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Office Closure April 15 - 19
The Village Santa Cruz County office will be closed the week of April 15 - 19, while our administrative staff, Tracy, is on a well-deserved vacation.
Tracy will respond to phone messages when she returns. Response to emailing info@villagesantacruz.org may be delayed.
New Feature on the
Member Homepage
After you log into our website as a member you will notice a new button in the upper right-hand section of the Member Homepage,
Clicking on this button takes you to a page with two forms designed to help Village members who need temporary assistance due to such things as an illness, a medical procedure, or an accident. Here you will find a comprehensive assistance checklist, used to formulate the types and days/times of assistance needed.
The 2nd form is a tracking calendar to record who is helping with what and when.
These forms can be used by the person needing help or by the person who has volunteered to organize the assistance.
Village members - Go to our website, login and check it out now that if/when you need the tools, they are in easy reach.
Do you want to learn more about Village Santa Cruz County?
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Our Village members are amazing. So many of them, in addition to helping one another, also do volunteer work out in the larger community. We'd like to include in our 2024 monthly newsletters, a section highlighting one volunteer and the work they do.
This month I reached out to Mary Koehring to tell us a bit about her volunteer work.
Mary Koehring, CASA Volunteer
I have been a Court Appointed Special Advocate since 2017, for five different children. They have ranged in age from 12 years old down to 11 months old. My cases have ranged anywhere from 3 days to 2+ years. The child may be in foster care, or have come into court guardianship while being allowed to remain in their own home. The goal of the Court is always to reunify a child with their parent(s) if possible, or to place them in the best possible next choice. Sometimes that choice leads to adoption.
The “job” of a CASA is to be a consistent adult presence in the life of your child, and you may well be the only consistent presence as foster parents, social workers, care-givers, teachers and others may come and go. The hope is you will see the child about once a week. Depending on their age, you visit at home or take them out to activities in the community. You will also interact with parents or resource (foster) parents. A CASA also has Court authorization to contact other people in the child’s life, such as social workers, doctors, school counselors or mental health workers, to the extent you feel it will assist you in assisting the child.
When Court dates come along, you prepare a report which gives the Judge a clear picture of how you believe your child is doing in all phases of their life, with examples, and all of the judges love photos of the children to get a real sense of them. I have found the Judges in my cases to be extremely interested in what CASA’s observations are as they make decisions in cases.
I became a CASA when I retired from teaching young children. I had always wished I had more time for all the children I saw in the classroom who were struggling in various aspects of their lives. Being a CASA has allowed me to be meaningfully present in many ways for one child at a time, and feel I can truly make a difference in their life. --- Mary Koehring
| | |  | | Greig, from Santa Cruz Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), gives us the basics of how to prepare for, and what to do, in the event of an area-wide emergency. SCCERT |  | | Clay Kempf, executive director of Seniors Council talks to Village members about some of the issues facing seniors in this county and how the county and the Seniors Council of Santa Cruz and San Benito Counties are addressing these issues. | | |
SAVE the DATE
Friday, May 3
1 - 2 PM
How People are Using Generative AI:
A hands-on demonstration
In person, open to the public.
Lead by Dylan Tweney
There's been a lot of chatter in the news about "generative AI," a type of artificial intelligence technology that broadly describes machine learning systems capable of generating text, images, code or other types of content, often in response to a prompt entered by a user.
It's hard to understand what's so exciting and powerful about this technology unless you've seen it in action. For many of us, AI seems mysterious and scary. Seeing it used will give you an appreciation for its uses and an understanding of its limitations.
In this conversation with Dylan Tweney, a writer and communications professional who works in the technology industry, you'll have a chance to see what generative AI can actually do. Dylan will demonstrate how he has used two AI chatbots (ChatGPT and Claude.ai) to help him write cover letters for job applications, create the first drafts of emails, and brainstorm ideas. He will even demonstrate how he has used conversational AI to practice for a job interview.
Limited to 20 participants, so register early. You can go to the event calendar on our website to register.
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SAVE the DATE
Friday, May 31, noon - 2:00 PM
Picnic Celebration
Village 7-Year Birthday Party
at
Anna Jean Cummings Park
February 1, 2024, marked the 7th year anniversary of our Village Santa Cruz County launch. Due to health issues, several of our members remain wary of large, indoor gatherings. So we've postponed our celebration to a spring date - May 31 - when Covid, flu, and RSV have decreased, and the chance of balmy weather has increased.
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Village Housing Group: We will discuss and explore continuing care and aging in place options, from living in our own homes to shared housing or communities. All Village members are welcome to drop in, hear the different ideas people bring up, and join the conversation with your own thoughts. Check out details in the Coming UP section.
Keeping Current: What types of presentations and discussions would you like to see Village offer? Bring us your ideas. This is a drop-in group, open to all Village members. Check out details in the Coming UP section.
Book Group April Read
The Mountains Sing
by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai
Vietnamese poet Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai's first novel in English, tells multigenerational tale of the Trần family, set against the backdrop of the Việt Nam War.
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Recommendations from the TV/Movie Discussion Group
The TV/Movie Discussion Group meets monthly online to share their favorites. All Village members are welcome to drop in anytime you'd like.
The Completely Made up Adventures of Dick Turpin - A British historical crime spoof on Peacock.
Apples Never Fall - mini-series mystery/drama with Annette Benning on Peacock.
Gender Agenda - a showcase of queer comics emceed by Hannah Gadsby. (Also recommended are Gadsby stand-up shows: Nanette and Douglas). On Netflix.
NCAA women's basketball championship - April 5th and 7th.
Welcome to Wrexham - a heartwarming docuseries about rebuilding a working class soccer team. If you liked Ted Lasso, you will enjoy this. On Hulu.
Bonus Family - A Swedish mixed family drama on Netflix.
Spiral - A French police procedural and legal drama on MHZ (accessed via Amazon.)
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 by Dody Anderson
Greens have been suggested as one of the Okinawan secrets for longevity. Eating greens at least nearly every day may be one of the most powerful steps we can take to extend our lifespan.
A study titled "Healthy Lifestyle and Preventable Death" identified six lifestyle factors that were associated with cutting in half the risk of dying over a period of twelve years for men and women in their sixties and seventies.
Beyond non-dietary factors, such as not smoking and walking an hour or more a day, the sole criterion for dietary quality the researches used was "eating green-leafy vegetables" most days.
Of all the food groups analyzed by a Harvard University research team, greens were associated with the strongest protection against major chronic disease, including up to about an associated 20% reduction in risk for heart attacks and strokes for each additional serving per day." From "How Not to Age" by Michael Greger. p. 498
I don't think adding ranch or blue cheese dressing counts under this study!
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 by Leila Dunn Door handle covers are good for preventing injuries from knocking into the door handle, and also can make it easier to turn the door handle.There are a large variety for different types of door handles. They can also keep a metal door handle cool in the summer. They can be found by searching for "Door Handle Covers" Amazon has quite a few choices. Door Handle Covers
“Door Cozies” are to stop drafts by placing at bottom of the door to seal out cold air. They can be found on Amazon. Door Cozies
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Support for the Seriously Ill
Presented by Del Mar Caregivers
Thursday, April 18, 1:00 PM On Zoom.
Join this FREE review of palliative care and hospice. This presentation will provide an overview of the primary differences between Palliative Care and Hospice and will help attendees feel more confident in knowing when it's the right time to seek help from either Palliative Care or Hospice. To register, go to Del Mar Caregivers
Changing the Narrative, A shared vision of a World Without Ageism, co-created by a group of people from across the US and beyond. Visit their website
We all Need a Plan
“Estate planning for singles” is what it is called. A few words that can seem daunting or make your eyes glaze over. But they are important and actually not too difficult. You can start with a quick read of a short article on the Kiplinger Personal Finance website. It is called, of course, "Estate Planning for Singles" From powers of attorney to what happens to your pets, the piece will help you get started.
At Investopedia you can dig deeper. As one writer put it, “Even if you're flat broke, you still need a plan.”
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State of the San Lorenzo River Symposium, Saturday, April 13, 8:30 AM - 12:30 PM, Felton Community Hall, 6191 Highway 9, in Felton. Followed by a tour of the Fall Creek fish ladder.Mark your calendars for the 9th annual State of the San Lorenzo River Symposium! This event is dedicated to the science, history, and policies of the San Lorenzo River watershed, and is a great chance to learn about our river from local experts. This free symposium is cohosted by the City of Santa Cruz Water Department, the County of Santa Cruz, the Coastal Watershed Council, the Resource Conservation District, and the San Lorenzo Vally Water District. We hope to see you there! You can learn more here
 Resilient Central Coast. While we work on systems for a better future, we can take action now to reduce emissions and prepare for climate change. Together with our friends, neighbors, and co-workers, we will activate 500,000 Central Coast households to cut our emissions in half by 2030. Resilient Central Coast
| | |  | | Coming UP in April
Members will receive Zoom information in weekly eBlasts.
If you are not yet a Village member but would like to join one of our events, to meet some Village members, please contact info@villagesantacruz.org
Monday, April 1, Guided Meditation, 4:00 - 4:15 PM, Join on Zoom.
Wednesday, April 3, Aptos Circle Chat, 1:00 – 2:30 PM, In person @ Aptos Methodist Church, 221 Thunderbird Drive, Aptos. Relax with a cup of coffee or tea and catch up on what's happening with your Circle friends. Curious about Village? Open to all. Non-members are welcome to join us.
Thursday, April 4, Bocce, 10:30 - 11:30 AM, In person @ Felt Str. Park, 1904 Felt Street, Santa Cruz. Come play Bocce with us! All members welcome. Bocce Ball is simple to learn, it's a lot of fun, and good exercise (not to mention the great company). Come try it out. Cancelled in the event of rain or wet court.
Thursday, April 4, Solo Agers, 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM , In person @ Community Room at Capitola Public Library, 2005 Wharf Rd., Capitola.
Thursday, April 4, Westside Circle Chat, 1:00 - 2:00 PM, In person @ Iveta Coffee, 2125 Delaware Ave. Relax with a cup of coffee or tea and catch up on what's happening with your Circle friends. Curious about Village? Open to all. Non-members are welcome to join us. In the event of rain we will lunch together at Walnut Cafe in downtown Santa Cruz, on their outdoor covered patio.
Monday, April 8, Westside "Days of Our Lives" Discussion, 1:00 - 2:00 PM, Join On Zoom, Topic: Friends who have made a difference in our life.
Tuesday, April 9, Mid County Circle Chat, 1:30 - 2:30 PM, In person @ The Loft Coffee Shop, 2701 Cabrillo College Dr. Aptos.
Wednesday, April 10, SLV Circle Chat, 10:30 – 11:30 AM, In person @ Valley Women's Conference Center at Highlands Park Community and Senior Center, Ben Lomond. Relax with a cup of coffee or tea and catch up on what's happening with your Circle friends. Curious about Village? Open to all. Non-members are welcome to join us. .
Thursday, April 11, Bocce, 10:30 - 11:30 AM, In person @ Felt Str. Park, 1904 Felt Street, Santa Cruz. Come play Bocce with us! All members welcome. Cancelled in the event of rain or wet court.
Thursday, April 11, Governing Board Meeting, 12:30 PM - 2:15 PM, Join on Zoom. All Village members are invited to attend our monthly planning meeting. Email info@villagesantacruz.org if you plan to attend, so that we can send you the agenda.
Friday, April 12, Westcliff Walks, 10:30 - 11:30 AM, In person. We will walk along Westcliff Dr. Meet in the parking lot of Shrine Coffee. 544 Westcliff Ave.
Wednesday, April 17, Village Walks, 10:30 - 11:30 PM, In person @ Quail Hollow Ranch, 800 Quail Hollow Rd. Felton. Cancelled in the event of rain.
Wednesday, April 17, Aptos Circle Luncheon, 1:00 – 2:30 PM, In person, location TBA in an upcoming member weekend Eblast.
Thursday, April 18, Bocce, 10:30 - 11:30 AM, In person @ Felt Str. Park, 1904 Felt Street, Santa Cruz. Come play Bocce with us! All members welcome. Cancelled in the event of rain or wet court.
Thursday, April 18, Movie/TV Discussion Group, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM, Join on Zoom.
Friday, April 19, Village Book Discussion, 1:00 - 2:00 PM, In person @ Java Junction, 519 Seabright Ave. Book: The Mountains Sing, by
Nguyen Phan Qui Mai. It is a multigenerational story of the Vietnam war and its aftermath--seen through the eyes of two women.
Monday, April 22, Memoir Writing, 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM, In person @ Seabright Area. Because of the very personal nature of our writings, which we share, this group is currently closed to new members. Want to start a 2nd writing group? Contact info@villagesantacruz.org
Tuesday, April 23, Mid-County Luncheon, 12:30 - 1:30 PM, In person, location TBA in an upcoming member weekend Eblast.
Tuesday, April 23, Housing Group, 3:00 - 4:00 PM, Join on Zoom. We will discuss and explore continuing care and aging in place options, from living in our own homes to shared housing or communities.
Wednesday, April 24, SLV Circle Chat, 10:30 – 11:30 AM, In person @ Valley Women's Conference Center at Highlands Park Community and Senior Center, Ben Lomond. Relax with a cup of coffee or tea and catch up on what's happening with your Circle friends. Curious about Village? Open to all. Non-members are welcome to join us.
Wednesday, April 24, Keeping Current, 1:00 - 2:00 PM, Join on Zoom. We will meet and as a Group will explore ideas of Topics for Learning & Discussion, which would be led by an 'expert' in the field. We will exchange ideas about potential topics and potential experts on the topic who can inform us and lead a discussion.
Thursday, April 25, Bocce, 10:30 - 11:30 AM, In person @ Felt Str. Park, 1904 Felt Street, Santa Cruz. Come play Bocce with us! All members welcome. Cancelled in the event of rain or wet court.
Thursday, April 25, Movie at the Theater, 2:30 - 5:30 PM, In person. Movie and details TBD when the movie list for this date comes out.
| In Our Community
April in Santa Cruz Creative Music and Arts Festival 2024: A Time for Change, featuring works by UC Santa Cruz faculty and graduate students honoring women, LGBTQ, BIPOC and underrepresented composers and performing artists. April 7 – 31, 2024, on the UCSC campus but Open to the Public and FREE. There will be a dozen performances by talented professionals in art forms including dance, animation and much more. April in Santa Cruz is an opportunity for the community to experience the best of emerging and established artists. April in Santa Cruz Creative Music and Arts Festival 2024: "A Time For Change" (ucsc.edu) The Molly Joyce Collaboration: This part of the festival focuses on work that cultivates disability as a creative source, stemming from Joyce’s experience acquiring a disability at the age of 7. The works span autobiographical interrogations of acquiring a disability and losing physical movement and sensation, to communally engaged works featuring the voices and viewpoints of disabled interviewees, to examining common disability tropes such as heroism and inspiration. The program is at 2 p.m. April 13 at DARC 108 in the UC Santa Cruz Digital Arts Research Center.
NextStage Productions Readers Theater Spring 2024. Santa Cruz Public Libraries and NextStage Productions will present their third annual Readers Theater Festival of short comedies at the Capitola Branch Library’s Ow Family Community Room at 2 p.m. April 6. This event will be performed by and for a senior audience. Admission is free for this event and an afternoon of hilarity is guaranteed. Four or five of the following plays will be selected for the attendees’ pleasure: • “Speeding Ticket” — Watch out for old grannies! • “A Little Support” — Sisters should help one another out, or not? • “A Man and his Plant” — A lovely tale of goodness. • “Check Please” — Dating again and again. • “Poof” — Be careful what you wish for. • “Please Have a Seat” — In the waiting room. • “Cornbread and Beans” Better late than never. • “Such a Good Listener” — Maybe too good! Visit NextStage Productions Reader's Theater Spring 2024 - Library Calendars - Santa Cruz Public Libraries (libcal.com) for information
Saturday, April 6, 7:30 - 9:00 PM. Santa Cruz Baroque Festival, at the UCSC Recital Hall, 402 McHenry Rd. Santa Cruz. Celebrate the rich tapestry of Baroque Music. For more information, call 831-457-9693, or go to https://scbaroque.org/
Join the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County for a free family event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 14 at Antonelli Pond, 2396 Delaware Ave., Santa Cruz. Participants can check out the new all access ADA trail and picnic benches, pollinator garden and interpretive signs. There will be activities for the kids, the Banana Slug String Band, Marianne’s Ice Cream and more. To RSVP, visit Land Trust of Santa Cruz (landtrustsantacruz.org)
Saturday, April 20, 12 - 4 PM, EARTH DAY, Cooper Str. and Abbot Square, Downtown Santa Cruz. This is a free, family-friendly community celebration to promote environmental stewardship, healthy living, and sustainability. Come build community and lean into climate action while you enjoy performers, live music, eco-minded exhibitors, inspiring conversations and arts and crafts. Learn more here.
Senderos presents Vive Oaxaca Guelaguetza, an Indigenous cultural festival highlighting the food, dance, music and artisans of Oaxaca from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 14 outdoors at Branciforte Smalls Schools, 840 N. Branciforte Avenue, Santa Cruz. The event features Centeotl Danza y Baile with guest dancers, singers, musicians and chefs from Oaxaca. Bring your blanket and chair and spend the day in Oaxaca. Admission is $10, children 5 and under are free. No dogs or alcohol allowed on school campus. Go to Senderos - Creating Pathways (scsenderos.org)for more information.
Articles, Videos, and Listening
The Power of Vulnerability, Dr. Brené Brown studies human connection -- our ability to empathize, belong, love. In a poignant, funny talk, she shares a deep insight from her research, one that sent her on a personal quest to know herself as well as to understand humanity. See her TED talk here.
Cleaning--Springtime, or Anytime. Spring cleaning was once a common practice. Now we still do seasonal cleaning, which can be an opportunity to reflect on cleaning styles, both one's own, and as part of a household community. by Alexandra DeArmon, Shared Housing Blog, March 9, 2024.
Kathy Giusti talks about her new book, Fatal to Fearless, ABC interview, February 22, 2024. The author and two-time cancer survivor who founded the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation discusses her new book, which provides a guide for dealing with a cancer diagnosis. Fatal to Fearless
Heather Cox Richardson On the Power We Have to Make Real Change In Our Democracy, by Maria Shriver, March 2, 2024. Maria was joined by Heather Cox Richardson to help us make sense of what is going on in this world, what our responsibilities as citizens are, and what we all can do to make a difference. How to Make Real Change
What is Ambiguous Grief? by Gina Moffa, LCSW, March 16, 2024. ‘Many are grieving a parent, child, grandparent, or the death of a pet. But just as often, I see people who don’t realize they are grieving—because, well, nobody died. It could be a parent with dementia who forgot their name for the first time, someone facing an indefinite estrangement with a friend or family member, or someone who feels homesick for a place they’ve left behind. It’s all grief.’ Read the Article
Forget Small Talk—It’s Time for “Big Talk” Says Kalina Silverman, Whose Viral Movement is Curbing Loneliness and Creating Connection, article by Lauren Westphal, March 16, 2024, Maria Shriver Sunday Paper. Almost 10 years ago, Kalina Silverman was in a new city living a busy life—attending events, signing up for activities, and meeting new people all the time. Yet she still felt intense loneliness at the end of each day.
One night during a deep conversation over FaceTime, Kalina’s friend said, “Wow, I wish more conversations could be like this. This is the connection I need right now. Screw small talk.” Something clicked—while she was taking part in plenty of conversations, what she craved was big, deep connection and in order for our connections to be big, so did our talk. Read the Full Article
My Half-Century Attempt to Learn French. Kids may have an edge when learning languages, but adults also have some major advantages when they put their minds to it. By Marie Sherlock, March 21, 2024, Next Avenue My Half-Century Attempt to Learn French | Next Avenue
Why thinking about death helps you live a better life, TED Talk by Alua Arthur, April 2023. As a death doula, or someone who supports dying people and their loved ones, Alua Arthur spends a lot of time thinking about the end of life. In a profound talk that examines our brief, perfectly human time on this planet, she asks us to look at our lives through the lens of our deaths in seeking to answer the question: "What must I do to be at peace with myself so that I may live presently and die gracefully?"
Alua Arthur: Why thinking about death helps you live a better life: TED talk
New White House initiative expands research into health issues specifically affecting women. Executive Order on Advancing Women's Health Research and Innovation | The White House
Women’s Health Initiative Women's Health Initiative (whi.org) The Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) is a long-term national health study funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, or NHLBI. The original WHI study began in the early 1990s and concluded in 2005. Since 2005, the WHI has continued as Extension Studies, which are annual collections of health updates and outcomes in active participants. The second Extension Study enrolled 93,500 women in 2010 and follow-up of these women continues annually.
Like Your Own: Fostering a Loved One's Pet During an Illness or Recovery. What you should do when fostering a pet left behind after a medical emergency? By Amy Grisak, March 22, 2024, Next Avenue Fostering a Loved One's Pet (nextavenue.org)
| Village Santa Cruz County
1740 17th Ave., Santa Cruz, CA 95062
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