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PHOTO BY TARMO HANNULA
Drip tape in a lettuce field outside of Castroville is being carefully rolled before it is sent off to be recycled.
Some Agricultural Plastics Now Recyclable
BY SARAH RINGLER
Progress is being made with the recycling of some agricultural plastics. Jazmine Mejia-Muñoz, Water Quality Program Coordinator for the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, put me in contact with Salvador Flores of Flipping Iron Inc. out of Bakersfield. Flipping Iron recycles drip tape and hoop house film as well as aluminum and scrap metals.
Not all agricultural plastics can be recycled. Large plastics sheets are used to cover fields to retain moisture, keep weeds down and keep fungicides in the soil for conventionally grown strawberry cannot be recycled. After they are used, they go to the landfill. They are widely used in the Pajaro Valley.
What can be recycled are plastic drip tape, used for irrigation, and hoop house film, plastic sheets that cover rows of portable greenhouses. They are both widely used in the Pajaro Valley. Hoop house film is used to protect raspberry bushes.
According to Flores, “First and foremost, both drip tape and hoop house films need to be properly rolled using Andros Mega Minder and must follow Flipping Iron’s best Practices. These steps ensure the materials are recyclable.”
After drip tape is correctly processed, it can be sent to manufacturers that accept used drip tape or it is shipped overseas to a facility that can further clean it and process it into recyclable materials like pellets. Hoop house film is also rolled then baled and sent overseas.
Flores emphasized that both plastics need to kept clean and processed by the Andros Mega Binder. Those machines can be rented by farmers as needed.
He added, “While some drip tape can be reused in domestic production, both drip tape and hoop house films are often sent overseas for further processing when not reused locally. This is why Flipping Iron Inc. is focused on building relationships with recyclers and manufacturers in the U.S. to find sustainable solutions for recycling and reusing these materials domestically.”
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BY SARAH RINGLER
This weekend is the closing celebration for the exhibition Seeing through Stone at the Institute of the Arts and Science. It will include talks by curators and artists, food, and live music by SambaDá.This event is free and open to the public.
At 2 pm there will be a special walk-through of Seeing through Stone with artist Sherrill Roland who will speak about his work in the exhibition, Forecast (Orange) (2023).
At 3 pm Gina Dent, Lauren Dickens, and Rachel Nelson, curators of Seeing through Stone, will talk about the exhibition and encourage viewers to see beyond the current realities of prison by drawing attention to already existing practices of imagining the world.
Visualizing Abolition" is a public scholarship initiative at UC Santa Cruz Institute of the Arts and Sciences designed to foster creative research and to shift the social attachment to prisons through art and education. Working across prison borders in all aspects of the initiative, and in collaboration with current and formerly incarcerated people, as well as those without that lived experience, the overarching goal is to change the narrative that links prisons to justice, contributing instead to the unfolding collective story and alternative imagining underway to create a future free of prisons."
100 Panetta Ave.
Santa Cruz, California 95060
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Recurso de Fuerza Village - Resource of Strength
BY SARAH RINGLER
Modeled by five villages for unhoused people built in Santa Barbara, construction for tiny houses is due to begin at the Westview Presbyterian Church, 118 1st St. in Watsonville in April 2025.
The village will be built by Monterey and Santa Cruz counties and will be staffed 24/7 by coordinators from the Community Action Board.
Pastor Dan is looking for groups or individuals interested in sponsoring or decorating a room. He can be contacted at 831-724-6222.
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Warming Center Receives No Government Funding
BY BRENT ADAMS
Warming Center Program's robust Hypothermia Protection Project is going strong, but we need your help to sustain it through this winter season.
Warming Wednesday is 12-3pm at 150 Felker St.. At the river side gate, anyone who sleeps outside can obtain a tent, blankets, jackets, shoes, clothing, hygiene items, first aid supplies, etc.
Many items are purchased new including: tents, blankets, men's pants, underwear, beanies and gloves, umbrellas, rain ponchos, handwarmers and hygiene stuff. You might image how expensive this project can be, given that most people will need to revisit this program multiple times this season.
Our programs are 100% community supported and this work receives no sustaining funds from city, county, state or federal government. We are a community of caring individuals who take responsibility for each other and ensure that not one person must suffer extreme cold outside.
Donate items to the Donation Barrel at REI Sports, Commercial Way and 150 Felker St. where there is a Donation Portal through the fence.
Donate funding support:
At warmingcenterprogram.com or write a check and send to:
Warming Center Program
PO Box 462 Santa Cruz, CA 95061
Contact:
Emergency Homeless Hotline: (831) 246-1234. Office: (831) 588-9892
warmingcenterprogram@gmail.com IG: @warmingcenterprogram
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Your Allied Rapid Response (YARR) Plans to Come to the Rescue
BY SARAH RINGLER
Your Allied Rapid Response, YARR, is planning a "Skills for Rapid Responders Training" Jan. 12, 3-5pm at the Resource Center for Nonviolence, 612 Ocean St.. The building is wheelchair accessible.
YARR's mission is to use "our bodies, tactics and resources to document, resist and prevent action by ICE, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or other repressive forces that would harm our fellow human beings."
The focus of the training will be "Legal Observation." This is a great opportunity for newer responders to build community and feel prepared to show up for community members needing our support, as well as for more seasoned responders to brush up on their skills. This is the first of a group of trainings; others will follow including De-escalation Skills for Responders.
YARR can be emailed HERE.
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Bilingual Teach-In Series on Palestine Solidarity Begins
BY PALESTINE SOLIDARITY CENTRAL COAST
Palestine Solidarity Central Coast is starting a series of bilingual teach-ins to be held in Santa Cruz and in Watsonville. The first of the series is on the topic of "Resisting Zionist Repression: How Zionism Infilitrates Our Communities." The class in Santa Cruz will be held Jan. 11, 11am-1pm at the Resource Center for Nonviolence, Santa Cruz 612 Ocean St.. The Watsonville teach-in will be Jan. 12, 11am-1pm at Somos, 112 E. Beach St., Watsonville.
The community, as well as students, are invited. All knowledge levels are welcome. It is for all of us.
Discussion topics:
- Financial coercion
- Threats and smears
- How Zionists build power
Pre-register HERE or just show up on the day.
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Jan. 20 - Santa Cruz March for the Dream
CONTRIBUTED BY NAACP SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
MLK Jr. People's March for the Dream has become a powerful tradition, symbolizing the ongoing pursuit of justice, equality, and civil rights for all in Santa Cruz County.
The march will begin at 10am on Mon., Jan. 20, at Pacific Ave. and Cathcart St., Santa Cruz, and will culminate in a program at the Civic Auditorium, 11am – noon. Please note that the march will happen rain or shine.
This year, we are gearing up for an impactful event and need your support to make it truly extraordinary. We are seeking sponsors, volunteers, and groups to march with us. Click here to become a March sponsor; click here to sign your group up to march; click here to volunteer to help at the March. Or just visit our website.
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Fight Back, Jan. 19 in San Francisco
BY MARK GINSBERG
The day before Inauguration Day, Jan. 19, people from across Northern California will come together in San Francisco to demand a future that centers on the needs of the people over the interests of the wealthy elite. With voices raised for workers’ rights, immigrant rights, environmental justice, and an end to the genocide in Gaza, we will stand for working people, not a billionaire’s agenda-from the local to the global, from defending people at home to ending the U.S. war machine.
We are gathering endorsements. If you or your organization would like to endorse the SF action, please reach out to answer@answersf.org.
We also encourage our supporters to attend the SF MLK Day march the following day, on Jan. 20, 9:30am at 700 4th St., San Francisco.
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CARTOON BY ELIZABETH WILLIAMS | |
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Editor's note: Here is the complete poem.
Satilla River Cadenza
BY WOODY REHANEK
Cane pole fishing in southeast Georgia:
here the Satilla River gathers
its percolating coffee waters
in stately looping.
This blackwater river flows
from past imperfections
to the absolute stillness
of the clearwater future.
We're rooted in the opaque present.
Scrub oaks crowd riverbanks
like concerned citizens
waving Spanish moss flags.
Fish line, weights, & spinners
dangle from branches
like glittering intestines
of exotic Southern roadkill.
The dirt farmer blood of my ancestors
enriches the river, clouding its velvet,
imprinting nerves and encoding genes,
placing me here where I belong
among cypress, pine, & fanleaf palmetto
in a familiar, single-minded dream.
Satilla Riverblood
flows through my veins
from Deep South forebears
to Far West descendants
temporarily looping
through one life's ghostly circuitry
gathering into itself
the savory scent of salt & lemons
& the bittersweet taste of eternity.
******
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PHOTO KATHLEEN KILPATRICK
Pomegranate on a flower tablecloth.
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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 Dec. 31.
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.
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PHOTO BY TARMO HANNULA
Fashion Street - These women sport matching flannel trousers —typically pajamas — while heading across the Overlook Center parking lot in Watsonville.
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Labor History Calendar - Dec. 27- Jan. 9, 2025
a.k.a Know Our History Lest We Forget
Dec. 27, 1831: Christmas rebellion in Jamaica escalates; 60,000 of country’s 300,000 slaves rise against slavery.
Dec. 27, 1911: UK cotton mills lock out 126,000 workers until Jan. 19.
Dec. 28, 1936: GM sit-down strike begins at Fisher Body plant.
Dec. 29, 1890: Wounded Knee massacre of Oglala Sioux, Pine Ridge, S.D.
Dec. 30, 1936: GM sit-down spreads to Flint, Michigan.
Dec. 31, 1969: UMW dissident Joseph Yablonski murdered by gun thugs
Jan. 1, 1831: Garrison founds Liberator, abolitionist newspaper.
Jan. 1, 1994: Zapatista rebels attack government building in San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas.
Jan. 2, 1905: Conference of Industrial Unionists in Chicago leads to formation of IWW.
Jan. 3, 1917: Mooney tried in San Francisco in bombing frame-up.
Jan. 3, 1932: Martial law declared in Honduras to quell revolt started by sacked United Fruit Co. workers.
Jan. 3, 1964: 450,000 NYC public school students strike against de facto racial segregation and poor conditions.
Jan. 4, 1966: Transport Workers Union officials jailed in NYC transit strike.
Jan. 5, 1869: 1st Black Labor Convention.
Jan. 6, 1882: Toronto Labor Council supports equal pay for equal work.
Jan. 6, 1970: West Virginia miners wildcat to protest murder of union reform leader.
Jan. 7, 1918: Police fire on striking metal-workers, kill 5. Begins Semana Tragica in Buenos Aires.
Jan. 7, 1939: Tom Mooney freed after 22.5 years in San Quentin.
Jan. 8, 1811: 500+ enslaved sugar cane workers march on New Orleans chanting “Freedom or Death.”
Jan. 8, 1883: Trail of Intl. Workers Association members in Lyon, France.
Jan. 8, 1892: Anarchist revolt in Jerez, Spain.
Jan. 9, 1905: Revolution in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Jan. 9 1939: Southern Tenant Farmers’ Union leads Missouri highway sit-down of 1,700 tenant families.
Jan. 9, 1973: Brick strike starts strike wave by Black workers in Durban, South Africa.
Labor History Calendar has been published yearly by the Hungarian Literature Fund since 1985.
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"Now more than ever, America needs a tenacious, unwavering media that refuses to bend a knee to power – whatever the threats or consequences.
"We are already starting to see signs of anticipatory obedience elsewhere in US media: journalists visiting privately with the president-elect to make amends before he takes office again; newspapers muzzling endorsements to preemptively protect the wealth and influence of their billionaire owners.
"You can see why they do it. With an incoming administration that is openly hostile to the free press – calling journalists the 'enemy camp' and 'scum,' and threatening retribution – truly independent reporting has never been more urgent, or more perilous.”
Betsy Reed Editor of the Guardian US, 12/27/24
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PHOTO BY TARMO HANNULA
Out of This World - Street scene in Beijing, China in September 2015.
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Photo by TARMO HANNULA
Rice Noodle Salad
By SARAH RINGLER
This is a good cold salad that fits with many leftovers or none at all. It is refreshing, light and fairly easy to prepare. Just make sure you have a good sharp knife for chopping the mint, basil and radicchio.
Rice stick noodles are available in the Asian section of most grocery stores and come in various thicknesses. They are also called rice vermicelli. Commonly used in Asian cooking, the noodles are called maifun in Cantonese cooking, pancit bihon in the Philippines, and Bánh hoi in Vietnam. Make sure you don’t buy cellophane noodles, saifun; they are also good but are made out of mung beans.
If you have a garden, or a cool place in your yard, mint is very easy to grow. It grows on roots that run under the ground. All you need is a small piece that has a bit of root on it, plant it in the dirt in a shaded spot, water it and over the years it will spread giving you as much mint as you will need.
Steak Rice-Noodle Salad
4 ounces thin rice stick noodles or rice vermicelli
1 large clove garlic
1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
4 teaspoons sugar
¼ cup fish sauce
2 teaspoons lime juice
½ cup salted peanuts, chopped
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves
3 tablespoons peanut or corn oil
2 heads of thinly sliced radicchio
½ English cucumber, thinly sliced
About ½ pound grilled or cooked meat or tofu thinly sliced if desired
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Place the rice stick noodles
in a large bowl. Cover the noodles completely with the boiling water and let stand until softened for about 10 minutes. Rinse with cold water, drain well in a colander and place in a large bowl.
In a mortar and pestle or small blender or food processor, mash the garlic, jalapeño and sugar to a paste. Transfer to a small bowl and whisk in the fish sauce, limejuice and ¼ cup of water. Pour some of this dressing, a few tablespoons at a time onto the drained noodles, tossing them to mix and tasting as you go until you have the flavor you like; use up to half of the dressing.
Now add, 6 tablespoons of chopped peanuts, 1 tablespoon of chopped mint and 1 tablespoon of chopped basil. Toss well.
Make the salad. Whisk the peanut or corn oil into the remaining dressing. In a large bowl, toss together the radicchio, remaining mint and basil and the cucumber. Pour enough dressing over the salad to coat the greens. Save a little for the meat if using.
Arrange the salad on a large platter. Top with the noodles, other ingredients and spoon on the rest of the dressing. Garnish with the remaining peanuts and cilantro.
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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.
To subscribe or contact, email coluyaki@gmail.com.
To find back issues to to the website https://serf-city-times.constantcontactsites.com
Thanks, Sarah Ringler
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