SANTA CRUZ

ACLU hosts event on voter suppression

Reel Work and the Santa Cruz County Chapter of the ACLU of Northern California present a special free event regarding combating voter suppression and helping everyone learn how they can make a difference in the November elections. In addition to anyone who wants to learn about voter suppression, this event is geared to people who are not already involved in election-related actions, but would like to get involved, or who want to get more involved.

The event is at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Resource Center for Nonviolence, Community Room, 612 Ocean St, Santa Cruz.

The evening begins with a screening of a 30-minute film from Brave New Films: “Suppressed and Sabotaged 2024: The Fight to Vote.” After the screening, Robert Greenwald, the founder and president of Brave New Films and the director of “Suppressed and Sabotaged,” will join virtually for a Q&A about the film.

The evening will continue with discussions by leaders of local work to overcome suppression efforts and increase voter turnout by writing postcards, making phone calls, canvassing, and other tools including how you can join them and/or start your own group. The speakers will include representatives from Indivisible, Walk the Walk, and Artists Respond and Resist Together, as well as several individuals who have organized their own groups from Capitola to Ben Lomond.

SANTA CRUZ

Mental health advisory board to meet Sept. 19

The Santa Cruz County Mental Health Advisory Board, a nonprofit advisory commission to the Board of Supervisors of Santa Cruz County, will meet from 3-5 p.m. Sept. 19 at the South County Government Center, 500 Westridge Drive, Community Room, Watsonville. Meetings are open to the public.

SANTA CRUZ

36NorthPlaywrights host evening of new work

36NorthPlaywrights will host “Potpourri — An Evening of New Work,” the fourth of four Monday evening readings during the summer season, at 7 p.m. Sept. 16 at the Actors Theatre, 1001 Center St., Santa Cruz.

The free event features plays by Susan Forrest, Steve Capasso, Kathy Chetkovich, Gail Borkowski and other members of the collective. Come and enjoy some refreshments and then join the Q&A following the show.

APTOS St. John’s Helpful Shop taking grant applications St. John’s Helpful Shop is accepting grant applications through Dec. 31 from Santa Cruz County 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. The Helpful Shop donates its profits to organizations serving the local community. Applications are available at the shop, 246 Center St., Aptos from noon to 4 p.m. daily or can be downloaded from www.st-john-aptos.org/helpful-shop.html.

BOULDER CREEK

Concertino Strings program upcoming

The Concertino Strings will hold its September program 11:30 a.m. Sept. 18 and 3 p.m. Sept. 21.

The Concertino Strings, a string orchestra with 25 players including piano, harpsichord, or organ as needed, is the orchestra in residence at the Boulder Creek United Methodist Church, 12855 Boulder St., Boulder Creek.

Associate Director Renata Bratt will lead the concert. The featured works will be G.P. Telemann’s suite, Burlesque of Don Quixote, an appropriate choice for a political season; Katie O’Hara LaBrie’s Pachelbel Rhapsody, a fantasy based on the much-loved Pachelbel Canon; plus Pachelbel’s original Gigue, written to be played with the Canon.

Concerts are under an hour long and admission is free. The atmosphere is casual and the church has air conditioning. Donations to the orchestra are gratefully received. Go to www.concertinostrings.com for information.

CAPITOLA

Groundwater Agency accepting comments

The Santa Cruz Mid-County Groundwater Agency is accepting public comments on the draft periodic evaluation of its Groundwater Sustainability Plan. The Mid-County Groundwater Agency is responsible for groundwater management in the Mid-County Groundwater Basin in the communities of Soquel, Aptos, Capitola, Live Oak and La Selva Beach. A periodic evaluation of the plan is required at least every five years under California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. The draft periodic evaluation is available at www.midcountygroundwater.org.

Comments on the draft periodic evaluation are due by Thursday. Written comments may be submitted via email to comment@midcountygroundwater.org. Oral comments can be provided at the Mid-County Groundwater Agency board meeting on Thursday, which begins at 6 p.m. at the Capitola Branch Library at 2005 Wharf Road, Capitola. The Mid-County Groundwater Agency board will consider acceptance of the final periodic evaluation at its meeting on Dec. 12.

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

UC Master Gardeners hold Fall Plant Sale

Purchase your garden ready cool-weather food crops, California natives and other perennials at the UC Master Gardeners of Monterey & Santa Cruz Counties Fall Plant Sale Sept. 23 through Sept. 29 online at bit.ly/UCMGPlantSale.

The annual Fall Plant Sale features seasonal herbs and vegetables ready for the garden as well as California native plants and shrubs, indoor plants, a variety of salvias and sages, and carefully selected bulbs ready for the garden. All funds benefit the all-volunteer UC Master Gardener program, which offers a gardening help line, seasonal classes to educate our communities on how to grow food and garden sustainably, and the new demonstration garden located at Pinto Lake County Park in Watsonville. Funds also benefit the new portable edible garden program that brings compact food gardens into underserved communities.

Visit mbmg.ucanr.edu for information.

CAPITOLA

Britannia Arms to host fundraiser

From 5 p.m. until closing on Thursday, Britannia Arms (110 Monterey Ave. in Capitola Village near the Bandstand) will host a drop-in fundraiser (a percentage of sales) for Treasure Cove at Jade Street Park universally accessible playground. Members of the County Park Friends team behind the Treasure Cove at Jade Street Park project will be there from 5-8 p.m. to chat or answer any questions you may have. It will be fun, with good people, great food and drinks — all to raise funds for a playground where children with sensory, cognitive and physical disabilities can play alongside their fully-abled peers at a centrally located public park.