Dogs to show off their training
WATSONVILLE — The nonprofit Monterey Bay Dog Training Club will be hosting an AKC All Breed Obedience and Rally Trial on Saturday.
Dogs and their owner/handlers will be competing for titles and ribbons.
The Trial will be held on the football field of St. Francis High School, 2400 East Lake Ave. in Watsonville, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The public is invited to watch. For information, visit www.montereybaydog.org.
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Presentations touch on passenger rail service, trail conversion
WATSONVILLE — The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission’s Innovators in Transportation Speaker Series continues on Aug. 2, with two speakers each giving a presentation and a question-and-answer session.
The talks will be given at the RTC’s meeting in the Watsonville City Council Chambers, 275 Main St., fourth floor, beginning at 9 a.m.
Farhad Mansourian, general manager of SMART, will discuss the process of bringing the Bay Area’s newest passenger rail service to Sonoma and Marin counties in his talk, “The Evolution of SMART.”
Kurt Triplett, city manager for the City of Kirkland, Wash., will discuss the city’s rail-to-trail conversion during his presentation, “Implementing Trail and Transit Corridors – Creating Community Connections, not Conflicts.”
For information, visit sccrtc.org/speaker-series.
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Ceiba announces free meal policy
WATSONVILLE — Ceiba College Prep Academy announced its policy to serve meals every school day under the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, and Afterschool Snack Program.
Effective July 1 through June 30, 2019, children are eligible for free or reduced-price meals if the household income is less than or equal to the federal guidelines.
For instance, a family of four that earns $46,435 a year qualifies for reduced-price meals. A family of four that earns $32,630 a year qualifies for free meals.
Children who meet the definition of foster, homeless, migrant or runaway, and children enrolled in their school’s Head Start program are eligible for free meals.
Applications will be sent to households with a letter about the free and reduced-price meal program. Households that want to apply for meal benefits must fill out one application for all children in the household and give it to the nutrition office at 260 West Riverside Drive in Watsonville.
For help filling out the application, call Karla Rodriguez at 740-8800.
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Laird to give presentation in Watsonville
WATSONVILLE — Watsonville Wetlands Watch will welcome California Natural Resources Secretary John Laird, who will give a presentation on natural resources challenges in California and the Central Coast.
The presentation will be held Aug. 9 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at the Fitz Wetlands Educational Resource Center, located at the top of the Pajaro Valley High School camps, 500 Harkins Slough Road.
As secretary, Laird provides administration oversight to 30 departments, commissions, councils, museums, boards and conservancies.
Admission to the presentation is free, but seating is limited. To reserve a seat, visit watsonvillewetlandswatch.org.
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Film Festival celebrates Pride with screening
WATSONVILLE — Watsonville Film Festival will join the Pájaro Valley Pride celebration with a screening of “Una Mujer Fantástica,” 2018 Academy Award winner of Best Foreign Film.
The screening, shown in Spanish with English subtitles, will be held Aug. 9 at 7 p.m. at the Appleton Grill & Event Lounge, 410 Rodriguez St. in Watsonville.
This film from Chile follows the story of Marina, a waitress and singer, and Orlando, an older man, who are in love and planning for the future. After Orlando suddenly falls ill and dies, Marina is forced to confront Orlando’s family and society.
The screening is co-sponsored by Pájaro Valley Pride, California Rural Legal Assistance and the Diversity Center.
Tickets will be available at the door starting one hour prior to screening. A donation of $8 is suggested, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds.
“Una Mujer Fantástica” is rated R.
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Public meetings scheduled on Pure Water Soquel
APTOS — The Soquel Creek Water District is seeking public input on the Pure Water Soquel Project.
The project would involve purification of treated wastewater for groundwater aquifer recharge, to help address overdraft conditions in the Santa Cruz Mid-County Groundwater Basin and to prevent further seawater intrusion.
The water district estimates the cost at $90, and if approved, it could be operational by 2022.
A review and comment period of the draft environmental impact report ends on Aug. 13.
A public meeting will be held on Tuesday from 6-8 p.m. at Twin Lakes Church, 2701 Cabrillo College Drive, Monschke Hall, Aptos.
The meeting will include an open house with information stations followed by a short presentation and then a public comment period.
In addition, community groups Water for Santa Cruz County and Communities United for Better Government will sponsor three public study sessions on July 25 and Aug. 8 at the Aptos Library, 7695 Soquel Drive, from 6-8 p.m. and Aug. 1 at the Porter Memorial Library, 3050 Porter St. in Soquel, from 7-9 p.m.
All sessions are free and open to the public with a focus on how to evaluate the large document and submit public comment on the draft EIR.
The document is available at public libraries: Aptos, Branciforte, Downtown, Garfield Park, La Selva Beach, Live Oak and Porter Memorial. It is also available at www.soquelcreekwater.org/PWS-CEQA.
For information about these study sessions, visit waterforsantacruz.com.
Comments on the draft EIR can be submitted in three ways:
• Via mail to Pure Water Soquel Project CEQA, 4041 Soquel Drive, Ste. A-501, Soquel, CA 95073-3105
• Via email: [email protected]
• At the public meeting on July 31
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Dinner benefits Community Bridges
APTOS — The third annual Farm to Fork Dinner, benefiting human services nonprofit Community Bridges, will be held Aug. 4 from 5:30-9 p.m. at Aptos Village Park.
The public is invited to enjoy a locally sourced gourmet dinner prepared by the Teen Kitchen Project, local wines, Discretion Brewing beer, a live band, a live auction and an address by Tom Broz, owner of Live Earth Farm and president of the Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau Board of Directors.
Event proceeds benefit Community Bridges’ family of 10 programs that collectively serve 20,000 children, families and seniors in Santa Cruz County each year.
“At Farm to Fork, a wonderful group of people come together to celebrate the power of collaboration and partnership, and to be with others who understand how taking local action to serve others helps us all thrive,” said Raymon Cancino, chief executive officer of Community Bridges. “This year we celebrate the launch of clinical supervision at our four family resource centers, our continued expansion of Lift Line, our move to downtown Watsonville, and our ongoing commitment to deliver essential services, provide equitable access to resources, and advocate for health and dignity across every stage of life.”
Tickets and event details, including menu and parking information, are available online at cbfarmtofork18.eventbrite.com. Tickets are $125 per person, $750 for a table of six, or $1,200 for a VIP table of eight.
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Artists invited to participate in competition
CAPITOLA — Plein air artists are invited to register for the fourth annual Capitola Plein Air competition, exhibition and sale.
Participants will have three days to paint all around Capitola. It will be followed by a one-day competition, judged by pastel artist Terri Ford.
The deadline to register is Aug. 1.
The competition is presented by the Capitola Art and Cultural Commission.
For information and to register, visit capitolapleinair.com.
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Circus comes to Capitola Mall
CAPITOLA — Circus Vargas will perform at the Capitola Mall, 1855 41st Ave., from Aug. 2-6.
The shows will include acrobats, daredevils, flying trapeze artists and more.
Showtimes are:
• Aug. 2: 7 p.m.
• Aug. 3: 4 p.m., 7 p.m.
• Aug. 4: 1 p.m., 4 p.m., 7 p.m.
• Aug. 5: Noon, 3 p.m., 6:30 p.m.
• Aug. 6: 6:30 p.m.
For tickets, visit www.circusvargas.com.
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Event celebrates marine sanctuary
SANTA CRUZ — Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary is hosting a free public event on Aug. 4 as part of the fourth annual “Get Into Your Sanctuary” day celebration.
The Sanctuary Exploration Center, 35 Pacific Ave. in Santa Cruz, is offering the opportunity for visitors to interact with ocean recreation equipment, drive an underwater vehicle in the canyon exhibit tank, observe live plankton under the microscope, and take a virtual tour of sanctuary wildlife to learn about responsible wildlife viewing.
The event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For information, contact Chelsea Prindle at 421-9993 or [email protected].
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Cement Masons seeking apprentices
CALIFORNIA — The Northern California Cement Masons JATC is accepting applications for apprenticeships.
Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and be physically able to perform the work of the trade. The starting hourly wage is 65 percent of journey level wage rate.
The program does not discriminate against apprenticeship applicants or apprentices based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, genetic information, or because they are an individual with a disability or a person 40 years old or older.
For information, visit www.norcalcementmasonsapprenticeship.org.
