VFW Auxiliary seeks new members
WATSONVILLE — The Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary Post #1716 is looking to gain new members.
The Auxiliary is holding an organizing meeting on Feb. 25 at 6 p.m. at the VFW Building, 1960 Freedom Blvd. in Watsonville.
The Auxiliary supports Americanism, military and veterans as well as their families, legislative actions to support military and veteran benefits, as well as hospital work in both VA and non-VA facilities.
In recent years, its members have gotten older and they haven’t been able to sustain the efforts of earlier years. In order to move forward, the Auxiliary needs new eligible members to become involved.
If you are a grandparent, parent, child, grandchild, spouse or sibling of a living or deceased veteran who served “in harm’s way,” you are likely eligible for this organization.
Those interested are invited to attend this meeting to learn more about the works of the Auxiliary.
For information, visit www.vfwauxiliary.org.
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Congressman’s staff to hold office hours
WATSONVILLE — Congressman Jimmy Panetta’s (CA-20) staff will hold mobile office hours on Feb. 20 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Santa Cruz County Immigration Project, 406 Main St. in Watsonville.
Staff members will assist with issues concerning Social Security, Medicare, federal employee retirement, immigration services, veterans’ services, passports, searching for military records, and any other federal matters.
To schedule a meeting, call Panetta’s Salinas office at 424-2229.
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Our Revolution, Watsonville meets every Saturday
WATSONVILLE — A group of protestors called Our Revolution, Watsonville has been demonstrating every Saturday at Watsonville Plaza since President Donald Trump was inaugurated more than two years ago.
Active members are Don Eggleston, Suzan Fine, Patrick True, Yolanda and Lauro Navarro, Barbara Crum, Kathleen Harris, and Mary Beth Osborne.
The group meets at the plaza from 1-2:30 p.m.
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Ag scholarships available from Corralitos Grange
CORRALITOS — The Corralitos Grange #487 is now taking applications for agriculture majors.
The deadline for submitting applications to the Corralitos Grange #487 is April 1.
Application forms can be obtained by calling Shirley Spain at 724-7962 or emailing Pat Novakovich at
pa***********@ao*.com
.
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Authors of ‘Death & Life of Monterey Bay’ to speak in Aptos
APTOS — Stephen Palumbi and Carolyn Sotka, authors of “The Death & Life of Monterey Bay: A Story of Revival,” will be in Aptos on Feb. 21 to discuss the writings and research behind the history of the Monterey Bay.
Mark Carr, biology professor at UC Santa Cruz, will engage the authors in a conversation regarding human impact to the Monterey Bay and what can be done to ensure its future good health.
The introduction will be given by Nicole Crane of Cabrillo College’s Marine Biology and Environmental Sciences.
The event, co-sponsored by Save Our Shores, is put on by the Friends of the Aptos Library’s Our Community Reads program.
Free and open to the public, the event will be held at the Cabrillo College Samper Recital Hall, 6500 Soquel Drive in Aptos, from 7-8:30 p.m.
For information, visit www.friendsofaptoslibrary.org.
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Bay Photo, County Office of Education offering student internship program
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY — The Santa Cruz County Office of Education’s (SCCOE) Career Technical Education Partnership (CTEP) Program recently announced the newly established Bay Photo high school student internship program.
The internships are paid positions.
Linda Roberts, director of Human Resources of Bay Photo, said she appreciates the work these students accomplish and Bay Photo’s intention is to provide them with a valuable work experience.
“This WBL student opportunity is a positive example of what the SCCOE CTEP program is all about,” said Mark Hodges, SCCOE’s senior director of CTEP. “Namely, to present our community’s youth WBL (work-based learning) opportunities that translate into developing critical thinking skills as they work towards career opportunities.”
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Students honored as Good Citizens
SANTA CRUZ — Eight local students were honored as Good Citizens by their high schools and the Santa Cruz Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution on Jan. 23.
The Good Citizen awardees are: Raylene Allen, Soquel H.S.; Sophia Elizalde, Watsonville H.S.; Allison Friefeld, Scotts Valley H.S.; Sheligh Andi Mellon, Cypress Charter H.S.; Julia Poetzinger, San Lorenzo Valley H.S.; Mollie Scanagatta Long, Santa Cruz H.S.; Jaylene Solorzano-Diaz, Pajaro Valley H.S.; and Isabella Stephens, Aptos H.S.
The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution is a nonprofit, non-political volunteer women’s service organization dedicated to promoting patriotism, preserving American history, and securing better education for children. Members are all lineal descendants of those men and women who supported the cause of independence in the Revolutionary War.
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UCSC professor to give talk on economic inequality
SANTA CRUZ — Deepening economic inequality and its consequences throughout society will be the focus of a free public talk given by UC Santa Cruz professor Heather Bullock on Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Resource Center for Non-Violence, 612 Ocean St. in Santa Cruz.
Bullock will discuss how popular beliefs about poverty, wealth and socioeconomic mobility legitimize economic inequality and how creating a more equitable society benefits everyone.
The talk is co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Santa Cruz County and the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom.
For information, visit lwvscc.org/calendar, email
le****@lw****.org
or call 325-4140.
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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 $8 for adults, and $4 for children under age 10.
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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Unclaimed property available online
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY — California State Controller Betty Yee is reminding people that $9.3 billion in unclaimed property is available to California residents through an online database at claimit.ca.gov.
In January, more than 28,000 people received properties worth $25.2 million. That included 73 properties in Santa Cruz County valued at $82,627.
People who find property on the State Controller’s website can submit claims at claimit.ca.gov, or by calling (800) 992-4647. Anyone can download the unclaimed property database for free and see if people in their community or organization have items safeguarded by the state.
California’s unclaimed property law protects consumers by requiring banks, insurance companies and other businesses to transfer property to the State Controller after a period of no activity (generally three years).
