Calendar

2026

July

Saturday, July 25
US Army open house with bus tours of the former Fort Ord
9 am – 1 pm
Free

Building 4522 Joe Lloyd Way
Seaside

Note: this is a National Priorities List Superfund site.

Technical staff will be present – “learn the latest about the US Army Fort Ord Environmental Cleanup”
ATSDR staff will also be present to give an update on their re-evaluation of 1985-1994 drinking water exposure — see related posts
Free bus tours at 10 am and 11:30 am; space is limited, sign-ups are available to ensure you have a seat.

Questions? US Army BRAC Community Relations
831-393-1284 or 800-852-9699

Sunday, July 26
Salinas Obon Festival
12 noon – 5 pm
Free

Buddhist Temple
14 California Street, Salinas

Celebrate the traditions of Obon, honoring ancestors and expressing gratitude through community, culture, food, and dance.

Parking is limited. Shuttle from Salinas Adult School
For more information: https://www.btsalinas.org/2026-salinas-obon-festival

September

Saturday, September 19
Aloha Outrigger Races
Santa Cruz Wharf
8 am – 2 pm
To watch and enjoy is free! To enter a 4-person aged 12 and up team is $150. Early bird rate $120 ends August 16th. Registration ends September 4.

The Pu Pu ‘O Hawaii Outrigger Club is ready to race with you! They will give you all the equipment your team needs plus a person to set the stroke and another person to steer for your team. They will get your team T-shirts, and give you instruction enough to get racing!
Full details and how to register: https://www.santacruzca.gov/Government/City-Departments/Parks-Recreation/2026-Aloha-Outrigger-Races

Past Events

June

Friday, June 12
Book Opening: Soup Street
A memoir by Food Not Bombs co-founder Keith McHenry

Starting at 6:00 pm
London Nelson Community Center (Room 3)
301 Center St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
1-800-884-1136
https://foodnotbombs.net/soup_street.html

April

Saturday, April 11
Repair Cafe CANCELLED
Monterey Public Library Community Room, 625 Pacific Street, Monterey

CLOTHES . FURNITURE . SMALL APPLIANCES . TOYS. BICYCLES . ETC
Montereyrepaircafe@gmail.com repaircafe.org/en

Saturday, April 18
Film: The Earth’s Greatest Enemy
5:30 pm – 8 pm
Free
Marina Library Community Room, 190 Seaside Circle, Marina

A documentary by Abby Martin and award-winning journalist Dahr Jamail, filmed on the frontlines of U.S. Imperialism, where cities are resisting the construction of U.S. bases, dealing with the impacts of toxic military dump zones, and experiencing the hidden costs of U.S. militarism on people and the planet. Q&A after the film. More details to follow.
https://earthsgreatestenemy.com/
Sponsored by Veterans For Peace Chapter 46.

March

Tuesday, March 24
War Time Hunger – Preparing for food and fuel shortages
6 pm doors open, 6:30 pm Program
Aptos Grange, 2555 Mar Vista Drive, Aptos
Free

SUPPORTING ONE ANOTHER DURING THE ECONOMIC CRISIS
The war with Iran has just started, and farmers around the world are already struggling with the higher costs of fertilizer and fuel. Poor countries could see civil unrest as the price of food becomes too expensive for their populations. Hunger in the US was already dire. This crisis is only going to get worse.

The crisis won’t end even if the Straits of Hormuz are opened. QatarEnergy may have to declare force majeure on long-term contracts for up to five years. Kuwait put the brakes on its oil output, declaring force majeure as the U.S.-Iran war choked off shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. About one-third of global seaborne fertilizer passes through the Strait of Hormuz, where Persian Gulf nations export nearly half of the world’s urea and 30% of its ammonia – key plant nutrients according to the Fertilizer Institute.

The price shock is real. U.S. farmers face 13% to 50% higher prices for nitrogen and phosphorus compared to the previous year, tightening margins during spring planting. One local Missouri retailer told AgWeb that in just the last two-week period, Urea is up $140 per ton, NH3 has risen $100 per ton and UAN is also up $100 per ton.

Local cooperation, mutual aid and compassion for one another will be needed more than ever as hunger and poverty in Santa Cruz County increases. Sponsored by Brave and Free.

March 25, 11 am PT / 2 pm ET / 7 pm UK
Webinar: The Impact of Radiation on Health, on the Anniversary of Three Mile Island Disaster

Watch the Recording and Transcript: View on YouTube here. (Note: Automatic translation is enabled for subtitles in multiple languages.)

Panelists’ Presentation Slides: Access the panelists’ files here

Learn more or stay connected:
https://www.ianfairlie.org
https://www.radiationproject.org
https://www.tmia.com
https://www.ccnr.org/index.html

Looking Ahead – Please mark your calendars for our upcoming sessions:
July: Exploring the links between nuclear weapons and nuclear power.
November: The folly of reprocessing lethal radioactive waste.

With plans to restart Three Mile Island for Big Tech, the question remains: have we truly accounted for the long-term health legacy of 1979?
Speakers:
Mary Olson, Generational Radiation Project (GRIP) USA
Eric Epstein, Three Mile Island Alert (TMIA) USA
Ian Fairlie, Independent Consultant on Radioactivity in the Environment UK
Gordon Edwards, Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility CAN
Richard Outram, Welsh Anti-Nuclear Alliance (WANA) UK
Mary Beth Brangan, (moderator) Ecological Options Network USA

Sunday, March 29
Nothing About Us Without Us – March to End Homelessness
in Santa Cruz County
12 noon
Pacific Avenue and Spruce Street, Santa Cruz

Sponsored by the Santa Cruz Homeless Union, HUFF and Food Not Bombs.
This year the march has three demands:
— Stop the Sweeps
— Open Day Services for the Homeless
— Audit the Santa Cruz Homeless Industrial Complex

Unlike the last three marches this year’s march is organized by the homeless and formally homeless people.

Food Not Bombs will be providing their regular free meal, drinks and survival gear outside the Downtown Post Office along Water Street at the end of the march.

Food Not Bombs spends between $500 to $1,000 a month replacing the pup tents, sleeping bags and tarps discarded by the city during their sweeps. Food Not Bombs also provides free meals to 150 to 200 people every Saturday and Sunday at the Town Clock.