The Pajaronian

Nov. 14, 1941 – July 20, 2026

Aptos, CA

Donna Gale Crane-Bailey, 84, of Aptos, California, passed away after a long struggle with cancer on July 20, 2026. She was born on November 14, 1941, in Bend, OR. Donna was an instrument-rated private pilot who called Watsonville, CA her home base, flying since 1989 with more than 2,000 hours of flight time. She was very active in the local aviation community and was a longtime member of The Ninety-Nines, an international women pilots’ organization. Donna is survived by her husband, Delbert D. Bailey; her daughter, Megan Bailey-Jacques; stepson, Tristan Bailey; her grandchildren Abigale Jacques, Emma Jacques and Nicholas Jacques; her brothers Steven Crane and Douglas Crane; and many nieces and nephews.

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Jan. 31, 1944 – July 20, 2026

Aptos, CA

Suzanne Theriot-Large passed away at age 82 on July 20, 2026, at Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz, California. She was born January 31, 1944, in Los Angeles. In 1958, Suzanne moved with her family to an apple ranch in Aptos, and graduated from Watsonville High School in 1962. She had a beautiful voice and loved to sing, performing in high school and Cabrillo College musicals. Suzanne was married in 1966 to Roger Large, who died in 2000, and with him she has a daughter, Mara, and a son, David, who both survive her, along with two granddaughters.

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A Santa Cruz County Superior Court judge agreed Monday to seal an earlier juvenile protective order against a local teen now facing murder charges for the stabbing of a 73-year-old woman outside Capitola Mall.

Tyler Leibelt, 19, has been charged with murder, along with enhancements for using a deadly weapon and lying in wait. As of Monday afternoon, he was being held without bail in Santa Cruz County Jail.

Investigators say he chose his victim, Rachell Sue Summers, at random. She managed Art of Santa Cruz gallery in Capitola Mall and had recently become a grandmother for the first time. 

Leibelt was arrested on July 20 after calling police shortly after the crime. He reportedly did so to confess.

public defenders Lisa McCamey and Ariana Alejandre filed the defense request to seal last week, stating a Nov. 7 firearms restraining order contained “highly prejudicial information … not intended for public consumption,” which would influence potential jurors against their client.

The Gun Violence Emergency Protective Order listed a previous alleged crime that had been winding its way through juvenile court, records show. The case was dismissed earlier this year. The reason is unclear.

Assistant County Counsel Yesenia Cardona-Muller filed response stating she did not oppose the defense request on Friday, on behalf of the Sheriff’s Office. 

It’s unclear how long the sealing of the document will take, but Monday morning it was still available for public viewing at court. The allegation was reported by at least one area news outlet, Salinas-based KSBW television station, per defense attorneys.

Leibelt was residing in a sober living home not far from Seabright Avenue in Santa Cruz when arrested. Earlier, he had been a student at San Lorenzo Valley High School.

On Monday, the 6-foot teen sat quietly in the courtroom’s bailiff-guarded section for those in custody, with other men wearing orange jail clothing. He appeared to be paying very close attention, his mouth slightly open, eyes moving to take it all in. Moments later, he nodded as his attorneys flanked him, talking quietly. He was escorted out by 9am.

The November protective order had been prepared by the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office and granted by Superior Court Judge Nancy de la Pena. It also stated Leibelt had, more than once, expressed a desire to kill people.

He is due back Wednesday for his third arraignment. Photos, videos and recordings by news organizations were ruled out last month, after the defense prevailed in challenging them, again citing potential prejudice to their client.

Judge Gary Paden presided over Monday’s hearing.

Outside court, McCamey declined to comment, but told reporters she is not ready to consider an plea of not guilty by reason of insanity.

Aptos resident Jennifer Schacher has withdrawn her candidacy for the Trustee Area 5 seat on the Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees.

In an emailed statement, Schacher said family obligations contributed to her decision.

“This was not an easy decision, but at this time, my family needs my full attention, and I believe that is where I need to focus,” she said.

Schacher served on the board from 2018-22, when she lost her reelection bid to Olivia Flores.

“I am proud of the work I have done in our community and of the accomplishments that led me to consider serving on the School Board in the first place,” she said. “As a mother, educator, and businesswoman, I have worked to advocate for children, families, and our local schools, and I am grateful for the many conversations and relationships built throughout this campaign.”

Schacher thanked those who supported her candidacy.

“I remain deeply committed to our children and our community, and look forward to continuing to serve in ways that allow me to put my family first,” she said.

Schacher’s withdrawal leaves two candidates vying for the seat.

Alicia Jimenez worked for PVUSD from 2001-25, serving as executive assistant to the superintendent, the district’s public information officer and Community Schools Leadership Coordinator.

Jimenez will face Curt Wilcox.

The Pajaronian has attempted to reach Wilcox, but an email sent to the email address listed for him on votescount.com was returned as undeliverable.

Little information about Wilcox is available online, and he has not listed a campaign website.

Attorneys for a 19-year-old charged with a recent Capitola homicide will be in court Monday asking to seal a protective order against the teen granted last year, which included an alleged offense they state was “not intended for public consumption,” and which they argue will prejudice potential future jurors.

The earlier case against Tyler Leibelt was a Juvenile Court case that was dismissed Feb. 11. It is unclear why it was dismissed. And while a defense pleading for the hearing itself contains redactions, court documents refer to the case as a juvenile case, stemming from when he was a minor.

Leibelt was arrested July 20 and charged with murder and other enhancement allegations, including lying in wait, for the fatal stabbing of Rachell Summers, 73, who managed Art of Santa Cruz gallery in Capitola Mall and had recently become a grandmother for the first time.

Leibelt was residing in a sober living home not far from Seabright Avenue in Santa Cruz when arrested. Last year, he was served the Nov. 7 Gun Violence Emergency Protective Order that led to Monday’s hearing at a county psychiatric facility on Soquel Avenue in Santa Cruz. Earlier, he had been a student at San Lorenzo Valley High School.

Details in the protective order contain “highly prejudicial” information about the allegation that would unfairly prejudice any potential jury pool, Public Defenders Lisa McCamey and Ariana Alejandre stated in a court request filed Tuesday in Santa Cruz Superior Court.

The order had been prepared by Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputy Kade Archer and granted Nov. 7 by Superior Court Judge Nancy de la Pena. In it, Archer also stated Leibelt had expressed a desire to kill people and a desire to kill as many as possible.

The document has been available for public viewing at court. The juvenile justice allegation, which was not identified as such in the court order, was reported by at least one area news outlet, Salinas-based KSBW television station. Defense attorneys argue, in part, that the KSBW story sowed in readers’ and viewers’ minds the conclusion that the offense occurred but was not made public.

Investigators allege Leibelt chose his victim at random. After stabbing Summers several times, he fled on foot and called 911 to turn himself in to police a short time later, while standing behind a 41st Avenue hotel.

He remains in County Jail, and has appeared in court twice without entering a plea. His third scheduled arraignment is Wednesday.

In this week’s episode, John and Juan will discuss some of the new changes and other updates for both the Pacific Coast Athletic and Santa Cruz Coast Athletic leagues.

Then they’ll take a minute to chat with Watsonville native Ruben Ibarra, who is having a blast playing minor league baseball in Tennessee.  

And finally, the guys will cap off the show with some prep football, including the first top 10 rankings of the fall season.

We’ll have all this and more on… the Cover 3 Sports Podcast.

For the first time since the Pacific Coast Athletic League was formed in 2018, Aptos High will not be a member of the Gabilan Division—the highest of the four tiers within the league.

After going winless in league play, they were relegated to the Mission North.

It’s considered one of the two “B” divisions in the PCAL, but senior defensive lineman Ben Martin knows better than to underestimate any opponent, including those the Mariners are familiar with.

“We’re gonna take it one game at a time,” he said. “We’re just gonna play our best against every team and not expect them to go down without a fight.” 

Senior halfback and defensive back River Cook said the 2026 campaign is a proving point for Aptos, which finished with a 1-9 overall record last season.

“We have a standard to live up to, so we’re definitely gonna do better things this year,” he said.

Cook, who won a Central Coast Section championship with the boys soccer team, is a three-year varsity player for the football program. He had a walk-off field goal that gave the Mariners a 23-22 win over Alvarez in 2024.

Now as members of the Mission North Division, Cook is looking forward to resurfacing some rivalries with former Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League members Monte Vista Christian, San Lorenzo Valley, Scotts Valley, St. Francis and Watsonville.

“We’ve been playing the same teams for a while,” Cook said. “So it’s going to be cool to see just the way different teams play and the different systems that they run, and see how we can adjust to those.” 

Martin, who has been nearly unblockable in practice, is very athletic for his size at 6-foot-3, 237 pounds. 

“We’ve been working all off-season a lot, and I’m just excited to be in pads right now, getting to actually hit someone. It’s really fun,” he said. 

The Mariners have a sturdy set of returning players, including senior wide receiver and defensive back Ryan Murphy. The lacrosse standout is an explosive athlete with great hands. 

Aptos head coach Zach Hewett said opponents will have a problem covering Murphy, along with some of the other senior leaders on the team.

That includes lineman Eli Frye and two-way starter Preston Carvalho, who is capable of using his speed for break-away runs as a halfback or putting pressure on the quarterback as an edge rusher. 

“The thing that I really enjoy about them is they’re a good group of guys,” Hewett said. “They get it done in the classroom, there’s a lot of multi-sport athletes, guys that are really important to other parts of our campus. They’ve been hungry for success after how rough last year was.”

Leading the way in the junior class are Ivan Cortes, Joshua Gonzalez, JJ Martinez and Jared Verdia, who was named the new starting quarterback.

Hewett said Verdia has a strong arm that can get the ball downfield, and he makes good decisions while running the Delaware Wing-T offense well.

It’s an offense that former Aptos head coach Randy Blankenship perfected, brought it with him and won four CCS titles in 2013, ‘14, ‘15 and ‘18. 

Hewett continues to use the Wing-T because he feels it’s good for their personnel. He said it can include anywhere from five to eight carriers per game, making Aptos a hard opponent to prepare for in this era of shotgun offenses.

“We carry a heavy playbook, and there’s a lot of stuff that takes a lot of time and reps to work on,” Hewett said. “But the advantage to it is that there’s not a lot of people doing it the way that we’re doing it.” 

Cook added their entire offense is based around setting defensive players up to bite on the fake in order to open up something else.

“We have different plays that we’ll bait a defensive player to bite on,” he said. “And once we see that hole open up, hit that hole, and it could be a 50-yard gain, big play.”

Martin said the Wing-T offense is designed to be so fast-paced that by the time they hike the ball it can catch the defense off guard at times.

“It’s a lot of run blocking, so you get really good at that, and maybe get a little more pancakes,” Martin said.

Cortes is one of the hardest workers on the team who could potentially be a two-way starter as an offensive guard or linebacker. Gonzalez is wreaking havoc in the trenches as one of several athletic defensive lineman Hewett is excited to have.

Martinez is proving why he’s an instinctual, playmaking safety and a tough runner in the halfback position by getting tons of reps during practice, and sophomore Xander Gonzalez continues to turn heads as a hardworking explosive athlete with game-breaking speed.

Aptos will again line up in a 4-2-5 defense that will be bolstered by the defensive line, which should be athletic and powerful with good depth behind them. 

“I think having a really good front four is really important because not only will they get the tackles, but it really sets up if they’re doing their job for the linebackers to get their tackles,” Martin said. “Having that front four can overpower a whole team.”

There’s tons of athleticism in the linebacker and secondary units, as well. Cook said the defensive backs have been focusing a lot more on pass coverage as they prepare for teams that are pass-heavy.

“As the DB [defensive back], you’re the widest man out. So you’re really focused on deciding whether you take the second receiver out or if you take the number one deep,” Cook said. “You just got to be smart on who you take and make sure you always have a backup person to take the other man.” 

Aptos kicks off the season with a trio of home games starting with The King’s Academy on Aug. 28, followed by former Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League foe Soquel on Sept. 4. Both games are slated to begin at 7:30pm.

The Mariners will host Soledad on Sept. 11, then set sail to King City on Sept. 18, followed by one more home game against Alvarez on Sept. 25 to cap off the non-league portion of their schedule.

“We’re consistently getting better,” Hewett said. “Some days are really good days. Some days it’s like, okay, we got a little bit better today, but we’re consistently getting better.”

Aptos High football 2026 schedule

Aug. 28: The King’s Academy, 7:30pm

Sept. 4: Soquel, 7:30pm

Sept. 11: Soledad, 7:30pm

Sept. 18: at King City, 7:30pm

Sept. 25: Alvarez, 7:30pm

Oct. 3: at Monte Vista Christian*, 7:30pm

Oct. 8: Watsonville*, 7pm

Oct. 24: at St. Francis*, 1:30pm

Oct. 30: vs. Scotts Valley* at Harbor High, 7pm

Nov. 6: San Lorenzo Valley*, 7pm

*PCAL Mission North Division game

#tdi_1 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item1 { background: url(https://pajaronian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/PAJ2633-Aptos-football-2026-preview-WEB-2-80x60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; } #tdi_1 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item2 { background: url(https://pajaronian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/PAJ2633-Aptos-football-2026-preview-WEB-3-80x60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; } #tdi_1 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item3 { background: url(https://pajaronian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/PAJ2633-Aptos-football-2026-preview-WEB-5-80x60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; } #tdi_1 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item4 { background: url(https://pajaronian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/PAJ2633-Aptos-football-2026-preview-WEB-4-80x60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; } #tdi_1 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item5 { background: url(https://pajaronian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/PAJ2633-Aptos-football-2026-preview-WEB-6-80x60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; } #tdi_1 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item6 { background: url(https://pajaronian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/PAJ2633-Aptos-football-2026-preview-WEB-1-80x60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; } 1 of 6 The Aptos High football team partakes in blocking drills during practice as they prepare for the upcoming 2026 fall campaign. (Juan Reyes/The Pajaronian) Aptos High football head coach Zach Hewett is entering his third year with the program. (Juan Reyes/The Pajaronian) The Aptos High football team is expected to run the Wing-T offense during the 2026 fall season. (Juan Reyes/The Pajaronian) The Aptos High football team hits the practice field to prepare for the upcoming 2026 fall campaign. (Juan Reyes/The Pajaronian) Former Aptos High football head coach Bill Garrison paid a visit to watch the Mariner football team practice on Aug. 12. In 2003, Garrison led Aptos to its first Central Coast Section title in the program's history. (Juan Reyes/The Pajaronian) Aptos High junior Jared Verdia was named the starting quarterback for the Mariner football team for the upcoming 2026 fall campaign. (Juan Reyes/The Pajaronian)

Hashimoto family did not oppose school named in his honor

As the only surviving member of the Mas Hashimoto family, I need to clarify what was written in the Aug. 7-13, 2026 issue of the Pajaronian article titled “Cesar Chavez Middle School To Be Renamed.”  The following sentence concerns me: “Support for that name (Tagami, Hashimoto Middle School) was greatly diminished after the board discussed that the Hashimoto family was not interested in having a school named after him.” I never personally made that statement to the PVUSD School Board, Committee of Community Members or the Pajaronian because I was not contacted by these groups. When I was out of town, I received an email from School Board member Gabe Medina a day before the Board would take a final vote on renaming the school. He asked how I felt about renaming the Middle School that would include Mas’s name. This was my response sent on Thursday, Aug 6: “I have been out of town since Tuesday morning, and I just read your email now. It is too late for my response. I was wondering why no one contacted me about this.  I found out about this agenda item from reading our local newspaper. I do not know what the final vote was but I assume a decision has been made.”  

Throughout our combined 70 years of teaching students of Watsonville and Pajaro, and throughout our retirement years, Mas and I continued our concern, support, and interest in the PVUSD.  I do appreciate the positive comments about Mas expressed by Daniel Dodge Jr. and Gabe Medina published in our local newspapers. A few friends and I have discussed that if this PVUSD agenda item did not have controversial circumstances, financial concerns, and the possibility that this Middle School might be closed in future years, the renaming of the School would have been a celebrated honor.  

Marcia Hashimoto 

Watsonville

•••

Taxes are not the answer

Santa Cruz County is already one of the most expensive places to live in America. Families struggle with high housing costs, expensive groceries, rising utility bills, and the highest gas prices in the nation. Yet local Democratic leaders continue to propose higher taxes instead of finding ways to make life more affordable.

Now voters may be asked to approve two separate half-cent sales tax increases, one for county government and another for Santa Cruz METRO. If both pass, shoppers could face one of the highest local sales tax rates in California.

Sales taxes fall hardest on working families, seniors on fixed incomes, and small businesses. Every trip to the grocery store, every school supply purchase, and every household necessity becomes more expensive.

Before asking taxpayers for more money, county leaders should prove they are spending existing tax dollars wisely. The government should focus on core services, eliminate waste, and live within its means—just as families must do every day.

Enough is enough. Santa Cruz residents need tax relief, not another bill at the checkout counter.

Mike Lelieur

Pleasure Point

•••

Rail plans incomplete

Letters to the Sentinel attest that no one knows what the rail plan is. At this week’s RTC meeting it was pointed out the RTC program calls for Zero Emission Passenger rail. They have requested that Caltrans replace the two Aptos bridges with heavy freight-bearing ones. The Capitola Bridge will require extensive upgrades just to do passenger rail service.

The RTC and the county board own this one. What is it: heavy freight, passenger rail, or banking the rails? Make it clear what the plan is. Are they afraid the county will have to return state and federal money?

The RTC is attempting to take parking spaces in Aptos. Their estimate of 100 passengers in Aptos will not be met with a handful of existing parking spots. A garage is needed. Garages are also needed in La Selva and Capitola. Plans for garages were left out of the original plan. The added expense would have killed this program.

The RTC and the County Supervisors have some explaining to do.

Bill Beecher

Aptos

A woman died early Thursday morning after the car in which she was a passenger plunged off of West Cliff Dive and landed upside down in the sea. 

According to Santa Cruz Police, the car, with a male driver and the victim as a passenger, shot off of the pavement at 12:50am just east of the Abbott Memorial Lighthouse at Steamers Lane. 

Witnesses told emergency dispatchers that the car was fully submerged. 

Eventually a man emerged from the wreckage and crashing waves. while the woman remained trapped in the car.

Santa Cruz Police and Fire rushed to the scene and closed off a large swath of West Cliff Drive to allow rescuers a clear path to the scene.

Four rescue swimmers from Santa Cruz Fire entered the ocean and removed the second victim from the submerged vehicle.  The man was taken to a local hospital.

The woman pulled from the vehicle was taken to a trauma center, where she was later pronounced dead. The male driver who self-extracted suffered minor injuries.

The incident is still under investigation. Santa Cruz Police did not release the victim’s name.

Police officers from UC Santa Cruz were called to the scene of the crash because the victim was a student, university spokesman Scott Hernandez-Jason said.

“We were heartbroken to learn that the victim was a UC Santa Cruz student,” he stated in an email. “Our deepest condolences go out to the student’s family and friends during this difficult time. We are providing support resources to those affected by this tragedy.”

A crew from Auto Care Towing of Watsonville hooks up a large motorboat to a flatbed truck Aug. 9 in Moss Landing after the rig washed ashore. The boat owner said he ran out of gas about a mile and a half from Moss Landing Harbor. That’s when the ocean tides took over and washed his boat, called Sea Captain, onto the beach. It had to be dragged along the sand over a mile before being housed onto the flatbed. No injuries were reported.

A man died Aug. 6 after his car veered off of San Juan Road and struck a tree.

The California Highway Patrol said officers responded to a traffic crash on San Juan Road, east of Tarpey Road just after 10pm.

Preliminary investigation indicates a 25-year-old male from Royal Oaks was driving a Lexus sedan westbound on San Juan Road east of Tarpey Road at a high speed. For reasons still under investigation, the Lexus shot off the roadway and crashed into a tree.

The driver, who was driving alone, was pronounced dead at the scene. No name has been released.

It is unknown if alcohol or drugs were a factor.

Anyone with information about this crash is asked to call the CHP at 831.770.8000.

Limpa means loaf in Swedish, so this recipe is basically a  loaf of Swedish rye bread. As far as baking bread goes, it’s a pretty easy recipe. With orange rind and molasses added, it yields a nicely flavored bread that is good with butter, sandwiches and toast. In Sweden it is commonly made around the winter holidays.

The recipe is from a soft-covered cookbook from 1982, “How to Cook With Herbs, Spices & Flavorings” by Doris Townsend. It is one of my favorites as evidenced by the fact that it is falling apart. I have modified the recipe slightly by refrigerating the dough for 24 hours. 

If you like baking bread, you know the importance of having a ceramic bowl that is dedicated to yeast breads. For some reason, the dough rises easier. 

Salt is important in bringing out the flavors of spices and herbs, but don’t overdo it. You can buy bulk rye flour, as well as all-purpose flour, in bulk at Staff of Life. 

Recipe

1 tablespoon active dry yeast

2 cups warm water

1/4–1/3 cup brown sugar

1 to 2 tablespoons molasses

1/4 cup melted butter or vegetable oil

3 teaspoons freshly grated orange peel

1 tablespoon salt

2 1/4 cups medium rye flour

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

In a 1 cup measure, stir yeast into ½ cup warm water. Add 1 tablespoon brown sugar. Stir until yeast is dissolved and let sit about 10 minutes until bubbly.

In a large bread bowl combine remaining 1 1/2 cups of warm water, brown sugar, molasses, and orange peel. Stir in yeast mixture and rye flour. Beat well. Add 1 cup of the all-purpose flour and mix well. Cover and let sit in a warm place for a few hours.

Stir in salt and melted butter/vegetable oil, and mix well. 

Start adding the rest of the all-purpose flour and knead for about 8 minutes until you have a soft mass that hardly sticks to the surface. The dough should bounce back when you stick your finger in it. Put into a butter–or oiled–bread bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and refrigerate for at least 24 hours. The dough will have doubled in size by then. 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the dough on a floured counter and divide into two. Shape into oblong loaves and place both onto a cookie tin. Make half-inch deep slashes every 1 1/2 inches.

When oven reaches 350 degrees, bake the bread for about 50 minutes. You will know it is done when it sounds hollow when tapped.

The Timber Fire in Big Sur has now charred 4,245 acres and has led to evacuations and the closure of Highway 1 in the area.

Residents along the Highway 1 corridor from Partington Creek to Pheneger Creek and to the east remain under evacuation orders.

Flames surged early Wednesday around Partington Ridge and Coast Ridge Road on the southern flank of the fire, the U.S. Forest Service said. 

According to CAL FIRE 503 structures are threatened but no structures have been reported damaged and no injuries have been reported. As of Wednesday morning the fire, which started Aug. 9, was 7% contained.
More than 900 personnel are fighting the blaze that includes 36 engines, 26 hand crews, six water tenders, seven dozers and six helicopters. 

Highway 1 is closed from mile post marker 45.1 (just south of the Big Sur Bakery) at the north end and Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park Vista Point (mile post marker 31) at the south end. There is no re-entry into zones that are under evacuation orders. 

“Big Sur and its residents are no stranger to fire,” said Matt Harris, Fire Chief.  “Over the past several weeks, the Pacific Northwest has been facing massive impacts due to wildfire and drawing down Federal and even our own State resources to help. We must remain patient with each other and the process and plan ahead as best as possible for evacuations both north and south of the fire.”

With forecasts pointing toward a potentially wetter-than-average winter, local flood officials are moving ahead with nearly $740,000 in contracts and additional spending to clear vegetation, remove sediment and strengthen portions of the Pajaro River levee system.

The Pajaro Regional Flood Management Agency board unanimously approved the preparations Wednesday as officials cautioned that an emerging El Niño could bring significant rainfall this winter. 

While the weather pattern does not guarantee heavy rains on the Central Coast, Executive Director Mark Strudley said forecasts have become reliable enough that the agency should spend money now to reduce flood risks before storms arrive.

“We’re going to hope for the best, but we need to be prepared for the worst,” Strudley said.

The work includes additional vegetation removal along several miles of the Pajaro River, sediment removal from Salsipuedes Creek and engineering for new seepage blankets and berms along vulnerable portions of the Monterey County side of the levee system.

The largest expenditure is a $586,393 increase to the agency’s ongoing contract with Atlas Tree Service. Of that, $335,059 is for baseline vegetation work, while another $251,294 is optional. The amendment brings the total value of the existing contract to no more than $915,593.

Strudley said crews plan a “pretty comprehensive clearing out of material,” particularly younger, dense vegetation that can impede floodwaters. Work generally avoids the low-flow channel and large heritage trees, he said.

“It’s really going to be limited by money more than anything else,” Strudley said.

The agency is also moving toward removing sediment that has accumulated in Salsipuedes Creek near Highway 152. Vegetation has grown atop deposits in the channel, and Strudley said the area periodically needs to be cleared.

PRFMA has authorized a contract of up to $63,000 with Environmental Science Associates, roughly half of which will pay for emergency permitting for that work. The remainder will be held in reserve in case additional emergency permitting is necessary during the winter.

The board also accepted an $88,650 contract with Sacramento-based engineering company Wood Rodgers to analyze where additional fortification should be constructed along the Pajaro River levee.

That could include seepage blankets, which place additional material along the outside of the levee, and seepage berms, which add weight to help stabilize it while allowing water to seep through without carrying away soil that could weaken the structure.

PRFMA completed similar work in 2024, spending about $1.6 million to rebuild slopes and restore the original design height along roughly 3,000 feet of levee on the Monterey County side, including near the site of the March 2023 breach. The agency now wants to continue that work downstream.

Strudley said Wood Rodgers’ analysis will help determine where seepage berms should go. Previous breach locations appear to correlate with places where the historic river channel crossed the levee, he said, making those areas possible candidates for additional fortification.

The preparations come amid growing attention to El Niño conditions in the Pacific Ocean.

Strudley cautioned that El Niño is a measure of unusually warm surface water in the equatorial Pacific, not a prediction of rainfall itself. The Central Coast also sits between areas where El Niño’s effects are more statistically predictable, making local forecasts particularly uncertain.

That uncertainty was evident during the winter of 2022-23, when a series of atmospheric rivers battered the region and the Pajaro River levee breached despite La Niña conditions at the time.

Still, Strudley said modeling is trending toward a strong El Niño and a wetter-than-average winter, potentially including the Central Coast.

Board member Luis Alejo said the possibility warrants aggressive preparation. He also called for PRFMA and its member agencies to ask Gov. Gavin Newsom for an emergency declaration and executive order that could ease some state environmental restrictions on work in rivers and streams.

Alejo said similar action following the 2023 floods helped agencies perform vegetation removal while complying with protections for sensitive habitat and species. He also urged the state to provide financial assistance to communities preparing for possible flooding.

Strudley said PRFMA would coordinate on such a letter, while noting that federal permitting requirements would remain.

The agency currently has about $4.5 million in capital reserves. Strudley said some of that money could pay for additional levee fortification and the optional vegetation work, but cautioned against spending too much before winter.

“We do want to have a reserve available” for emergency flood fighting, Strudley said, adding that he is uncertain how much assistance could be available from FEMA or the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

“I do think it’s worth digging into that to invest on the front end of this year ahead of what could be a potentially wet winter,” he said.

Anglers crowd the deck of SS Palo Alto concrete ship at Seacliff State Beach on May 31, 1954.

Santa Cruz County will test steam as an alternative to chemical soil fumigation on about 25 acres of Pajaro Valley farmland under a $175,000 state-funded pilot project set to begin this fall.

The California Department of Pesticide Regulation is funding the project, which will be led by the Santa Cruz County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office. 

Agricultural Commissioner Dave Sanford said the county is working with about five growers, although participation is still being finalized.

At least two of the likely sites are near schools, including fields near McQuiddy Elementary School, and another ranch is near Holohan Road and the Pajaro Valley Unified School District offices. Sanford said selecting fields near schools and other sensitive sites was an intentional part of the project.

“That was sort of the goal of this as well, to highlight those sensitive sites and the ag-urban interface that we have in Watsonville,” Sanford said.

The on-the-ground steam treatments are expected to begin in September and could extend into early October, roughly the same period when conventional berry growers typically fumigate fields before planting.

Steam treatment involves injecting high-temperature steam into soil before crops are planted. The heat is intended to suppress soil-borne pathogens and could offer an alternative to chemical fumigants.

But Sanford cautioned that the technology is still being studied and is not ready to be considered a proven replacement for fumigation.

“There’s just a ton of work that has to be … done on this technology,” Sanford said. “It needs more investment, but it also needs trials like this” to demonstrate whether it is effective.

The project grew out of discussions between the Agricultural Commissioner’s Office and community groups seeking alternatives to fumigants near schools and other community-serving locations.

“The Pajaro Valley has some of the most concentrated use of fumigants in the state, including near schools and homes,” Kathleen Kilpatrick, a member of Safe Ag Safe Schools and a retired school nurse, said in a statement. “SASS members support exploring non-chemical alternatives on fields near schools. We hope these pilot projects will provide tools for pesticide reduction and expansion of organic buffers.”

SASS and the county Agricultural Commissioner’s Office brought the proposal to the Department of Pesticide Regulation for funding consideration.

Sanford said he had been participating in a working group studying steam technology and approached state pesticide regulators about funding a local sustainable pest-management pilot. DPR ultimately contributed roughly $175,000 award to include both research and community engagement.

The community component will include public outreach meetings and opportunities for residents to learn about the technology. Sanford said residents could potentially have opportunities to see the steam equipment operating in fields.

One of the questions researchers will examine is what happens to the soil itself when it is heated.

Sanford said newer steam equipment offers substantially greater temperature control than earlier versions, allowing operators to better target unwanted soil pathogens while limiting impacts on other parts of the soil microbiome.

Earlier steam systems lacked that precision. Sanford said older machines essentially heated sections of soil from above, sometimes overheating it. 

Newer equipment uses shanks that can reach roughly 10 to 12 inches into the soil — about the depth used for conventional fumigant applications — and inject steam underground.
The tradeoffs are not limited to whether steam can control the same pathogens as fumigants.

Steam production requires substantial amounts of water, Sanford said, although he did not have estimates for how much water would be required per acre. Unlike conventional fumigation, however, the steam treatment itself does not use a chemical fumigant or pesticide.

Sanford said advances in equipment design could eventually make steam practical on a modest commercial scale, particularly in agricultural areas bordering neighborhoods, schools and other sensitive sites.

“These are hard spots,” Sanford said. “People aren’t too crazy about fumigants and pesticides and ag-urban interfaces. And if we can find some innovative technology that helps mitigate that, then I think it’s a win overall.”

The pilot comes as state regulators continue examining whether alternatives to chemical soil fumigants can work at a commercial scale.

The Department of Pesticide Regulation released findings in July from an independent state-funded study that concluded no existing alternative can currently serve as a direct replacement for chemical fumigants on a wide scale. 

The study called for additional research into the soil and climate conditions under which alternatives could be effective.

The Santa Cruz County project will build on existing steam research. Sanford said UCSC researchers are leading the research component, and have previously studied steam treatments on farms in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties with support from a separate California Department of Food and Agriculture Biologically Integrated Farming Systems grant. Sanford described results from that earlier work as promising.

Researchers will take soil samples before the steam treatment and again about 30 to 40 days afterward. Additional measurements are planned in spring 2027, when researchers will also begin evaluating how berry crops perform in the treated areas.

That means the county will not have a definitive answer immediately after the steam equipment leaves the fields. Research is expected to continue into 2027.

The Agricultural Commissioner’s Office also plans to hold community meetings throughout the project for residents to ask questions and provide feedback.

The first meeting is scheduled for 5:30pm Aug. 18 in the Greg Caput Community Room at the South County Government Center, 500 Westridge Drive in Watsonville.

The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a process that will allow them to approve their own raises.

In a 3-2 vote, the board agreed to move away from a formula tying supervisors’ salaries to Superior Court judges, opening the door to a compensation system based on local economic conditions and county employee pay.

Supervisors Manu Koenig and Kim De Serpa dissented.

The proposal, brought forward by Supervisor Justin Cummings, does not give supervisors a raise. 

Instead, it directs the county Human Resources Department to return Aug. 25 with a salary recommendation based on factors including inflation, the Consumer Price Index, compensation at comparable public agencies and county employee compensation trends.

Since 2021, supervisors’ salaries have been set at 62% of a Superior Court judge’s salary. The percentage reflected the relationship between the two salaries at the time: supervisors earned $134,698 annually compared with $214,601 for judges.

The arrangement was intended to provide an outside benchmark for supervisors’ compensation rather than leaving board members to determine their own raises. But it was itself a return to an older county practice.

Supervisor pay had historically been linked to judicial salary increases until the board eliminated that connection in 1997 amid significant budget constraints. For more than two decades afterward, salary recommendations instead considered factors such as the CPI, compensation at other public agencies and agreements with county labor groups. The board restored the judicial connection in 2021.

Cummings said Tuesday that the current system does not adequately reflect economic conditions in Santa Cruz County.

“It just struck me that what we try to do as a board is when we’re considering salaries for our employees, we’re taking into account Consumer Price Index, cost of living, cost of housing, compaction, all these different factors that are relevant to where we are,” Cummings said.

Cummings said he began reconsidering the system after supervisors received a 2.6% increase last year while most county employees received increases of 4% or more. Judges received no increase this year, meaning supervisors would receive none under the existing formula.

“And I just didn’t think that was fair,” Cummings said.

Critics questioned the timing. Last week, supervisors approved placing a half-cent sales tax measure on the November ballot for purchases in unincorporated Santa Cruz County amid the county’s financial difficulties.

Aptos resident Becky Steinbruner said the change could send the wrong message.

“I think the optics are not good to do this right now,” she said.

Koenig said he supports higher compensation for supervisors but argued that the judges formula was specifically designed to depoliticize the process.

“We shouldn’t be creating a new process to give ourselves a raise,” Koenig said. “We could be looking at cuts and layoffs and furloughs in the future. This is just super bad timing.”

Any raise would require another amendment to county law, including two public agenda discussions, and would not take effect until 61 days after final approval.

On the last leg of our 10-day road trip from Watsonville to Southern California, my wife Sarah and I bid farewell to family in San Diego County, packed up and departed the Great Western Hotel on the rocky shoreline of Carlsbad.

Heading north on Highway 5, we switched to Highway 1 through coastal towns such as Dana Point and Laguna Beach. Both of us have early memories of family trips in many of these spots. I even rode my bicycle through that area in the mid ‘70s with my friend Joe on a bike ride from Eugene, Oregon to San Diego.

Going through Los Angeles, we meandered through the mammoth port city of San Pedro. The endless rows of harborside cranes along Terminal Island, stacks of shipping containers, huge cargo ships from around the globe, all tied together with a spaghetti heap of bridges makes for dramatic views. 

ARTFUL Zany art packs the Handmade Marketplace in the Port of Los Angeles. 

The Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, similar to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, has proven to be a great stop and there’s no admission fee. Their website states that their mission “is to be a leader in accessible, science-based marine education where every person is inspired to understand, respect, and protect the ocean and all life it sustains.”

Along Highway 1, north of Santa Monica, we took the slow way through Pacific Palisades to see the widespread damage left by the Jan. 7, 2025 Palisades Fire that killed 12 people, and roared through 6,837 structures. The blaze started in the Santa Monica Mountains and left a heavy trail of damage through Pacific Palisades, Topanga and Malibu. 

RUINS Burned-up ruins of scores of homes dot the landscape along Highway 1 in Pacific Palisades where a massive fire swept through last year.

We saw hundreds of homes that were reduced to their concrete and brick foundations, side by side for miles. Along the oceanfront, rows of concrete stairways, foundation slabs and fireplaces were all that was left, their pricey real estate lots standing empty at the ocean’s edge.

By plan we continued north and met up for coffee with my longtime friend from the UC Santa Cruz days in the late 1970s. Roger bought a house in Oxnard several years ago. His folks bought a home in the Hollywood hills back in the late 1940s and he is a treasure trove of information about the Hollywood scene and its surroundings, past and present.

OLD AND NEW Downtown Los Angeles offers a wide array of older buildings and businesses mixed in  with the newer ones.

Then we headed home. We meandered through a number of coastal cities with the intent of revisiting some of them for a deeper view of their nature and history.

Local law enforcement, education and human services officials joined U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta on Tuesday to reassure immigrant families that local agencies will not participate in federal immigration enforcement, as officials described growing fear among residents seeking health care, education, housing and other services.

Panetta convened leaders from Santa Cruz and Monterey counties following a closed-door roundtable in Cabrillo College’s Sesnon House focused on the effects of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies.

The message from local officials was consistent: Regardless of immigration status, residents should continue going to school, seeking medical care, accessing food and housing assistance and reporting crimes to local law enforcement.

Santa Cruz County District Attorney Jeff Rosell said fear of immigration enforcement is making it more difficult to prosecute crimes because some victims and witnesses are reluctant to participate in the criminal justice system.

“Law enforcement does not cooperate with ICE,” Rosell said. “We’re not interested in deporting people. We are interested in holding people accountable. We are interested in people who are victims of crimes reporting those crimes and people who witness crimes coming forward and staying involved in the court process.”

Rosell said his office has encountered cases in which witnesses with immigration concerns are afraid to travel to Santa Cruz County, forcing investigators to take additional steps to ensure their participation. The problem has affected serious cases, including homicide prosecutions.

Monterey County Sheriff Tina Nieto offered a similar assurance.

“We do not conduct immigration sweeps. We do not do enforcement,” Nieto said. “Our responsibility is to public safety in the state of California.”

Nieto urged people to contact local law enforcement if they are victims of domestic violence, have a missing child or otherwise need help, regardless of their immigration status.

Santa Cruz County Sheriff Chris Clark echoed that message, telling residents to call 911 even if they are uncertain who is at their door.

“Our deputies have a duty to intervene,” Clark said, including when deputies witness conduct that may amount to a crime regardless of who is involved.”

Panetta said fear surrounding federal immigration enforcement has spread beyond interactions with police and is affecting institutions throughout the Central Coast.

“The underlying theme here that we’ve been hearing from all of these local leaders — and that’s fear,” Panetta said.

He said the administration’s policies are affecting health care, housing, food assistance, families, essential workers and the criminal justice system, while undermining trust in public institutions.

Education officials said they are seeing those effects firsthand.

Cabrillo College President Jenn Capps said the college has experienced a 23% decline in students applying for the California Dream Act, which provides state financial aid to eligible students regardless of immigration status.

“Fear shouldn’t block access to education,” Capps said, adding that Cabrillo would continue supporting its students.

Santa Cruz County Superintendent of Schools Faris Sabbah said the same uncertainty is affecting younger students and their families.

“Every child has a right to a public education, regardless of immigration status,” Sabbah said. “And our schools continue to be places of safety, belonging and support.”

Sabbah said students have missed school or struggled academically because of anxiety surrounding detention or the possibility of family separation. The fear extends beyond undocumented families to people with visas and temporary protected status, as well as permanent residents and U.S. citizens who fear being profiled or detained, he said.

Local schools, along with Cabrillo College, have adopted measures prohibiting their properties and resources from being used to stage immigration enforcement operations. Schools also do not collect information about the immigration status of students or their families, Sabbah said.

Other officials described similar effects on food, housing and health care.

Second Harvest Food Bank CEO Erica Padilla Chavez said fear has affected immigrants as well as U.S. citizens seeking assistance.

“Your food bank is committed to ensuring that anyone in our community in need of nourishment has access to it,” she said, noting that assistance can include home delivery.

Phil Kramer, CEO of Housing Matters, said some people experiencing homelessness have become reluctant to seek services because they fear immigration enforcement or believe accepting government assistance could jeopardize their immigration status.

Kramer also warned about a proposed federal housing rule affecting mixed-status households receiving federal assistance. He said more than 1,000 people in 270 Santa Cruz County households could be affected, with some families facing housing instability or homelessness if the proposal takes effect.

Health care providers are encountering similar pressures.

Dr. Donaldo Hernandez of the California Medical Association said providers remain committed to treating patients regardless of immigration status, but financial and political pressures are making that increasingly difficult. He also said some foreign-born doctors training in residency programs face immigration uncertainty.

Panetta framed the gathering as a demonstration that local officials intend to resist federal policies they believe are harming Central Coast communities.

“What we have here is a demonstration of leaders at all levels of government who are willing to stand up to the federal government,” Panetta said, “who are willing to stand up in order to push back and then protect the vulnerable communities that contribute so much to the Central Coast.”