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In This Issue...
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Around Aptos
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Chamber Members Hear from Sheriff and Keep Abreast of Community Projects
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Chamber Members Hear from Sheriff and Keep Abreast of Community Projects
By Denise Ward for the Aptos Chamber of Commerce
Santa Cruz County Sheriff-Coroner Phil Wowak was the guest speaker for the October Aptos Chamber breakfast meeting. He has held the post since Sheriff Robbins announced his resignation in April.
Wowak has served the county in the area of law enforcement for the past 27 years, and hails from a family of public servants. He explained that the Sheriff's Office serves residents that live outside of city boundaries in the unincorporated areas. In Santa Cruz County that translates to over 50 percent of the population.
The organization consists of three bureaus: operations, administration and corrections. So far this year, the Sheriff's Office has received more than 26,000 calls for service generating 14,400 police reports. The amount of work these people do to keep our community safe takes a tremendous amount of resources. With the current mandate to cut the operating budget, the Sheriff's Office has had to be creative to maintain the level of services and safety required. While the staff is on partial furlough, community volunteers have been needed to offer administrative assistance.
The next breakfast meeting will be held Thursday, Nov. 12 at 7:30 a.m. at the Best Western Seacliff Inn. Guest speaker will be Bill Monning, Assemblymember 27th District. Call (831) 688-1467.
Community Information
The Aptos Village Plan is now available to view online. The web address is: sccounty01.co.santacruz.ca.us/PLN_pdf/Aptos_Village_Plan.pdf
The Seacliff Improvement Association also just launched its new website at www.seacliffimprovement.org.
The Aptos Community Enhancement Committee reported that there are no plans at this time to close the toilets at Rio Del Mar or Seacliff State Beaches. The committee is also promoting safety issues in the community. They are looking to get more neighborhoods involved in "neighborhood watch" groups and increasing CHP presence.
There has been a rash of break-ins as beach-goers park their cars along public roads. Many of these burglaries have occurred during daylight hours. It is important not to leave iPods, cell phones and other valuables visible when leaving the vehicle. Please be sure to report suspicious activity to the Sheriff's Office.
Holiday Events
The Holiday Tree Lighting in Aptos Village will take place on Dec. 8 at 4 p.m. Santa will be making his yearly appearance and there will be caroling, hot chocolate and cookies. All are welcome to bring hand-made ornaments to hang on the Christmas tree.
The Aptos Chamber is soliciting donations to help defray some of the costs of sponsoring this community event. If you are interested in helping, please send donations to 7605-A Old Dominion Court, Aptos, CA 95003.
Honoring the Palm Deli
The Community Enhancement Committee will present Erika Glaum, owner of the Palm Deli, with the Community Enhancement Award at the November Aptos Chamber breakfast meeting.
Erika took over the old Piggie Market, transforming it into a lovely, crowd-pleasing venue for customers looking for a quick meal to go (or to enjoy sitting on the patio), junior high students stopping by for an after-school snack, and families out for a casual evening meal.
In talking with Erika, we learned that she is a very happy woman who has fulfilled a vision, and she still has plenty of ideas for the Palm Deli's future.
When her youngest son, Gavin, was heading off to school, Erika decided to take a golf class at Cabrillo College.
While perusing the course catalogue, she stumbled upon the word "culinary" as she was on her way down to the "Gs." After completing the two-year culinary arts program, she realized that the area of management is what really got her creative juices flowing, plus it was augmented by her background in accounting.
Any visitor to the Palm Deli will notice the collection of happy employees (18 at this time) and the great "vibe" that exists there. Erika is proud of the "fabulous crew" and loves working with friends and friends of her children.
She believes that the popularity of the deli should be attributed to the culinary talents of Kit Anderson who is behind the creation of all of the Palm Deli's delectables. They have great plans to expand their catering services, and have received plenty of requests. They will be offering wine tasting Wednesday evenings, beginning Nov. 11. The community has definitely been enhanced by the creation of the Palm Deli ... and so have our palettes!
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