Do you see the images of Pink Panther, Scooby Doo and Porky Pig in the dry grass on the mountainside keeping watch over the Pájaro Valley? There are no winners or losers here.
Photo by MAS HASIMOTO
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How Santa Cruz County Has Changed Over the Years
By MAS HASHIMOTO
Reflecting on our past, progress has been made in Watsonville throughout these past years. Historically, Watsonville, as a community of minorities and with the old established Caucasian American families, believed it was the unwanted stepchild of Santa Cruz County.
During my youth in the mid-1930s-1950s, we, Asian Americans, rarely visited Santa Cruz for we felt unwelcomed. Hispanic American friends tell me that some of it still remains true for them.
Until the mid-1970s, Santa Cruz County was a staunch Republican Party county. The election of Leon Panetta to the House of Representatives in 1976 was the culmination of a great effort for change. How did Santa Cruz County change from a regressive to a progressive, liberal county?
For those involved with public education, the 12th grade was as high as one could go in Santa Cruz County. Many high school graduates chose Hartnell College in Salinas, or Monterey Peninsula College, both in Monterey County, for their first two years of college. Santa Cruz County residents paid dearly to Monterey County for those students’ tuition.
Finally, in 1959, our county established Cabrillo College with Robert Swenson as its first President. We are grateful for the continuing success of Cabrillo College.
Then, in 1965, the University of California at Santa Cruz was founded. Preceding the establishment of UCSC, Jane Borg of the Pajaro Valley Historical Association invited me to attend a session with Governor Edmund G. “Pat” Brown in Watsonville to discuss the future of UCSC. I had been teaching at Watsonville High for only five years.
During the Q&A discussion, I asked the governor, “Why not make UCSC a post-graduate school where the best scientists and scholars would continue their research and instruct the brightest graduates of the UC system? Why not make UCSC a school different from all the other UC campuses?”
The governor stated the choice had been narrowed down to New Almaden, south of San Jose, or Santa Cruz. He was determined to make Santa Cruz County a Democratic county.
In the years that followed, the intelligentsia came from all over the world to teach and research, for which we are grateful. Cabrillo College and UCSC changed our county and the people in it. And, we in Watsonville are among the beneficiaries.
Watsonville is advancing too. While we are not a tourist town like Santa Cruz or Monterey, or a boutique village, we can take heart that our Pajaro Vallely is beautifully nestled and surrounded on three sides by hills, and the ocean to the west. We have clean air, clean water, resources for growing fresh and healthy vegetables and fruits that nourish our local and national population, a moderate climate, a concerned city leadership, and wonderful, caring people. Watsonville is a secret “Shangri-La.”
Today, nearly all of the county residents have come together on the issues of Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ, women’s rights, DACA “Dreamers,” systemic racism, et al.
Led by the vision and leadership of Harold “Hal” Hyde, who just passed away on Oct. 12, Cabrillo College and UCSC continues to play significant roles in the daily lives of our Santa Cruz County citizens and residents.
Yes, progress has been made. Acceptance. Onward!
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Whose police? Our police!
By SARAH RINGLER
As the City of Santa Cruz and other communities around the country attempt to deal with the deaths of individuals at the hands of the police, what are some of the essential issues? The following comes from the Santa Cruz Democratic Socialists of America and was compiled as talking points for the Nov. 24 meeting where the Santa Cruz City Council was considering recommendations for police reform. I have edited this for brevity:
What does police accountability mean? Some reforms call for making it easier to bring lawsuits against the police. The assumption behind this is that police officers naturally obey the law and follow policy. But as we know, the choke hold that killed Eric Garner was already banned when Officer Pantaleo used it to murder him. We need more than merely banning chokeholds; we need stricter accountability when officers inevitably violate policy. Officers should be required to carry personal liability insurance to cover costs of brutality or death claims.
We urge you to take seriously the research presented by the UCSC NAACP, showing that increased police contact with youths of color not only does not result in improved safety, it actually leads to worse outcomes and more exposure to violence and harm for those young people. Instead of investing in policing, we need to invest in alternative emergency response programs which divert 911 calls to non-police personnel, like the successful Eugene, Oregon program, Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets, CAHOOTS.
Chief Mills’s recent blog post glorifying vigilantism and promoting a “warrior cop” mentality is disturbing. We hope we can all agree that a citizen training his laser rifle sights on a police officer and a suspect grappling for control of a knife is not actually a good example of the “mindset” the public should show toward police. If this is the mindset and narrative that permeates the department, there is little hope that updating procedures in the employee handbook will have much effect.
In reaching out to Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), members of the community regarding these proposals, the demands of local abolitionists are notably absent. All of the proposed changes are what abolitionists would classify as “reformist reforms,” reforms that do not meaningfully change the power or presence of police in our communities, other than add to collecting data about stops and incarceration, which lack the crucial commitment to collect data on the affected person’s race, gender, mental illness, and housing status.
This moment is not about trusting police to reform themselves, it’s about reducing police presence and power in our communities and installing, funding, and constructing new systems of community safety that aren’t rooted in histories of slavery.
At a minimum, police should be accountable to a civilian review board with the power to independently investigate, discipline, and fire police officers and administrators.
Here are some additional points about reform and abolition from Mariame Kaba, a Chicago-based Black feminist abolitionist activist and educator who has been doing this work for a very long time.
If you are interested in joining DSA Santa Cruz, you will need to join DSA and then contact the Santa Cruz chapter. I just rejoined after a long lapse of many years.
From their website: "Santa Cruz was once deemed "The Leftmost City," celebrated as a "deviant case" from the typical real estate and development interests power that permeates the United States. 30 years on, that vision of Santa Cruz has all but vanished: ever-increasing rents, pervasive housing insecurity, and dwindling community culture have been the consequence of a city council controlled by establishment Democrats–and by proxy–the real estate industry."
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When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.
Confucius, Kong Fuzi
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The Warming Center Program ensures that no one has to sleep outside on the worst nights of winter. On nights of extreme temperature and rain, they create a warm, clean, safe and dignified shelter for everyone who needs it. With grant support from Santa Cruz County, EFSP, City of Santa Cruz, Kaiser Permanente, Sisters of the Holy Names, and Association of Faith Communities, etc. they've been able to place the highest priority on people with mobility and mental health challenges. To donate or volunteer, go to the Warming Center website. To donate blankets and warm clothing, see the poster above.
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Sarah's County Covid-19 Report
By SARAH RINGLER
The Santa Cruz County Hewoalth Department regularly releases data on the current status of Covid-19 in the county. As of Dec. 3, there were 4,750
cases that tested positive. Last Thursday was Thanksgiving so no data was released. 37 people have now died.
As of Nov. 16, we moved back into the most restrictive Purple Tier. For what that means to the county, click here. For information on the tiers, go here.
The distribution of the data remains relatively stable over time. The county's Effective Reproductive Number continues to rise above one. See chart below. Numbers above one show the spread of the virus is increasing. Below one means the spread is decreasing.
To get tested without a doctor’s request, call 1-888-634-1123 or go online at https://lhi.care/covidtesting. The testing clinic is at at Ramsay Park in Watsonville. Other testing sites that may have restricted access can be found here.
To visit the website for the Santa Cruz County Health Department:
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Known cases tested positive by age/% of population:
19 and under - 18%/25%
20-34 - 30%/22%
35-44 - 16%/12%
45-64 - 24%/27%
65 or older - 12%/15%
Tested positive by ethnicity/% of population:
Multi-Race - 2%/3%
White - 17%/58%
Latinx - 61%/34%
Black - .5%/1%
Asian - 1%/4%
Other - 6%/.4%
Unknown - 13%
Tested positive by gender/% of population:
Female - 53%/50%
Male - 47%/50%
Other - 0%
Unknown - 0%
Tested positive by region/% of population:
Mid-county - 20%/12%
North county - 17%/60%
South county - 61%/29%
Under investigation - 2%
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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
Nov. 19-Dec. 3 - 29% 2 weeks of data for this week only
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THE LEFT BURNER - RECIPES
Almost a Cake, Persimmon Bread
By SARAH RINGLER
Photo by TARMO HANNULA
I can tell this is a good persimmon year because of the squawking crows on the huge tree next door. Black crows and orange persimmons against a blue sky is a lovely sight. This recipe is adapted from David Lebobitz of Alice Walker's restaurant, Chez Panisse, who adapted it from James Beard's "Beard on Bread" cookbook.
There are many varieties of persimmons. There is even a native American version called diospyros virginiana that grows in the southeast part of the country. The two main types are the ones, like Hachiyas, that in order to be edible have to be very soft with translucent skin and runny flesh. Other varieties, like the Fuyu, are excellent when they are firm like an apple.
This recipe makes two loaves in nine-inch long loaf pans. Often persimmon bread recipes contain a lot of spices. I like this one because you get most of the flavor from the fruit mixed with butter and eggs. The booze deepens the flavor but you can substitute it with orange juice. Raisins also can be added.
You're probably not surprised I'm calling off the Biscotti Challenge. It' s better to sample food by eating it, and not having to prepare it first. If anyone has recipes they'd like to share, send them off to coluyaki@gmail.com
Persimmon Bread
3 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 large eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup melted unsalted butter
2/3 cup brandy or bourbon, or orange juice with 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups persimmon pulp, puréed from about 4-5 squishy soft Hachiya persimmons
2 cups chopped walnuts toasted
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Remove 4 eggs from the refrigerator.
Butter two 9-inch loaf pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper or dust with flour. Toast the chopped walnuts for about 8-10 minutes. Set aside to cool. Raise the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
Melt the butter of low heat. When melted, set aside.
Sift the flour, baking soda, salt and nutmeg together.
In a mixing bowl, beat the 4 eggs and the sugar until smooth. Add the cooled butter, liquor and persimmon purée and mix until smooth.
Pour the sifted flour mixture into the egg and sugar mixture and quickly stir until flour is mixed in. Stir in the nuts with a few strokes; do not over mix.
Pour mixture into the two loaf pans. Put into the oven immediately and bake for 55 to 60 minutes. It is done when you put a toothpick in the middle of the loaf and it comes out clean. Also, the bread pulls away from the sides of the pan.
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YOUR STORY OR ART HERE: Please submit a story 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 possible. 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.
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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 © 2020 Sarah Ringler - All rights reserved
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