In her weekly roundup of news and notes from the Santa Cruz County business community, Jessica M. Pasko digs into where pharmacy closures across the county fit into the industry’s challenges nationwide, a slowdown in fall tourism, and the latest businesses opening and closing across the community.
Jessica M. Pasko
Jessica M. Pasko has been writing professionally for almost two decades. She cut her teeth in journalism as a reporter for the Associated Press in her native Albany, New York, where she covered everything from plane crashes and arts & culture to state politics, including assisting with the coverage of former New York State Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s resignation. After getting her master’s degree at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, she moved to the West Coast and covered crime and breaking news for the Santa Cruz Sentinel. She has also worked for KION and written for a variety of local, regional and national publications on both coasts, including Evanston Patch, The Good Times, Santa Cruz Waves and many others.
Posted inBusiness & Technology, Capitola & Soquel, Health & Wellness, Latest News
More changes ahead at Capitola’s King’s Plaza Shopping Center with Rite Aid closure
The Rite Aid in King’s Plaza Shopping Center in Capitola is set to close as part of the company’s bankruptcy and restructuring proceedings. The second Rite Aid closure in Santa Cruz County this year comes amid ongoing struggles for retail pharmacies, including falling sales and high debt.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
County tests digital wallet for RV permits, secured by blockchain
Interested in applying for a permit for your recreational vehicle? You can now do that through an app on your phone, with the transaction secured by the blockchain thanks to an agreement between Santa Cruz County and a Southern California app developer. Earlier this year, the county board of supervisors approved the use of mobile […]
Posted inBusiness & Technology
This week in Santa Cruz County business: County’s digital wallet, downtown housing, Deloitte Fast 500
As we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic and its lingering effects on economies everywhere, we’ll be taking a closer look at the movers and shakers, the growth of industries, and what’s really driving the Santa Cruz County economy. I’ll be spotlighting some of the biggest areas for opportunity, updates on local development and all things […]
Posted inBusiness & Technology
Joby Aviation gets $9.8M grant to expand Marina facility, add new Central Coast jobs
When Joby Aviation announced in September it was building its new manufacturing facility in Dayton, Ohio, there were fears the Santa Cruz-based company might not stay local for much longer. But under the terms of a new $9.8 million CalCompetes grant, the company is committed to investing further in California, including expansion of its Marina […]
Posted inBusiness & Technology
This week in Santa Cruz County business: ‘Sense of optimism’ on tourism, movers and Shapers & mark your calendars
In her weekly roundup of news and notes from the Santa Cruz County business community, Jessica M. Pasko talks with new Visit Santa Cruz County CEO Terence Concannon about the organization’s priorities, notes a key driver of the reshaping of post-earthquake Santa Cruz and runs the numbers on local business.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
New Visit Santa Cruz County CEO sets sights on international markets, expanded business travel, countywide efforts
Settling in as head of the private, nonprofit corporation focused on enhancing tourism and the local economy, Terence Concannon sees “a sense of optimism” post-pandemic, and is not only aiming to bring in visitors from emerging markets like Mexico and Brazil but also to help build South County’s tourism infrastructure — all without alienating county residents in the process.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
This week in Santa Cruz County business: Permanent parklet transition; funding for education-to-career programs
In her weekly roundup of news and notes from the Santa Cruz County business community, Jessica M. Pasko checks in on the progress of converting pandemic-era parklets to permanent structures in Santa Cruz, state funding for education and workforce opportunities, numbers to know and more.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
This week in Santa Cruz County business: Bad news for crab fleet, downtown food boom & numbers to know
In her weekly roundup of news and notes from the Santa Cruz County business community, Jessica M. Pasko talks to local fishermen about yet another delayed start to the Dungeness crab season, the latest openings and closings across the region and a $325,000 price tag for a fencing company that is up for sale.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
Dungeness crab season delayed again this year, another blow to Santa Cruz fishing industry
Commercial Dungeness crab season had been set to open Nov. 15, but amid concerns about whale safety that have delayed the season in recent years, the California Department of Fish & Wildlife has pushed it back to at least Dec. 1. “For many fishermen, this means there’s no income right now,” one veteran says, “and they’re hanging by the threads.”