WATSONVILLE

Bike Santa Cruz County community bike rides

Join Bike Santa Cruz County, District 4 Supervisor Felipe Hernandez and Watsonville Mayor Maria Orozco on a family-friendly bicycle ride around Watsonville April 13 at 11 a.m. and May 25 at 10 a.m., with routes designed to cater to all levels of cyclists, including beginners. Meeting location will be at the East Lake Village Shopping Center, 936 E. Lake Ave. Participating will be Community Bike Collective, Watsonville Cyclery, SC Community Traffic Safety Commision, Cabrillo Bike Co-op and more.

Whether you’re a seasoned rider or new to biking, the Watsonville Community Bike Rides offer something for everyone, bringing together cyclists of all ages and abilities for fun and exercise. Riders will explore local parks, scenic trails, and other hidden gems throughout the city, all while learning about the benefits of cycling and safe riding practices. Participants are encouraged to bring their own bikes or use one of the available Community Bike Collective, making it accessible to all who want to get involved. For more information, please visit bikesantacruzcounty.org/events or follow Bike Santa Cruz County on social media.

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

After-school classes at Santa Cruz Shakespeare

Santa Cruz Shakespeare launches ShakesEDU, a year-round education program for local youth. Enrollment is now open for spring classes, running April 14 to May 15, and Summer Shakespeare Intensive in July. ShakesEDU provides students aged 10-18 with a wide variety of opportunities to learn about theatre, playwriting, acting and improv. The program represents SCS’s commitment to community-building and investing in future fans of local theater productions. Learn more at bit.ly/ShakesEDU.

FELTON

Makers Market coming to Hallcrest Vineyards

The community is invited to Hallcrest Vineyards, 379 Felton Empire Road, for the 12th annual Santa Cruz Mountains Makers Market for a fun day celebrating art and music in the mountains with local artists and makers, food trucks, Hallcrest Wine, Scrumpy Cider, Steel Bonnet Brewery and live music on May 4 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

This year’s music lineup includes the Bois Rouge Cajun Band, the Dirt Rakers and Sugar by the Pound’s Alison Steele. Over 40 local artists will be featured at the event including Bee Happy Clothing Co., Field Notes Farm & Studio and The Lily Pad Project Fine Jewelry. A cultural lineup of food is on tap as well featuring local food trucks Pleasure Point Tacos, Santa Cruz Eatery, Areperia 831, La Casa De Churros and the California Cookie Company.

The SCM Makers Market is a free, family and pet friendly event on the Hallcrest Vineyards property, less than a half a mile up from Highway 9 on Felton Empire Road. Lots of free on-site parking is available. For more information about the event, visit scmmakersmarket.com or follow on Facebook and Instagram @scmmakersmarket.

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

SC City Schools to hold wellness center ribbon cuttings

Santa Cruz City Schools is set to open two new campus hubs for mental health, support and resources at Harbor High at 300 La Fonda Ave., Santa Cruz, and Soquel High at 401 Soquel San Jose Road, Soquel. Wellness Centers are welcoming places on campus to connect with Social Emotional Counselors, de-stress in a calm environment or a place to find resources for mental health, sexual health, substance abuse and more.

The Soquel High Wellness Center ribbon cutting will be on April 1 at 1:30 p.m. The Harbor High ribbon cutting will take place in the middle of the campus “Wellness Day” April 2 at 2:30 p.m., an event which will feature both a lunchtime student resource fair and an evening County Wellness Fair, along with informational sessions.

Wellness Centers simplify access to support for students, providing only a door that is always open. Furthermore, the centers will be staffed by a “Wellness Navigator,” trained to guide students through the process of finding whatever support they need. The Santa Cruz High Wellness Center is expected to open next year.

SANTA CRUZ

Zen Center to celebrate Buddha’s birthday

The Santa Cruz Zen Center at 113 School St. invites all to their Buddha’s Birthday Celebration on April 6, an opportunity to celebrate spring together in their garden surrounded by flowers and friends. The event is from 2:30 to 4 p.m. and starts with a short and lively ceremony that includes the story of Buddha’s birth and chanting. This is followed by snacks and the good company of friends. Free of charge.

SANTA CRUZ

Senior center to host open mic talent show

The Market Street Senior Center, 222 Market St., is thrilled to announce their Open Talent Mic event, welcoming performers of all ages and audiences to share their unique talents on April 5 from 2-4 p.m. Whether you enchant the crowd with a song, mesmerize them with a dance, recite a captivating piece of poetry or bring laughter with your comedy acts, this stage is yours.

If you’re interested in showcasing your talent, you can either send an MP3 of your performance or bring your own CD to the event. Each performer is guaranteed one performance slot. Additional time may be allowed depending on the schedule.

For any questions or further information, please contact Henry at henry95062@gmail.com. The senior center looks forward to your participation and to see what talent you’ll bring to the stage! A $5 donation is requested for attending the event. Your contributions will help support the various programs and activities at the Market Street Senior Center.

APTOS

St. John’s Helpful Shop to hold sale

From April 4-6, the St. John’s Helpful Shop at 246-A Center Ave. will have a half off everything in the store sale (except jewelry). Hours are 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and noon to 4 Sunday. Proceeds will benefit Santa Cruz nonprofits. For information, call 831-708-4238.

Setting it straight

Gina Castañeda was born into the foster care system but was taken out of it before her first birthday. She also attended middle school in Aptos and was among the first group of students living in the Watsonville area that were bused in to attend Aptos schools. A B1 story from Sunday was wrong.