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Page C2 — REGISTER-PAJARONIAN, Tuesday, October 20, 2015

YOUR LOCAL

TAXIDERMIST

Pajaro Valley Lock Shop

1024 Freedom Blv., Watsonville, CA

Day (831) 722-6540Nite (831) 722-4532

Licensed, Bonded, Insured

C.C.L. 506955 LCO 151

Your local customized shop for all your locksmith needs.

Specializing in emergency calls:– When you lock yourself out of your

house or your car – Broke your key– Lost your key

– Changing doorlocks– Installing security cameras

– And much more .....

By ERIK CHALHOUBOF THE REGISTER-PAJARONIAN

WATSONVILLE — Pajaro Valley Lock Shop owner Car-roll Cameron has been walking into work every day since he opened the business in 1971, not knowing what the day will bring him. And that is exactly how he likes it. “There’s new stuff every day, that’s what I like,” Cameron said. “I hate repetition.” Case in point, on a re-cent Tuesday, a customer had dropped off a spare tire for a 1932 Ford, seeking a lock for it. It’s not something Cameron sees every day, or in this case, ever. “I’ve never seen one before,” he said. “You’ve got to figure it out.” Figuring it out is what Cameron and his staff of five

employees do best. He has the art of key making down to a science, with 19 key machines lining a wall in the back of the shop. Most businesses that make keys have only one ma-chine, which loses accuracy, he said, explaining that every time the machine’s jaw is ro-tated, accuracy is sacrificed. So, each of Cameron’s 19 machines is set in one position. If that doesn’t do the trick, he will buy another machine, he noted. One thing that is a constant in the business is helping people who have locked them-selves out of their car, offering emergency service 24/7. On a recent morning, Cameron said Pajaro Valley Lock Shop had helped two people before 10 a.m. “It’s all day long, many times a day,” he said.

Cameron opened Pajaro Valley Lock Shop in 1971, at its same location on 1024 Free-dom Blvd. in Watsonville. “I was working for a sport-ing goods store,” he said. “We had a little tiny locksmith corner and I fell in love with it. The boss sold the store, and I started my own hole in the wall.” Many of his employees have worked for the business for close to 30 years, some even more. In addition to auto services, Pajaro Valley Lock Shop also offers closed circuit television, residential and commercial services. The business is open Mon-day through Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. For infor-mation, call 722-6540 or visit www.pajarovalleylockshop.com.

Erik Chalhoub/Register-Pajaronian

Pajaro Valley Lock Shop owner Carroll Cameron works on one of the business' 19 key machines.

Everything locksmithingPajaro Valley Lock Shop serving community since 1971

Tarmo Hannula/Register-Pajaronian

Richard Gurnee poses with a freeze-dried coyote at his Watsonville shop.

By TODD GUILDOF THE REGISTER-PAJARONIAN

WATSONVILLE — Behind the doors of Gurnee Freeze-Dri Taxidermy on East Lake Avenue sits a veritable menagerie, an assemblage of birds, mam-mals, reptiles and other animals whose poses and expressions are lively, realistic and frozen forever in time. They have all been freeze-dried through a unique process developed by Richard Gurnee 50 years ago. His is displayed in nature centers and museums across the country. Gurnee was born and raised in Watsonville and graduated from Watsonville High School in 1954. He started practicing basic taxidermy as a Boy Scout, when he taught himself the craft to earn a merit badge. He majored in zoology at Hum-boldt State, and as a graduate student at UC Berkeley was freeze-drying tissue samples when he realized the process might be used for preserving whole animals. He began working at the Smithsonian Institution Nation-al Museum of Natural History,

where some of his preserved animals are still on display. He worked the museum for six years, and returned to Wat-sonville in 1965. He started his Watsonville business, and now earns a living preserving animals for muse-ums, nature centers and educa-tional institutions throughout the U.S., from Florida to Texas to Washington. He also works for individuals such as hunters who want animals preserved. “It makes me feel like I’ve really accomplished something,” he said. Gurnee’s process for preserv-ing animals is vastly different from traditional taxidermy, in which the skin of the animal is removed and preserved, then placed over a synthetic frame. For Gurnee’s freeze-drying process, animals are placed in a giant vacuum, and the air is slowly removed. As pressure is allowed to return, the liquid essentially evaporates from the body and leaves behind the basic structure of the animal. One major advantage of the process, Gurnee said, is that he is able to preserve soft-bodied

animals such as slugs and insects. Gurnee has freeze-dried creatures ranging in size from a shrew to a 7-foot monitor lizard. The only animal Gurnee won’t do is family pets. “I don’t do members of the family,” he said. Gurnee begins the freeze-drying process by using wires inserted in the animals’ limbs and neck to position then into a natural-looking state. “I wire them up, in other words,” he said. The eyes are the only artifi-cial part of the animal, to give the animals their natural expres-sions. “The eyes are always criti-cal,” he said. The freeze drying process can take three weeks for a quail and eight weeks for a mallard duck. He opens the tank every three weeks or so to check the weight. “When it stops losing weight, it’s finished,” he said.

••• Gurnee Freeze-Dri Taxi-dermy is located at 381 East Lake Ave. in Watsonville. For information, call 722-4715.

Preserving his careerWatsonville native designed well-known freeze-drying process for animals

REGISTER-PAJARONIAN, Tuesday, October 20, 2015 — Page C3

Register-Pajaronian file

Harbor High School student Jenny Rodriguez (in white), 18, talks with Yvonne Martinez, admissions counselor at Grand Canyon University, about her options at Cabrillo College and Career Night 2011.

Cabrillo College hosts annual College and Career Night

CONTRIBUTED ARTICLE

APTOS — Cabrillo College announces that its Annual Col-lege and Career Night 2015 will be held this year on Monday, Nov. 2, from 6-8 p.m. at the Cabrillo College Aptos campus, 6500 Soquel Drive, Aptos. “During College and Career Night, we expect more than 3,000 students and parents to visit with Cabrillo and other college representatives from around the country,” said Les-lie De Rose, Cabrillo outreach coordinator. “It represents a unique opportunity to explore multiple college options and ca-reer pathways at a single event.” College and Career Night is the culminating event of Col-lege Awareness Week, which runs from Oct. 25–Nov. 2 and is a countywide declared week of events designed to help students understand the choices and challenges of college. During

the week, schools,business groups, and commu-nity organizations will have col-lege-themed activities through-out Santa Cruz County In the Robert E. Swenson Library and the Cabrillo Col-lege Cafeteria, college-bound, Santa Cruz County students and their parents can attend the annual Cabrillo College Open House to learn about programs and Financial Aid offered at Cabrillo. Cabrillo College instructors, program representatives, financial aid advisors and counselors will also be available to speak with students and parents. Spanish language translation will be provided. In the Cabrillo College Gym-nasium, students and their parents can meet with repre-sentatives from more than 60 public, private, and out-of-state colleges and universities, as

well as attend workshops about transferring from Cabrillo Col-lege to a four-year university. New this year in the Cabrillo College Library (Room 1054), students can learn about Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, including the new San Francisco Bay Regional NetLab hosted at Cabrillo Col-lege, as well as Cabrillo’s Weld-ing Program, Allied Health Programs, and other rewarding careers for which Cabrillo Col-lege provides training. Cabrillo’s Annual College and Career Night is open to the public and is free of charge. Students and parents who want to get a head start on college and career planning are encouraged to attend. Last year more than 3,000 people participated. Free parking is available in all student lots. For information, call 479-6560.

Soroptimist Int’l. of WatsonvilleP.O. Box 442, Watsonville, CA 95077

College & Career Night

2015Monday, November 2

from 6pm-8pm

CONTRIBUTED ARTICLE

Members of Soroptimist Inter-national of Watsonville are busy getting ready for their annual “Fall Fantasy,” the club’s major fundraiser. This year’s theme is “Putting on the Ritz” and is sure to be another fun-filled event. It will be held on Saturday, Nov. 14 from 5-9 p.m. at the Watsonville Woman’s Club and will include delicious food and drinks, a silent and live auction, raffles, and live entertainment. A particular raffle favorite is the beautiful quilt cre-ated and donated by club member Jan Mitchell. For more details about the event, please see the accompanying ad.

This year, the Watsonville So-roptimist club celebrates its 87th anniversary of service to the com-munity. Though service projects have changed over the years as the needs of the community have changed, the Soroptimist mission to improve the lives of women and girls continues to be the un-derlying theme, and has evolved to emphasize the importance of educational opportunities and access for local women and girls.

This year, the Watsonville club again gave over $30,000 in schol-arships to local high school grad-uates and $4,500 to local women who have returned to school to improve their career opportuni-ties and the lives of their fami-lies. The club also continued its ongoing support of Pajaro Valley Shelter Services and CASA along with other local organizations.

This past summer, a brand new federation-wide program brought Soroptimist clubs around the Monterey Bay together to work with girls in local secondary schools including Pajaro Valley High School. “Dream It, Be It” was a one-day intensive program which provided the 70-plus attendees with a curriculum of career explo-ration, setting and achieving goals, overcoming obstacles to success, and how to move forward after setbacks or failures. Presenters and attendees alike provided good feedback for this first-time effort,

and the clubs will look at ways to expand outreach to more girls in our communities.

Currently, the Watsonville club is recruiting applicants for the “Live Your Dream: Education & Training Awards for Women” program and will be giving two cash awards. An applicant needs to be a female who provides the primary financial sup-port for her family and has returned to college or a vocational training program in order to advance her employment prospects. For more information about the program criteria or to request and applica-tion, please email [email protected].

On Monday, Nov. 2, the club’s 87th Anniversary celebration luncheon will be held. A special program is being planned and will include several distinguished guests. Community members who would like to meet club members and learn more about the Sorop-timist club are invited to attend. Reservations are required. Please email [email protected] for more information.

At Holiday time, Annieglass has again graciously invited the club to sell delicious home baked goods and preserves at the annual “Holiday Factory Sale,” scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 5. Annieglass will be featuring beautifully hand-crafted glass “art for the table.” Soroptimists will be selling delicious holiday

goodies along with their recently-published cookbook. Stop by to finish your holiday shopping, find some beautiful gifts, and support your local Soroptimists.

This year, the Watsonville So-roptimist Club has also enjoyed an influx of vibrant new mem-bers, women who are looking for meaningful ways to serve their community, enjoy the comraderie and friendship of other women, share their expertise and talents, and hone their leadership skills. Amidst the many opportunities to work together, Soroptimists always make sure to have fun along the way, through special outings, programs, potlucks, and mixers, just to name a few.

To accomplish its mission, the Watsonville Soroptimist club welcomes interested women to join as members or to attend an informational meeting or activ-ity. To learn more about the club, its meetings and events, please meet us on our Facebook page “Soroptimist International of Watsonville” and email us at [email protected]. We thank you, our community mem-bers, for your continued support.

Soroptimist International of Watsonville is a 501(c)3, all-volunteer organization whose mission is to improve the lives of women and girls through programs leading to social and economic empowerment.

Soroptimist International of Watsonville

Contributed

Soroptimist members pause to pose after a weekly meeting.


Doctor’s care is trifold

Dr. Jeff Lester serving community since 1987By BEK PHILLIPSOF THE REGISTER-PAJARONIAN

WATSONVILLE — Since 1987 Dr. Jeff Lester has been serving the Watsonville com-munity and Santa Cruz County as a family physician.

The fourth generation of osteopathic physicians in Watsonville, Lester combines Western medicine with a com-prehensive holistic approach that focuses on the person with their condition, not just the disease itself.

“I try to offer a natural option to people to help them with their condition rather than always opting for a drug approach alone. I often combine more than one medical system, often from another country, to cre-ate an effective treatment plan that is also safe and effective,” he said.

Caring for patients that range from babies to the elderly, Les-ter said his practice gives people more hope than is offered from a Western medical approach alone.

“I like to instill hope back into patients so that we can get them healthy naturally first,” he said. “Then we treat them with medication later, depending on the severity, to stabilize their condition, like diabetes or heart disease.”

Lester offers a wide range of integrative medicine services and programs, with the most popular one being his “Lean To Wellness” medical weight management program. People now often lose between 30 to 60 pounds or more using his system he developed in 2011.

“I’m getting more known for helping people lose weight than my other medical ser-vices that we have offered for the past 30 years,” Lester said. “People get really ex-cited about changing their

bodies by eating better and losing weight. The program is centered around learning and practicing how to eat healthier both in and out of the home by making better choices. We also use natural injections and weight loss supplements to help increase fat loss. Reducing fat in the body is key to improving health. Excess fat deposits in the body and clogs things up, often creating diabetes and heart disease.”

Other holistic services in-clude classical homeopathic medic ine f rom Germany, acupuncture and Oriental medicine from China and the new functional medi -cine and cardiometabolic medicine recently developed in the United States. While acknowledging that some patients gets concerned or wary about integrating a non-Western medical approach to their health, Lester said that his initial training in stan-dard medicine in osteopathic medical school at New York Institute of Technology has given him the knowledge and experience to handle even serious medical problems.

Lester joined Dr. Fritz Smith in 1987. Smith had first brought acupuncture to Watsonville and was also an osteopath.

“I wanted to begin my prac-tice in a community with people who were more easy going, co-operative and patient than those he initially began his practice with in San Francisco,” Lester said. “I love the home town feel and the down-to-earth people here.”

Lester overcame the concerns of his patients and his success now has included the opening of a third office, one in Santa Cruz on 41st Avenue and one in San Jose in Campbell. The three

offices are now called Trilogy Medical and Weight Loss and offer the same three medical services in each office. He also trains medical providers in his methods.

Lester went into medicine because he said that even as a boy he liked fixing things and figuring out how things worked. He loves preserv-ing the quality of things and also preserving the quality of people’s health.

“There is an important bal-ance between the use of need-ed medication and the focus on natural health care. We are careful not to over medicate people.”

Lester said he has worked with a wide variety of medical problems over the years, from diabetes and heart disease pre-vention to autoimmune disease and infertility. His practice works to health various condi-tions that include: migraines, fibromyalgia, chronic back pain, gastrointestinal issues,

hormonal issues and childhood illnesses among others. He often works on cases in conjunction with Stanford and UCSF medi-cal centers.

“I always ask, ‘why did the person get sick and why aren’t they getting better?’” Lester said. “We use a patient centered approach by looking at all aspects of a person’s life. This considers the whole situation in a person with their illness. This produces a more successful outcome, such as five women that came to him last year for infertility, one even up to 43 years old. With the combination of healthy nutrition, weight loss and homeopathic medicine all five became pregnant and had children. Some had even been infertile for up to 6 years and had failed at in-vitro fertilization.”

Testimonials from patients are glowingly positive. He is also now the new medical director of the Guadalupe Pregnancy Crisis Center open-ing on East Lake Avenue in Watsonville.

In addition to offering health-based services to the public, Les-ter said that since he is a Califor-nia state licensed physician, many of his services are well covered by most insurance companies,

including Medicare.“Our standard medical ser-

vices combined with our well-ness services sets us part from other medical clinics who offer only one alone,” he said.

65 Aspen Way Watsonville, CA 95076

[email protected]

Dr. Jeff Lester, D.O.• Clinic Director

• Family Physician • Preventive Medicine

FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE

ACUPUNCTURE

HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINE

NUTRITION

www.trilogymedical.net

My name is Kathy and I lost 25lbs on CMWM program. This program has totally changed my life. I’ve a lot more energy, I look good and a much happier person as a result. If I can do it you can do it!-- Kathy H. I have lost 55 lbs, and toned my body at the same time in only 5 months.-- Therese B. I never thought losing 45 lbs be so quick and easy, I feel better, I have a lot more energy and lot more confidence. Thank you for everything you did for me.-- Jennifer B.TE

STIM

ON

IALS

Pain/headaches/migraines Anxiety/depression/fatigue/sleep-difficulties stress-related conditions Environmental sensitivities Fibromyalgia/chronic-fatigue-syndrome

Gastrointestinal/digestive disorders Diabetes/metabolic-syndrome Thyroid disorders Weight issues Hormonal issues

Women's issues Osteoporosis Menstrual/menopause-issues Men's issues Cardiovascular disorders High blood pressure

High cholesterol Childhood illnesses

InfertilityAcupunctureDiabetes Treatments

Especially helpful for conditions such as:

Bek Phillips/Register-Pajaronian

The staff at Triology Medical Centers for Integrative Medicine include Patty Lester (from left), Jessica Candelario, Beatriz Manville, Alicia Rameno, Diana Picazo, Dr. Jeff Lester, Rosie Chavez and Maria Treuge.

Bek Phillips/Register-Pajaronian

Dr. Jeff Lester works in his office recently.

REGISTER-PAJARONIAN, Tuesday, October 20, 2015 — Page C5

885 Salinas Rd.Royal Oaks, CA 95076

(831) 438-3400

Locally Owned & Locally Operated!

451 Main StreetWatsonville, CA 95076

Phone: (831) 724-47491820 Freedom Blvd.

Freedom, CA 95019Phone: (831) 724-4740East Lake Shopping CenterWatsonville, CA 95076

Phone: (831) 761-4795


ROYAL OAKS — AmeriGas is making strides to not only promote the abundance of green technology available locally, but is also working to make itself greener as well. District General Manager Rick Lee said he was recently brought on board to the com-pany to help implement and develop green fuels and technol-ogy. “I have a personal interest in that and a commitment to that,” he said. “There are some great opportunities happening in this valley that nobody’s really talk-ing about.” Lee pointed to Agron Bioen-ergy, which is producing about 30,000 gallons of biofuel a day at a facility in Watsonville. He plans on converting AmeriGas’ truck fleet to use fuel from Toro Petroleum, which is 80 percent diesel and 20 percent biofuel

produced by Agron. AmeriGas’ propane that it supplies to its customers is also a clean-burning fuel, he said. “We are trying to make in effort to help educate and at the same time serve large ag-ricultural businesses, growers and producers with using green technology as opposed to other technologies that are dirtier, like diesel fuel,” Lee said. In a first step, AmeriGas has a pickup truck that runs entirely on propane, which it uses for service calls and promotion, among other things. It’s all part of a push to not only become a leader in green technology, but to encourage other businesses as well. “Every person who has some influence in our business world can take a step towards being green,” Lee said. “The cumula-tive effort of all these business leaders will make a significant impact.”

AmeriGas Account Man-ager Carlos Paredes said the company’s AutoGas alternative fuel is becoming increasingly popular with bus companies, commercial fleets and more, converting these vehicles to running clean-burning propane. According to AmeriGas, 300,000 vehicles in the United States are propane powered, in addition to more than 17 million globally. “Santa Cruz County is well known for AutoGas,” Paredes said. Paredes, who began his career at AmeriGas as a truck driver, said he worked his way up because he is committed to providing stellar customer ser-vice while also promoting the company’s green initiatives. “I’ve helped this business and industry grow, and I’m continu-ing to do that,” he said. For information, call 438-3400 or visit www.amerigas.com.

Erik Chalhoub/Register-Pajaronian

Account Manager Carlos Paredes stands next to an AmeriGas truck that runs on propane.

Becoming a leader in green technology

AmeriGas providing clean-burning fuel to residents, businesses


WATSONVILLE — At Ace Hardware, it’s all about custom-er service, said owner Manuel Rodrigues. “Our motto is ‘customer service, customer service, and when everything else fails, customer service,’” he said. With three locations in Watsonville (451 Main St., 1820 Freedom Blvd. , and 1056 East Lake Ave.), Ro-drigues said the neighbor-hood hardware stores are a place where customers are greeted by employees as they walk in, and receive help finding whatever item they are looking for. This type of service is a dy-ing breed in the era of big box hardware stores, Rodrigues said, and it is this service that

sets Ace apart. Rodrigues and his brother started the business in 1988. In addition to three stores in Watsonville, Ace also has lo-cations in Marina, Salinas and

Gilroy. “The core belief of ours is that our customers deserve 100 percent of our attention when they walk through our doors,” he said. The employees, on average, have a half decade of experi-ence, Rodrigues said. Auggie Ramirez, who is general manager across all six Ace locations, has been with the company since 1996. “I like the hardware busi-ness,” he said, adding that he used to work with his grandfa-ther in the industry. Among its varied selection of goods, Rodrigues said four of the stores have locally grown plants, including many hard to find, drought-resistant succu-lents, which are popular with customers. “People comment on that all the time,” he said.


Auggie Ramirez, who is general manager across six Ace Hardware locations, has been with the company since 1996.

Customer service sets Ace Hardware apart


Ace Hardware is known for its wide selection of goods.



Jaime Rodriguez talks about running his business, JBS Collision Repair, at his West Beach shop.


Joe Rodriguez Jr. pulls apart the front end of a pickup that was heavily damaged in a collision.


Alex Ocampo paints several car body parts inside a spray booth.

By TODD GUILDOF THE REGISTER-PAJARONIAN

WATSONVILLE — Before he died in 2000, Joe Rodriguez told his sons he wanted them to take over his auto body shop. And so it was that a 20-year-old Jaime Rodriguez went to the City of Watsonville to transfer the title for Joe’s Auto Body to his own name. But a perplexed clerk told him, to his surprise, that his father had already transferred it. The business was already his. “He must have really wanted me to have it,” said Jaime Rodri-guez, who now runs JBS Auto Body out of its new location at 317 East Beach St. His brother Joe Jr. works full-time in the body shop, while several other relatives help oc-casionally. Rodriguez’s career in the auto body business began when he was still in elementary school, when he would go after school to his father’s shop. After he finished his home-work, his father never allowed him to merely sit around. “He said, ‘grab a piece of sandpaper and get to work,’” Rodriguez said. That was his introduction to the auto body business, and as he got older he learned the other aspects of the profession.

Soon, he was ready to learn one of the more difficult parts of auto restoration, even if he was reluctant at first. “I was 17 when I painted my first car,” he said. That started when his father told him to grab a sprayer and get to work, a request he initially balked at. After some cajoling, his first attempt predictably left streaks running down the sides of the vehicle, Rodriguez said. “I said, ‘I don’t want to finish, because I keep messing up,’” he said. His father’s response? “He said, ‘you know what you’re going to do? You’re going to sand it down tomorrow and do it again,’” Rodriguez said. This time, however, it was at his father’s side that he learned the finesse it takes to paint a car by hand. That experience cemented his love for the profession, he said. “After that, I wanted to be a painter,” he said. Within a few years, Joe Ro-driguez had taught both his sons, Jaime and Joe Rodriguez, Jr., everything there was to know about the business. “He taught me and my broth-er everything he knew,” he said. After his father’s death Jaime was left bewildered by having

to take over managing the busi-ness, and he soon realized he had to move it from its original Grove Street location. After two moves to Freedom and Pajaro, and working at two other auto body shops, Rodri-guez discovered the West Beach Street site, which offers a shop, a painting area and a space for detailing work. “What I like is getting a vehicle that needs work and giving it back to the customer in perfect condi-tion,” Rodriguez said. “I want to give the best I can to my customers. That means a lot to me.”

••• JBS Auto Body is a full-service business that offers all manner of restoration work and collision repair, custom body work, paint and pin striping and offers a full detailing service. It is located at 317 West Beach St. in Watsonville. For information, or to make an ap-pointment, call 786-6912.

A body of workSons running father’s business

Author brings message to Watsonville

REGISTER-PAJARONIAN STAFF REPORT

WATSONVILLE — The Pajaro Valley Unified School District will welcome author Luis Alberto Urrea, a Pulitzer Prize finalist, for the 10th annual On the Same Page community reads program. Urrea will give a presentation and sign copies of his book, “Into the Beautiful North,” on Oct. 21 at 6:30 p.m. at the Henry J. Mello Center, 250 East Beach St. in Watsonville. The event celebrates a de-cade of bringing the work of California authors and their award-winning stories to the community. This program is spearheaded by the Pajaro Valley Unified School District’s Extended Learning Program Family Literacy Project together with the Migrant Education De-partment and On the Same Page founder George Ow Jr. Urrea, a 2005 Pulitzer Prize finalist for nonfiction and mem-ber of the Latino Literature Hall of Fame, is an acclaimed writer who uses his dual-culture life experiences to explore themes of love, loss and triumph. Born in Tijuana, Mexico to a Mexican father and an American mother, Urrea has published extensively in all the major genres. The criti-cally acclaimed and best-selling author of 13 books, Urrea has won numerous awards for his poetry, fiction and essays. Urrea will share his story from his beginnings on a dirt street in Tijuana to Pulitzer Prize finalist and storyteller. Though recognized as a writer who concentrates on the border regions of the Southwestern United States, Urrea says, “Borders don’t interest me. I’m really in the business of building bridges.” The featured book is “Into the Beautiful North,” Urrea’s national best seller which earned a citation of excel-lence from the American Li-brary Association Rainbow’s Project. It is one of only three new novels added to the na-tion’s The Big Read Library, joining such classics as “To

Kill A Mockingbird.” Urrea’s most recent novel imagines a small town in Mexico where all the men have immi-grated to the U.S. A group of young people, after pondering the fate of their town and see-ing the film “The Magnificent Seven,” decide to follow the men north and persuade them to return to their village. On the Same Page was origi-nally founded by George Ow Jr. who, together with a group of leaders in business, education, and the community, was com-mitted to bringing inspiring authors to the Pájaro Valley. Each year student classroom curriculum is developed for the selected book then adapted for parent book clubs. Previous On the Same Page books remain part of district curriculum. Prizewinning books and authors from previous years include “Burro Genius” by Vic-tor Villaseñor, “The Circuit” by Dr. Francisco Jimenez, “Zoot Suit” by Luis Valdez, “Across a Hundred Mountains” by Reyna Grande, “SeedFolks” by Paul Fleischman, “Thunderweav-ers” by Juan Felipe Herrera, “Enrique’s Journey” by Sonia Nazario and “Always Running” by Luis J. Rodriguez. Free tickets for the event are available at the Watson-ville, Freedom and Pajaro libraries, as well as Crossroads Books, 1935 Main St. in Wat-sonville.

Contributed

Luis Alberto Urrea

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