Watsonville City Council Promotes Deceptive Counter Measure
By SAM EARNSHAW
At a special Watsonville City Council meeting on Thursday evening, July 7, the council, on a 4-3 vote, decided to put a pro-sprawl initiative on the November ballot. This deceptive measure contains virtually the same language as the initiative to extend the timeline of the existing Measure U Urban Limit Line which the Committee for Planned Growth and Farmland Protection earlier qualified for the November ballot.
We collected over 3,000 signatures of people who want to see infill development and are opposed to urban sprawl. But the city’s initiative contains a provision that allows the City Council to break the Urban Limit Line for almost any reason. It is an attempt to confuse voters, and must be defeated. Fifty-four cities and jurisdictions in the Bay Area and the Central Coast have done what we are proposing: renew our existing Urban Limit Line. Only our initiative will protect farmland from urban sprawl.
Click HERE to get involved in our positive campaign to protect our valuable farmland and set aside Aug. 6, 4-6 at Live Earth Farm for our fundraiser,
"Jazz in the Country." Contact Adam Scow for more information.
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City of Santa Cruz Offers 12-Hour Safe Parking Program for a few Oversized Vehicles
By SARAH RINGLER
The City of Santa Cruz has enacted a Safe Parking program for Oversized Vehicles, a small acknowledgement that people who can't afford the ridiculously high rents in the area need places to live. The so-called Tier 2 program is available, according to city employee Megan Bunch, to those who are currently living in an oversized vehicle on Santa Cruz streets.
The program allows oversized vehicles to park legally overnight at certain city lots from 7pm to 7am; "basic hygiene services are available" according to Bunch. Also, "Vehicles must be operable, but current vehicle registration is not required to participate." To register, call 831-420-5093 or click HERE for the form.
Bunch also noted that as of July 7, there were five spots at the 610 Cedar St. lot downtown Santa Cruz.
This information was provided to Serf City Times by Homeless United for Friendship & Freedom. They have worked for decades to provide respect and housing for the unfortunate individuals who have been left by the wayside as others have prospered at their expense.
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Ann Shulgin, RIP 1931-2022
By JAM MCGIRK
Photo by JON HANNA
Ann Shulgin, a pioneer in the use of psychedelics in psychotherapy, died at age 91 earlier this week in Marin County. Many of us were alerted about this news by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, a prominent research center that has led the psychedelic renaissance from their Mission Street offices in Santa Cruz since 1986.
Over the past 36 years, MAPS has raised more than $130 million for research and education. Rick Doblin, its founder, promotes investigating the healing potential of MDMA (called Molly or Ecstasy) and other psychedelics including ayahuasca, LSD, psilocybin mushrooms, ibogaine, and cannabis sativa. Such research shows promise for treating Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and addiction to nicotine or opioids, despite risks for patients with certain mental health conditions
Ann Shulgin, who trained as an artist and was employed for many years as a medical transcriber at a San Francisco hospital, always cautioned against using psychedelics outside therapy. She wrote about how it helped her own depression, a side-effect of her early struggles as a single mother. Shulgin called herself a lay therapist, and worked closely with her fourth husband, the chemist Alexander “Sasha” Shulgin. He had developed 200 psychedelic chemicals over the years, including the revival of MDMA. Their marriage in 1981 was officiated by a San Francisco-based officer of the Drug Enforcement Administration! The couple co-authored two books, PiHKAL: A Chemical Love Story, which was self-published in 1991, and TiHKAL: The Continuation, released in 1997.
A striking passage from the first book describes a psychedelic experience when Shulgin was in her 20s and was quoted in her obituary by the Associated Press. “I saw …a moving spiral opening, up there in the cool air, and I knew it was a doorway to the other side of existence, that I could step through it if I wished to be finished with this particular life I was living, and that there was nothing threatening or menacing about it; in fact, it was completely friendly. I also knew that I had no intention of stepping through it because there was still a great deal I wanted to do in my life, and I intended to live long enough to get it all done."
An announcement from MAPS recognized her long career: “We honor and appreciate Ann's decades-long dedication and historic contributions to the field of psychedelic therapy. Ann will be remembered as a pioneer, researcher, author, and elder. Rest in psychedelic peace, Ann Shulgin."
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Poster Design by PABLO MICA
Mime Troupe needs volunteers for Aug. 20 show
By SARAH RINGLER
I just got notice from Karen Kaplan that the San Francisco Mime Troupe is back on stage and touring with a show, "Back to the Way Things Were." Santa Cruz, which is one of the few places on their tour that offer a free show, Aug. 20 at Louden Nelson Center in downtown Santa Cruz. Live music starts at 2:30pm and the show at 3pm.
Volunteers are needed to help with setting up the stage, carrying props, handing out programs, cooking, putting up posters and more. If you can help, contact Marissa as soon as possible HERE.
Saturday, August. 20, 2:30 PM
SF Mime Troupe
London Nelson Center (outside)
301 Center Street, Santa Cruz
Free / Donations are appreciated.
"In a country where we can finally stop wearing masks to get pizza and go to the movies, and where we again have a President who isn’t dumb as a two dollar ham, hard-working, middle-aged liberals Ralph and Alice wistfully yearn for The Before Times, when things seemed normal. But for Zoe - their twenty-something daughter who grew up in a world of climate change, housing crashes, student debt, the rise of dictatorships and the fall of democracies - there is no “better” to go back to. For her the purgatory of the last two years was just a pause from life in Hell. So, what’s the point? Isn’t it easier to just give up"
Written by Michael Gene Sullivan with Marie Cartier
Music & Lyrics by Daniel Savio
Directed by Velina Brown
Musical Direction by Daniel Savio
The Cast: Keiko Shimosato Carreiro, Andre Amarotico,Lizzie Calogero, Norman Gee, & Alicia M. P. Nelson.
The Band: Will Durkee (Guitars), Daniel Savio (Keyboards), & Jason Young (Drums).
All Actors and the Stage Manager appears through the courtesy of Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
“Hilarious Political Satire.”
“Political satire at its best.”
“Laugh-out-loud telling of the dystopian reality we are living in right now.”
“The Mime Troupe’s comedy reflects our miserable reality. They hit it out of the park with their powerful progressive comedy.”
“They're back with a bang. Funny, dangerous, silly, revealing and hopeful, sort of, in a Eugene V. Debs rides the Mad Hatter's Teacups kind of way, this is what the Mime Troupe always does so well.”
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Summertime Salads, First Anniversary - Secret Garden Women's Shelter
By BRENT ADAMS
We've successfully completed our first year of hosting a mostly-volunteer operated women's shelter on an extremely meager budget.
Over the past year we've expanded the number of bed spaces and the size of the community room. We've sheltered 30 women and we've weathered the storm of a quarantine, emerging stronger than ever. We've been able to come to the rescue for two extremely vulnerable individuals after the county had closed its pandemic shelters.
Recently, we watched as several of our residents moved out and up to better circumstances - this is the goal. With our new Achievable Goals case work program, residents will have some support in this regard.
To celebrate our first anniversary of our Secret Gardens Women's Shelter, you are invited to our Summertime Salads, 6pm Sunday, August 7, 150 Felker St.
I hope you can make because we'd really love to see you. For tickets and information email HERE. Call 588-9892 or visit the website. Info Hotline: 246-1234
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Photo by TARMO HANNULA
A female mallard keeps watch over her family in the waters of Harkins 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. Total known cases as of July 14 were 57,163, up 600 cases from last week's 56,563, rounding off to a 1% rise. There was one new death, a white woman, over 85 who had been vaccinated. The total deaths for the county are 267.
The government is issuing four free Antigen Rapid Tests for free here.
Because of all the home tests currently available, these numbers are underestimates according to Corinne Hyland, County Health Services Agency spokesperson. She recommends people with minor symptoms stay home, isolate and rest.
Click to view a graph of hospitalizations here.
There have been changes in the active cases in the last week. Active cases in south county increased by 3%, north county decreased by 4% and mid county stayed the same. See details in the chart below.
On the county's vaccination webpage, the vaccination rate shows that 82% of the county have had at least one dose and 75% have had two doses. 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. The chart, released from the California Department of Public Health below shows several predictions from different agencies. For more information, click here.
To get information of COVID-19 testing locations around the county visit this site. Click here to make an appointment to get tested.
Any Californian, ages six months and older can get vaccinated for free. For information on getting vaccinated, click here.
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% deaths by ethnicity:
White - 57%
Latinx - 34%
Black - 1%
Asian - 6%
American Native - 0%
Unknown - 0%
% deaths by gender/% of population:
Female - 49%/50%
Male - 51%/50%
Deaths by age/267:
25-34 - 2%
35-44 - 3%
45-54 - 4%
55-59 - 2%
60-64 - 6%
65-74 - 18%
75-84 - 23%
85+ - 43%
% active cases testing positive by region/% of population:
Mid-county - 13%/12%
North county - 62%/56%
South county - 24%/32%
Under investigation - 1%
Deaths by vaccination status:
vaccinated - 28/267 = 12%
unvaccinated - 232/267 = 88%
Weekly increases in positive tests:
June 12-19, 2020 - 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
Dec. 3-10 - 16%
Dec. 10-17 - 17%
Dec. 17-24 - 14%
Dec. 24-31 - 19%
Jan. 1-7, 2021 - 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%
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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%
Dec. 16-23 - 1%
Dec. 24-30 - 2%
Dec. 31 - Jan. 6, 2022 - 5% Growth of home tests underestimates cases below. See above .
Jan. 7-13 - 9%
Jan. 14-20 - 15%
Jan. 21-27 - 9%
Jan. 28 - Feb. 3 - 31%
Feb. 3-10 - 3%
Feb. 11-24 (2 weeks) - 5%
Feb. 25- March 3 - 1%
March 4-10 - 1%
March 11-17 - 1%
March 18-24 - 0%
March 25-31 - 1%
Apr. 1-7 - 0%
Apr. 8-14 - 1%
Apr. 15-21 - 1%
Apr. 22-28 - 1%
Apr. 20 - May 5 - 1%
May 6-12 - 2%
May 13-19 - 3%
May 20-26 - 1%
May 27 - June 2 - 1%
June 3 - June 9 - 1%
June 10-16 - 2%
June 17-23 - 2%
June 24-30 - 1%
July 1-7 - 2%
Jult 8-14 - 1%
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Photo by TARMO HANNULA
Fashion Street - Horses and riders were the grand finale this year at the Watsonville Fourth of July parade.
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Labor History Calendar July 15-21, 2022
July 15, 1917: 50,000 lumberjacks strike for the 8-hour day.
July 15, 2012: 7,000 workers occupy state-owned Mist Spinning plant in Egypt.
July 16, 1876: Birth of Vincent St. John, leader of WFM and IWW.
July 16, 1877: Great Uprising, nationwide railroad strike.
July 16, 1913: IWW cigar workers strike in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
July 17, 1936: Spanish Civil War begins.
July 18, 1969: Hospital workers end 113-day strike that saw united efforts by strikers, students and civil rights groups in Charleston, SC.
July 19, 1848: Women's Rights Convention, Seneca Falls, NY.
July 19, 1877: Pittsburgh strikers drive soldiers out of town.
July 20, 1934: 67 strikers wounded in Minneapolis truckers' strike.
July 20, 2020: Strikes, protests across US support Black Lives Matters .
July 21, 1878: Publication of "Eight Hours," most popular labor song until "Solidarity Forever."
July 21, 1964: IWW blueberry pickers strike begins near Grand Junction, Mich.
July 21, 1978: Wildcat postal strike begins in Jersey City for safety and the right to strike.
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The subconscious is ceaselessly murmuring, and it is by listening to these murmurs that one hears the truth.
― Gaston Bachelard
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Photo by TARMO HANNULA
Cheddar Gougeres
By SARAH RINGLER
Cooks are just chemists working in a kitchen rather than a lab. Gougeres are made from dough called pâte à choux - pronounced "paht ah shoe." The same dough is used to make éclairs, profiteroles, Yorkshire Pudding and beignets. Gougeres are a savory version. Using basically only butter, water, flour and eggs, the dough rises up in a hot oven as the moisture inside expands. The results are puffy little balls of rich, buttery flavor.
The invention of choux pastry is attributed to a chef named Pantanelli, who in 1540, worked in the kitchens of the famous and powerful Catherine de' Medici. In a political marriage, she was sent from Florence, Italy to live in France with, later to become, King Henry II of France. She brought with her artichokes, parsley, forks, salads and glazed earthenware with which the French were unfamiliar. This has led a few brave commentators to conclude that French cuisine originated with an Italian, Catherine de' Medici.
Then, the pastry was called pâte à Pantanelli for the special cakes that he made. It then evolved into pâte à popelin because the cakes resembled women's breasts. In the 1700s, the name devolved into pâte à choux; choux means cabbages in French.
Choux pastry is fun to make although it takes some vigorous stirring with a wooden spoon. Gougeres are good with soups and salads and can be made small or large. They can be served as finger food at parties and can be stuffed with varied spreads.
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sifted flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese
Sift the flour and grate the cheese.
Place 1/2 cup water in a one-quart saucepan. Add butter and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. As soon as the butter melts, remove from the stove and add the flour all at once. Stir vigorosly with a wooden spoon until the flour is completely mixed in. Return pan to the stove over medium heat and cook dough stirring the entire time for about a minute. Remove from heat.
Heat oven to 425 degrees.
Add one egg to the dough and again stir vigorously until completely mixed. Add the second egg and repeat. Finally add the cheese.
You can use a lightly greased cookie tin or muffin tins. Fill muffin tins about half full or drop spoonfuls of batter leaving 2 inches between each gougeres if you're using a cookie tin.
Bake 15 minutes until they have puffed up. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake another 10-15 minutes until browned. Shut off oven, open oven door a few inches and let sit another 15 minutes. Serve. Can be put a plastic bag and frozen. Reheat for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.
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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
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 © 2022 Sarah Ringler - All rights reserved
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