In the past 12 months, five women have been victims of homicides, a dramatic jump from 2019. Service providers say they have seen an increase in calls for help as the pandemic eases, and urge anyone who might be in a dangerous situation to get help.
Hanna Merzbach
Posted inHousing & Development
Homeless Garden Project one step closer to a permanent home in Pogonip
The Santa Cruz City Council has approved a plan that moves the Homeless Garden Project to a permanent home on the upper meadows at Pogonip, near UCSC’s upper campus. The two-year process will seek public input and look into environmental impacts.
Posted inCOVID 2022
Masks off: Santa Cruz health officials remove mandate
After the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention moved Santa Cruz County to its second-lowest COVID-19 transmission tier, yellow, local officials rescinded the county’s indoor mask mandate Wednesday. They continue to recommend the use of masks, however.
Posted inEducation
Cabrillo College receives $5 million grant to assist Latino and low-income STEM majors
Cabrillo College officials announced Tuesday that it has received a five-year, $5 million federal grant to boost its STEM programs as well as its outreach to Latinos and low-income students. The money will be used to encourage PVUSD students to enter STEM fields, create a new biotechnology degree and improve transfer rates to four-year universities.
Posted inEducation
Want to weigh in about a Cabrillo College name change? Final community session set for Thursday
Cabrillo College officials have held a series of forums regarding a potential name change. Proponents say the college’s namesake enslaved Indigenous people and should no longer be honored. Opponents worry about the impact on their degrees and the cost — which could run up to $400,000. A final forum is scheduled for Thursday.
Posted inCoast Life
Pain with a purpose: Young paddlers cross the bay to raise money for cystic fibrosis
Saturday’s fundraiser included the youngest team of paddlers to ever cross Monterey Bay. Aptos’ Jack Snyder, 14, and Capitola’s Ryder Walding, 13, trained for months to complete the paddle from Santa Cruz to Monterey.
Posted inWatsonville / Pajaro
‘Kids pretty much on their own’: Leaders grapple with Pajaro Valley’s pandemic-fueled youth violence crisis
Those who see it up close talk to Lookout about what they view as the biggest challenges to fixing the problems that ail so many kids growing up in Watsonville. But they are far from easy, and many rooted deeply in the systems that govern an area with a disproportionate population living below the poverty line.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
‘Art and science’: In aftermath of the CZU fire, restoring our beloved trail systems is no easy task
Of the 175 miles of trails in Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties affected by last summer’s blaze, only 7.5 miles have reopened so far. As the public anxiously waits to regain access to places like Big Basin and parts of Henry Cowell, crews from around the state and county are hard at work removing hazards and making trails safe for use.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
‘Not my preferred way of living’: Where overnight RVs can be, and when, remains in city-discussion gridlock
With Delaware Avenue and Natural Bridges Drive the epicenter of vehicle abatement in Santa Cruz, local officials are working on an ordinance that would create a permitting process for those who want to sleep overnight in their oversized vehicles.
Posted inEvents, K-12 Education
‘A proactive, preventative approach’: PVUSD’s leader explains why new campus safety plan is the answer
In an exclusive one-on-one with Lookout, Pajaro Valley Unified School District Superintendent Michelle Rodriguez calls the pairing of a school resource officer with a mental health clinician on the Aptos and Watsonville High campuses a “win-win.”