Watsonville Community Hospital’s maternity services and neonatal intensive care unit could close in 120 days. Kaiser Permanente has the resources – and a responsibility to its local hospital partner – to help prevent that outcome, the Lookout Editorial Board writes. A $15 million commitment over three years could keep essential care in the Pajaro Valley and help rally other funders. The clock is ticking. Kaiser, the board writes, should step up now.
Lookout Editorial Board
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
A Lookout View: Joe Clarke and Tory Del Favero for Capitola City Council
Capitola has five good candidates competing for three city council seats, but this race has been clouded by an ugly controversy that has raised questions beyond the candidates themselves. Lookout’s editorial board doesn’t believe the furor over TJ Welch’s past comments about the LGBTQ+ community has merit as a measure of his fitness to serve, yet the episode has exposed rifts beneath Capitola’s friendly, small-town veneer. We endorse incumbent Joe Clarke and Tory Del Favero, but the rancor surrounding the race, along with real differences in the candidates’ visions for the city, has left us unable to choose a third. Here’s what the editorial board sees in the candidates — and why this election matters for Capitola’s future.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
A Lookout View: How we choose our 2026 election endorsements
What the Lookout Editorial Board looks for in candidates, how we evaluate them and why we believe endorsements matter.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
A Lookout View: Yes on Scotts Valley’s Measure G
Lookout’s editorial board supports the Scotts Valley hotel tax, Measure G. It makes sense for the city, given its looming budget deficit, and is only a modest increase for visitors.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
A Lookout View: Yes on Measure E
What happens when the safety net we all depend on begins to fray? With hospitals under pressure and federal cuts threatening essential services, Santa Cruz County faces hard choices. Measure E isn’t a golden ticket to solving all our county’s needs, but Lookout’s editorial board believes the temporary tax is a necessary investment in the care and services that hold our community together.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
A Lookout View: Yes on Measure D
Our ocean is our home in Santa Cruz County and we need to do all we can to protect it. Measure D takes a modest step in that direction by giving local communities a measure of control over decisions about our coast. The Lookout Editorial Board endorses it with a yes vote.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
A Lookout View: Michael Zeller and Danny Reber for Scotts Valley City Council
The Lookout Editorial Board endorses Michael Zeller and Danny Reber for Scotts Valley City Council. The board believes their combined experience and connections will benefit the council as it navigates the Town Center project, budget constraints and the need to meet affordable housing numbers mandated by the state.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
A Lookout View: Karen Cogswell for Cabrillo College trustee
With Cabrillo College at an important crossroads with finances, attracting and retaining students, expanding its offerings and rebuilding trust with parts of the community after the debate over changing the school’s name, the Lookout Editorial Board endorses Karen Cogswell for the Area 6 seat on Cabrillo’s governing board, citing the most relevant experience, the clearest ideas and the strongest grasp of the college’s challenges among the three candidates.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
A Lookout View: Ryan Coonerty for Santa Cruz mayor
Santa Cruz is at a pivotal moment of change, and its next mayor will need experience, political savvy and a clear vision for the city’s future. The Lookout Editorial Board endorses Ryan Coonerty over Ami Chen Mills, recognizing her advocacy and the concerns she raises about homelessness, affordability and city design. But Coonerty’s government experience, regional relationships and policy initiatives make him better equipped to tackle the city’s most pressing challenges. His proposals for public art, downtown revitalization and greater transparency offer a promising path forward.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
A Lookout View: Casey Clark and Nancy Bilicich for Watsonville City Council
Watsonville faces major challenges, from housing and aging infrastructure to flood protection and public safety. The Lookout Editorial Board endorses Casey Clark in District 5 for his pragmatic approach, city experience and relationships that will help him lead as mayor in 2027. In District 7, the editorial board backs former mayor Nancy Bilicich, whose government experience and work on Pajaro River flood protection are critical. Both candidates have worthy opponents, but offer the practical leadership Watsonville needs to turn good intentions into progress.
