Leadership Santa Cruz County

From Gail Pellerin, County Clerk and Registrar of Voters: We asking for your support for National Voter Registration Day. What is National Voter Registration Day? Every year, millions of Americans find themselves unable to vote because they miss a registration deadline, don’t update their registration, or aren’t sure how to register. National Voter Registration Day was created in 2012 to help address this issue, serving as a nonpartisan rallying point to help eligible voters across the country register and give them the option to participate in our democratic process. Since then, nearly 3 million citizens have registered to vote on the holiday, which takes place every year on the fourth Tuesday of September. This year’s holiday will take place on September 22, 2020! More information: https://nationalvoterregistrationday.org

Help Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County continue to fill the gap and feed hope by providing healthy food throughout the current crisis and beyond. 100% of the funds raised during Holiday Food and Fund Drives goes to providing food to distribute at partner agency locations. Second Harvest Food Bank has the ability to provide 4 meals for $1. As part of Feeding American they have wholesale buying power. They can purchase truck loads of peanut butter at wholesale, apple...s for 8 cents a pound, celery at 12 cents a pound etc. Since March 2020, #SecondHarvest has doubled the amount of food they are distributing. Food distribution grew from 650,000 pounds per month to 1.2 million pounds per month. On average the number of Santa Cruz residents receiving food rose from 55,000 to over 100,000. This is a wonderful cause, please consider contributing during this #holidayseason https://www.giveffect.com//15213-holiday-food-and-fund-dri

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on Wednesday assistance for residents and agricultural producers affected by the 2020 California wildfires. HT Monterey County Supervisor Luis A. Alejo LSCC Class 22

The county's COVID-19 dashboard shares detailed information about the impact of the virus in all areas of Santa Cruz County with multiple layers of demographics. The good news is that statewide positivity rates have now fallen to an all-time low of 3.3%. County: https://www.santacruzhealth.org//Comm/CoronavirusHome.aspx State: https://update.covid19.ca.gov/

How Climate Migration Will Reshape America - Millions will be displaced. Where will they go? 900 blazes incinerated six times as much land as all the state’s 2019 wildfires combined, forcing 100,000 people from their homes. https://www.nytimes.com//climate-crisis-migration-america.

Scientists Use Seaweeds to Travel Back in Time - Pressed seaweeds collected in the 19th century are helping Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) scientists understand past ocean conditions in the NOAA's Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary -- including the historic collapse of the sardine fishery. "Wonderful work by the @MontereyAq science team, drawing on citizen science from the 19th century -- much of it done by women. As a marine algae geek, I love this sto...ry." ~Julie Packard, Executive Director Monterey Bay Aquarium. Article by Annie Roth in Hakai Magazine: https://www.hakaimagazine.com//scientists-use-seaweeds-to/ #montereybay #montereyca #MontereyBayAquarium #seaweed #marinesanctuary #montereybay #climatechange

From Pajaro Valley Chamber: The Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds was the home of hundreds of people and animals who were evacuated from their homes due to the local fires. The Fairgrounds is a state-designated disaster center that can accommodate people, tents, RV’s and animals. Livestock volunteers and Fairgrounds maintenance crews worked tirelessly putting up stalls and pens for all types of animals horses, goats, sheep, ponies, chickens, geese, turtles, cats, birds, rabbit...s and others. Working with the Santa Cruz County Emergency Operations Center as well as other groups, the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds was there to provide a safe haven for evacuees. The Fairgrounds Foundation raises funds to keep the Fairgrounds safe and available for times such as these. Without the ability to host regular events during the pandemic, both the Fairgrounds and the Fairgrounds Foundation are currently operating from their reserve funds. Costs to the Fairgrounds are averaging $20,000 a week during this time. The Fairgrounds will be reimbursed for direct costs; utilities, paper goods, cleaning supplies, etc. but reimbursement will be two to three years from now. They need your help now to continue to ensure the Fairgrounds is a safe and inviting space, so please consider a tax-deductible donation. Donate here: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx #pajarovalley #pajarovalleychamber #fairgrounds #santacruzcounty

TODAY IS UCSC Recreation Department's GIVING DAY! Please consider donating now to the Nik Madsen Memorial Endowment for Whole Heart Leadership. Follow the link below to make your secure contribution. Interest earned from the endowment allows UCSC to annually award student leaders with financial support to pursue professional development through the National Outdoor Leadership School and many other reputable organizations. Thanks to the Madsen family’s matching gift, every dollar doubles up to $10,000! https://secure.ucsc.edu/s/1069/bp18/interior.aspx

Portrait Of Persistence - On exhibit now outside the San Lorenzo Valley Museum's Grace Episcopal Gallery. The story of women's suffrage is a story of voting rights, of inclusion in and exclusion from the franchise, and of our civic development as a nation. Votes for Women: A Portrait of Persistence, a poster exhibition from the Smithsonian, celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Nineteenth Amendment and explores the complexity of the women's suffrage movement and the relevance of this history to Americans' lives today. slvmuseum.com #sanlorenzovalley #bouldercreek #slvmuseum

Opportunity to donate directly to the Big Basin Redwoods State Park Recovery and Restoration Fund. https://www.mountainparks.org//czu-august-lightning-comple #czulightningcomplex #bigbasin #redwoods

Good news - Pajaro Valley Arts Gallery opens after a 6 month closure due to the pandemic. Visitors can view the current exhibit: Campesinos: Workers of the Land through October 4. Mask and social distancing protocols will be in place. You can also view the exhibit online at pvarts.org/campesinos-online-gallery If you go:... Pajaro Valley Arts Gallery 37 Sudden St., Watsonville Make an appointment to attend by contacting: [email protected] #PajaroValley Pajaro Valley Chamber #watsonville #campesinos #PVArts

Celebrate 100 years of women’s suffrage with your voting story! This year marks the centennial of the 19th Amendment’s passage and women securing the right to vote in the United States. As we approach the 2020 Presidential election, KQED continues its celebration of 100 years of women’s suffrage with MyVotingStory, a deep dive into the topic of contemporary California women and the vote. Join KQED’s Chloe Veltman for a virtual event featuring five incredible women profiled by... the series for their distinctive work to engage the public in the electoral process today. They’ll share their own stories about the meaning of the vote and then open up the virtual mic for you to share yours. Guests: - Maxine Anderson - League of Women Voters of San Francisco - Adena Ishii - League of Women Voters of Berkeley, Albany, and Emeryville - Honey Mahogany - San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee - Arianna Nassiri - Vote16 Campaign - Kate Schatz - Rad American History A-Z

Watsonville Slough Farm Tours - Land Trust of Santa Cruz County is planning to open the doors to its 500-acre ranch near Pajaro Valley High School. You are invited to join in planning the trails and community activities for the ranch. FARM TOURS - select 1 of 3 time slots for Thursday, September 24: 9/24 5-6 PM 9/24 6-7 PM... 9/24 7-8 PM Sign up here: https://www.landtrustsantacruz.org/events Participants are asked to register for the tours in advance. All tours are capped at maximum participation of 6 individuals in order to ensure all participants remain six feet apart from one another. All participants are required to wear a face mask throughout the duration of the tour, exercise proper hygiene practices like sanitizing their hands before and after concluding the tour. If participants have symptoms of fever, shortness of breath, or cough they are asked to not attend the tours.

This Friday Sept 18, Saturday Sept 19, and Sunday Sept 20 from 11:00 am to 8:00 pm, enjoy a Fair Food Drive Thru in support of the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds and its concessionaires. Delicious start to the weekend! #SantaCruzCounty #Watsonville #PajaroValley Pajaro Valley Chamber