Santa Cruz Symphony performs this weekend
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY — This year the Santa Cruz Symphony is celebrating its 60th season with an extensive, diverse repertoire of music.
Led by Maestro Daniel Stewart, the group will present “Embracing the Dance” at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and the Mello Center in Watsonville on Sunday at 2 p.m.
The concert will begin with John Adams’ “Chairman Dances: Foxtrot for Orchestra,” written in 1985. Leonard Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from the “West Side Story” musical will follow, and the group will end with Beethoven’s 7th Symphony, lauded as “The Apotheosis of Dance.”
For information and to purchase advance tickets, visit santacruztickets.com or call the Santa Cruz Civic Box Office at 420-5260.
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Volunteers needed to restore native habitat at Pinto Lake
WATSONVILLE — On Saturday, Watsonville Wetlands Watch, the Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County, and the Santa Cruz County Parks, Open Space, and Cultural Services Department will be hosting a community planting day at Pinto Lake County Park.
Volunteers are needed to help native plants on a project designed to restore the lake’s natural habitats and water quality. This bi-lingual family-friendly event will be held from 9:30 a.m. to noon and volunteers are asked to meet at the northern end of the Pinto Lake County Park parking lot.
In addition to planting, volunteers will take part in a guided walk down to the lake and a tour of the restoration project. Gloves, tools and a snack will be provided.
Over the past year, volunteers and students at the Watsonville Wetlands Watch’s native plant nursery have grown several hundred native plants in preparation for this planting. This planting day represents the culmination of this work and the implementation of a part of the larger effort to improve the water quality and habitats of Pinto Lake.
Pinto Lake supports ancient redwoods, oak woodlands, wetland, and riparian habitats.
“Pinto Lake supports a huge number of wildlife including nesting great blue herons, western pond turtles, migrating ducks and waterfowl, hawks and other raptors,” said Jonathan Pilch, executive director of Watsonville Wetlands Watch. “Volunteers will be able to learn about the many species of wildlife and other amazing natural features associated with this special lake, while helping to jump start the new planting on this important project. The volunteer day will be a great opportunity for the community to have fun, get their hands dirty and help make a real impact to improve the lake.”
For information, visit www.watsonvillewetlandswatch.org.
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‘Queersgiving’ to be held at First Christian Church
WATSONVILLE — Pajaro Valley Pride and the Diversity Center of Santa Cruz’s Conexions will hosting an early Thanksgiving dinner for Watsonville’s LGBTQ+ community, their friends and family Sunday.
Dubbed “Queersgiving,” organizers of the event aim to support local queer individuals during the holiday week.
“Many people are living far away from family, or have fallen out with them because of their identity,” said Iris Barrera of Conexions. “We want to give them a safe place to be themselves and celebrate together.”
The dinner will begin at 4 p.m. and last until 7 p.m. While the event is technically a potluck, Barrera assures enough food will be provided by organizers if guests cannot bring any.
For information, call Conexions at 425-5422 or PV Pride at 288-2295.
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Ceiba named finalist in national competition
WATSONVILLE — Ceiba College Preparatory Academy, a public charter school for grades 6-12, announced that its seventh grade class has earned the school one of 30 finalist spots in Khan Academy’s national competition, LearnStorm.
As a finalist, Ceiba will receive $500 in funding from donorschoose.org and national recognition, all thanks to the seventh grade’s efforts which were spearheaded by Carmen Kotto, a Ceiba math teacher.
From Sept. 12 to Oct. 20, Ceiba students completed online math and growth mindset lessons, earning points and rewards along the way. While students sharpened their math skills, growth mindset lessons helped them develop life skills, such as time management and organization.
To advance to the next level, individual and class completion of lessons were both taken into account. The contest was open to all teachers and students in grades 3-12 attending a U.S. school.
“We are very proud to be recognized as a LearnStorm finalist,” said Josh Ripp, Ceiba’s principal. “It is a big deal for us since we are a relatively small school and this competition is held not just in our state, but across the nation.”
“This accomplishment sets a high bar for the remainder of the year and proves to our community that hard work and dedication to academic success pays off,” said Annie Millar, Ceiba’s executive director.
Ceiba celebrated the seventh grade’s success with a pizza party for the entire class.
“I think this competition really energized our entire student body and staff,” Kotto said. “I plan to continue these efforts next year and bring more teachers onboard. Who knows, maybe Ceiba can be a grand prize winner in the near future?”
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Aquarium offering free admission
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY — Residents of Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito counties will receive free Monterey Bay Aquarium admission between Dec. 2 and Dec. 10 during its annual Community Open House.
Admission is valid for all aquarium exhibits and programs. Additionally, visitors can watch bilingual feeding shows throughout the aquarium on both weekends, Dec. 2-3 and Dec. 9-10.
Residents must present photo ID and proof of current Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito County residence at the main entrance to receive free admission. Current student identification from any university or community college located within any of these counties, utility bills or Monterey-Salinas Transit, Santa Cruz METRO and San Benito County Express monthly bus passes are also valid proof of residence.
Free admission is good for regular aquarium hours, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Guests from outside Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito County – including relatives or friends of local residents – can accompany local residents but will be charged regular admission fees.
For information, visit www.montereybayaquarium.org/locals.
