Bilingual courses beginning Monday for business owners
WATSONVILLE — El Pajaro Community Development Corporation will hold a 10-session course open to anyone in the tri-county area.
Courses in Watsonville begin on Monday at 23 East Beach St., Suite 216 from 6-9 p.m. in Spanish and continue to Nov. 15. Courses in Spanish in Salinas begin Sept. 14 at Hartnell College located at 1752 East Alisal Road. A course in English will be held in Watsonville beginning mid-October.
Price per person is $250, and scholarships are available for those with low to moderate income. The 10-session course will include: training on planning, marketing and managing a business, assistance in analyzing business ideas, one-on-one professional business consulting and more.
For information or to register, visit epcdc.eventbrite.com or call 722-1224.
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Auction benefiting local charities at Santa Cruz County Fair
WATSONVILLE — Big Creek Lumber and Graniterock will be auctioning the “Doggy Dream Backyard” at the Santa Cruz County Fair.
The “Dream Backyard” will be a landscaped dog run. Tickets to enter the raffle will be sold at the fair and all proceeds will go to Pajaro Valley Shelter Services, Teen Kitchen Project and Peace of Mind Dog Rescue.
The “Doggy Dream Backyard” will be displayed at the Graniterock and Big Creek Lumber fair booths located near the livestock area. Tickets will be sold for $5 each or $10 for three. Proceeds will go to each contestant’s selected charity.
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Buddhist Temple holding annual dinner
WATSONVILLE — The Watsonville Buddhist Temple will be holding its 56th Annual Chicken Teriyaki Dinner on Sept. 23.
Dinner is $12, which includes half a chicken, rice, cabbage salad, a vegetable and fortune cookie.
All dinners are “take-out” only, and can be picked up by using the drive-thru from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Watsonville Buddhist Temple, 423 Bridge St.
For advance tickets or information, call Jackie at the temple office at 724-7680 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
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Experienced fundraiser joins Community Bridges
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY — Community Bridges announced Virginia Ann Wright as its new director of development.
Wright was raised in Santa Cruz County, attended Cabrillo College, developed the City of Santa Cruz’s first public art plan, served as the executive director of the Santa Cruz Symphony, and has volunteered with numerous local nonprofit and government agencies.
“We are so excited to have Virginia join us, bringing her love for the community and her significant fundraising and marketing experience to the agency,” said Chief Executive Officer Raymon Cancino.
In the San Francisco Bay Area, Wright held management positions at the Global Fund for Women and Arts Council Silicon Valley. Nationally, she has raised funds for developing new treatments for PTSD and other conditions.
“In these challenging times, I believe that we can foster a truly healthy community in Santa Cruz because of people’s creativity and generosity,” Wright said. “I am honored to join CEO Raymon Cancino, the staff, the board and the thousands of current supporters in serving our community by helping individuals and families thrive.”
Wright lives in Felton with her husband, and holds an MBA from Santa Clara University.
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San Francisco Mime Troupe returns
SANTA CRUZ — As summer draws to an end, the San Francisco Mime Troupe continues its seasonal tour in Santa Cruz.
As part of the troupe’s tour there will be a performance today and Sunday in San Lorenzo Park on Dakota Avenue in downtown Santa Cruz at 3 p.m. each day.
The event is free. Bring a lawn blanket, folding chairs and a picnic lunch for the best experience.
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Estrada wins sauce contest
WATSONVILLE — The Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee of the Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau announced that Greg Estrada, recently retired Cal Fire Battalion Chief, of Watsonville won the “It’s All in the Sauce” contest at the ninth annual Testicle Festival on Aug. 26 at Estrada Deer Camp in Watsonville.
The contest invites attendees to prepare and bring their favorite dipping sauces for everyone to try out with the Rocky Mountain Oysters served as appetizers.
Estrada’s sauce was the favorite among the sauces tasted at the event. Karen Pisturino of Watsonville won the “Best Sauce Name” section of the contest with her “Gonad Goo” sauce.
There was also a competitive horseshoe contest at the Testicle Festival. The winning team was comprised of Ricardo Am Rhein and teammate Scott Gorham.
All contest winners were presented with plaques memorializing their triumphant performances.
The Rocky Mountain Oysters were served as hors d’oeuvres and the sauces were judged by the record-crowd attending. A full chicken barbecue was served for dinner, with s’mores, made around the campfire, for dessert. The event also included a raffle, live and silent auction.
Proceeds from the event go to college scholarships, agricultural education programs and activities of the Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee.
