The New York Times plans this week to  releases information the home address of conservative TV talk host Tucker Carlson, a talk show host that criticizes what the Times publishes.
Why? So Carlson will be harassed at his home and stop saying what he says about the New York Times.
What does Carlson say about the New York Times?For example, Tucker has criticized the New York Times for publicizing their Project that America’s birthday was not 1776 but rather when the first slaves were brought to America. America was founded for slavery and to perpetuate white supremacy — those are the kinds of opinions which the New York Times publicizes.  Tucker Carlson calls these opinions into question and the Times does not like disagreement.
We probably all know people who, because of their work, do not make their home address readily available.  Privacy for family and your home is a place of safety and security are important values to safeguard.
It’s time to tell the New York Times to CHANGE their WAYS. Right?  Do so!
It’s time to tell the New York Times to “kill” their story on Tucker Carlson — which lists his home address.
The NYT could care less about privacy for Carlson and his family.  We do. So do you?
Time to tell the New York Times to change their ways.  Right?  DrCameronJackson@gmail.com
How to use ZOOM easy!  Try it out!  This is an invite from Resurrection Church in Aptos for their Holy Hour 4/3/2000:
“We invite you to join us tomorrow morning (Friday) at 11 am for our live-stream Holy Hour (Exposition and Adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament) and Stations of the Cross with Women on The Way of the Cross.
“It will also be recorded and be put on our website so you can watch and pray at your convenience if you can’t join us at 11 am.
“To join the Holy Hour, click this link a little before 11 am on Friday morning: Resurrection Holy Hour   If asked, enter Meeting ID # 263-332-736 (no dashes).
If you’ve downloaded the app to your phone or tablet, simply select “Join a Meeting” and enter the Meeting ID#Â 263-332-736 (no dashes).
If you wish to join by any telephone to listen to the Holy Hour, call 1-669-900-6833 (a San Jose number) and when prompted, Meeting ID # 263-332-736 (no dashes).
Click this link to view and/or download the worship aid for the Holy Hour. Holy Hour Worship Aid
If you don’t want to print it out, you can open it in one window and still have the video stream open in another window, then you can look at the worship aid when needed.
For those of you who are new to Zoom, please read the instructions below to help you with the proper “Zoom Etiquette” for being a good “Zoom Neighbor”!
Tom Hogan, a member of the parish, spoke at Resurrection Church 3/23/2000 on Why Now and How the Remodel of Markey Community Center will proceed. Tom Hogan is on the Steering Committee guiding the remodel effort. He detailed the necessary safety issues which must be addressed.
The hub for Resurrection Church — their community center — requires extensive changes to make it safe for volunteers, staff and the persons served. Resurrection Church provides many ministries to youth, seniors and vulnerable persons.
One vulnerable person served: Many non-profit organizations including Boy Scouts use the Community Center to provides services used by the Aptosian community. Click Here for a brief video of a Boy Scout project located on Resurrection’s grounds which, when the video was taken, provides temporary shelter for a homeless person.
Why is the proposed remodel of Resurrection Church’s community center so expensive?  Safety is the prime reason for the expensive remodel: the expected cost  $5.5 MILLION.
Safety issues:  Resurrection Church’s community center is a 55 year old building, separate from the church proper, which has asbestos in the walls and ceiling and paint with lead in it on the walls. The building floods on occasion due to stormy weather. Recently, a large tree fell one corner of Markey Community Center, disabling the Center for a few days and ‘yellow tagging’ Resurrection Church’s children’s playground which is currently not safe to use.  Volunteers and staff need to be able to exit safely should there be an emergency such a as a dangerous person confronting them. them. Federal OSHA law requires exit routes be mantaotry. The ceiling requires a sprinkler system. The bathrooms need to meet health codes and must be safe for persons in wheel chairs.
Resurrection Church has THE PLAN which it has been following to gather the necessary money needed prior to start of construction. For information on Resurrection Church’s website click HERE for the Resurrection Catholic Church 2020 Campaign.
Identify prospects who can make large Leader Gifts.  So far, parishioners have given large and smaller gifts totaling $1 MILLION of the $5.5 needed. About 1/2 the Goal towards Leader Gifts has been met. Â
 Identify prospects for Foundation Grants. This is ongoing. As of 3/15/2000 no Foundations have said Yes.
Identify prospects for Community (business) Gifts.
Contact the parish members who have not yet given
This post will be updated when more information becomes available.
In response to the coronavirus pandemic Resurrection Church was required by the Diocese to cancel  the meeting for Volunteers scheduled for today 3/14/2000.  Also, the Church was required to cancel various fundraisers including Sunday Icecream Social and Eat, Drink and Give.
Resurrection Church’s grounds include places for repose, places to sit and enjoy the beauty of the setting. One such spot I call Art from the Heart located in front of the Handicapped Parking. Click Here for a brief video of Art from the Heart.
Major face lift and expansion for Resurrection Church’s MARKEY Community Center coming soon? 5 1/2 million needed before construction begins. One million raised so far. MARKEY needs money.
Where is it?  Resurrection Church’s MARKEY Community Center is located in the heart of Aptos, CA. Across from the library with shopping centers on two sides, Due to it’s locaation in Aptos, MARKEY Community Cenrer plays a central role in the life of Aptosia aka Aptos, CA and surrounding areas.
What is MARKEY Community Center (MCC)? It’s where voters go to cast their ballot. It’s the hub for Resurrection Catholic Community, where they live out their Christian faith with programs for Youth, Seniors and vulnerable persons needing showers, socks, food and clothing. Families who cannot pay their electric bill go for help. Families celebrate the lives of their loved ones and the marriages of their children.
Start date for construction? Resurrection’s MARKEY CC planned to start construction last August. But the Catholic Diocese changed the rules of the game and said that all money had to be raised before breaking ground. Opps!
What’s happening now?  Construction will begin at Resurrection’s MARKEY Community Center once they’ve raised $ 5.7 MILLION.   This past year they raised $1 MILLION dollars, all dollars from 60% of the parishioners who give regularly.
Want to know more?  Come to any Mass during the weekend of Feb. 23 -24, 2020 and there will be presentations why now, how the money will be raised and how you can help make the MaARKEY project happen soon  Masses are on Saturday at 5 PM , Sunday morning at 8:15 AM, 10:15 AM and 6 PM. Come and find out how you can help. And for more info, go to:  renewmarkeycommunitycenter.org
Homeless in Santa Cruz CA — Why? Largely just economic,  a slip on a banana peel? Or are people homeless due to lots of inter-related issues with use of illegal drugs interwoven? Your experience?
From government statistics:  Roughly 40% surveyed report at least one or more serious health conditions:   drugs/alcohol; psychotic/emotional; post traumatic stress disorder, physically disabled and chronic health conditions. Such are the statistics.
It’s one thing to report and another thing as to what the real problems are.  Surveys are simply what people choose to report.
Per government survey, roughly the same percentage of homeless persons look for work (43%) compared with those who report they are unable to work (43%). These figures are from Santa Cruz County data.
A different  viewpoint expressed recently by  homeless advocate Jon Showalter: He said in a talk that 60% of local homeless are “economic refugees”who “slipped on a banana peel” and lost their social network. We need to know them human to human Showalter emphasized.
It’s 60% economic to 40% other (mental illness/ drug and alcohol)  states homeless advocate Jon Showalter who spoke to 50+ women in Aptos,CA at Resurrection Catholic Community 3/18/19.
Showwalter is President of the Board for the Association of Faith Communities (AFC) and member of St. John’s Episcopal church  in Aptos, CA. The AFC meets monthly at Calvary Episcopal church in Santa Cruz, CA  and has 11 representatives of largely north Santa Cruz faith organizations including Buddhist, Hindu and Christian.
Following Showalter’s presentation, Pat Lorenzo of Resurrection Catholic Community updated attendees concerning other programs currently in place through mid-county churches which assist homeless persons with meals, shelter, showers, socks and other services. The collect Socks program will continue says Pat Lorenzo who applied for ,and received, three or four thousand pairs of socks in December, 2018. Those socks have been dispersed throughout Santa Cruz County Lorenzo said.
New long term sheltering program: Showalter states that a new sheltering program starts 3/18/19 at St. John’s Episcopal in Aptos, CA. Occupants of 3 cars will shelter long term in the parking lot of the church. One car/person has been doing so for several months. Persons in the new sheltering program will be vetted through the Association of Faith Communities states Showalter.
Not in my backyard issues:
Whether or  how the nearby  housing project — located adjacent on two sides to St. John’s Episcopal  church in Aptos, CA – was contacted concerning the long term sheltering program was not discussed by Showalter at the Guild meeting nor in recent email sent by the Rector, Mtr Tracy,  to St. John’s Episcopal congregation.  At the Guild meeting an attendee discussed how a successful  Catholic church sheltering program — located next to a school — managed the “not in my backyard issues”. Ongoing communication, sharing meals with the parish and a 6 am leave the premises each day were central rules she said.
Comment by Aptos Psychologist:
Are people homeless in Santa Cruz mainly  due to “a slip on a banana peel”? Mostly an economic issue and only somewhat a mental health/ drug issue?  Nope. Why the multitude of needles on the beaches? Why the feces and urine smells in downtown Santa Cruz? Why the encampment of 100+ unauthorized tents at the entrance to Santa Cruz, CA.  Why do young mothers not take small children to Santa Cruz parks?
Reality:  It’s probably the reverse — 80+ percent drug/ alcohol/ mental illness and 20 percent economic.
What do statistics say?
Take Away : The numbers show an overall decrease in homeless persons comparing numbers  first collected (2005) to the latest numbers (2017).  There were about 3,400 homeless in 2005 — and 12 years later — about  2,200 in 2017.
For communities to receive federal grant money for homeless issues those communities must count homeless persons every two years.  Communities  use the Point in Time method of counting.
Statistics collected by Applied Survey Research show that in 2005 there were 3,371 homeless and 8 years later in 2013 — the high point – there were 3,536. In 2015 the number was 1,964 and in 2017 it was 2,249.The statistics listed above can be found via United Way and from Santa Cruz County.
One size shoe does not fit all:
There’s a fairly new federal law that cities cannot displace homeless unless they provide a bed/ place for them. New York City shelters almost all of their homeless.  California provides services to 1/3 of all the homeless in the U.S.  — must be the weather and beaches? — and roughly 70% of the homeless are not sheltered. Thus we see encampments of homeless tents at the entrance to Santa Cruz, CA.
What say you? The government — and religious faith organizations — should provide long term house / housing space for all?
Community organizer Tim McManus of COPA / Central Coast Interfaith Sponsors Inc., a non-profit organization located in Watsonville, CA,  spoke 9/16/2018 to 15- 20 parishioners at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church in Aptos, Calif.
How about lots of cheap housing,  free health care/ free specialist MD referrals for illegal alien immigrants, & expanded free mental health? Those are COPA’s 2018 goals for Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Benito Counties in California.
So what methods really work to effect “social justice” according to COPA?
Just show up when told to – says  McManus of COPA / Central Coast Interfaith Sponsors Inc. The power politics of sheer body count with government officials effects COPA specified change according to Mr. McManus.
Here’s what COPA Tim McManus says:
________
Aptos Psychologist: COPA is not my cup of tea. What was the original tea party that lead to the American revolution all about? Not about “body count” muscling local government officials to achieve socialist progressive goals. About COPA — be wary. Give a fishing pole not free fish.
Save water!  Use a drip system. Here’s how!  Learn to program the Hunter PRO C and use it for your drip watering system. Make every drip of water count!
The rainbow was taken by one of our Gardeners JoAnn,  in March, 2018.  Wow!
Some Aptos Community Garden plots are available! Call 831 688-5727 x 2.
Since 2010, the Garden, located at the end of Soquel Avenue in Aptos, CA,  offers small plots for people to grow organic with the opportunity to meet other Gardeners.
You can see the white steeple of Christ Lutheran Church in Aptos, CA in the background.
Lots of things going on at Christ Lutheran. Services are at 10 AM on Sunday.
Which RAIL TRAIL best for people who live in Santa Cruz County?
Do we want a wide TRAIL that can handle electric bikes and wheel chairs and walkers or do we want a narrow trail along a high fence that preserves the rail tracks for a train that may never happen?
There’s still time for you to tell the Regional Transportation Center what you think.
Measure D — which passed in 2017 — preserves the current rail tracks and permits only a narrow trail.
Maybe there’s a better solution? Read and decide.
Click here  for a comparison of the wide one versus narrow one.
  Sanctuary Cities Santa Cruz & Watsonville: Why not follow federal laws on the books which permit federal authorities aka ICE to arrest “bad dudes” in local jails rather than go find them in their homes, work place and community? Santa Cruz has some of the highest rates of crime in California.
Let’s do what we can to reduce crime in Santa Cruz and Watsonville, California. Below is a link to a FOX news report on ICE activities.
National Statistics on Recidivism — who gets arrested again and again
Bureau of Justice Statistics studies have found high rates of recidivism among released prisoners. One study tracked 404,638 prisoners in 30 states after their release from prison in 2005.[1]Â The researchers found that:
Within three years of release, about two-thirds (67.8 percent) of released prisoners were rearrested.
Within five years of release, about three-quarters (76.6 percent) of released prisoners were rearrested.
Property offenders were the most likely to be rearrested, with 82.1 percent of released property offenders arrested for a new crime compared with 76.9 percent of drug offenders, 73.6 percent of public order offenders and 71.3 percent of violent offenders.
It’s time that local Santa Cruz county politicians set policies that save fragile resources.
Per the FOX interview (see above link), the top ICE official says that ICE can process 10 inmates in in one 8 hour shift. Vastly more time and resources are required for ICE to find the”bad dudes” who were released back on the streets.
Connect with data bases so it’s easier to capture the truly “bad dudes” committing horrific crimes across the USA.
Currently ICE has access to local law enforcement databases, organized by states, such as Arizona and Texas, and metropolitan regions, such as the greater Seattle, Los Angeles, and Washington D.C. areas. In Arizona, AZLink, the database that experienced the most DHS searches during this period, pools together information from numerous law enforcement agencies across the state.
The person-power required for ICE find the “bad dudes” released back into the community is huge.
ICE targets individuals known to be at certain places in Santa Cruz and Watsonville, CA.  By putting the work on ICE go find them in the community generates fears concerning who else will be picked up.
Releasing “bad dudes” back on the streets puts Santa Cruz county at risk of more crime.
The known rate for re-offending is over high. Over 50% will be arrested again within one year. So — by releasing the “bad guys” back on the streets local Santa Cruz and Watsonville Sanctuary City policies are directly responsible for more crime in Santa Cruz, Watsonville and elsewhere in the county.
Let’s hold our local Santa Cruz and Watsonville CA politicians accountable. Cooperate with ICE so that the”bad dudes” — the really “bad dudes” — are put on ice and if appropriate deported. Let’s stop the revolving doors at our local Santa Cruz and Watsonville jails wherein those arrested are quickly put back on the streets. What say you?
written 2/22/18 by Cameron Jackson drcameronjackson@gmail.com