Fishing from the Wharf
The Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf may be the most over looked fishing opportunity we have. It has easy access, parking, bait tackle restaurants and you are not required to have a fishing License.In 1914 this 3,000 feet Pier was constructed and is the sixth pier that has been built in Santa Cruz. It is referred to as our Wharf although its true definition is “Pier.” A wharf is referred to as a platform that parallels the shore a Pier heads out from shore. The original City bond was written as “Wharf” and has remained the term to use.The Wharf may not have the best ocean fishing our Bay has to offer but does host chances at fish and at times can be very good for small game fish. Perch can be caught here year around. The winter months are bets for barred surf perch. The current usually runs towards the River mouth from the Wharf so most people cast for perch just outside the breaking waves on the Boardwalk side. Pile, black and rubber lip perch, can be caught along the pilings all around the Wharf. These perch like shrimp, mussels, and pile worms for bait. During the summer months small shiner perch are more common and may work for live bait while pursuing larger game like halibut or striped bass.Jack smelt and mackerel are common during the summer months and at times are very easy to catch. Mackerel are one of my favorite fish as they are speedy, and have beautiful colors. The most common are pacific mackerel with a blue striped back, and they are a real crowd pleaser because they resemble small tunas! They are all edible with jack smelt at the bottom of my list for table fair. Jack smelt and mackerel can be caught with a small “sabiki” or bait catching jig set-up. They are rigged with a weight at the bottom and sometimes tipped with squid for bait. Some anglers prefer this rig fished under a large float or bobber casted away from the Wharf.The chance at larger game is always a possibility while fishing from the Wharf. When I was younger we would catch coho or silver salmon from the Wharf during the fall months as they would stage looking for the mouth of the San Lorenzo River. Lately there have been a few legal sized halibut caught. Halibut are caught using live bait like anchovies, sardines or small mackerel and jack smelt. While catching larger fish like halibut is less common, it can happen. If so, you will need a landing net. The landing net is a crab hoop net and you have to lower it to the water and get your prized catch to swim into it to hoist it to the Wharf.You never know what you may catch from the Wharf but I guarantee it will be fun and easy. You may also have a chance at a chowder bowl or some fried calamari while you fish. You will see Sea Lions; you can even rent a boat or Kayak from the Wharf if you are more adventurous. The Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf is a fun place and easy access to fishing in the ocean.
Fire and Water
His famous cousin would probably have arrived in Ben Lomond on a water-smooth silvery stallion, but Frederick A. Cody rode in on the train. Admittedly, Buffalo Bill was a distant cousin, but F. A. Cody probably profited from the connection. A traveling sales specialist for an electric light company, he provided systems for small cities, and also promoted stock companies to fund them. During an extended stay in Mexico, Cody carefully built up his capital nest egg, waiting for an opportunity like that offered by D. W. Johnston, who was ready to unload his property in Ben Lomond.
The Mountain Gardener: “The Changing Season of September”
You never know where new gardening ideas and inspiration can come from. The other day I stopped by to help my friend to water a garden that is located by the river in South Felton. We both enjoyed the unique combination of plants and garden art placed strategically though out the garden. It was clear that this soothing garden was created with love. If gardening keeps you sane, don’t stop because of the drought.Covered with huge white, heavily ruffled flowers, a Rose of Sharon ‘Helene’ anchored the entry to a small deck overlooking the San Lorenzo River. With a reddish-purple eye and handsome, leathery dark green leaves, this attractive shrub will bloom nearly continuously over the summer and fall without setting seeds.Other gems in this garden that caught my eye included a Japanese painted fern paired with purple leaved coral bells. A foxtail fern and variegated hosta looked great nearby. Japanese forest grass, oakleaf hydrangea, liriope, helleborus and winter daphne grew among the ferns.These are shade plants and most like a regular drink of water. They are combined with plants with similar water requirements in this garden but if your garden is in more sun remember that it doesn’t take a lot of water to make a garden beautiful. A garden that is un-thirsty can fill you with joy.Gardening makes us learn new things. If you water less frequently, some plants may decline or even die eventually. Remove those that do and replace them with plants that will thrive with less water.Some plants to try as replacements are agastache or Hummingbird mint. Plant them near your organic edible garden to provide nectar for pollinators as well as for the hummingbirds. The flowers are edible as a salad garnish, in baked goods and in cocktails while their foliage can be added to herb salads or in a cup of tea.Other perennials that bloom now and into fall include asters, gaillardia and all the salvias. The California fuchsia is just starting its long fall bloom cycle, too.I like the bright flowers of gloriosa daisy, especially the longer lived Goldsturm variety. These perennials make good cut flowers and are tough and easy to grow. They are descended from wild plants native to the eastern U.S. but require only moderate water once established.Need more late summer perennials to extend your season? Coneflowers will continue to bloom until frost then go dormant for the winter. Now days there are many colors to choose from in addition to the traditional rosy purple daisies. They are lightly fragrant and make good cut flowers for bouquets. The clumps spread slowly and can be carefully divided after three or four years. If faded flowers are left in place, the bristly seed heads provide food for finches in winter.The herb, Echinacea, is derived from varieties of this flower. Echinacea purpurea and other varieties are used as a fortifier of the immune system, mainly to prevent flu and minor respiratory diseases by increasing the body's production of interferon. The roots are the part of this plant used for medicinal purposes.Echinacea was used by Native Americans more than any other plant in the plains states. It was used to treat snake and insect bites because of its antiseptic properties and to bathe burns. They chewed the plant’s roots to ease toothaches. It was also used for purification. The leaves and the flowers can be used in teas as well.Enjoy un-thirsty color in your garden this fall.-Jan Nelson, a landscape designer and California certified nursery professional, will answer questions about gardening in the Santa Cruz Mountains. E-mail her [email protected], or visitwww.jannelsonlandscapedesign.comto view past columns and pictures.
Scotts Valley Water District opens Recycled Water Fill Station for City Residents
On Wednesday, August 26, at 3:00 p.m., the Scotts Valley Water District opened their Recycled Water Fill Station. The “Station” is located behind the Scotts Valley Library at 251 Kings Village Road in Scotts Valley.According to J.M. Brown, spokesperson for SVWD, recycled water is wastewater that has been through multiple treatment processes to assure that it meets the California Department of Public Health quality and safety standards. To date, SVWD has delivered about 530 million gallons of recycled water to customers. Brown says that it is important to know that “SVWD is a regional leader in the distribution of recycled water.Scotts Valley residents may receive up to 250 gallons of recycled water per day free of charge. The pumping schedule is: 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays and on Saturdays it is 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.Receiving the free recycled water should defray the negative impact of drought by using the water to irrigate gardens and landscaping. Visit http:/svwd.org/your-water/recycled-water.
State encourages ideas to get the public healthy
As California government strives to lead the nation in health, all who feel passionately about the subject are invited to submit their input on how to get better through Let’s Get Healthy California “Innovation Challenge.”Community leaders, health practitioners and wellness groups are encouraged to participate by sending their suggestions to California Health and Human Services agency through September 30, 2015. Improvement recommendations should cover the following subjects:• Healthy Beginnings• Living Well• End of Life• Redesigning the Health System• Creating Healthy Communities• Lowering Cost of CareFinalists from each goal area receive recognition at the statewide Innovation Conference in early 2016. Selected submissions are also set to appear on the Let’s Get Healthy California website, which launches in 2016. Additional attention is slated for the statewide Open Data Fest in spring 2016.“This Innovation Challenge allows people to think outside of the traditional public health framework to create innovative solutions that support the Triple Aim of better health, better care, and lower costs,” said Dr. Karen Smith, CDPH Director and State Health Officer. “We hope that these ideas will launch Californians on a path to living healthier lives.”And while the challenge takes place on a statewide level, a Scotts Valley based business has already been in the innovation mode with its effort to make people healthier.Since its inception in last year, Nourish Balance Thrive has helped more than 400 people get healthier with customized plans that consider the whole body, not just its illness. Their regimen considers the body as a mechanism capable of self healing once it’s set on the right track.Through dietary modifications, exercise and stress management techniques, Nourish Balance Thrive leads each client to their desired goal.When asked about the subject of getting healthy, co-founder Christopher Kelly said that nobody really knows what a healthy diet is.“Further compounding the problem is the fact that what might be healthy for you could be unhealthy for me. Everyone has different goals, and those goals change from time to time,” he said.Kelly, a professional mountain biker, formed his business with three others. The team includes Kelly’s wife, who is a food scientist, another pro mountain biker, who is a doctor, and a registered nurse. Kelly functions as the coach who helps clients find their way to optimal health.He claims to have healed his own issues by following Nourish Balance Thrive’s methods. By getting healthy, he became even faster on his bike.“I was racing amateur before all of this, I fairly recently upgraded to pro,” he said. “To do that you have to beat all the other amateurs. The real win is living to tell the tale! Longevity and health is what I really care about.”And while the whole body approach is already a step away from conventional medicine, the fact that Nourish Balance Thrive does it all remotely is yet another proof of how the road to getting healthy is changing.“All the coaching takes place over the phone or Skype and we all work from home,” said Kelly. “People prefer it this way, especially the men who only go to doctor as a very last resort.”In addition to coaching and nutritional support, Nourish Balance Thrive offers lab testing of various sorts as part of their services. That way the whole body picture can be explored to the fullest.Fatigue, insomnia, digestive or hormonal problems are evaluated using scientific methods. The labs Nourish Balance Thrive uses may be considered uncommon in a traditional setting. So having these types of sources only helps form a better picture of health for everyone.“Often people come to us for help because they’re doing all of the above and they’re still not getting the brochure experience,” Kelly said. “Perhaps they’re still not sleeping, or their sex drive is gone, or they’re still tired. In these circumstances the testing we do is extremely helpful for performing a critical evaluation of the person’s biochemistry.”And while the innovation seems to take place with or without the state’s initiatives, there is still much work ahead for being able to get the services and support one may want at an affordable cost.“Insurance will pay for the drugs that manage a disease, but they won’t pay for all of the above which probably would prevent the disease from ever happening,” said Kelly.To submit ideas for the California Health and Human Services agency, visit [email protected]. To learn more about Nourish Balance Thrive, visit www.nourishbalancethrive.com.
What is PG&E doing in Felton?
In order to serve 44,000 customers in the Felton and Santa Cruz area, PG&E has had to activate “the largest portable LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) job in the known universe,” according to Austin A. Hastings, and he was only partly joking. Hastings is PG&E’s Professional Engineer / Senior Manager of the LNG/CNG Engineering & Operations Group. Starting in mid-August, fifty-one of his department have been working on the project, most of them on the Graham Hill Road cordoned-off secure site near the Roaring Camp Railroad and San Lorenzo Lumber. They hope to be finished mid-week after Labor Day.
News Briefs | Published Sept. 12, 2025
Fun run, emergency preparedness fair set for Saturday
On Saturday, Sept. 13, the City of Santa Cruz will be hosting Race the Wave, a 3K...
