Mystery Readers Club meets
WATSONVILLE — The Mystery Readers Club will meet Jan. 17 from 2-3:30 p.m. in the Watsonville Main Library Second Floor Meeting Room, 275 Main St., Suite 100.
This month’s selected author is Rex Stout, author of titles such as “Before Midnight,” “Death of a Doxy” and more.
The club meets the third Wednesday of each month. For information, call 768-7300.
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‘Racists Anonymous’ coming to Santa Cruz County
APTOS — Progressive Interfaith Forum of Santa Cruz County will bring “Racists Anonymous” to the county.
At this event, sponsored by the Progressive Interfaith Forum, with Resource Center for Nonviolence, NAACP and other community groups, and hosted by Resurrection Catholic Community, Rev. Ron Buford, Senior Pastor of the Congregational Community Church of Sunnyvale will lead a workshop introducing his program exploring society’s endemic racism, and how to overcome it.
The workshop, taking place Jan. 20 from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Resurrection Catholic Community Church, is open to all free of charge. A luncheon will be provided, catered by Santa Cruz restaurant India Joze. A lunch donation of $10 is suggested but not required.
Buford believes the goal should be to try and acknowledge that no one is free of racialized prejudice and to try to live lives that express it less and less, because “as a society, it’s killing us. I started thinking that it’s like an addiction. It’s a sickness. We want to quarantine it.”
“You can’t swim without getting wet,” Buford said. “What I hope is that by accepting the fact that it’s ubiquitous, people can say ‘OK, then I’m a racist too.’ Then a conversation can happen.”
Having a place to speak safely and honestly, where everyone is admitting they have prejudice, relieves some of the pressure, Buford said.
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Follies holding pancake breakfast
SANTA CRUZ — A benefit pancake breakfast will be held from 8:30 a.m.-noon Sunday at 222 Market St. in Santa Cruz.
Cost of the breakfast is $7 for adults, $3 for children under age 10. Also, take a look in “Grannie’s Attic” for household items and small gifts.
Proceeds will benefit Santa Cruz Follies, a local performing arts group for “over 50” Santa Cruz County citizens.
For information, call SCO at 423-6640.
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AARP driving classes available
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY — AARP Smart Driver classes are now available starting this month through June.
Smart Driver classes are designed to help maturing drivers maintain safe driving skills and keep their licenses longer. California insurance companies are required by law to give a discount for three years to seniors who complete this class.
Classes are offered monthly. The regular eight-hour class is offered in two four-hour sessions, and 4.5-hour refresher classes are also offered.
The class fee is $20 per person, or $15 per person for AARP members. Registration is recommended as drop-ins may find the class is full.
To register or for information, call Fred at 247-3097.
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I-You Venture program seeks volunteers
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY — I-You Venture, a program serving seniors and residents in nursing homes and facilities in Santa Cruz County, is in need of volunteers.
The program helps connect residents to the community, as many of the men and women in these facilities are often alone. Volunteers help residents overcome this isolation through the visitor program.
I-You Venture volunteers are involved in a range of activities including music, arts and crafts, playing board games, bingo or one-on-one visits.
For information, call Nancy Cleveland, program coordinator, at 459-8917, extension 205.
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Caltrans to hold auction for surplus property
PRUNEDALE — Caltrans District 5 will conduct a public auction for a parcel of excess land in Monterey County on Thursday, Jan. 25 at 1 p.m.
This auction will be held at the Caltrans Construction Office at 8249 San Miguel Road in Prunedale near Highway 101. Registration for this auction will take place before the auction from 12:30 p.m. until 12:59 p.m.
This 3/4-acre parcel of land is located at 17877 Cross Road in Prunedale in Monterey County and will be sold “as is.”
Prospective bidders may visit the site on Thursday from 3:30-4:30 p.m. and on Jan. 18 from 10-11 a.m.
Information on zoning and the potential use of the property should be directed to the Monterey County Planning Department.
For information about this auction, contact Ingrid McRoberts with the Caltrans District 5 Excess Lands Unit at (805) 541-5405 or email at in**************@do*.gov.
