Monthly Newsletter, March 2022

Dear friends,

As the weather warms and the Omicron surge begins to wane, I am filled with hope and excitement for what is to come. I loved seeing our community come together to celebrate Black History Month through vibrant art exhibits, books readings, movie screenings, community events, and deep conversations. 

March brings Women's History Month and a holiday that is close to my heart, Persian New Year or Nowrūz. Nowrūz is celebrated by more than 300 million people around the world, with origins in the Middle East and South Asia dating back 3,000 years. It is celebrated on the day of the vernal equinox, and marks the first day of spring. This year, the City of Santa Cruz will be presenting a proclamation in celebration of Nowrūz. I am also working with Iranian American community members and in partnership with the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History (MAH) to set up a 'Haft-Seen,' the table of seven 'Ss,' details forthcoming via the MAH website. Please join me in celebrating Nowrūz, which is about recognizing and appreciating nature's power of renewal, rebirth, and rejuvenation. 

In community, 
Shebreh

Life is perhaps that enclosed moment

when my gaze destroys itself in the pupil of your eyes

and it is in the feeling

which I will put into the Moon's impression

and the Night's perception.

Forough Farrokhzad

The more I meet and talk to people, the more inspired I am to serve our community. Meet-and-greets and community events have been a great space for that. I want to take a moment to say a huge thank you to Cari Napoles and Rachael Spencer for hosting a community meet-and-greet in Cari's backyard in Davenport. I was touched to spend time hearing about the unique challenges faced by our neighbors on the North Coast. We discussed the continued impacts of the CZU Fire, infrastructure needs, changes in the foreseeable future, and more. We had some tough, but extremely rewarding and productive conversations. Thank you to everyone who came out and shared their concerns and ideas with me. 

If you would like to host a meet-and-greet or a fundraiser event, I would love to talk with you, your friends, family, and colleagues. Please visit our website to sign up!

New and Noteworthy Community Endorsements: Month in Review

• The Iranian American Political Action Committee (IAPAC)
• SMART (Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, Transit) Local 0023

If you are interested in displaying a yard sign at your home, please let us know on our website!

Donations

It's go time, and fundraising is more important than ever! Please consider making a contribution of any amount that feels right to you if you have not done so already. The campaign maximum donation was raised to $525. If you are able, please consider making an additional contribution. Thank you all for your generosity in helping me meet my fundraising goal which will make it possible for me to do well in this race and ultimately serve our community.

Redistricting

On February 22nd, Santa Cruz City Council passed a resolution placing a proposed charter amendment establishing six districts and a directly elected, at-large Mayor on the June 7th, 2022 ballot. Functionally, if the ballot measure passes, the City will have six districts and an at-large Mayor. If the ballot measure does not pass, the City will have seven districts. Because of the two possibilities, Council will have to adopt two district maps, one with six districts and one with seven districts. We need the community's input on the selection of both models. 

The City's demographer, National Demographics Corporation, has created three draft maps for each model and potential sequences of elections for City Council consideration. Santa Cruz City Council will hold two public meetings seeking input on the draft map(s) and elections schedule. The meetings will take place on March 29th, 2022, and April 19th, 2022.

For more information, including viewing of draft maps, please visit the City of Santa Cruz website. 

The City of Santa Cruz's Environmentally Acceptable Food Packaging and Products Ordinance is effective on March 8, 2022, when its definitions of “compostable” and “biodegradable” will be expanded. Read more on the City of Santa Cruz website.

The council gave policy direction for the City of Santa Cruz to provide an array of services and supports in response to the challenges of homelessness. City staff have been developing a comprehensive response plan that supports our unhoused residents while addressing neighborhood and environmental impacts. Staff will present a draft 3-year Homelessness Response Action Plan to the City Council on March 8. The meeting may be viewed using any of the following sources:

• Online at City of SantaCruz.com/All Meetings

• Online at https://communitytv.org/watch/

• Comcast Channel 25.

Read more on the City of Santa Cruz website. 

Homeless Garden Project and Santa Cruz Public Library
The Homeless Garden Project (HGP) and Santa Cruz Public Libraries (SCPL) are partnering to provide the HGP office hours at the Downtown Santa Cruz Branch Library. The HGP open office hours provide people experiencing homelessness the opportunity to learn more about HGP services and programs. Additionally, this partnership will make library spaces available for the HGP to meet with clients, service providers, community organizations, and others to support a thriving and inclusive community, workforce, and local food system. Office hours are Wednesdays from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Walk-ins are welcome.

Upcoming City Council Meetings

Dates of Upcoming Council Meetings:

• March 8, 2022
• March 22, 2022 

To access packets and links for live stream council meetings, please visit: City of Santa Cruz website

• Celebrate Women's History Month with two pioneers in science, Sandra M. Faber and Kathryn D. Sullivan. Dr. Faber is a Professor Emerita of astronomy and astrophysics at UC Santa Cruz, and Dr. Sullivan is UC Santa Cruz alumna, astronaut, the first person to both orbit the planet and reach its deepest ocean point. This fireside chat is taking place on March 8 at 5:30pm, to register, visit UC Santa Cruz’s website. 
• Barrios Unidos: I had the opportunity to visit Barrios Unidos a couple of weeks ago during their food distribution. The campus was vibrant and filled with gratitude. Barrios Unidos has been serving youth and families for decades. Please learn more about them and consider supporting this organization that does so much for our community. 
• Clam Chowder Cook-Off: It was another successful Clam Chowder Cook Off and I had a great time being a judge! This forty-one year partnership between the City and the Boardwalk helps support City Parks and Rec. Over $75,000 was raised this year!
• Grant Opportunity Celebrating Black History Month:To celebrate Black History Month, Small Business Majority compiled a list of grant opportunities available to Black entrepreneurs to help them grow their businesses and recover from the pandemic. To learn more, and to apply for a grant, click here. 
• Santa Cruz County Workforce Collaborative: Join the Career Skills & Short-Term Certificates program on Thursday, March 10th from 4-5pm. Cabrillo College offers tuition-free classes in workforce skills and job training as part of the Santa Cruz County Workforce Collaborative. This Collaborative is a partnership including the Santa Cruz Public Libraries, the Workforce Development Board of Santa Cruz County, the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership, Cabrillo College, and Goodwill Central Coast. Find out more!

Please follow me on my instagram and facebook pages if you would like more regular updates. 

If you have thoughts, ideas, questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at:  skalantari-johnson@cityofsantacruz.com for city council related topics and at: shebreh4santacruz@gmail.com for any other topics. 

“It is not just about hope and ideas. It is about action"

~ Shirin Ebadi

Iranian political activist, lawyer, former judge, human rights activist, and Nobel Peace Prize winner.