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Ad for upcoming events at the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History

By Chris Neklason
Published Aug 05, 2024

A screenshot of the CalFire active incidents web page from August 4, 2024. Yikes. Image credit: CalFire Public Domain

California Fire Season Grinds On

I hate to be a broken record droning on and on about wildfires, but California is breaking records with the hottest July ever, leading to possibly the worst fire season ever.

Global average temperatures are fast approaching 1.5°Celsius above pre-industrial levels—a tipping point—and the extreme weather predicted by climate scientists is already upon us.

We've previously written about how communities are devoting resources to prepare for and respond to extreme events, and in this issue of The Newsletter we want to shine a spotlight on a partnership building community resilience in North Tahoe.

The Tahoe Truckee COAD—Community Organizations Active in Disaster

Our friends at the Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation are working to keep Tahoe blue, green, and resilient.

Building Community Resilience in North Tahoe

A CalFire tanker aircraft drops a plume of fire retardant on a forest.

The Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation develops partnerships to prepare and respond to emergencies with its COAD (Community Organizations Active in Disaster).

	Santa Cruz County's Homepage
Direct your browser to https://santacruz.californialocal.com/ to catch up on the latest news in California and Santa Cruz County. Bookmark the link and visit often, there's a lot happening in your community!

Become a Watch Duty Sponsor or Volunteer

You will no doubt remember our article about the Watch Duty app which provides a one-stop portal for active wildfire information.

This fire season is straining these volunteer fire-watchers' resources as they continue to inform local communities facing nearby wildfires.

Please consider donating or volunteering to help them help you stay informed and prepared.

Recipe of the Week

Our friends at Sacramento Digs Gardening publish a recipe from their gardens every Sunday, which we feature here so you can start your week with some yum.

See more recipes in their Taste Summer! cookbook.

Marinate smaller zucchini for a cool summer salad

Herbs added just before serving finish off this salad that makes use of smaller zucchini and summer squash.

New! Lemon, garlic and herbs flavor this no-cook side dish

Get to Know a Group

Santa Cruz Permaculture

Permaculture can be described as “An ethically based whole-systems design approach that uses concepts, principles, and methods derived from ecosystems, nature connected communities, and other time-tested systems to create human settlements and institutions." Santa Cruz Permaculture puts it more succinctly, saying it's like "saving the planet while throwing a better party"

→ Learn more

From Our Media Allies

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	Watsonville, Santa Cruz Clearing Homeless Camps
	Days after Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order directing jurisdictions throughout the state to address the homeless camps within their borders—and about one month after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that laws banning sleeping in public do not constitute …

	Foundation Offers Plastic Waste Solutions for Farmers
	California Marine Sanctuary Foundation (CMSF) has advice for farmers who have accumulated huge heaps of used plastic, specifically used drip system tape and hoop house film.

	Hazelwood Park Gets Mural Uplift
	A community project helped spruce up Hazelwood Park Mural on July 27 as part of the ongoing Watsonville Community Mural Paint Day.

	Capitola Voters to Weigh Sales Tax Hike
	Capitola voters will decide whether to raise the city’s sales tax to 9.25% from 9% in the Nov. 5 election.

	Boulder Creek Hosts Family-Friendly National Night Out Celebration This Tuesday
	The town of Boulder Creek knows how to keep their populace and surrounding areas engaged with events. Whether it’s the 4th of July Parade down Central Avenue, trick-or-treating with local businesses or lighting the Christmas tree in the middle of …

	Soda Tax Heads to Santa Cruz City Ballot
	Santa Cruz city voters in November will decide whether to tax the distributors of soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages to discourage consumption and potentially raise $1.3 million annually for city services.

	San Lorenzo Valley Water District Plans to Replace 12 Aging Tanks
	San Lorenzo Valley Water District is moving forward to replace 12 water tanks to improve reliability, capacity and drought resiliency.

	Everlyn Kemboi Captures 52nd Wharf to Wharf Women’s Division Title
	Everlyn Kemboi glanced behind her shoulder once moments just before covering her face as she came storming down Cliff Drive in Capitola to win Sunday morning’s Wharf to Wharf women’s division race.

	Take a Hike: New Brighton Beach State Campground Is Rising
	By walking you are not going to meet yourself. By walking, you escape from the very idea of identity, the temptation to be someone, to have a name and a history. —Friedrich Nietzsche

	Redwood Fare
	At dawn, at Roaring Camp, up yonder in the mountains of Felton, the foggy mist swirls around the wooden railroad tracks and vintage trains. The fabricated Old West town arises like a ghost, catching glints of a new day, making …

	Kids2Parks: Transforming Lives, One Field Trip at a Time
	This innovative equity program offers transportation funding for State Park visits to low-income students, providing access to nature and learning.

	Felton Acres Turns 100
	On Sunday, June 9, 2024 neighbors from the Felton Acres subdivision in the Santa Cruz Mountains gathered to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the neighborhood’s inception.

Recent Local News

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• Budget Cuts Coming to UCSC

Facing a $100 million budget shortfall, UCSC eyes budget cuts and possible layoffs.

(08/05/2024) → Lookout Local

• Santa Cruz West Cliff Developer Withdraws Proposal

The developer of a proposed mixed-use complex on West Cliff Drive and Bay Street announced they have ceased work on the project after years of planning, appeals to the California Coastal Commission and a neighborhood association lawsuit.

(08/02/2024) → Santa Cruz Sentinel

• Santa Cruz Clocktower Project Downsizes

The developer of a proposed 16-story mixed-use project in Santa Cruz has scaled it down to a maximum of 8 stories due to financial and design constraints.

(08/01/2024) → Lookout Local

• UC Santa Cruz Receives Over $2 Million Climate Resiliency Grant

The University of California Santa Cruz is the recipient of over $2 million in federal grant funding to help increase California coastal resiliency to climate change.

(07/31/2024) → Santa Cruz Sentinel

• Santa Cruz Housing Forum Spurs Discussion

A housing forum hosted by Lookout Local in Santa Cruz brought a diversity of viewpoints together on July 31.

(07/31/2024) → Lookout Local

Recent Statewide News

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• Rent Drives Up CA Cost of Living

Many landlords in California can only raise the rent a certain amount. On August 1, they — and their tenants — found out how high.

(08/02/2024) → CalMatters

• A Soil Fungus That Can Kill Is on the Rise in California: What to Know About Valley Fever

About 80 Californians die every year after contracting Valley fever, a fungal disease that typically affects the lungs. A recent outbreak was traced to a music festival in Kern County.

(08/01/2024) → CalMatters

• California Lawmakers Negotiating Sweeping Package to Speed Up Solar, Wind Energy

Legislators and Gov. Newsom are working behind the scenes to draft energy legislation before the end-of-the-month deadline.

(08/01/2024) → CalMatters

• What CA Voters Should Know on Minimum Wage, Health Tax Props

A voter at a polling center at Santa Ana College in Santa Ana on March 5, 2024. Photo by Lauren Justice for CalMatters

(08/01/2024) → CalMatters

• California’s Voters Face Competing Ballot Measures as Interest Groups Clash

Although the initiative process — proposing new laws via ballot measures — has been in California’s constitution for more than a century, its use was fairly uncommon until the 1970s.

(07/30/2024) → CalMatters

Government Announcements

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	Santa Cruz County Office of Education (08/02/2024) The School Year Ahead
Dear community member, Its hard to believe, but the new school year is around the corner! Educators across our community are hard at work preparing to welcome students back into the classroom, which for most districts, is happening over the next week. Each new school year is a chance for renewed excitement and opportunity. And [...] The post The School …

County of Santa Cruz (08/02/2024)

8/2/2024 - 9th Annual Parks & Rex Dog Pool Party

County of Santa Cruz (08/02/2024)

8/2/2024 - Mid-Project Update: Soquel Drive Buffered Bike Lane & Congestion Mitigation Project

	United States (08/01/2024) Metro Produce Distributors Inc. Recalls Fresh Guacamole Because of Possible Health Risk
Metro Produce Distributors Inc. of Minneapolis, Minnesota, is voluntarily recalling all Lunds & Byerlys fresh guacamole products with a use-by date of August 2, 2024, because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fat

County of Santa Cruz (08/01/2024)

8/1/2024 - Planned Pethood and Animal Balance Clinic

	United States (07/30/2024) Colonna Brothers, Inc. Issues an Updated Voluntary Recall for "1.5oz Marcum Ground Cinnamon & 2.25oz Supreme Tradition Ground Cinnamon" Because of Possible Health Risk Due to Elevated Lead Levels
Colonna Brothers of North Bergen, NJ is voluntarily recalling its 1.5oz Marcum Ground Cinnamon & 2.25oz Supreme Tradition Ground Cinnamon because of a possible health risk due to elevated lead levels. Short term exposures to very low levels of lead may not elicit any symptoms. It is possible that in

	State of California (07/30/2024) John Laird CA Senate 17: Gov. Newsom Signs SB 1190 to Promote Solar in Mobilehome Parks
SACRAMENTO Governor Gavin Newsom announced the signing of Senate Bill 1190 authored by Senator John Laird (D-Santa Cruz), which clarifies that mobilehome homeowners are permitted to install and use solar energy systems.SB 1190 ensures consistency across parks and advances the states climate goals, while allowing mobilehome residents to take control of their own energy needs.

	United States (07/30/2024) Boar's Head Provisions Co. Expands Recall for Ready-To-Eat Meat and Poultry Products Due to Possible Listeria Contamination
WASHINGTON, July 30, 2024 - Boar's Head Provisions Co., Inc., a Jarratt, Va., establishment, is expanding its July 26, 2024, recall of deli meat products that may be adulterated with...

	United States (07/29/2024) Van Leeuwen Ice Cream Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Peanuts in Vegan Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert
Van Leeuwen Ice Cream of Brooklyn, NY is voluntarily recalling its Vegan Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Lot 24V094 pints sold at the 81 Bergen Street Brooklyn, NY location. These pints contain an undeclared allergen, peanuts. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to peanuts run the risk of serious

	United States (07/29/2024) Advance Food International Inc. Recalls Shahzada Brand Cinnamon Powder 7oz Because of Possible Health Risk
Advance Food International, Inc. of Maspeth, NY is recalling Shahzada brand Cinnamon Powder in 7oz packing, because it has the potential to be contaminated with elevated levels of lead. Short term exposures to very low levels of lead may not elicit any symptoms. It is possible that increased blood l

California Fire Season Grinds On

The Tahoe Truckee COAD—Community Organizations Active in Disaster

Santa Cruz County's Homepage

Become a Watch Duty Sponsor or Volunteer

Recipe of the Week

Get to Know a Group

From Our Media Allies

Recent Local News

Recent Statewide News

Government Announcements