola and Fanta that warn of excessive calories and sugar.

There is No Nanny State Here - You’re On Your Own

By SARAH RINGLER

Earlier this year, there was alarm from some members of the public about  a statement that went out about the safety of gas stoves made by chairman of the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, Alexander Hoehn-Saric. It was thought that the government might ban gas stoves. According to research by Brady A. Seals for the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, gas-burning stoves are linked to 13% of the cases of childhood asthma in the US. Hoehn-Saric vehemently denied he would ban gas stoves. “Over the past several days, there has been a lot of attention paid to gas stove emission and to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Research indicates that emissions from gas stoves can be hazardous, and the CPSC is looking for ways to reduce related indoor air quality hazards. But to be clear, I am not looking to ban gas stoves and the CPSC has no proceeding to do so.”

This is the American way. Research is done - in this case by the National Cancer Institute and RMI - results are recorded, published and go out in the media. It then generally fades into the background replaced by some other issue. In the case of gas stoves, you have the head of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, not only not advocating for legislation but vehemently denying it.

Another story that just came out about the same time was about lead in baby food. According to Christina Jewett of the Jan. 25 New York Times, “The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday proposed maximum limits for the amount of lead in baby foods, like mashed fruits and vegetables, and dry cereals, after years of studies revealed that many processed products contained levels known to pose a risk of neurological and developmental impairment.” 

Can you believe that baby food companies have been allowed to market and make a profit from a product that has unhealthy levels of lead in it? This proposal hasn’t been acted upon and from Jewett’s article, still doesn’t cover some “grain-based snacks that have also been found to contain high levels of heavy metals. And they do not limit other metals, like cadmium, that the agency and many consumer groups have detected in infant foods in previous years.” 

Jewett’s article also states, “In 2020, the FDA set limits for inorganic arsenic in rice cereal for infants and in April of last year, it proposed maximum levels for lead in juice.“ Consumer Reports released tests showing that arsenic remained present in rice cereal meant for babies even after the limit was issued. The group advised parents to favor dry oatmeal as a safer alternative.” This makes the consumer, in this case the parent, responsible.

The Environmental Working Group as of 2019, put strawberries at the top of their “Dirty Dozen” list stating that strawberries were most likely to be contaminated with pesticide residue even after they are picked, rinsed in the field and washed before eating.

One of the chemical poisons, a fungicide, used in strawberry farming is Telone, aka 1,3-D. It's a carcinogen banned in 34 countries. Right now, California is considering a plan to permit 14 times more Telone in the air than now allowed. Groups like Safe Ag Safe Schools, Californians for Pesticide Reform, Campaign for Organic and Regenerative Agriculture advocate for reducing Telone applications and strengthening regulations against it. 16 years ago, the European Union stopped the use of Telone. This is not only an issue for consumers but for farm workers and largely Latino communities who live around these farms.

Something as basic as water quality is another issue. Jackson, Mississippi, with one of the oldest water systems in the country, has endured days long outages. Jan. 17, reported by Char Adams of NBC News, residents regularly received boil-water notices and the city was working on "addressign issues of lead in the drinking water." 

In the US, you aren’t assured of safe water or food, and even babies’ food can be dangerous.

There is nothing new about this. “That they have investigated, as far as they could….. the injurious and poisonous compounds used in the preparation of food substances, and in the manufacture of wearing apparel and other articles, and find from the evidence submitted to them that the adulteration of articles used in the everyday diet of vast numbers of people has grown, and is now practiced, to such an extreme as to seriously endanger the public health, and to call loudly for some sort of legislative correction. Drugs, liquors, articles of clothing, wall paper and many other things are subjected to the same dangerous process. House Reports, Third Session, Forty-sixth Congress, 1880-81, Vol. I, Report No. 199:1. The committee drafted a bill for the prevention of these frauds; the capitalist concerned smothered it.”

This is from “History of Great American Fortunes” by Gustavus Myers, published in 1937. Going back many more years in Roman law, “Let the buyer beware.”

Photo by TARMO HANNULA

Here are labels on cigarette packages in Mexico.

This weekend in Santa Cruz

Click on Arrow Above to Watch Mime Troupe Present Their New Show, "Breakdown"

By SARAH RINGLER

This weekend, Aug.19-20, the San Francisco Mime Troupe presents "Breakdown, A New Musical." The play starts at 3pm, outside on the gras at the London Nelson Community, 301 Center St. in downtown Santa Cruz. Get there early for a good spot. Bring low backed chairs or blankets if you want to sit closer to the stage.

For cathartic laughter under the gray skies of living in the USA, you can't beat the Mime Troupe, now in their 64th year. On July 1, they began their tour in Berkeley and end it in San Francisco Sept. 4. For information and to donate go HERE.

The SF Mime Troupe are still looking for a few good people to help, both before and after their performances at London Nelson Park. Have you ever wondered what the life of a traveling troupe is like? Here's your chance!

1 or 2 volunteers needed for each of the following shifts: 

Saturday August 19:   5:30-8pm, 8-10pm and 10pm-8am.

Sunday August 20: 8-10:30am.

Email: tourmanager@sfmt.org or call 415-285-1717, if you'd like to volunteer.

When Dianne Feinstein Steps Down....

By JEFFREY SMEDBERG

When Dianne finally steps down, she is likely to be replaced by one of the 3 Democrats who are campaigning for her US Senate seat. See them when they are in town.

Katie Porter, Congresswoman from Irvine famous for explaining complex issues with a whiteboard, will be in Santa Cruz for a campaign event on 

Sunday, Aug. 20 at 4:30pm at the Veterans Memorial Building, 846 Front St, Santa Cruz. RSVP by email to Chloe.Seymour@katieporter.com is advised as the event is likely to be sold out. Campaign contribution is expected.

Event sponsored by Santa Cruz County Women for Katie Porter for Senate. View the event flyer. 

Adam Schiff, Congressman from Burbank who rose to national prominence as the lead prosecutor in President Donald Trump's first impeachment trial, will be in Santa Cruz with Sam Farr on Tuesday, August 22, 6:30pm. RSVP for location to Leslie at 831-345-7375 or coastlldy@aol.com. Contribution expected. Event sponsored by the Santa Cruz County Democratic Party.

Barbara Lee, Congresswoman from Oakland, is famous as the only member of Congress to vote against the war in Afghanistan. A date for her Santa Cruz appearance has not been set. A few groups are working to make this a reality. Watch this space.

Transportation Justice Conference on Aug. 26

By SARAH RINGLER

Watsonville has the worst injuries to child pedestrians of any city in the state. Santa Cruz is at or near the worst in injuries to bicyclists. Safe, efficient and affordable transportation is a major issue in our county. The Transportation Justice Conference on Aug. 26, will feature speakers from cities in the Bay Area who have found sustainable and socially equitable ways to deal with these problems. Come listen to their experiences. Speakers include, Zack Deutsch-Gross who is the Policy Director of Transform, a leading organization advocating for walkable communities with excellent transportation; Justin Hu-Nguyen is Director of Mobility Justice for Bike East Bay and; Fernando Martí led the successful advocacy for San Francisco’s Community Opportunity to Purchase Act, enabling non-profits first right to purchase residential buildings to preserve affordability.

Transportation Justice Conference - Aug, 26, 9:30-3pm, Unitarian Church, 6401 Freedom Blvd., Aptos. Lunch will be provided. Register HERE.  

Take Survey on Santa Cruz Downtown Expansion

By SARAH RINGLER

Senior Planner for the city of Santa Cruz, Sarah Neuse, wants everyone to know that an online survey is available that is looking for community input for the next round of the Downtown Expansion Plan.

The survey is open through Sept. 1. A community meeting to review the results will occur in September or early October. More information is on project website.

Open to residents outside the city, I took the survey and one easy request for me was for the city to increase the number of public toilets. For information, contact Sarah Neuse below.

Sarah Neuse, Senior Planner 

City of Santa Cruz | Planning & Community Development

809 Center St – Room 101, Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Phone: 831-420-5092

Email: sarahneuse@santacruzca.gov

www.cityofsantacruz.com

Watsonville Film Festival to Present Award-winning Documentary at CineLux, Green Valley Cinema,

By CONSUELO ALBA-SPEYER

The Watsonville Film Festival will partner with CineLux Green Valley Cinemas to present the highly-acclaimed documentary film "Sansón and Me" on Saturday, August 26 at 6pm. The film event is free, but reservations are required.

Award-winning filmmaker, Rodrigo Reyes, will participate in a post-screening Q&A with the audience. Watsonville-based actor Mario Velasquez, who appears in the film, will also be in attendance, as well as family members of Sansón, the protagonist of the documentary. 

"Sansón and Me" focuses on two Mexican immigrants; one serving a life sentence in prison and the other, the filmmaker, who served as his court interpreter. The two formed a bond over the years, writing letters that serve as the basis of the film. This innovative film, that pushes the documentary-style form, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and received the “Best Film” Award at Sheffield Fest / Doc, the UK's leading documentary festival. 

“We are thrilled to finally be able to share this powerful film in Watsonville,” says Consuelo Alba, Executive Director of the Watsonville Film Festival. "Sansón and Me" was part of our annual festival last March, but had to be rescheduled due to the severe flooding. We look forward to presenting it at CineLux Green Valley Cinemas along with the director, actor and Sanson’s family.”   

Admission to the film event is free, but donations to support the Watsonville Film Festival are welcome. To secure a spot, people need to register here. Ticket-holders must arrive at least 15 minutes early or their seats will be given to people on the waiting list. 

More about "Sansón and Me" During his day job as a Spanish criminal interpreter in a small town in California’s Central Valley, filmmaker Rodrigo Reyes, who also directed the award-winning film “499,” met a young man named Sansón, an undocumented Mexican immigrant who was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Lacking permission to interview him, Reyes corresponded with Sansón for over a decade. Using hundreds of letters as inspiration, the film recreates Sansón’s childhood —featuring members of his own family. The result is a vibrant portrait of a friendship that navigates the immigration and criminal justice systems, and pushes the boundaries of cinematic imagination to rescue a young migrant's story from oblivion. (85 min. Unrated, recommended ages 13+.)

The Sacred & the Favored

 By WOODY REHANEK

I. Here in Yucatan

the Maya won't kill doves

for doves do not eat sacred corn.

The Maya won't kill hawks

for hawks hunt hungry ravens.

II. Owls spread contagion, death & darkness:

avoid them at any cost.

Parrots have the evil eye,

a fixed-eye stare, the same as chickens.

Robbins said you can bewitch a chicken

in ten unblinking seconds

but here in Yucatan

it's the other way around.

III. These three birds are the sacred

& the favored children of the gods:

chachalaca, hawk, & dove.

The chachalaca's cry brings rain.

Photo by TARMO HANNULA 

A kingbird keeps watch from a shrub in the San Joaquin Valley.

Santa Cruz County Covid-19 Report - Eighth week rise in Rt Number

By SARAH RINGLER

The California Department of Public Health reports on Covid-19 for The Santa Cruz County Health Department. They regularly release data on the current status of Covid-19 in the county. There have been no new deaths in the county since Dec. 15. Since cases are still appearing, and there are still vulnerable people, I will continue reporting the graphs below.

The three graphs below give a picture of what is happening currently. The first graph below shows the Rt Number. Numbers above one show the spread of the virus is increasing. Below one means the spread is decreasing. The last 3 weeks have risen above one.

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. This graph shows wastewater level to be below Center for Disease Control's moderate risk threshold.

The third graph below shows hospitalizations. Click to see more information on hospitalizations HERE.



The vaccination data for the county has stayed fairly constant increasing very little over time. Go HERE for new information on vaccination records, treatments, vaccines, tests, safety in the workplace and more.

Photo by TARMO HANNULA

Fashion Street - A VW squareback, made from from 1961 to 1973, is equipped with Venetian blinds, surfracks, gobs of stickers and plenty of dents on Pacific Avenue in downtown Santa Cruz.

Labor History Calendar - August 18-24, 2023

a.k.a Know Our History Lest We Forget

Aug. 18, 1994: Nigerian government seizes oil workers’ union offices and installs new officers. 

Aug. 18, 2006: General strike demands government resign in Oaxaca, Mexico.

Aug. 18, 2020: General strike against election fraud and repression fails in Belarus.

Aug. 19, 1909: First edition of IWW Little Red Songbook.

Aug. 19, 1933: Boss press laments women pickets’ effectiveness in 4th day of California beet, strike – many arrests.

Aug. 19, 2022: London transit closed by strikers demanding living wage from privatized rail network.

Aug. 20, 1909: IWW free speech fight in Fresno, California.

Aug. 21, 1831: Nat Turner leads slave revolt in Virginia.

Aug. 21, 1918: 150,000 Yorkshire coal miners begin two-day strike.

Aug. 21, 2018: US prisoners strike against prison conditions and slave wages.

Aug. 22, 1791: Slave uprising begins Revolution in Haiti.

Aug. 22, 1916: IWW free-speech fight begins in Everett, Washington.

Aug. 23, 1834: British National Trades Union founded.

Aug. 23, 1927: Sacco and Vanzetti executed.

Aug. 23, 2021: Striking doctors forced back to work after pharmacists pledge to join strike in Nigeria.

Aug. 24, 1980: Solidarnosc founded in Gdansk, Poland. 

Aug. 24, 2020: Media reports Tacoma area postal workers defied managers to reinstall six mail sorting machines to slow delivery. 

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

"The world is beautiful,

but has a disease called man."

Friedrich Nietzsche

Photo by TARMO HANNULA

Peking Chicken and Earth Day

By SARAH RINGLER 

Peking duck is one of the special dishes served in many Chinese restaurants. Here is a version made with chicken that is very good. It is comes from Marian Burros’s book “Pure and Simple;” she got it from Carrie Lee Nelson, wife of Gaylord Nelson, the Wisconsin Senator, who on April 22, 1970, sponsored a teach-in in Seattle on the environment that later became what we still honor today, Earth Day. 

It takes a few days to prepare, but it is well worth it. 

The Szechuan peppercorns are an essential part of the flavor and can’t be substituted. Personally, I did not want to add one more jar or bag to my spice shelf; it is already out of hand. These peppers are not actually peppers but are part of the citrus family. They yield a wonder scent when you fry them with the salt. Salting chicken and letting it sit ensures that the chicken stays moist and flavorful.

The Mandarin pancake recipe below has to win a prize for its minimal ingredient list but lengthy and complicated directions. I’ll do my best to simplify. In case you are not in the mood, small flour tortillas are a very good substitute.

Carrie Lee Nelson’s Peking Chicken 

3-4 pound frying chicken

1½ tablespoons Chinese Szechuan peppercorns

1 ½ tablespoons salt

½ cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons mirin or sherry

5 cups water

2 green onions

3 slices of fresh ginger, cut 1/3 inch thick

1 tablespoon star anise

3 tablespoons flour

3 tablespoons black tea

3 tablespoons brown sugar

8 moo shu wrappers

8 or more green onions

Hoisin sauce

Serve with po-ping, Mandarin pancakes

Wash and dry the chicken. Cut down the breastbone and open the chicken up.

Mix the peppercorns with the salt in a small frying pan. Heat over medium heat until the salt is brown and the peppercorns darken. Rub all over the inside and outside of the chicken. Refrigerate for up to 2 days. 

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven that can hold the chicken, mix the soy sauce, mirin or sherry, water, green onions, ginger and star anise. Put the pan over medium high heat and bring to a boil. Place the chicken in the boiling liquid and reduce heat to medium. Cover and cook the chicken 10 minutes on one side. Then flip the chicken over and cook for 10 minutes on the other side. Turn off the heat and leaving the cover on, let the chicken sit for 20 minutes.

Prepare the green onions. Cut off the root ends and the tough tops. Use a sharp knife to cut the green part into thin strips making a kind of brush. The brush will later be used to spread the hoisin sauce onto the pancakes, then, add to the pancake before it is rolled up with the chicken slices inside. 

Prepare a bed of charcoal in the barbecue. You will probably need about 30 briquettes. Light the charcoal. While you are waiting, make a tray out of aluminum foil that is about 14 inches by 8 inches. Mix the black tea leaves the brown sugar and the flour and sprinkle on the tray.  

When the briquettes are covered in a gray ash, they are ready. Place the tray with the tea leaves, sugar and flour directly on the ashes. Put the grill grate over that. 

Put the chicken on the grate skin side up. Cover with the lid and close down all the vents. Smoke the chicken for 20 minutes. It should be golden brown. 

Put the chicken on a carving board or large platter. Remove the legs, thighs and wings. Carefully slice the meat off the bones keeping the skin in tact to the best of your ability. A sharp, thin boning knife really helps. Cut through the skin and meat making strips that are about ¾ inch by 4-6 inches long. Put on a serving plate.

Make green onion brushes. Take green onions and trim off roots and tops. Cut into thin strips.

Serve warm with the green onion brushes, hoisin sauce and Mandarin pancakes or small flour tortillas. Serves 4-6. 

Po-ping, Mandarin pancakes

1 cup sifted flour

¾ cups boiling water

1-2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

Sift the flour into a bowl and make a well in the center. Pour in the boiling water. Mix with a wooden spoon gradually incorporating more flour until you form a soft and pliable dough. You may have to adjust by adding more water or flour. Since you are going to roll out the dough, you don’t want it to be too dry so err on the damp side. Then knead for about 10 minutes adding flour if necessary to keep the dough from sticking. Cover with a damp cloth and set aside for 15 minutes.

On a lightly floured board, roll out the dough into a large circle about ¼ inch thick. Cut into 2 ½ inch rounds with a cookie cutter or water glass. Cut out as many circles as you can. Combine scraps and roll out again. You should have about 20-24 circles.

Take one of the circles and brush with a little sesame oil. Put another circle over the first and roll out on the floured board on both sides until the circle is about 6 inches in diameter. Set aside and cover with a dry cloth. Continue until all the circles are done. You should now have about 10-12 circles.         

Put a heavy bottomed fry pan on the stove on high heat for about 30 seconds. Reduce to medium heat and cook the pancakes, one at a time until they have little brown bubbles. Flip over and cook the other side. It doesn’t take much time. As you remove the pancakes, separate them into two. Keep them warm. Continue cooking all the pancakes. Serve or wrap in foil and refrigerate. Before serving, reheat.

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 © 2023 Sarah Ringler - All rights reserved