Register Pajaronian - Second Harvest Food Bank

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WATSONVILLE
PAJARO
FREEDOM
AROMAS
CORRALITOS
APTOS
LA SELVA BEACH
ROYAL OAKS
148TH YEAR — NO. 24 — THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 2016
‘MEANT TO BE SEEN’
LEAGUE IMPLICATIONS
BUSINESS, A9
SPORTS, B1
Aptos falls to second place
Jackel Enterprises celebrates 25th year
PAJARONIAN
REGISTER
REGISTER-PAJARONIAN.COM
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NEWS LEADER OF THE PAJARO VALLEY
AGRICULTURE
@REGPAJ
CITY
Hotel, restaurant
development
moves forward
Farm Bureau withdraws opposition
By ERIK CHALHOUB
OF THE REGISTER-PAJARONIAN
Tarmo Hannula/Register-Pajaronian
Christine Coke of Coke Farm talks about the ins and outs of organic farming at the Agriculture Appreciation Luncheon Tuesday, which
was put on by the Second Harvest Food Bank.
A growing need
Second Harvest Food Bank thanks agricultural community
WATSONVILLE — The Watsonville City Council
unanimously approved a proposal Tuesday that will add
two hotels and a series of restaurants on West Beach
Street.
The site, located on 1715 West Beach St., formerly
housed the Indalex aluminum plant, which was demolished last year. The Watsonville Planning Commission
recommended the development on April 5.
In September, the planning commission approved
a 12-pump gas station, a convenience store and three
restaurant spaces, including a drive-thru Starbucks restaurant, for the site. On Tuesday, the council approved
three more shops, two restaurants and two hotels,
which will both be four stories tall.
Located next to berry fields, the proposal by Elite
Development drew opposition from the Santa Cruz
County Farm Bureau, who pointed out that the development encroached on a 200-foot agricultural buffer zone,
which was established by the city council in 2004 for
all residential development.
As it is designed, the development will include a
buffer of 125-150 feet.
But after meeting with City Manager Charles Montoya and city staff to come to an agreement, the Farm
Bureau removed its opposition, said President David
Van Lennep.
“I appreciate the additional analysis that’s being done
to make sure that any encroachment into the ag buffer
provides as good or better protection not only for the
end users of the parcel but for the adjacent ag,” he said.
Among the items in the agreement, the hotels will
have non-operable windows, contain signage notifying
the public of nearby agricultural operations and a 75foot parking lot buffer.
In addition, Montoya is drafting an agricultural buffer
ordinance, as well as proposing the creation of a city ag-
See HOTEL, page A12
By TODD GUILD
OF THE REGISTER-PAJARONIAN
WATSONVILLE — Second
Harvest Food Bank on Tuesday
held its annual Agriculture Appreciation Luncheon, an event
created to thank the farming community for donating the food that
helps keep its larders filled with
produce.
Every year, Second Harvest
Food Bank distributes more than
five million pounds of fresh fruits
and vegetables to hungry people
in the community. That’s in addition to the bread and beans, the
peanut butter and rice and other
food the food bank hands out.
All that is bolstered by more
than 600 nutrition classes presented by the food bank that
show families how to adapt a
more wholesome diet.
The healthy diets that stem
from these programs help take
a bite out of rising diabetes and
obesity rates, both of which are
inordinately high in South County,
said food bank CEO Willy ElliottMcCrea.
According to Elliott-McCrea,
See FOOD, page A12
COMMUNITY
Historic Blue
Plaques announced
REGISTER-PAJARONIAN STAFF REPORT
WATSONVILLE —The Santa Cruz Museum of Art
and History has announced nine buildings in the county,
including two in Watsonville, that will be awarded Blue
Plaques May 7.
The ceremony, which is free and open to the public,
starts at 1 p.m. at the Museum of Art and History, 705
Front St.
The 2016 Blue Plaques are:
• Felton Grove Community, Graham Hill Road in
Felton. In 1881 it was originally Camp Felton, then
in 1922, Felton Grove Auto Camp, 1937 Felton Grove
Resort, and it has been a private neighborhood since
1958.
• 211 Rigg St., Santa Cruz. Built in 1906 for Lafayette M. Hall. Built as California Bungalow.
• 265 East Beach St., Watsonville (home). Built in
1896 for George Seitz. William Weeks was the architect
Tarmo Hannula/Register-Pajaronian
See PLAQUES, page A12
Willy Elliott-McCrea, CEO of the Second Harvest Food Bank, leads a tour of the facility.
County dumps portable restrooms; gives park goers somewhere to go
New bathrooms at Polo Grounds to be completed in summer
Santa Cruz County
Supervisor Zach
Friend (center) takes
part in a ground
breaking ceremony
Wednesday for a
restroom/concession
building at Polo
Grounds County Park
in Aptos as members
of the California
Conservation Corps
look on.
By TODD GUILD
OF THE REGISTER-PAJARONIAN
APTOS — After years of putting
a new bathroom project on hold,
Santa Cruz County on Wednesday
broke ground on a project that
should be a relief to people who
use Polo Grounds County Park.
One of the most heavily used
among the county’s park system,
the 62-acre Polo Grounds plays
host to youth sports, joggers, bicyclists, weddings and parties, among
Tarmo Hannula/Register-Pajaronian
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other activities.
But portable toilets have long
been the only facilities at the park,
forcing some users to drive elsewhere when nature called.
“The sanitation facilities are less
than desirable,” said Jay Johnson,
whose business J. Johnson &
Company worked with Cabrillo
Host Lions Club to help raise the
$350,000 to fund the project. “It’s
time for that to end.”
In addition, a $2,200 donation
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by Aptos-based Fleet Feet Sports
helped keep the project flush.
The project will include a men’s
and women’s bathroom and a concession stand.
“The project has been on the
county’s long-range plan for a long
time,” said Lions Club member
Krista Brassfield. “But it got lost
by the wayside.”
Organizers are also hoping the
See BATHROOM, page A12
WEATHER
Sunny
Tonight will be cloudy.
Friday will be sunny.
Tonight’s low: 46
Friday’s high: 70
Details on page A12.