The SLOWCOAST Store is Open for Business!

The SLOWCOAST Store, housed in a refurbished 1954 Airstream trailer is open for business at The Swanton Berry Farm on highway 1 just north of Davenport.

The store will be open all summer, on weekends, and will have all kinds of local SLOWCOAST goodies, art, things you need and some surprises.  Stop in if you're passing by and say hi.

Practice the art of slow money...every dollar spent at the SLOWCOAST store, stays on the SLOWCOAST, making our community stronger.

Davenport Community News

(thanks to Noel Garin Bock!)


HWY 1 CLOSURE MAY 18TH 1:30 - 3:30 DUE TO AMGEN BIKE RACE

Remember to plan your day around the rolling closures and ensuing traffic delays on Tuesday, May 18th.

CEMEX UPDATE FOR COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS:

For an update on some of the questions Supervisor Coonerty asked in his Board letter a few months ago after Cemex closed, please see Item # 17 on the May 18th Board of Supervisor’s Agenda: HERE

If you have any questions regarding Cemex closure issues, please let me know before Tuesday and I will forward them on to Rachel Dann in Neal Coonerty’s office or you can contact his office directly at 454-2200.

WATER RATES FINAL HEARING AT BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MAY 25TH:

The preliminary Davenport Sanitation Water and Sewer Rate Hike hearing was on May 5th. THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE DAVENPORT COUNTY SANITATION DISTRICT will have a public hearing to consider proposed ordinances amending District Code establishing 2010-2011 water and sewer service charges on Tuesday, May 25th at the Governmental Center Building 
701 Ocean Street, Room 525, Santa Cruz.

PACIFIC SCHOOL MAY STUDENT ART SHOW AND FUNDRAISER:

“Come to the Davenport Gallery to be dazzled by our young creative talent from Pacific School and nearby.  We are selling quality reproductions of the kid’s wonderful work for $25 as a fundraiser for our public school here in Davenport. Come meet the artists and join the fun through the month of May.  The artists’ reception is May 22nd from 2-4pm.  Hope to see you there! Gallery hours are Wednesdays through Sundays 11 am to 5 pm.  As always, respect our neighbors and follow the  "gallery parking” signs to designated parking areas. If you are planning a meal at the Roadhouse phone 831-423-8801”

--- Roger Knapp, The Davenport Gallery

COAST PATROLS & JULY 4TH UPDATE:

After meeting with the Sheriff and Rachel Dann from Neal Coonerty’s office, it was decided that the sheriff’s deputies would come to Davenport later and stay later on the 4th of July. Their “Command Post” trailer will be moved to the Volunteer Fire House and there will be law enforcement looking for illegal fireworks etc. all weekend. In addition, the sheriff’s deputies that are assigned to patrol schools, will be reassigned patrol the beach areas after June 9th, when schools close for the summer until the end of August, when schools resume.

Last 7/4, neighbors brought potluck over to the Volunteer Fire House to thank the emergency responders & law enforcement. Does anyone want to organize?

OLD DAVENPORT JAIL GETS A FACELIFT:

“ E Clampus Vitas, a group of men interested in preserving California history, have volunteered their construction skills to repair some of the crumbling walls of the jail.  Residents of Davenport may see these burly red shirted men, also known as "Clampers" around town for the next few weeks continuing their work stabilizing the 100 year old jail.

Museum of Art and History volunteers, Bonny Doon Resident, Bob Piwarzyk and former Davenport Resident, Alverda Orlando, plan to open the jail the first Sunday of each month from June 6th to October 3, 2010.  Other volunteers will be working on repairing and refreshing the history panels.

This tiny Mission Revival style jail was built in 1914 with material donated by the Santa Cruz Portland Cement Company (now Cemex). The walls are eight inches thick and the window bars are half-inch steel.  The jail was never used extensively and one time was sold as a private residence. The property is now owned by the Museum of Art and History in Santa Cruz. The jail building is one of the very few Mission Revival style buildings in the North Coast area. It is significant in the history of Davenport and as one of the best examples of Mission Revival architecture in the Coastal region.For more information call Alverda Orlando 475-0808 or Paul Figurora at the Museum of Art and History 429-1964 ext 18.” ---- Alverda Orlando

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ELECTION - 3RD DISTRICT

On June 8th, remember to vote for in the Supervisor’s race in our district. Candidates are incumbent Supervisor Neal Coonerty and his two challengers, architect Cove Britton and realtor Doug Deitch. Here is their contact information and websites:
Nealcoonertyforsupervisor.com, 427-1883, Votecove.com, 425-0544   http://207.111.238.178/, 476-7662

SLOWCOAST school lunch program is a slow food model

Pacific Elementary School lunch program lands in documentary

By Megha Satyanarayana

Posted: 05/11/2010 01:30:41 AM PDT

Click photo to enlarge

Pacific Elementary students spend time in the school's life lab, where... (Shmuel Thaler/Sentinel)

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DAVENPORT -- A trio of Bay Area journalists documenting the changing food industry is hoping to use a school lunch program in Davenport to examine nutrition and obesity in the nation's youth.

A couple of weeks ago, a film crew from the nascent documentary series Food Forward descended on tiny Pacific Elementary School, where every day teams of fifth- and sixth-graders cook meals from scratch for about 100 students and staff. The Food Lab students wield knives the length of their forearms to slice, dice and chop their way to lunches as varied as scrambled eggs and potatoes to chicken with tzatziki-lemon sauce.

Slow Coast Killer Whales

Carl Safina describes the killer whales along the Slow Coast in his blog entry, The Killers of the Davenport Hills.  HERE

Orlando Zavala farmer on the Slow Coast

Ladybug Farm – I am happy to introduce you to Orlando Zavala, owner of Ladybug Farm and parent with a child attending Pescadero Middle School. 


New to Pescadero, but known along the coast (Santa Cruz), Orlando is farming the rich fields behind Phipps strawberry fields, along Pescadero Creek. 


He grows a variety of vegetables and some fruit, including carrots, swiss chard, spinach, cabbage, peppers, cranberry beans, berries, and tomatoes. Orlando is also a Certified California Organic Farmer (CCOF) and plans to expand his farming to 50 acres off of Highway 84. 


You can find his produce at the Half Moon Bay Farmer’s Market, Pescadero Country Store, Norm’s, and New Leaf Market. 


The School District has signed him up as a supplier of fresh produce for the School Meal Program. 


You can also call him directly for a produce pickup at 650-919-4979.

Blue House Farm Open House May 1st

Bonny Doon Challenge

The Bonny Doon Challenge will include the Swanton Loop and Bonny Doon on the Slow Coast.
For more information click HERE

Greg Brown: Your Town Now

Listen HERE


I used to go out quite a lot,
chase to chase and shot to shot.
I'm all done with that somehow,
and it's your town now.

These days the mighty eagle sings,
of money and material things,
and the almighty Dow,
and it's your town now,
your town now,
it's--

From the mountains to the plains
all the towns are wrapped in chains,
and the little that the law allows,
and it's your town now,
it's your town now,
it's--

Where are the young bands gonna play?
Where're the old beatniks gonna stay,
and not before some corporation bow?
and it's your town now,
it's your town now,
it's--

So be careful everyone,
Cops can get careless with their guns.
And then they slip off somehow,
and it's your town now,
it's your town now,
it's--

You young ones it's up to you
to fight the fight and I hope you do,
Oh I see in your eyes that you know how
and it's your town now
your town now.

Don't let 'em take the whole damn deal,
Don't give up on what you really feel.
Ah, the small and local must survive somehow,
if it's gonna be your town now.
Is it gonna be your town now?
Is it gonna be your town now?
Is it gonna be?

Slow Coast Farmers Market at the Costanoa Ranch House on April 25th

Slow Coast Farmers Market at the Costanoa Ranch House 

Sunday April 25th, 10am 

Enjoy Slow Coast Produce and Treats from Harley Farms, Swanton Berry Farms, Freewheeling Farms, Pie Ranch and the Farm at Costanoa.

Slow Coast wine tasting at Costanoa on April 24th

Biodynamic wine tasting with Bonny Doon Vineyard, Thomas Fogerty and Bliss Winery at Costanoa

Saturday April 24th, 5-7pm 

Join us in Cascade restaurant loft for a fun and informative evening of wine tasting and hear from the source the values of biodynamic wine production. An array of earth friendly appetizers will round out this festive event. 

Tickets are $25.