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Some honked their horns. Some waved and shared a thumbs up. Others flashed their lights and peace signs, and still others yelled obscenities that can’t be printed in this newspaper. Standing on all corners of Highway 9 and Graham Hill Road in Felton on July 31, nearly 20 supporters of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement heard from motorists as they held their handwritten signs aloft in the warm evening air. “My Life Matters.” “Breath For All.” But the most impactful sign was held by eight-year old Eli Elliott: “Will I Be Next?” Eli and his five-year old brother, Alex, are homeschooled through the San Lorenzo Valley Charter Program under the tutelage of their mom, Clara, a former English teacher. The presence of COVID-19 in Santa Cruz County didn’t impact their school year, but the killing of George Floyd rocked their world. For the last six weeks, Clara, her husband Kevin, and their two young sons have been protesting in Felton; the impact of Floyd’s murder in Minneapolis has rippled around the world, and the San Lorenzo Valley is no exception. This is Alex’ first protest. This bright-eyed kid who wants to be a firefighter may not fully understand the complexity of systemic racism or what a chokehold means to a young black man, but his parents do, and so does his big brother. This is Eli’s third protest. When asked how long he’s been protesting, he says, “A long time.” Eli’s first protest was at the age of three in San Jose. That one was in support of BLM, but he’s also been to the Women’s March in San Jose the day after Trump’s inauguration, and another protest in Oakland. For Kevin, a software engineer with Apple, this is his first time. “I’ve never protested a thing in my life, so I’m here for my kids. If we don’t do something,” he says through tears, “I don’t know that they’re going to live. There’s a window of time here where things have to change. If we keep this up, maybe we can make this different.” He looks at his sons with a combination of sorrow and affection. “What happens when they’re not cute anymore?” Clara keeps her voice raised on behalf of her family. She’s a member of the San Lorenzo Valley/Scotts Valley Coalition Against Racism on Facebook, and has worked closely with other members to determine ways to stop racism locally. “Racism is a systemic problem in our country, and we’re going to need a lot of big changes. I hope that people see that my sons’ lives are worth standing up for. We want to work with local legislators and law enforcement to put some structures in place that will help bring racism to an end, but it’s just so overwhelming.” Ariel Young is also a member of that Facebook group, and was part of a book study group in mid-2019 led by the Ben Lomond Quaker Center that focused on white privilege and anti-racism education. “That was my first step into being anti-racist.” Based on what Young has experienced while standing with other BLM protesters in Felton, it sounds like others in the area could benefit from that type of education. “I’ve heard people yell, ‘Go home,’ and ‘White Power,’ and I’ve been flipped off many, many times. I worry about the safety of my friends who live locally and are people of color. It’s really troubling.” Paul Machlis has been there since the beginning. With communities standing up against racism all over the country, the soft-spoken man points out, “It’s an awareness thing. As a country, we haven’t been conscious enough about how racism is baked into the system, and I hope that awareness on our part will help bring about change. Part of why I stand here is to be part of a community that cares about this issue, and also to be an example to young people. There are kids that pass by in cars with their parents, and I wonder what kind of discussion our protest generates amongst them. We’ve had plenty of kids out here too, and they’re learning about free speech and standing up for what you believe, and that’s a valuable lesson too.” Want to join the movement? The Felton BLM protests happen every Tuesday and Friday beginning at 4:45pm at the intersection of Highway 9 and Graham Hill Road.

While many of us has sought out the bright side of this COVID storm by slowing down and taking a much-needed break, it seems like the San Lorenzo Valley Water District doesn’t know how to rest.  But, that’s the price of providing a vital resource constantly to every home, business, and building within our valley.  Over the past few months, SLVWD has made many improvements to their facilities. Rick Rogers, the District Manager, Nate Gillespie, the Water Treatment and Systems Supervisor, and Carly Blanchard, the Environmental Planner, were eager to reveal their newest acquisitions and accomplishments.  

On August 7th, the Harm Reduction Coalition of Santa Cruz County (HRCSCC) announced that the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has finally approved their Syringe Services Program application.  The decision has been long awaited, as authorization for the program was expected back in early March.  Understandably, with COVID-19, the CDPH had to delay the decision for several months.  For more background on their application process, check out my December 10th article, Homelessness and Syringe Use in Santa Cruz County on our website.

As of August 3rd, 36 percent of Coronavirus cases in Santa Cruz County were contracted by 18-34 year olds, by far the largest age group of virus carriers.  In response to this sudden and large case increase amongst the County’s younger population, the Santa Cruz County Business Council, Santa Cruz Works, and the Small Business Development Center of Cabrillo College put together a town hall on July 29th.  For a little less than two hours, Dr. Gail Newell, the Santa Cruz County Health Official, and Dr. Marm Kilpatrick, UCSC Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, advised youth to “#dontkillgrandma.”

Childcare has proven a vital resource these past few months.  It’s also been constantly evolving with health mandates, forcing parents into difficult decisions and some services to close entirely.  The eternal favorite summer childcare, camp, which is generally bountiful in our beautiful valleys, has become a scarce commodity. As summer wears on, summer camps have finally stabilized their protocols and found a small patch of certainty.  I checked up on several camps to learn more about their struggles and accomplishments throughout this strange summer.

As summer merges into the upcoming school year, parents, teachers, students and staff are all caught in an ever-changing wave machine of scientific advice, county-wide policies and direction from state and local governmental agencies that will impact the education of our children. Our two local school districts—San Lorenzo Valley and Scotts Valley—are doing their level best to keep up with each new set of instructions that emerge on a daily basis. How do we even begin to keep our children safe while providing them with the quality education they deserve? From canceled science camps to homecomings on hold, the leaders from each district weigh in on what 2020/2021 is going to look like for our area students. From Scotts Valley USD Superintendent Tanya Krause and Assistant Superintendent Michelle Stewart:Press Banner: Do you have the estimated start and end dates of the school year?  Krause and Stewart: August 24, 2020-June 9, 2021 PB: Given your experience with transitioning to online learning this past spring, what do you see as positives and negatives for the fall semester?K&S: With the current status of COVID-19, all of our sites are starting the year with distance instruction. Distance instruction is different from the remote learning that SVUSD provided when we closed schools in March of 2020. Moving forward, there will be daily face-to-face interaction, instruction, and structure, regardless of whether students are meeting in person or in a distance environment. We will ensure that all students have access to technology, and we have processes in place to ensure that students are engaged and participating. Obviously, we know that in-person instruction is best, and we have plans to transition to bringing students back to school in some form, once we are permitted by public health. PB: Are there extra trainings provided to staff to help navigate this new learning environment?  K&S: Yes, we have offered weekly trainings over the summer for our teachers in using technology to support our students and families through distance instruction. We have follow-up trainings planned in August and throughout the year. Additionally, there will be a series of parent trainings that support students in these unchartered times. PB: How are your staff providing support to at-risk students (students with IEPs, those with financial hardships, etc.)? K&S: We are still working on this. We are still awaiting state guidance and allowances to work with individual students for assessments, IEP services, and counseling. Once we have clearer guidelines from the state, we will work with our teachers and service providers to support our students. PB: How are seniors who had counted on sports-related scholarships managing the process? K&S: We are not sure at this point - we have been focusing on whether sports are going to be allowed and if so, how and when. PB: What are your plans for end-of-year graduation activities (if the virus continues to make traditional ceremonies too risky)?K&S: It is far too soon to be able to answer that question. And from San Lorenzo Valley USD, Superintendent Laurie Bruton:Press Banner: Do you have the estimated start and end dates of the school year?Laurie Bruton: SLV will start on Thursday Aug. 13. Last day of school is June 4.  PB: Given your experience with transitioning to online learning this past spring, what do you see as positives and negatives for the fall semester?LB: SLV will be considering the online learning opportunity as Mission Possible. We will be doing synchronized interactive learning for the school period. We will also offer small group instruction in the afternoons to support all learners. SLV will offer grade level orientation, parent and student online training sessions, staff development, and student assessment periods to help students transition to Distance Learning. PB: Are there extra trainings provided to staff to help navigate this new learning environment?LB: SLV will participate in a professional development in Social Emotional Learning and how to utilize online learning to connect to students in this time of COVID19. We will also train staff, parents, and students in online systems and school routines for Distance Learning. PB: How are your staff providing support to at-risk students (students with IEPs, those with financial hardships, etc.)? LB: Afternoon small group instruction, tutoring, and intervention sessions for all students needing additional time and instruction. Extracurriculars like drama, music, athletics, and social clubs have been placed on hold unless they can be done online. SLV offers both academic and mental health counselors, support from staff and school administrators, and daily work in classrooms to support social emotional issues at this time. PB: How are seniors who had counted on sports-related scholarships managing the process? LB: We are doing our best to support all students during this difficult time. Teachers are utilizing discussion groups, writing, and problem solving to help students adjust to changing conditions.  

On July 23rd, the City Council of Scotts Valley held a Town Hall dedicated to supporting local business through the latest string of closures, which they predicted would be enforced within a week.  The meeting took place just in time, as five days later, Santa Cruz County was placed on the COVID state monitoring list for three days.  As of July 28th, for three weeks, indoor activities taking place in gyms, worship centers, hair and nail salons, non-essential offices, shopping malls, and protests are canceled.  Throughout the meeting, Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Danny Reber, City Manager Tina Friend, Vice Mayor Derek Timm, and Mayor Randy Johnson spoke of ways to support our community through these next trying weeks, and also answered questions from small business owners.