Photo bt TARMO HANNULA
Eight trailers waiting for families stored at the entrance to Pinto Lake County Park outside Watsonville.
County Hoarding Trailers that Could Be Houses
By SARAH RINGLER
Bought by the county well over a year ago to house homeless youths at the Seven Day Adventist camp on Old San Jose Road, these eight trailers have been sitting empty and unused for at least the last six months at Pinto Lake County Park.
Eight families could have a place to live. Site and hook ups would be needed to create housing. Currently there are temporary spaces at Pinto Lake City Park. Churches with large parking lots, bathrooms and other facilities could also provide more permanent locations as could other city and county land.
In the last week, campers who were removed from the Pajaro River Levee set up a Warming Center at a public parking lot in Watsonville at Bridge and Blackburn Streets. Josh Q. Stratton, Chief of Staff for Monterey County Supervisor John Phillips reported in an email that the county had offered twenty hotel vouchers as well as transportation to the hotels and storage facilities.
Monike Tone, resident and spokesperson for the Warming Center, Thursday said that seven women had taken hotel vouchers for a place in Seaside. One man took a voucher for Greenfield but vouchers for King City were too far away. Several of the campers work in Watsonville so could not relocate. One man who had taken a voucher for the hotel in Greenfield had an appointment in Santa Cruz that took him four hours by bus with numerous transfers that cost beyond the $10 stipend that he was provided.
When I approached the camp on Thursday, one resident yelled out, "'Ms Ringler." It turns out that I had been his sixth grade teacher at Rolling Hills Middle School back in the 90s. He remembered a field trip to the Water Treatment Plant that we had gone on. Monike Tone also had gone to Rolling Hills. As the last 2019 Santa Cruz County Point in Time homeless count reported, three out of four homeless were county residents. This is a community issue.
Currently residents at the camp need help with trash detail, tarps for reinforcing shelters, hot meals and money which can be dropped off or sent through venmo or ca$happ (preferred) to @modocker93. Also, because of universally common human necessities, portapotties are also needed.
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Photo by ADAM SCOW
Helping to preserve precious farmland, this group just turned in 3,176 signatures to the City of Watsonville that support a ballot initiative that will continue their Urban Limit Line into the future.
Signatures for Ballot Initiative to Preserve Pajaro Farmland Submitted to City
By SAM EARNSHAW
Since July, the Committee for Planned Growth and Farmland Protection talked to over 3,000 registered city voters, and the overwhelming majority are in support of putting a measure on the November 2022 ballot to renew the timeline of the existing Watsonville Urban Limit Line, established by Measure U in 2002.
This proves people care about this issue and want to have a say in protecting our unique and valuable farmlands and wetlands. It validates the survey that the city conducted last spring, where over 95% of the respondents said that the city should create jobs and housing near already existing infrastructure, to help protect natural and agricultural land.
Measure U has been good for the city, and renewing it until 2040 gives the city and developers opportunities to strengthen and revitalize the downtown, work on a Specific Plan for the industrial area off Walker Street, and take advantage of the many vacant and underutilized sites within city limits.
This city can thrive without urban sprawl, which is exactly what paving over our unique agricultural soils would be.
Monday, December 13, we turned in to the City of Watsonville 75 petitions that contained 3,176 signatures. We are required to have 2,170 legitimate Watsonville registered voter signatures to get on the November 2022 ballot, so we feel that we have collected enough extras, so that if some of them get rejected for one reason or another, we have about a 1000-signature buffer. A great cushion!
So it was a great effort by a lot of people. We rang on doorbells and stood in front of stores for almost six months. The response from the thousands of people we talked to was overwhelmingly positive, and we feel that as we move forward to get this passed in a year, we do have the support of very many city residents. Thanks to everyone, Monday was a historic day.
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Irene Juarez O'Connell and Maria Ramos Bracamontes are showing some of the Womb Care Kits they assemble for indigenous women who are farm workers in Santa Cruz County. Photo contributed
Campesinx Womb and Santa Cruz Ofrenda Projects
By IRENE JUAREZ O'CONNELL
Whew, what a year. I hope you are hanging in there, feeling nourished and healthy as we welcome the winter. I have had quite a full and fulfilling year myself, continuing my work farming with youth at Food, What?! and leading community-driven art projects in Santa Cruz County.
Co-led with my dear friend and nurse midwife Maria Ramos Bracamontes, we collected funds, menstrual products, personal care items, baby clothes, carriers, and medicines to create Womb Care Kits for Indigenous women farm workers in Santa Cruz County. We were generously offered space at the Museum of Art & History to set up our care kit assembly and donation drop-off. If you are on instagram, follow us at @campesinxwombcare)
Another community project this year - see photo below - was the Santa Cruz Ofrenda, an annual community altar space honoring the contributions of the African American, Afro-Indigenous, First-Nations Indigenous, East Asian, Mexican-Indigenous and Latinx communities of Santa Cruz created with my dear friend and Hoodoo healer, Luna HighJohn Bey. The altars provided a space for people to commune, celebrate, mourn, and conceptualize what liberation and equity may look like for us. We originally planned for this to be built at the downtown clock-tower, but due to unforeseen challenges and bad weather, we had to make a last-minute switch. Luckily, the staff at Museum of Art & History were more than willing to host us. Our altars blended perfectly with the altar they had up for La Temporada de Muertos. Que suerte y amor!
I am grateful to Museum staff for their generosity, and the awareness around the importance of making spaces and resources available to mutual aid efforts and healing spaces led by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) communities. We were welcomed in the space free of charge, and now I am gathering funds to give back. Will you please join me in making a contribution of any size that you can afford to the Museum of Art & History? Please enter "Irene" in the memo to assist with tracking.
Below, seated next to their altar, are Irene Juarez O'Connell, Paulina, Citlali, Meli, Reyna and Eréndira. Photo contributed
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“The Christians stole the winter solstice from the pagans, and capitalism stole it from the Christians.”
George Monbiot
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Photo by TARMO HANNULA
A Townsend's warbler darts between limbs at Struve Slough in Watsonville.
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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, Dec.12, totaled 21,708 up 262, from Dec. 9. The number of deaths rose by one to 225. Click to view a graph of hospitalizations here.
There have been few changes in the last two weeks. Active cases in south county rose by 12%. Mid county stayed the same and north county decreased by 9%. See details in the chart below.
On the county's vaccination webpage, as of Dec. 12, 76% of the county have had at least one dose and 70% have had two doses. Cases with one and two doses rose 1 % since Dec. 5. 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 now below one. See chart below. Numbers above one show the spread of the virus is increasing. Below one means the spread is decreasing.
There are many COVID-19 testing locations around the county and a few sites have free testing. For information on how to get tested, visit this site. Click here to make an appointment to get tested.
Any Californian age 12 or up can get vaccinated for free. For information on getting vaccinated, click here.
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% deaths by ethnicity:
White - 55%
Latinx - 37%
Black - 1%
Asian - 7%
American Native - 1%
Unknown - 1%
% deaths by gender/% of population:
Female - 49%/50%
Male - 51%/50%
Deaths by age/224:
25-34 - 2%
35-44 - 3%
45-54 - 4%
55-59 - 1%
60-64 - 6%
65-74 - 18%
75-84 - 21%
85+ - 44%
% active cases testing positive by region/% of population:
Mid-county - 12%/12%
North county - 62%/51%
South county - 35%/32%
Under investigation - 3%
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
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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%
Sept. 23-30 - 2%
Oct. 1-7 - 0%
Oct. 8-14 - 1%
Oct. 15-21 - 1%
Oct. 22-28 - 1%
Oct. 29-Nov. 4 - 1%
Nov. 5-11 - 1%
Nov. 12-18 - 2%
Nov. 19 - Dec. 2 - 2 weeks 2%
Dec. 2-9 - 2%
Dec. 9-16 - 1%
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Photo by TARMO HANNULA
Fashion Street - One Man Band
Nick Quijano keeps the beat on Pacific Ave. in Santa Cruz in November.
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Labor History Calendar for December 17-23, 2021:
Dec. 17, 1985: United Food and Commercial Workers blocks picketing of non-striking Hormel plants.
Dec. 17, 2010: Tunisian worker sets self on fire touching off 28 days of strikes and protests that topple government.
Dec. 18, 1830: Trial of Swing Rioters, peasants and workers who protested agricultural mechanisation, harsh working conditions, poor wages as well as other things.
Dec. 19, 1984: 27 miners killed by speed-up in Orangeville, Utah mine disaster.
Dec. 19j, 2015: Amazon warehouse workers begin strikes demanding company honor labor standards in Germany.
Dec. 20, 1905: 11-day general strike in Russia.
Dec. 20, 1960: Five-week “Winter Strike” begins. 2,000 arrested in Belgium.
Dec. 20, 1995: ACL agrees to stop using scab port after Newark, NJ dockers honor picket by locked-out Liverpool workers.
Winter Solstice - Dec. 21 at 7:59am PST.
Dec. 21, 1916: IWW outlawed in Australia.
Dec. 21, 1995: Police turn water cannons on 2,000 Belgian strikers trying to occupy airport terminal.
Dec. 22, 1922: International Workers’ Assn.(AIT) founded in Germany.
Dec. 22, 1919: US deports 250 radicals.
Dec. 22, 1995: UPIU forces surrender pact on A.S. Staley workers, ending 30-month struggle.
Dec. 23, 1908: Amercian Federation of Labor officers found in contempt of court for urging boycott.
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Photo by TARMO HANNULA
Historic Dips from the 50s
By SARAH RINGLER
There are enough food shows on TV these days to wear anyone out. From eating insects to gorging on hamburgers the size of Frisbees, you can be fully repulsed on a regular basis.
One show I have enjoyed is Alton Brown’s “Good Eats” on the cable Food Network. He explores the chemistry of cooking. He is also knowledgeable and very funny. For instance, he defines a dip - as compared to a sauce or a spread - by the ability of the mixture to “maintain contact with its transport mechanism over three feet of white carpet.”
Here are a couple of dips from the 1950’s that fit Brown’s definition. They are quick, easy to make and perfect for when people are dropping in at the last minute. The ingredients are also easy to have on hand. These dips also keep well for a few days if covered and refrigerated.
As far as the transport mechanism, Ruffles potato chips are authentic to the 1950’s. However, there are so many different chips and crackers today, experiment away.
Classic American Onion dip
8 ounces of cream cheese, room temperature
1 ounce package of dry onion soup mix
¼ cup of milk
In a medium bowl, mix the cream cheese and milk until you have a dipable consistency. Pour in the contents from the dry onion soup package. Mix well and serve or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Clam Dip
8-ounce package cream cheese at room temperature
1 can minced clams
2 minced green onions
2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce
Open the can of clams. In a medium bowl, stir the softened cream cheese. You can also use an electric beater but be sure to use a deep enough bowl. Pour in some of the juice from the can of clams until you have a mixture that fits Brown’s description above. Drain off the rest of the juice and add the clams, Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco sauce. Mix well. Refrigerate for about an hour. This dip tastes better when it has been refrigerated for a while.
Green Olive and Walnut Cream Cheese Spread
8-ounce package cream cheese at room temperature
1/3 cup chopped green olives with pimentos
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
Using a wooden spoon or an electric mixer on low speed, mix the olives and walnuts with the cream cheese. Thin the mixture with a little juice from the olive jar. This spread is good on almost any bread or cracker. Can be served immediately or refrigerated until ready.
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Your story, poetry or art here: 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
If you are enjoying the Serf City Times, forward it on to others. We need readers, artists, photographers and writers.
Thanks, Sarah Ringler
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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
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