Schools and neighborhoods in the Pajaro Valley that are located near agricultural land want warnings before harmful chemicals are used.
Photo by SARAH RINGLER
What's this Pilot Notification Project?
By KATHLEEN KILPATRICK
After years of public pressure, the California Environmental Protection Agency and the California Department of Pesticide Regulation are finally developing a program, expected to be launched by 2024, to notify the public when certain pesticides are applied near their neighborhoods. Santa Cruz County is one of four counties that will be part of a pilot project for this program.
How Santa Cruz County became one of those counties is a mystery with twists and turns, but there are at least three very local elements that contributed to its status:
· There was interest and pressure on several fronts by SafeAg/SafeSchools, Watsonville City Council, the Santa Cruz County Grand Jury, and the Pajaro Valley Unified District School Board.
· Our County Ag Commissioner, Juan Hidalgo, is one of the most responsive in the state to community concerns.
· Residents of Watsonville senior villages, surrounded on several sides by conventional berry fields, have been vocal about their concerns regarding pesticide use so close to their neighborhoods.
What do we know about the pilot?
· The area planned for notification is small: a one-mile radius circle with the senior neighborhoods roughly in the middle. The map showing what’s included may not be out until late spring.
· People will need to sign up to be notified. Notification will be by email; text alerts could be added.
· Notification will be for just one category of pesticides, fumigants, which are normally applied on berry fields only once every other year.
What we will not get, unless we advocate for our “Right to Know.”
· We won't get advance notice for most pesticides applied, even other restricted ones. Many potentially harmful pesticides are not restricted.
· No one outside the small pilot area would have access to notification, and even if you live inside that circle, you'd have to sign up.
· We don't know if we’ll get to see the actual Notification of Intent, which includes contact information about the grower and applicator, chemical names, risks, etc. Or will we just get notice that a fumigant will be applied?
What should we tell DPR and the County Ag Commissioner that we want?
· A web-based system accessible to all with no sign-ups needed. Text and email alerts can be opt-in. A version using an app is also do-able.
· Notify about other harmful chemicals and pesticides, besides fumigants and other restricted ones, including those designated as Toxic Air Contaminants, under Prop 65, and under the BeeWare program.
· Make sure information is available in multiple languages and includes icons for those who don't read well, or who need visuals.
· Include maps, graphics, and links to resources on hazards and precautions.
· Provide 72-hours advance notice so neighbors can plan accordingly.
· Have a community-based advisory group for assistance with the roll-out, and continued evaluation and improvement.
Please contact the Agricultural Commissioners and CalEPA by emails in green below and let them know what we want:
175 Westridge Drive
Watsonville, CA 95076
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In this photo montage, the top left photo is the door of the office at Alianza–Dual Language Immersion School, part of the Pajaro Unified School District, where Wendy Baltazar, "Hija de la Huelga," teaches. Top right photo is Wendy (right) with her mom, Silvia Baltazar, one of the Cannery Strikers in 1985. Bottom is Wendy with her Alianza students.
Photos by JON SILVER
Legacy of the Watsonville Frozen Food Strike
By JON SILVER
One of the most significant struggles for social and economic justice in the history of Santa Cruz County was the Watsonville Frozen Food strike of 1985-87.
A little bit of context: Watsonville and Pajaro Valley have a rich history of immigrant and migrant workers participating in social movements, as well as some disturbing history of racism and exploitation. For example, while both Chinese and Japanese immigrants helped create the wealth of Pajaro Valley they also faced a series of discriminatory laws and local actions. From the Chinese workers who were pushed out of downtown Watsonville in the late 1800’s to the many Pajaro Valley Japanese-Americans who were forcibly removed from their homes and into internment camps during World War 2. In 1930, hundreds of white men armed with pistols and clubs beat Filipino fieldworkers on the streets of Watsonville, and shot and killed a young Filipino man.
In the 1930’s and 40’s radical CIO unions organized Pajaro Valley agricultural workers including dust bowl migrants. In fact, John Steinbeck’s famous novel about a California apple strike, In Dubious Battle, was loosely based on the Pajaro Valley. In the 1970’s the United Farm Workers Union had a strong presence in Pajaro Valley, and local workers participated in union activities and strikes.
Many Latino community members – both documented and undocumented - were illegally arrested on the basis of their ethnic appearance during Immigration raids in the 1970’s and 80’s. This led to a county- wide immigrant rights movement and the creation of a Joint INS Task Force that drastically curtailed local Border Patrol activities.
During this time, a voting rights lawsuit – Gomez vs. the City of Watsonville –began working it’s way to the U.S. Supreme Court, eventually creating district elections that enabled Latino representation on the Watsonville City Council for the first time.
In was in this social milieu that the cannery strike erupted in September 1985 when more than 1,800 workers from two canneries walked off the job after Watsonville Canning cut benefits and slashed wages from $6.66/hour to $4.25.
The majority of strikers were Mexican women, many of them single mothers, and many had worked in the same cannery for over 20 years.
The strike turned Watsonville on its head. For 18 months there were periods of near martial law on the streets – riot-clad Watsonville police occasionally joined by neighboring law enforcement, including the Santa Cruz Police Department and Sheriff, restricted the civil rights of strikers and community supporters. Hundreds of arrests and malicious prosecutions were made by the Watsonville Police, District Attorney, and local courts.
Worker solidarity was impressive: no strikers crossed the picket line and widespread community support buoyed the strikers as they fought improbable odds – taking on not only the cannery owners but the police, Watsonville City Council, local media, Wells Fargo Bank, the court system and sometimes even their own Teamsters Union.
Community supporters did fundraising, food distribution, and participated in mass rallies. Strikers mobilized to urge other workers to not cross their picket lines, and they did outreach to build support throughout the Bay Area.
Displaying great courage in the face of hardship, the strikers won a union contract, retained their medical benefits, saved their union and returned to work – more or less – united. But the forces of globalization led to continued decline of the frozen food industry as Watsonville’s Pillsbury/Green Giant and other companies moved production to central Mexico, where they paid workers about $4 a day.
Today the Frozen Food industry is long gone from Watsonville but the legacy of the Cannery Strikers lives on. One example is Wendy Baltazar: Hija de la Huelga – born a couple of months before her mother Sylvia went out on strike. She was sometimes pushed in a baby stroller as her mom walked the picket line. Years later inspired by her family’s struggle, Wendy returned to Watsonville after attending UC Davis, as a bilingual immersion teacher dedicated to educating and empowering the next generation. Wendy is but one example of hundreds of Watsonville young people who were inspired by their parents, families and neighbors who had demanded that their voices be heard.
As our community lets our voices be heard today whether against local ICE raids, economic injustice or White Supremacy, we can take inspiration from the heroic struggle of the Watsonville Cannery Strikers.
Foodie for the People
Jon Silver has released a new film, "Foodie for the People," that can be seen on Apr. 21, 7 pm at the Del Mar Theater, 1124 Pacific Ave. in Santa Cruz. Click here for your free tickets.
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“No work is insignificant. All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.”
Martin Luther King Jr.
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Marin Alsop is shown leading the Orquestra Sinfonica do Estado de São Paulo at the 48th Winter Festival on Jan. 7, 2017.
Photo by GILBERTO MARQUES
Marin Alsop, former Cabrillo College Conductor and Music Director, Returns to Area to Discuss a New Documentary about Her Life
By SARAH RINGLER
“The Conductor,” an inspiring new documentary film featuring American conductor Marin Alsop, the first-ever female music director of a major symphony and Music Director and Conductor of the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, from 1992-2016, will be shown Apr. 14, 6:30pm at the Crocker Theater at Cabrillo College, 6500 Lower Perimeter Road in Aptos. The screening will be followed by Marin Alsop, herself, who will sit down with Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Martha Mendoza for a live and in person Q & A.
The documentary, directed by Bernadette Wegenstein, reveals how Marin Alsop became an internationally renowned conductor and the first woman to lead a major orchestra in the United States. It illustrates her path from an ambitious 9-year-old girl who was told "women can't be conductors," to her appointment as music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.
The event is a fundraiser for El Sistema, a music education program that has put instruments into the hands of underprivileged children in Santa Cruz County schools, creating a series of young orchestras today made up of about 1200 students countywide. El Sistema, which launched 10 years ago at Gault Elementary School, goes beyond music, teaching responsibility, empathy, and cooperation. Click here for ticket information.
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Yes on Empty Home Tax to Fund Affordable Housing Needs Help Now
By SARAH RINGLER
The Empty Home Tax campaign has 30 days to get enough signatures for November's General Election. Please help if you can.
The proposed tax would impose a flat fee of $6,000 for vacant residential parcels. Vacancy would be defined as being occupied for fewer than 120 days in a year. Vacant condominiums, townhomes, and units on parcels containing seven or more units would be subject to a tax of $3,000.
There are over 150 people who have been active in the campaign so far. This is very winnable but only if we as a community fight hard over the next 30 days to reach as many people as possible. We need to collect the 5000 signatures in all and currently need to collect another 1000 signatures to qualify for the November ballot.
To help:
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Sign up to canvass - we need more people knocking more doors.
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Donate - Like all ballot initiatives these days we are paying signature gatherers to collect valid signatures, so if you want to help fund that effort please donate now.
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Sign the petition - You must sign in person. Go here to check your voter registration to be sure it is up to date with your current address in the City of Santa Cruz. The petition can be taken to you directly by going to https://bit.ly/SignEHTnow
831-200-3878
Campaign Mailing Address:
824 HANOVER ST
SANTA CRUZ, CA 95062-2207
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Photo by TARMO HANNULA
A great-tailed grackle fetches a snack at Pinto Lake City Park 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 March 24 were 47,683, 1% up from last week's 47,430. There were no new deaths.
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.
Hospitalizations stayed the same from last week. Click to view a graph of hospitalizations here.
There have been changes in the last week in the active cases. Active cases in south county dropped by 3%, north county increased by 4% and mid county stayed the same. See details in the chart below.
On the county's vaccination webpage, the vaccination rate has not changed since Feb. 6; 80% of the county have had at least one dose and 74% 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 below one. See chart below. Numbers above one show the spread of the virus is increasing. Below one means the spread is decreasing.
To get information of COVID-19 testing locations around the county visit this site. Vaccine Clinics in Watsonville and Felton are closing. 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 - 57%
Latinx - 35%
Black - 1%
Asian - 6%
American Native - 0%
Unknown - 0%
% deaths by gender/% of population:
Female - 49%/50%
Male - 51%/50%
Deaths by age/259:
25-34 - 2%
35-44 - 3%
45-54 - 4%
55-59 - 2%
60-64 - 6%
65-74 - 18%
75-84 - 24%
85+ - 43%
% active cases testing positive by region/% of population:
Mid-county - 12%/12%
North county - 63%/56%
South county - 25%/32%
Under investigation - 2%
Deaths by vaccination status:
vaccinated - 27/256 = 10%
unvaccinated - 232/259 = 90%
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%
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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%
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%
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Photo by TARMO HANNULA
Fashion Street - A man cruises through the Trader Joe's parking lot in Santa Cruz with his Mickey Mouse backpack, guitar and a lit cigar.
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Labor History Calendar for April 1- 7, 2022
April 1, 1946: 400,000 miners strike.
April 1, 1963: Longest newspaper strike in US history ends in New York.
April 1, 2016: 1-day teachers' strike in Chicago demand adequate funding.
April 1, 2021: 1,100 Alabama miners stride Warrior Met Coal demanding return of $1.1 billion in concessions.
April 2, 1920: T-Bone Slim's "The Popular Wobbly" published in One Big Union Monthly.
April 2, 2015: Students, teachers strike against austerity in Quebec.
April 2, 2018: Oklahoma teachers strike for school funding.
April 3, 1930: British coal miners win 71/2 hour day.
April 4, 1914: Unemployed riot in NYC.
April 4, 1968: Martin Luther King Jr. assassinated at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. He was in Memphis to support Black sanitation workers who although did the same work as White workers, were paid less, had no city-issued uniforms, no restrooms and no recognized union where they could air grievances.
April 4, 1995: Army fires on 500,000 Iranian workers, killing several.
April 5, 1930: Gandhi begins march to the sea in India.
April 5, 2010: 29 killed in explosion at non-union Massey coal mine after years of safety violations in West Virginia.
April 6, 1903: Holland general strike.
April 6, 2017: General strike brings Buenos Aires, Argentina to standstill.
April 6, 2019: General strike demands end to the dictatorship in Sudan.
April 7, 1879: Mass arrest of Italian revolutionaries.
April 7, 1937: Goons attack Hershey candy sit-down strikers clubbing workers.
April 7, 1947: NRLB attorney tells ILWU members to "'lie down like good dogs," in Juneau, Alaska.
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Photo by TARMO HANNULA
Bahn mi - Vietnamese Sandwiches
By SARAH RINGLER
Vietnamese cooking is noted for its combination of two of the world’s most highly rated cuisines, Asian and French. Unfortunately, there are currently no exclusively Vietnamese restaurants in our county, but a quick trip over the hill will yield a wide range of choices. One that I can recommend is Vung Tau, at 535 E. Santa Clara, in downtown San Jose a few blocks from city hall. It is moderately priced and a nice place to take out of town guests for dinner or lunch.
Although the ingredient list below might seem a little overwhelming, it is broken into three manageable parts. Shredded daikon and carrots are mixed with a dressing and made into a slaw. A spread is made from oil, fish sauce and soy sauce.
Next, the bread is heated and ingredients are layered on in the order listed below. Finally, you get to eat it and enjoy the wonderful mix of crisp vegetables, rich liverwurst, sliced turkey and crusty baguette.
Banh mi is the Vietnamese word for bread. The French style of bread, the baguette, was introduced to Vietnam when the French attempted to colonize them in the mid 1800s and again after World War II. The liver paté is also French influenced.
I made my sandwich with sliced turkey because we had some frozen leftovers from Thanksgiving that needed to be used up. We had gotten a brined turkey this year from Freedom Meat Locker, which was excellent. Sliced chicken would also work well. I also used liverwurst because it was easily available at Safeway.
This recipe was inspired by one in “The epicurious cookbook” by Tanya Steel from the Watsonville Public Library. Epicurious is also an Internet database of over 200,00 recipes hand-coded by monks in upstate New York. If you like to cook, check out the website.
½ pound daikon, peeled
1 carrot, peeled
½ cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 24-inch soft baguette
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce, nam pla or nuoc mam
½ teaspoon soy sauce
½ pound liverwurst, or liver paté
2 pickled jalapeños, seeded and thinly sliced
½ sweet onion, thinly sliced into rings
¾ cup cilantro sprigs
2 cooked chicken or turkey breasts, thinly sliced
Lettuce leaves
Mayonnaise
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Shred the daikon and carrot with a grater using the middle size holes. Toss together with vinegar, sugar and salt. Let sit for about 15 minutes - stirring occasionally.
Heat the baguette in the oven for about 5 minutes until it is crusty. Then cut off the ends and slice horizontally down the middle.
Mix the oil, fish sauce and soy sauce. Brush on each cut side of the bread. Spread the liverwurst on the bottom layer. Top with chiles, onion and cilantro.
Drain the daikon and carrot mixture. Mix the chicken, daikon mixture and lettuce over the cilantro. Spread the top layer with a little mayonnaise. Cut crossways into fourths and serve. Serves two.
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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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