Next Issue Dec. 1

Graphics by FRIENDS OF THE RAIL & TRAIL

Don't Tear Out the Tracks - Keep the Rail & Trail

By SARAH RINGLER

There is some good news. Plans are coming together for a new Rail Trail project from 17th Avenue to State Park Drive. However, to cover the legal bases, the planners are also studying alternatives that include railbanking and tearing out the tracks. A loud minority of transit opponents are continuing to push for those ideas. This means that the planners need to keep hearing from the majority of the public who support building the 'Ultimate Trail' next to the tracks and oppose legally risky railbanking and wasteful track demolition. 

Railbanking describes when the tracks are removed but the railroad rights-of-way, corridor, rail bed and infrastructure remain. It keeps railway operators from being responsible for maintenance and taxation and allows for the unlikely possibility that the tracks can be reinstalled at a later date.

Please send a courteous email today, supporting the Ultimate Trail and opposing railbanking. See the Suggested Talking Points below. Written comments are due before Dec. 15. Email Rob Tidmore, County Rail Trail Planner, at RailTrail@santacruzcountyca.gov.

Suggested Talking Points:

• Support building the “ultimate” trail and leaving the tracks intact as the fastest, least expensive, and lowest-impact way to build the trail. 
• Support increasing bike and pedestrian safety in Capitola Village. 
• Support using the tracks for Rail Transit from Watsonville to Santa Cruz and points between. 
• Oppose any design that requires railbanking. Attempting to railbank in order to remove the tracks from the Capitola trestle or from anywhere else on the line would put the entire project at risk of legal battles and years of delay. Railbanking with track removal would hurt Roaring Camp, put both rail and trail project funding at risk, be opposed by Caltrans, and is likely to be eventually rejected by the Federal Surface Transportation Board. 
• Oppose building a wasteful 'interim trail' or 'trail only' anywhere on the rail corridor. These track-removal trail designs would require railbanking, causing delay or stoppage of trail building. They would require the destruction of the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line, and make the future of establishing rail transit on the line immensely more difficult and expensive. These designs would eventually need to be torn out and relocated if we were ever to restore the tracks. 

For information and to donate to Rail & Trail, click HERE.

Warming Center is Back and Sorely Needed

By BRENT ADAMS

It's been too long since our last communique. We're rolling up our sleeves and getting ready for the winter season. Our mission remains: "We work to reduce the experience of hypothermia and the occurrence of death among those who sleep outside."

What's up? Warming Wednesdays, our robust materials distribution program is in full swing. People can access blankets, jackets, tents, clothing, shoes, hygiene supplies, as well as cold and wet weather support gear 12-3pm Wednesdays at the levee-side of 150 Felker St. Santa Cruz

Our Homeless Emergency Information Hotline 246-1234 will be updated with weather news and info regarding emergency shelters and how to access them.  

Materials distribution truck and emergency trouble spot response. We're depending on you to help us propel these life-saving endeavors.  

We need street clothing and shoes, all rain and cold-weather gear, blankets, tents, etc. Donation Barrels are located at:

• REI Sports, Commercial Way (next to Marshall's)
• 150 Felker St., Santa Cruz

We also need monetary donations. To donate online: Click Here. Mail. money to: Warming Center Program, PO Box 462, Santa Cruz, 95061

Our office is at 150 Felker St. Santa Cruz. Our Website.

Sean's Peace Candidacy for Congress

By ALLAN FISHER

I am working as a volunteer for Sean Dougherty’s campaign here in Santa Cruz and am impressed with his sincerity, dedication, intelligence, and his stand on the issues. He needs to raise about $17,500 to get his statement in the voter guides of the 19th Congressional District. 

He is a true peace candidate running against Representative Jimmy Panetta. Please go to his website to check him out and if possible donate. Your contribution will mean that hundreds of thousands of people will have the opportunity to vote for peace. Eighty percent of registered Democrats want a ceasefire now.

Here is Sean’s statement that we want to place in the voter guides that are mailed to each household:

"I’m running for Congress because the incumbent consistently supports atrocities abroad, from cluster munitions in Ukraine to the bombardment of Gaza. In addition, he has voted for the construction of massive new fossil fuel projects, like the Mountain Valley Pipeline, despite the science telling us that our planet cannot afford any new drilling. He doesn’t represent the values or interests of the people living in this district. Rather, his voting is consistent with the agenda of his donors – he has received at least $200,000 in campaign donations from fossil fuels and weapons manufacturers, as well as donations from Wall Street, Big Ag, Big Pharma, and the insurance industry. He will never fight for true reform; he will only give us small, symbolic wins and smiling photos on social media. Congress has a 17% approval rating, and it is because of representatives like the incumbent.

"We can afford universal housing, healthcare, higher education, paid family leave, and more. But our government will not prioritize these things until we eliminate the influence of corporate money. I am a proud member of a political party that refuses corporate donations and I also refuse individual donations above $500. I don’t have all the answers, but I’m not bought, so I’ll make an honest attempt at finding them.

The system isn’t working. We can’t give the incumbent another term to continue this failure. Join me in mounting a revolution of peace and integrity."

The Wild Man & the Sand

By WOODY REHANEK

Tom Seccombe loved to share stories with close

friends. He and my mother, over the decades,

talked about politics & the environment

& told stories. Tom always felt comfortable

spending time with my mother. When he was

troubled, he would be silent, sometimes

for hours. When he was garrulous, he could 

talk for three hours!

My all-time favorite story of Tom's 

was about Buddhist monks in San Francisco

making a sand-painting mandala for peace.

They had worked on it for months & months

with the focus, precision, exactitude, &

mindfulness that Buddhists have,

and the mandala was almost finished.

They even had it roped-off with purple

velvet cord so that no one would 

unknowingly trample through.

One day a wild man with disheveled hair

began yelling & screaming & hopping

around. He jumped over the velvet cord

& began stomping on the mandala

like a maniac putting out a fire,

thrashing & dancing around like crazy.

Very calmly, the Buddhist monks 

gathered around & said, "Are you alright?

Do you need help? You must be suffering

so much! How can we help you?"

So it was they showed great kindness

& compassion for the poor, confused man.

The sand mandala had become unimportant,

superceded by human--and spiritual--needs.

******

Samba Cruz Concert, Farm Tour, and Potluck at Whiskey Hill Farms 

Dec. 2, 4-7:30pm

371 Calabasas Road, Watsonville

Events:

4pm: Tour of Tropical Forest Organic Farm

4:30pm: Potluck - please bring healthy food & drinks to share

5:30pm: Samba Cruz Concert with musicians Pablo Riviere, guitar and vocals; Vivian Simon on flute, Patrice Wallace on upright bass and Joe Mailloux on drums.

$20 suggested donation. Limited overnight accommodations are available. Click HERE to email for information. Photo contributed.

Photo by TARMO HANNULA 

A cedar waxwing perches in a budding apple tree in Watsonville.

Santa Cruz County Covid-19 Report

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. Since cases are still appearing, and there are still vulnerable people, I will continue reporting the graphs below.

At-home Covid-19 test kits that were sent free from the government earlier are now expiring. The program that started in Jan. 2022 has distributed 600 million test kits. If you still have those tests, before using, check the date on your box or go HERE to get more information. Over a month ago, the Biden administration announced that it will provide four free tests per household that will be delivered by the US Postal Service. Go HERE to order.

The state's website reports that the current total of confirmed Covid deaths in Santa Cruz County is at 339, up one from Nov. 2.

The three graphs below give a picture of what is happening as of Nov. 15. 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 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 woman checks her phone beside a street mural in Chinatown, San Francisco.

Labor History Calendar - Nov. 17- 30, 2023

a.k.a Know Our History Lest We Forget

Nov. 17, 1866: Voltaire de Cleyre born.

Nov. 17, 1878: Australia Maritime strike.

Nov. 17, 2011: 30,000 march across New York City, protesting Nov. 15 eviction of Occupy from Zuccoti Park. 

Nov. 18, 1918: Four-day general strike against cost of living in Portugal.

Nov. 18, 1919: Seattle printers refuse to print anti-labor ad in newspaper.

Nov. 18, 1993: American Airlines flight attendants strike. 

Nov. 19, 1915: IWW songwriter Joe Hill murder by Utah authorities.

Nov. 19, 2015: Second day of strikes by subcontracted workers at US airports. 

Nov. 20, 1816: First use of the term “scab” by the Typographical Society in Albany, NY.

Nov. 20, 1884: Norman Thomas born, American socialist leader.

Nov. 21, 1922: Trolley workers win with general strike in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

Nov. 21, 1927: Picketing IWW miners massacred in Columbine, Colorado.

Nov. 22, 1909: New York female garment workers strike in “Uprising of the 20,000.” Judge tells arrested strikers: “You are on strike against God.”

Nov. 23, 1170 BCE: First recorded strike takes place in Egypt.

Nov. 23, 1923: Unione Sindacale Italiana founded in Modena, Italy.

Nov. 24,1947: 22-month Chicago newspaper printers’ anti-Taft-Hartley Act strike begins. 

Nov. 25, 1915: Tens of thousands pack Joe Hill funeral in Chicago.

Nov. 25, 1983 Canadian postal workers cut postal rates from 82 cents to10 cents in direct action campaign.

Nov. 26, 1993: General Strike against austerity in Belgium.

Nov. 26, 2021: 10 unions in general strike across India demand end to privatization and union-busting legislation and relief for impoverished workers. 

Nov. 27, 1995: Cape Breton workers lock out bosses to halt factory relocation.

Nov. 27, 2012: Bangladesh garment workers strike to protest death of 123 in fire.

Nov. 27, 2016: Lufthansa cancels 1,700 flights in 2nd round of pilots’ strike.

Nov. 28, 1828: National Labor Union founder William Sylvus born.

Nov. 28, 1953: 20,000 NYC newspaper workers begin 11-day strike.

Nov. 29, 1854: 12,000 miners burn working licenses in lead-up to Eureka Rebellion in Australia.

Nov. 29, 1985: 500,000-member Congress of South African Trade Unions forms. 

Nov. 29, 1990: Bulgarian workers topple governments in general strike.

Nov. 29, 2016: Fight for 15 strikes across the US.

Nov. 30, 1835: Birth of Mark Twain.

Nov. 30, 1930: Mother Jones dies; ”I’m not a lady, I’m a hell-raiser.”

Nov. 30, 2018: Global Climate Strike – students demand action.

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

"Religion is like a pair of shoes: find one that fits for you, but don't make me wear your shoes."

George Carlin

Photo by TARMO HANNULA

Making Japanese Soufflé Pancakes

By SARAH RINGLER 

You may have seen pictures of these lovely little puffy cloud pancakes on TV and the internet. For breakfast, brunch or dessert - sweet and light - they really don’t need syrup; powdered sugar and some fresh organic strawberries make a perfect alternative. 

These pancakes were the rage in Japan in 2016 according to Nami, a Japanese home cook out of San Francisco who has a website. She reports that pancake shops were opening all over Japan. It’s taken a few years to make it here to the U.S. I saw the recipe by Daniela Galarza in May’s New York Times and adapted the recipe here. 

You are basically making small soufflés and after they are baked, they collapse a bit and lose their loft. The metal rings and cake flour mitigate this collapse but the flavor isn’t affected. You are creating a small oven with your frying pan and lid. It is easier to “bake” the pancakes and flip them over if you have a griddle that you can cover with a high domed lid but a flat-bottomed cast iron frying pan with lid works well too.            

Cake flour is an important ingredient you may not already have. The lighter the flour, the easier it is for the pancakes to rise. As I mention below, you can use 00 pizza flour or you can do what I did one time out of desperation and put regular flour in the blender and pulse it to make it finer. 

This recipe calls for metal rings that are about three to four inches in diameter and at least one inch high. I have some left over from when I was in my crumpet making phase so it was nice to be able to not have to buy something new. But you don’t really need them. Other recipes I researched just required you to gently mound the batter on a perfectly heated - not too cold and not too hot – frying pan, cover and flip when one side is done. 

Japanese Soufflé Pancakes

4 large eggs - 4 egg whites and 2 egg yolks, separated and chilled 

6 tablespoons granulated sugar 

2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

1 teaspoon baking powder 

6 tablespoons cake flour or try 00 pizza flour that is also finely milled and low in gluten 

¼ cup milk, chilled 

½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice 

½ teaspoon kosher salt 

Butter, for greasing and serving 

Confectioners’ sugar, maple syrup, whipped cream and fresh berries, for serving 

4 metal rings about 3” to 4” in diameter and 1” or greater in height - optional 

Place egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer or a medium bowl; set aside. Place egg yolks in a large bowl. Add 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, the vanilla and baking powder to egg yolks and whisk until blended. Add flour and milk; whisk until fully combined. 

Add lemon juice and salt to egg whites. Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or a hand mixer, whip mixture on medium speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Continue to whip while gradually sprinkling in the remaining 5 tablespoons granulated sugar. Turn speed to high and whip until stiff, glossy peaks form and mixture doubles in size, about 1 minute. Take care not to over-beat meringue. 

Heat a lidded nonstick skillet over the lowest heat setting and set the lid aside.

Using a rubber spatula, scoop about 1/3 of meringue into the egg yolk mixture and gently fold in until almost combined. Repeat with half of the remaining meringue until almost combined, then fold in the remaining meringue, and finally mix gently until no streaks remain.

Carefully butter the warm skillet. Also, butter the inside of the metal rings if you are using them. Check the heat of the pan by sprinkling a bit of water in it. Droplets should steam off the surface, but not dance or sputter. Place the greased rings on the warm pan and ladle about 1/2 cup batter into each ring depending on the diameter of the rings. Place the lid on top of the pan and cook pancakes on very low heat until they start to rise and a few small bubbles start to form on top, on about 3 to 4 minutes.

Remove lid, carefully slide a flat spatula underneath each pancake and position another spatula on top, then gently flip pancakes in their rings. Immediately replace lid and cook until pancakes are cooked through and spring back to the touch, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer cooked pancakes to a platter and keep warm. Grease the skillet and pastry rings, and repeat to make 4 additional pancakes.

Serve immediately and top pancakes with whatever you desire; possibilities are butter, maple syrup, confectioners’ sugar, whipped cream and berries.

Send 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

Send comments to coluyaki@gmail.com

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

Thanks, Sarah Ringler

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. 

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