When it comes to piecing together events to enrich the community of Boulder Creek, few folks do it better than Karen Edwards. As the president of the Boulder Creek Business Association Board of Directors, Edwards has the drive, resilience and connections needed to gather folks together for the good of the town (population 5,300).
The small but mighty town serves as a gateway to local state parks (Big Basin and Castle Rock) and hiking spots, and its advocates host a series of annual events that highlight the unique, homey qualities of the Silicon Valley bedroom community.
Now, Edwards is creating yet another opportunity for locals to add more value to the place they call home with the first-ever Community Planning Event later this month.
From economic factors to town beautification and increased networking around safety issues, Edwards is hoping to get some momentum to help the town address current needs while acclimating to the changes necessary to remain forward-thinking; in an era of increased technology and communication needs, there’s room for Boulder Creek to gingerly step into the next generation.
According to Edwards, the Boulder Creek Business Association started in the 1960s with a group of dedicated downtown business owners who wanted to get a street-sweeper to help keep the downtown core looking its best. In order to do that, they needed to formally organize and decided to start up a business association.
They spent the next many years expanding their service to the downtown core; in more recent years, there have been many home-based businesses that have opened up in addition to the brick and mortar ones that weren’t within the downtown area. And so, the BCBA and its membership expanded to inclusively represent them, as well.
The potential expansion of the group has been in the works for years. In 2017, the BCBA was approached by Barbara Mason, then of the Santa Cruz County Economics Department, with the idea of becoming a Main Street Affiliate under the umbrella of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
After some talks and a town hall meeting, it was enthusiastically decided to move forward with this alliance. By mid-2018, Edwards says they had the work plan written, approved and meetings were underway.
“We had excitement from the volunteers we were gathering and some projects were underway,” Edwards said. “Unfortunately, just as we were starting to get solid footing and building our volunteer base, the Covid-19 pandemic arrived and halted much of the work we had started. The CZU fire then came and displaced or refocused many who we had been working with. The storms of 2023 did so again.”
After overcoming obstacles that pushed the agency into reverse time and again, the BCBA has found its footing in the welcomed support from local government officials.
“We have established solid working relationships with representatives of all levels of government from the county to Congress,” Edwards said. “We have made sure that every one of them knows of the issues that Boulder Creek is facing and the monies needed to make the necessary improvements by holding meetings with these representatives and community leaders to start devising plans on how to make the improvements. And we have let them know that all of the improvements, while they improve the quality of life for residents and the viability of the businesses, must also celebrate and enhance the rich history that Boulder Creek holds.”
Everyone is invited to celebrate and uplift this consequential town as the BCBA launches its inaugural Community Planning Event on Saturday, Jan. 27, from 1-4pm at Scopazzi’s Restaurant, 13300 Big Basin Way, in Boulder Creek.
Scopazzi’s, a former boarding house for loggers, was erected in 1915, and although a dining room was added in the 1920s, with the long bar added in the 1950s, Scopazzi’s has remained a pivotal part of the town’s history.
Today, it still sports the same cozy and familiar feel with paneled walls, vintage chandeliers and a mood-setting fireplace—the perfect location for the people of Boulder Creek to satisfy their vision of improving the town they revere.
Tickets can be bought at tinyurl.com/5n6p5k3n. Attendees will enjoy a buffet of appetizers, a raffle (entry includes one raffle ticket—more can be purchased at the event) and a discount on a ticket to BCBA’s Annual Dinner and Auction Fundraiser on May 19.
Shouldn’t the event be free and open to the entire community?