Polka band to perform at Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest returns to Messiah Lutheran Church, 801 High St. in Santa Cruz, on Sept. 30 from noon to 4pm.
The event will feature German food, beer and wine, along with various activities for children and families.
The Thirsty Nine polka band will also perform. The band, which has many members from Watsonville, will donate their fees to musical scholarships.
Oktoberfest Santa Cruz also will be donating a portion of the event’s proceeds to Maui wildfire relief.
For information, visit messiah-lutheran.us.
Cabrillo College Local Government Fellows announced
Mateo Donato and Dustin Lopez have been selected as Cabrillo College Local Government Fellows.
Both students are starting their last year at Cabrillo and will transfer to four-year schools for their undergraduate degrees. They are the first in their families to attend college.
The Fellows program was created in 2021 by current and former local government leaders throughout Santa Cruz County and the Cabrillo College Foundation. The goal of the program is to encourage and support Cabrillo College students, with preference to those who are the first in their family to attend college, to pursue careers in local government.
As Local Government Fellows, the students receive a $2,000 scholarship, an internship in a local jurisdiction and a mentor.
In the summer of 2024, Donato will intern with the City of Capitola and Lopez with the City of Scotts Valley.
“I am humbled and honored to receive this opportunity,” Donato said. “This allows me to work with and acquire knowledge from our local government leaders and paves my way towards being involved in local government.”
“I am very excited to meet new people, explore my interests in local government and deepen my understanding of my own community,” Lopez said. “I am thankful for this opportunity and hope to help others in the same way through a career in local government.”
The Fellows program has raised $67,000. The goal is to raise an endowment of $100,000 and support the selection of two Fellows each year. Contributions have come from individuals, businesses, and the cities of Capitola and Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz County and the cities of Capitola, Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley, and Watsonville have committed to providing a paid internship to those students selected as Cabrillo College Local Government Fellows.
“We are grateful for the generous community support which makes this program possible,” said Arne Croce, a Cabrillo alum, former city manager and one of the program organizers. “We are excited for Mateo and Dustin and look forward to their futures in local government.”
Scholarship funds are managed by the Cabrillo College Foundation. Contributions to the fund can be made to the Foundation at foundation.cabrillo.edu/donate and by entering “Local Government Fellows” in the notes section.
