Good Friday Prayer Service set in Ben Lomond
Residents are invited to gather for a Community Good Friday Prayer Service hosted by five San Lorenzo Valley churches on Friday, April 3, from 12-1pm at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church.
The service, centered on the theme “Looking to Jesus for Hope,” will feature familiar hymns, scripture readings, two brief meditations and prayers for the community and the world. Participating congregations include Boulder Creek United Methodist Church, Mount Cross Lutheran Camp, Redwood Christian Center, Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church and Valley Grace Church.
Organizers said the service is open to all members of the community. For more information, visit saintandrewsbenlomond.org.
Concertino Strings presents free classical concerts
Concertino Strings, a 25-piece classical orchestra based in Boulder Creek, will present two free concerts in April featuring works centered on themes of nostalgia, longing and hope.
Performances are scheduled for Wednesday, April 8, at 11:30am and Saturday, April 11, at 3pm at Boulder Creek United Methodist Church. Admission is free. The program, subtitled “You Can’t Go Home Again,” explores emotional connections to the past and imagined futures through a mix of classical and contemporary compositions.
Featured works include pieces by local composers Renata Bratt, Martin Gaskell and Les Thaler. Soprano Emily Sinclair will return to perform arias by Purcell and Handel after being unable to sing in the group’s February concert due to illness.
Thaler’s “Azan for Mariupol” is a lament honoring the Ukrainian port city heavily damaged during the 2022 Russian invasion. The piece includes a prominent cello solo performed by Bratt. Bratt’s “Janice at Pomona Island” reflects on a personal journey to an island in Lake Manapouri in New Zealand, while Gaskell will conduct two movements from his Pi Acres Suite: “By the Fireplace,” a reflective piece evoking nostalgia, and “To the Stars,” which features video projections of planets and celestial imagery. Joanne Tanner will lead a performance of “Sibelius Impromptu,” a work that conveys themes of lost love, dreams of reunion and the emotional return to reality.
Concertino Strings describes the program as a musical exploration of memory, loss and aspiration—emotions the ensemble says remain relevant in contemporary life. More information about the orchestra is available at concertinostrings.com.
San Lorenzo River Symposium set for April 11 in Santa Cruz
The annual State of the San Lorenzo River Symposium will return Saturday, April 11, bringing together local agencies, experts and community members to discuss the science, history and policy shaping the San Lorenzo River watershed.
The event will be held at the London Nelson Community Center. Doors open at 8:30am, with the symposium running from 9am-12:30pm, followed by a guided San Lorenzo River tour from 1-2pm.
The symposium is an annual collaboration hosted by the City of Santa Cruz Water Department, County of Santa Cruz, Coastal Watershed Council, Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County and San Lorenzo Valley Water District. It features a series of short presentations from local experts on issues affecting the watershed.
Organizers describe the event as a forum where science, policy and action intersect, with discussions aimed at informing ongoing conservation and management efforts. This year’s program will include a keynote address by Sen. John Laird, along with presentations on California environmental policies, the history of Aulintak-Uypi villages in the Santa Cruz region, and the effects of the invasive shothole borer on forest health.
Additional topics will cover the status of foothill yellow-legged frogs in the watershed, the Santa Cruz County Regional Conservation Investment Strategy and its local implications, and the current condition of the San Lorenzo River steelhead fishery.
More information is available at tinyurl.com/soslrs.
County Behavioral Health seeks input on 3-year integrated plan
Santa Cruz County Behavioral Health is inviting residents to review and comment on its 2026-29 Behavioral Health 3-Year Integrated Plan during a public comment period open through April 16.
The Health Services Agency’s Behavioral Health Division is asking for community feedback on the updated plan, which outlines proposed priorities, strategies and investments under the Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA). The public comment period began March 18. Residents can review the plan by visiting santacruzhealth.org/BHSA.
Several options are available for submitting feedback, including attending the Behavioral Health Advisory Board public hearing scheduled for April 16 at 3pm at 1400 Emeline Ave., Room 206, in Santa Cruz.
Comments may also be submitted by calling 831-713-8285 and leaving a voicemail, emailing Me**********************@***************ca.gov, submitting an online form at santacruzhealth.org/BHSA or mailing written comments to Santa Cruz County Behavioral Health, Attention: Amy Rhoades, 1400 Emeline Ave., Santa Cruz, CA 95060.
“Community input is critical to ensuring our Behavioral Health Integrated Plan reflects the real needs of our community,” said Dr. Marni R. Sandoval, Behavioral Health director. “We strongly encourage feedback from all residents, especially individuals with lived experience and their families, to help guide how BHSA-funded services and supports are designed and delivered.”
