SAN JOSE – Santa Clara County Councilwoman Sylvia Arenas had enough.

During Tuesday's board meeting, she listened quietly as county child welfare officials presented a slideshow detailing progress in reforming the agency since three-month-old baby Phoenix Castro died of a fentanyl overdose last yr they usually refused to separate him from his drug-addicted father.

She waited for Damion Wright, the top of the Department of Family and Children Services, to say a scathing latest report from the California Department of Human Services — a follow-up to a similarly scathing report from last yr — that outlined how the state still was “concerned about the risks to child safety.”

Wright never mentioned it. So Arenas, who spent her profession in child support court before joining the board in 2023, delivered a blistering 20-minute critique, demanding accountability from Wright, his boss Dan Little – who now heads the county’s social services department – ​​and be Chief, County Executive James Williams. Their leadership and policies were leaving children in dangerous homes, Arenas said, and she or he demanded to know what they were doing to alter that.

“I want an answer. Damion? Dan? What are you doing? James, what are you doing?” she asked from the rostrum, looking down at Wright and Little, who were slouching of their seats. “How do we mitigate the impact of this extreme 'family preservation' concept that is endangering our children? That has caused a death in our community? That continues to impact brown and black children? What are you doing?”

When Little tried to answer that he would answer the identical query as he had at a board meeting nine months ago, Arenas interrupted him.

“I would really appreciate it if you said something different than you did in December,” she said. “It was really disappointing.”

The tense exchange between an elected official and salaried staff during a public meeting was extraordinary. Arena's voice almost trembled with anger at times and her three counterparts remained in awkward silence. Board meetings are often sober affairs that always seem interminable to members of the general public who may come to listen. If there are disagreements, they are often couched in polite platitudes that end with a thanks.

But Arenas turned those norms on their head on Tuesday.

The meeting got here nearly a yr after the Mercury News revealed that the county's family preservation policy – pushed by Dan Little in 2021 – gave the impression to be more vital than child safety within the case of baby Phoenix's death, whilst social staff had raised alarms. That news organization also uncovered the unique February 2023 state report that found the district attorney's office often overruled social staff' decisions to remove children from unsafe families. Little had kept that state report secret from the Board of Supervisors until the night before this newspaper published it.

After neither Little nor Wright mentioned the second state report in July of their presentation, Arenas made it clear Tuesday that she had little confidence within the agency's leadership, its transparency or its commitment to child safety as its most significant element.

That July state report criticized the county for failing to trace whether families who were capable of keep their children after reports of abuse or neglect actually accomplished the county's voluntary programs to enhance their parenting. From July 2022 to March 2024, state investigators found that in 55 percent of cases where there have been safety concerns in the house, safety plans weren’t developed or monitored. There were no formal protocols for social staff to follow when families didn’t complete their parenting programs, and there have been no formal processes to evaluate whether a short lived caregiver was appropriate.

After Little Arenas said, “We want to make sure that every decision we make for each child is the right decision for that child,” she interrupted again.

“But it wasn't, Dan. So I ask you: What are you doing to correct your leadership to ensure that the systems don't go back to where they were and put the well-being of our children at risk?”

When Little tried to reply, saying they were following “policies and practices,” she interrupted him.

“I ask you to take responsibility,” she said.

“You had a responsibility, Dan. How about we admit that to our community? How about we admit that we made a mistake in our system? Are you going to apologize to every single child you put in danger because there was no safety plan?”

The board meeting was live streamed and recordedAlex Lesniak, a social employee and union representative for the county, viewed it twice on Wednesday.

“I literally cried, in a good way, because it's like someone is finally getting it and seeing what we've all been trying to point out since before Phoenix died,” Lesniak said. “Someone is actually asking the people who made these decisions and implemented these policies to be accountable for what they're going to do differently so that this never happens again.”

The board has the facility to fireside Williams. The remainder of the five-member board, nonetheless, appears to have little interest in doing so. Only Williams has the facility to fireside Little or Wright – another choice that appears to have little traction.

Nevertheless, Arenas – with the support of the board – required in a motion that Wright and Little write a “personal reflection” on their leadership, outlining the way it has failed vulnerable children and what they’re doing to enhance it.

“I really want this to be your personal reflection on your own role in this fiasco we are in right now,” she said.

She became particularly animated when she brought up the state's July report and asked why neither Little nor Wright mentioned it. For ten deadly seconds, there was no response. Finally, Williams spoke up and agreed that it “would make sense” to include the state's findings and suggestions into the agency's future work plan.

Arenas shot back.

“The system works as well as the people who run it,” Arenas said. “And sometimes we have to ask ourselves if we have the right people on the team to actually do the work.”

Sonoma County's largest city – its urban heart – is usually only a stopover for visitors who need to travel on and explore wine country. But Santa Rosa has gained prominence in recent times as a destination in its own right, a city with walkable neighborhoods and lots of exciting recent restaurants and other places to go to.

If you're planning a weekend getaway, your start line is a no brainer: Flamingo Resort & Spa, the recently revitalized historic motel inbuilt 1957. The refresh of this mid-century mod motel has breathed recent life into this family-friendly, budget-friendly property, with barely enough retro cool mixed with modern upgrades to spice things up.

The pool at the middle of the property, from which a series of rooms fan out like a blooming flower, is the middle of the motion. The large shallow a part of the pool is a splashy play zone for the little ones. Adult lounge chairs surround the deeper part, which is conveniently positioned near the small bar cart that gives glasses of ice-cold watermelon frosé and spicy Angry Bird margaritas ($13). And the Wild Bird pool menu offers casual fare starting from strawberry spinach salad and buttermilk fried chicken to quesadillas for youths.

Meanwhile, the breakfast, lunch and dinner menus on the resort are Lazeaway Club is just adventurous enough to intrigue adults and keep kids comfortable, too. Think fried Brussels sprouts ($10) with toasted coconut, spicy chicken bao ($15) and kalua pork sliders — and mac and cheese, too. And for brunch, try the gochujang-spiced baked eggs ($19), served in a large cast-iron skillet.

Summertime at The Flamingo brings Sunday sessions by the pool, with live DJ parties every Sunday afternoon through the tip of September featuring Mark Farina, Avi Snow, Truthlive and more. Inside, between the airy lobby and the restaurant, is the resort's nightly music venue, Vintage room. The lounge just began a rustic music night – called “Space Cowboy!” – on the primary Friday of the month featuring local country-rock musician Dustin Saylor and line dancing lessons.

A fun strategy to explore town with the entire family is a city-wide scavenger hunt on the theme of “Art, Wine and Redwoods in Santa Rosa” with Let's roam. The hunt is guided through an app and takes you to parts of town that supply a wide range of sights, historical sites and quirky places filled with trivia, with challenges that you should solve as a team.

Many of the stops are near areas you'll need to explore anyway, resembling the South A Street Art District, referred to as downtown's SOFA district, which is home to the best concentration of art studios in Sonoma County. Depending on how much time you will have, there's also a terrific place to refuel nearby. Chef Liza Hinman opened the very fashionable dinner-only Spinster Sisters in 2012 and recently opened Marigolda pop-up lunch spot with chicken sandwiches, seasonal salads and drinks like blackberry lemonade.

Check out before or after the hunt or in the course of it at Russian river brewing for a pint of Pliny or to sample your way through the range. Opt for the entire tasting board experience and sample 2-ounce servings of Californian and Belgian-inspired beers.

Whatever you do, don't miss town's Historic Railroad Square, with a 1904-built depot, train connections and all forms of attractions. Santa Rosa was home to cartoonist Charles M. Schulz for greater than 30 years, and all around the city—but especially here—you'll find sculptures paying homage to his unforgettable Peanuts characters. Find Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy and more in Railroad Square, then browse the boutiques, restaurants and antique shops that populate this historic district.

Duck in Goblin Brothers Game store for board games, cards, role playing games and all types of numbered dice you would like. Go to Cast Away Yarn Shop for colourful skeins and other knitting and crochet supplies, craft kits, and gifts starting from felt strawberries to yarn tarot. Yes, tarot—so that you, too, can foresee the magical with cards depicting the Queen of Wands with a crochet hook and the Hermit with a ball of golden yarn.

You've been on the road for some time now, so go to Grossman's Noshery & Barright across from the train station. This traditional New York deli concept is all about big doses of nostalgia, from the mile-high pastrami sandwiches ($17) on house-made rye bread to your entire “Bubbies Favorites” section of the menu. They also offer delicious Mediterranean dishes here, including a rainbow-colored Sabich Board ($22) with falafel, perfectly fried eggplant, quinoa tabbouleh, and all of the dips and tender pita you possibly can want. And the bar is intriguing, with its house-distilled vodkas.

Terri and Mark Stark Grossman's opened in March 2020, just as lockdown began, however the place has done well – we obviously needed comfort food then and we still need it now. It's one among eight popular restaurants operated by the couple's Stark Reality restaurant group in Santa Rosa and Healdsburg. The list also includes Bird & the Bottle, Willi's and Augie's French, which opened last fall.

Another excellent spot to stop for a bite – or a treat – is Amy Brown and Joe Wolf's Marla Bakery. The bakery first opened in San Francisco, where it gained a big following, but closed in 2019. Late last yr, it reopened within the historic Railroad District. Be sure to try their famous crebble ($5.50), a twisted, knotted croissant with maple sugar and sea salt, in addition to their massive sandwiches. Friday nights feature fried chicken ($28), and Sundays feature a dinner series featuring local winemakers, guest chefs, and special menus served of their chic, modern setting.

And if you happen to fancy a correct pint, head to The Goose and the Fern. The pub atmosphere, with dark wood, green partitions and appropriately sized pint glasses, transports you across the pond. The menu of classic English pub fare is topped off with tantalizing fish and chips ($24), said to be one of the best on the town, and a blinding wine list.

When you go

Flamingo Resort & Spa: Rooms start at $237. The hotel is positioned at 2777 Fourth St. in Santa Rosa. www.flamingoresort.comCheck out the Lazeaway Club menu at https://lazeawayclub.com and the Vintage Space program at https://vintagespacesr.com.

Let’s roam: This 90-minute, 1.40-mile scavenger hunt in Santa Rosa costs $13 per person. www.letsroam.com.

The Old Maid Sisters: Open Tuesday through Sunday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., with a pop-up lunch to-go, Marigold, open Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2:45 p.m., 401 S. A St.; thespinstersisters.com.

Russian river brewing: Open day by day from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., 725 Fourth St.; www.russianriverbrewing.com.

Goblin Bros. Games and Equipment: Opens at 11 a.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. weekends at 129 Fourth St.; https://goblinbros.com.

Yarn Shop Cast Away: Open Wednesday through Monday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., 100 Fourth St.; https://castawayyarnshop.com.

Grossman’s: Open day by day 8 a.m. to eight p.m., 308 Wilson St.; https://grossmanssr.com.

Marla Bakery: Opens Thursday through Sunday at 8 a.m. at 208 Davis St.; www.marlabakery.com

The Goose and the Fern: Open 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. or later Wednesday through Sunday, 116 Fifth St.; https://thegooseandfern.com.

The pandemic has exposed cracks within the local food system which have festered for years as inequality grew in Silicon Valley.

In 2021, Santa Clara County responded by approving the Food Systems Work Plan Report: a technique to construct a stronger food economy within the region, address food insecurity, and improve agricultural opportunities for local farmers, amongst other goals.

In December 2023, the county hired Cayce Hill as its first food systems manager to oversee the growing volume of labor. Before coming to the county, Hill was executive director of Veggielution – an East San Jose nonprofit that operates an urban farm at Emma Prusch Farm Park.

Q: What does a food systems manager do?

A: My primary role is to deal with gaps, discover opportunities, and improve coordination across the statewide food system. More specifically, it’s about providing leadership and implementing the goals of the Santa Clara County Work Plan. This work plan is the North Star of the county, it’s my North Star. At the moment there may be a number of listening and a number of learning, eager about how I’ll implement the goals of the work plan.

Q: What is a food system?

A: We can consider food systems as every thing involved within the production, aggregation, distribution, retailing, and ultimately at the top of its life – hopefully straight back into production – food. It is determined by how we grow our food, how and where we collect it, who grows the food, who cooks it, where we buy it and what we do with all of the food produced that we unfortunately find yourself not eating. Many people consider the food system as “farm to table.” It involves a farm and if we're lucky we all know the farmer who grew it, we buy it and cook it or eat it in a restaurant. When we expect beyond that, we also think in regards to the food that’s passed on to others locally through a charitable food response.

I hope that in my role I’ll really find a way to take a much wider take a look at food systems that isn't nearly who grew it, cooked it or served it, but reasonably whether those people can afford to live here. Can they breathe clean air here, can they find quality jobs here that support their family and a dignified life here? There are many examples of how these issues are literally being addressed in and by our county, which is why I’m more than happy to be here. It's very complex. Raising awareness of what a food system is and the role all of us play in our food system might be the largest and largest challenge I actually have on this recent role.

Q: How do you interact with local businesses and nonprofits?

A: Local nonprofits and native businesses are vital partners of Santa Clara County. I feel mostly because they’ve such a deep understanding and are so near the needs of the community and know rather more directly what the community is striving for and what the community needs. Santa Clara County partners with nonprofits and native businesses every step of the best way. I’d say that without the partnerships of local nonprofits and businesses, there isn’t a doubt we couldn’t be as effective.

A very good example is our Good Food Purchasing Program. Three county hospitals – St. Louise, O'Connor and Valley Medical – have all enrolled within the Good Food Purchasing Program, supported by our public health and procurement team. Essentially, it gives us as a big institution the chance to essentially align our purchases with values ​​that actually matter, like local economies, environmental sustainability, animal welfare and nutrition, and a valued workforce. This article in regards to the local economy is specifically about connecting with local farmers, local vendors and native producers to bring these products on to hospital patients.

Q: What are the largest challenges in your recent role?

A: We take into consideration food systems too often, and that’s rightly a giant a part of food systems work, but we expect of it primarily as a direct emergency or charitable response with food, to get it to as many individuals as possible as quickly as possible place. That will at all times be the main focus, but I feel the challenge and opportunity before us is to essentially take into consideration what will not be working in our food system and is causing a number of people to feel insecure.

Hunger is a system of poverty. As we take into consideration food systems now, I feel our challenge, and I feel we’ll rise to it, is to totally understand how food systems relate to housing affordability, our environmental sustainability, and the best way we buy goods inside the circle. That connectivity, I feel, hasn't been discussed in a protracted time, and that, frankly, has really contributed to the vulnerability of our food system. Not just in our district, but throughout the country. Those disproportionately affected by the pandemic suffered from the vulnerability of our food system. In my opinion, the largest challenge is to higher connect this work and to seek out the interface between this work and other areas of impact.

CAYCE HILL PROFILE

Company: Santa Clara County

Role: Food Systems Manager

Age: 49

Place of birth: Austin, TX

Current City: San Jose

Education: Bachelor of Science from Trinity University and Master of Public Administration from NYU Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service

FIVE FACTS ABOUT CAYCE HILL

1. I actually have a rescue duck at home named Olive.
2. This is my first job in local government.
3. I attended culinary school in Japan.
4. I've never met a vegetable I didn't like, except cooked carrots.
5. I'm really good at memorizing song lyrics and hanging Christmas tree lights.