Even though no fireworks displays were held in Santa Cruz County this Independence Day (well, not legal ones at least), a pair of North County events successfully rallied patriots.
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office estimated 4,000 people attended the Boulder Creek parade, which started at 10am.
And the Scotts Valley parade saw Scotts Valley Drive lined with people waving flags, cheering and relaxing on lawn chairs.
Matt Tranchita, the owner of the Sawmill Restaurant & Ale House north of town said it was their first time participating in the Boulder Creek parade.
“It went quick,” he said.
Last year he’d worried the event might be on its deathbed.
“This year, it’s definitely not dying,” he stated.
Tranchita hosted local band the Dirt Rakers on their float.
Ted Porter, the guitarist and back-up vocalist, shared what he loved about the parade: “—the joy and all the faces as we rode by,” he said.
“We even saw some people sing along,” he added. “It was really fun.”
They sang a song about moonshining in Boulder Creek and one about getting trapped in the hills during this winter’s series of atmospheric rivers.
“The last storm knocked out our house,” said Erik Rozite, the songwriter and lead singer.
KBCZ DJs offered a live play-by-play of the festivities on 89.3 FM for those at home, and for those scrounging for a spot to park.
Ron Sekkel, 77, a member of Scotts Valley Rotary, joined his wife Cindy, 72, as she was helping keep children from running into the road during the parade.
That’s because Cindy is part of the San Lorenzo Valley Rotary group, which had been tasked with the job, along with SLV CERT.
“We go to each other’s clubs,” she said, adding it was an important gig, given how many families showed up. “I thought it was really well attended.”
The American spirit was evident with the singing of the “Star Spangled Banner,” she noted.
“It totally quieted the crowd,” Cindy said.
Ron agreed.
“I personally am a Vietnam vet,” he said. “So, it was very moving.”
BCFD Pancake Breakfast Offers Chance to Connect
Joe Devito, 58, and wife Christina, 55, were big fans of the Boulder Creek Fire Department’s pancake breakfast.
“It exceeded all my expectations,” Christina said. “You can see the love, the energy, the vibe. Most importantly, we want to give back to the community and support the firemen.”
Joe commented that settings like this are all-too-rare.
“—no false pretenses,” Christina added. “We feel like everyone’s banding together. That’s what we’re looking for.”
She noted people of all sorts of backgrounds were among the crowds in town.
“I just feel fortunate,” she said. “Very, very fortunate.”
Joe explained that they’ve been living in Boulder Creek for two years now, but haven’t had too many chances to meet their neighbors yet.
“This confirms that we truly love the people of Boulder Creek,” Christina said. “This is home for us—forever.”
“I can see you love the pancakes,” Joe retorted.
For 84-year-old Lena Means, it was a chance to take stock.
“We’ve been hit with fire, debris flows, trees down and we have the most wonderful community,” she said. “I love this loving community.”
She shared how her husband died the day after a recent debris flow in her neighborhood, the one that followed the 17 houses erased from the map there by the CZU Lightning Complex Fire.
And yet, she still feels she has a network of support here.
“I just know so many people in this town,” she said. “I had a nursery school. Now they’re grown and have children of their own.”
(Drew Penner / Press Banner)
The pancake breakfast offered her the perfect opportunity to connect with these people who are so dear to her.
“I know we’re in a bubble,” she said. “But, I like the bubble.”
The person in charge of orchestrating the delicious fundraiser for the fire department was once again Ben Slaughter, 26—it’s his sixth time doing it.
“I think it went well,” he said. “It seemed like a busier year than last year.”
In fact, they served more than 3,000 breakfasts.
“It seemed like things are finally getting back to normal,” Slaughter said, referring to recent calamities—including the Covid-19 pandemic—that put a damper on things. “Big thanks to everyone that came out.”
Over at a packed Junction Park, Marnie DeBenedetti, from Felton, was soaking up the sounds of reggae act Ancestree.
“I love the new little street fair that happened,” she said, giving a good review to the assortment of vendors sited by the Independent Order of Odd Fellows building.
Plus, she said, the scene at the park itself was “awesome, as usual.”
“The rec center has done an amazing job,” DeBenedetti said. “They tidied up the Junction.”
A Scotts Valley Independence Day, Sans Fireworks
Down the hill and around the corner in Scotts Valley, a common joke was repeated through the crowd: “See you at the fireworks.”
That’s because Scotts Valley opted against the explosive light display. The post-pandemic Silicon Valley pull-back meant the community wasn’t going to realize some hotel tax revenues it had hoped for (due to cuts at Salesforce, and elsewhere), City Hall continues to experience turnover, and the nonprofit that helped put the event on, in the past, was disbanded.
Everyone seemed determined to make the most of the parade.
Nick Leggett, 38, brought his seven kids from Ben Lomond.
“It was great today,” he said. “It was awesome.”
Skyla, his 13-year-old, said she thought it was “pretty cool,” too.
“I think it shows the enthusiasm and support that people have for America,” she said.
Her brother Mason said he liked the dune buggies.
And Adalie, her horseback-gymnast sister, said she liked seeing the horses in the parade.
Tara McMilin, 60, usually attends the Boulder Creek parade, since she lived there for three-and-a-half decades.
Now that she lives in Scotts Valley, she comes to this one, which she can walk to.
“I love the spirit,” she said of the Scotts Valley event, which included airplanes flying across the skies and candy projectiles from the floats. “I’m fulfilling my sweet tooth, for sure.”
McMilin said it was cool to see LightSpeed Martial Arts Academy’s martial artists, as her boys went through their Tae Kwon Do program.
She also pointed to something she felt was absent.
“I’m still waiting for the LGBTQ representation,” she said. “I haven’t seen it yet, but the parade’s not over.”
June Gilliam, a Scotts Valley resident in her 40s, said she felt the parade got off to a slow start, then kicked into high-gear with the flyover.
“They spiced it up,” she said. “Then you see a few groups coming with music and dancing—and candy.”
But she couldn’t avoid sharing her disappointment about the loss of the fireworks.
“I’m shocked that they canceled it because they ran out of money,” she said. “I can’t believe it.”
The Sheriff’s Office said it received about 140 calls for service on July 4 and reported several small fires—believed to have been caused by fireworks—broke-out and were quickly extinguished.
Deputies seized about 350 pounds of fireworks across the county.
