For years I dreaded cooking rice and when Uncle Ben produced instant rice in a plastic pouch, I was elated.  And then I met Maroque.

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.

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.

There are creative cooks who pair fresh herbs with their produce and other dishes and then there’s me who needs all the inspiration I can get to up my game in the kitchen. I have the basic herbs growing - Italian parsley, rosemary, basil, thyme and oregano - but I want to learn more uses for common herbs. I have used Italian parsley for lemon butter to drizzle on rosemary chicken. The oregano and basil goes well on a stuffed baked potatoes and poached salmon with mushrooms, marjoram, lemon thyme and a touch of mint is delicious, too. I forgot, I have lemon verbena which goes well with carrots, beets, corn, tomatoes and all types of fruit. I need to get some sage. It would pair well with beans, apples, tomatoes, cauliflower or potatoes. Other herbs that I need to add are cilantro, summer savory and tarragon. When shopping for herbs it's a good idea to snip a leaf and crush it between your fingers. Smell the essential oil. You'd be amazed how different herbs can smell and taste depending on the source of the plant. Thyme can smell like caraway, pine, camphor, lavender or turpentine. Rosemary plants can vary widely in taste depending on the source of the stock. You don't want to ruin chicken dinner by using the crushed leaves of one that tastes of pine or turpentine. Trim your herbs often to keep them bushy and productive. Fresh herbs are at their finest in summer as they peak in flavor and essential oils. Most herb stems can be cut and kept in a jar of water, out of direct sunlight, for a few days of use. I've even had basil send out roots in water.  Nearly all herbs are perennial and can be grown from seed. Anise, coriander (also known as cilantro), dill and fennel should be sown directly in the garden as they do not transplant well. Parsley lives for 2 years then flowers and goes to seed. The flowers attract beneficial insects to your garden so leave them to do their work and start new plants to eat. The herbs that are annuals and need to be planted from starts or seed every year include basil, coriander, dill and summer savory.  Although rust infects mints, very few diseases or insects attack herbs. Occasionally, spider mites may be found on low growing herb plants in hot, dry weather and aphids may attack anise, caraway, dill and fennel. Washing the foliage off early in the day helps in controlling mites and aphids. Here are some growing tips:Most herbs like 6-8 hours of full sun. Well drained soil is essential. If drainage is poor, work in plenty of organic matter or grow in raised beds or containers. Water regularly until the plants are growing steadily. Then most will need only occasional watering. Exceptions are basil, chives, mint and parsley which prefer evenly moist soil. Many herbs attract beneficial insects if they are allowed to flower.   Fresh herbs are the most flavorful. The stuff in spice jars that you get in the store is often tasteless when compared to the real thing. When cooking with herbs, there is a general rule of thumb to keep in mind regarding the ratio of fresh to dry. Because  dried herbs are often more potent and concentrated than fresh herbs, you need less. That means the correct ratio is one tablespoon of fresh herbs to one teaspoon of dried. Herb plants make beautiful ornamental additions to perennial beds and borders, too. Next week I’ll talk about how to harvest, dry and preserve herbs.   

Listen to Think Local First Radio's Show on August 1st, to hear a little about the current COVID state of the Press Banner from our Managing Editor Cherie La France-Anderson.  Here's the link: http://zbsradio.com/play-episode/id/16181/play-time/0.  Cherie's interview begins at 20:00.

Dear SLV Family and Friends, Greetings to all and I hope this finds you well. As we approach the opening of the 20-21 school year, I continue to hear from many of you with questions and concerns about the coming school year. There are so many unknowns for all of us that it continually causes feelings of anxiety, stress, and fear in everyone. Please rest assured that the SLVUSD staff is committed to taking care of every student. This year, the theme of Mission Possible, means that we will do everything possible to help students be successful. It is a year of PATIENCE, CARING and FLEXIBILITY.  We are committed to building resilience, confidence, and courage in students and staff.  One size does NOT fit all, we understand that and will make every effort to provide students and parents what they need. We are teachers, and before anything else, we teach children, not subjects or grade levels. We do not have all the answers and often do not even understand the questions that are constantly changing. Please give us a chance to begin the August Schedule, which allows for Parent & Student Orientation, these information sessions will help build a common understanding of conditions and requirements as it relates to school. Each school will also have Q & A Sessions to help parents and students navigate during the school year. Training and assistance with technology and online systems will be available to parents and students. Parent conferences will allow parents to meet their child's teacher. Please feel free to set up additional phone conferences, or zoom sessions with the teacher as needed.