New exhibit explores history of legendary winemaker Paul Masson
The Saratoga Historical Foundation is featuring Paul Masson (1859-1940), the winemaker who earned the nickname “Champagne King of California” in an exhibit.
Masson was a pioneer in California viticulture and known for his sparkling wine and sparkling sense of humor. The Paul Masson Champagne Cellars were part of the mystic of his story, and they used to have 2 million visitors each year.
The new exhibit will open Feb. 21 and run until the end of May. A reception of coffee and cookies will take place on Sunday, Feb. 23.
The museum is located at 20450 Saratoga-Los Gatos Road in Saratoga. The museum is open from 1-4pm on Friday and Sunday and 10am-4pm on Saturday. Admission is free.
Search launches for next Youth Poet Laureate
Santa Cruz County is seeking its next Youth Poet Laureate. The Santa Cruz Public Libraries (SCPL), in partnership with Urban Word, Watsonville Public Library, Santa Cruz County Office of Education and Arts Council Santa Cruz County, has announced the opening of applications for the 2025-26 term.
The Youth Poet Laureate, a one-year position from April 2025 to April 2026, will represent youth poetry across the county and receive opportunities for readings and publications. Finalists will also form a cohort and receive similar benefits.
Eligible applicants must be between 13 and 18 years old, reside in Santa Cruz County, and be dedicated to serving the community.
Deadline for applications is March 1, with finalists announced on March 31. The Laureate announcement will take place on April 17 at 7pm at Samper Recital Hall, Cabrillo College.
Aspiring poets are encouraged to apply. For application details and program information, visit sites.google.com/view/santa-cruz-youth-poet-laureate/ or contact Farnaz Fatemi at sa***@ma*.com.
A workshop, “Creating Your Youth Poet Laureate Application,” will be held on Saturday, Feb. 22, at the Felton Branch Library at 11am.
Santa Cruz County awarded $670K for road safety initiatives
The Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency announced that its Public Health Division has received three competitive grants totaling $670,663 from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS).
The funding will support programs focused on preventing impaired driving and improving the safety of bicyclists, pedestrians and child passengers. The grants will run through Sept. 30.
“This funding will help ensure the safety of everyone who uses the roads, bike paths, and sidewalks in our county by providing education and resources to support a safe and equitable roadway system,” said Dr. Lisa Hernandez, Health Officer for Santa Cruz County.
The grants are allocated for the following initiatives:
- Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety ($293,663): This program will focus on educating the community. Specific activities include: delivering classroom presentations on bicycle and pedestrian safety in schools, distributing bicycle helmets, light sets and reflective safety items to low-income community members, conducting walking field trips and on-bike safety trainings for youth and adults, and participating in community outreach events to increase public awareness of bicycle and pedestrian safety, including e-bike safety.
- Impaired Driving Education and Resources ($269,000): This program will focus on efforts to reduce impaired driving. This will be accomplished through: educating alcohol merchants about best practices for responsible beverage service and limiting youth access to alcohol, conducting Driving Under the Influence (DUI) place of last drink surveys and providing results to law enforcement, offering impaired driving and traffic safety education for high-risk adults and youth, collaborating with local partners on operating the DUI Impaired Driving Resource Center, and distributing safe driving educational information to youth and adults through social media, community events, and meetings.
- Child Passenger Safety ($108,000): This initiative focuses on protecting child passengers through: conducting car seat checkup events and education sessions, providing booster seat education and resources to schools, distributing child safety seats to low-income parents and caregivers, and collaborating with law enforcement and other stakeholders to increase public knowledge of child passenger safety.
Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
