SLV Rotary’s food drive supports Valley Churches
San Lorenzo Valley Rotary Club is sponsoring a Spring Feeding Food Drive for Valley Churches United, with the goal of providing non-perishable food for their food pantry during the month of May.
Convenient drop-off locations are located throughout San Lorenzo Valley and Scotts Valley.
In Boulder Creek, locations are at the Community Center and Boulder Creek Pizza and Pub. In Ben Lomond, drop off sites are at Valley Churches United and the Highlands Park Senior Center. In Felton, food can be dropped off at Felton Feed, and in Scotts Valley, the drop off is at the Moose Lodge #545.
For more information, visit SLVRotary.org or call Valley Churches at 831-336-8258 ext. 229.
Affordable Housing NOW hosts virtual event
Affordable Housing NOW (AHN) is sponsoring a virtual Affordable Housing Month event on Tuesday, May 27, at 6pm.
Speakers will include Don Lane, AHN member, who will explain the criteria used to define affordability, and Tom Graham, Santa Cruz County Housing Authority, will discuss how to access affordable housing information and how to apply for available and upcoming affordable housing opportunities.
The event will also highlight two local housing projects that demonstrate how community organizations have stepped up to become part of the solution to the county’s affordable housing crisis. Kyle Kelly will talk about the Santa Cruz City Schools’ housing development for teachers and school employees and Jim Weller will provide information about Peace Village, a project supported by Peace United Church in Santa Cruz.
To register for the free event, visit Housing Santa Cruz County’s Affordable Housing Month calendar of events or go to tinyurl.com/yskh76ry.
County hosts meeting to discuss climate action
Santa Cruz County is set to hold a discussion next week on its Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) as part of an ongoing effort to bolster the region’s resilience to the escalating impacts of climate change.
The Santa Cruz County Commission on the Environment will convene for a presentation aimed at updating the public and stakeholders on key strategies and objectives within the plan.
Representatives from the county’s Information Services Department, General Services Department and the Office of Response, Recovery and Resilience will outline several critical initiatives. Among these is a goal to ensure that by 2030, 95% of households within areas covered by Internet Service Providers will have access to and subscribe to broadband internet service.
The plan also emphasizes reducing the county’s carbon footprint by transitioning to electric equipment in new and existing facilities, phasing out fossil fuel use in the county’s vehicle fleet and eliminating reliance on fossil fuels in passenger and commercial vehicles.
In addition, infrastructure projects are being prioritized to enhance the county’s capacity to withstand extreme weather events, including building and rehabilitating facilities to adapt to changing climate conditions.
“Through the CAAP, the County is actively working to address the challenges of climate change. This meeting will provide an update on the key strategies our local government is implementing to guide us toward a sustainable future while reducing the impacts of climate change on our region,” said David Reid, director of the Office of Response, Recovery and Resilience.
Community members interested in learning more about these initiatives are encouraged to attend the meeting scheduled for Wednesday, May 28, from 5-7pm. It will be held at the County Governmental Center, located at 701 Ocean St., in the 5th Floor Board Chambers.
Those unable to attend in person can join via Zoom using the link santacruzcounty-us.zoomgov.com/j/1619944644.
Concertino Strings’ June concerts to ‘Rise in Harmony’
Concertino Strings’ upcoming June concerts will feature the theme, “Rise in Harmony: Music to Carry You Above the Weighty Problems of Our Time to a Place Where Inspiration Gives Us the Energy to Stay Strong.”
Its 25-piece string orchestra plays at 150-year-old Boulder Creek United Methodist Church on Wednesday, June 4, at 11:30am and Saturday, June 8, at 3pm.
Leaders are Joanne Tanner and Renata Bratt, with Robert Jackson as organ soloist and Mary Kay Wilkinson as violin soloist in the well-known “Albinoni Adagio.” They will also play “Ninth Symphony for Strings” by the 14-year-old Felix Mendelssohn and “Where Falcons Fly” by young Black composer Adrian Sims.
Admission is free but donations are gratefully accepted. Concerts are an hour long, and dress is casual. See concertinostrings.com for more information.
