Hidden Fortress Coffee owner Amelia Loftus has had to reduce hours of operation at her Watsonville-based cafe and satellite locations including Cabrillo College as she continues looking for staff.
Neil Strebig
Follow Neil Strebig on: Twitter. A chef-turned-journalist, Neil has a track record for covering the hospitality industry and local businesses. Neil joins Lookout as a Report for America Corps member. Previously he worked at the York Daily Record in York, Pennsylvania where he focused primarily on food, business & issues in the hospitality industry.He has written about breaking bread with Amish & refugee families, restaurant workers’ financial struggles and lack of healthcare, in addition to how local businesses have survived throughout the pandemic. His in-depth reporting highlighted problems surrounding state liquor license laws and how the state’s tourism and restaurant industry can recover post-pandemic.Strebig’s work has appeared in USA Today and throughout its network and has earned him multiple Keystone Media Awards. Before joining the USA Today Network, Neil worked on a months-long project diving into the growing threat of news deserts in Western Pennsylvania for 100 Days of Appalachia.He grew up in Easton, Pennsylvania, and was the managing editor of The Northside Chronicle in Pittsburgh, which earned its first Golden Quill award from the region’s Press Club during his tenure. Strebig holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Pittsburgh’s Point Park University.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
A Big Basin rebirth: California’s oldest state park won’t be the same, but nature is assuring it will be back
A year after the CZU Lightning Complex Fire tore through 97% of the park, Big Basin is showing signs of new growth and enters into a new renovation phase. ”We’re going to be looking at how to make the park more resilient in the future,” says the local State Parks superintendent.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
Fox Racing factory in Watsonville set to close; more than 200 could face layoffs
All employees who are not relocating will be terminated by March 31, 2022, according to a notice. The news comes three years after Fox Factory moved several operations from Scotts Valley and Watsonville out of state.
Posted inCOVID Today
Santa Cruz County sees first confirmed COVID-19-related deaths since June
Two persons, both unvaccinated and in their 70s, died last week from COVID-19 symptoms. They were the first confirmed coronavirus-related deaths in Santa Cruz County since June 1.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
‘One last Christmas season’: Months after saying goodbye to Santa Cruz, Palace Arts to leave Capitola
Eight months after the downtown Santa Cruz location closed, the art and office supply store’s Capitola location follows suit marking the end of an era. Palace Art & Office Supply first opened in 1949 after owner Col. Frank Trowbridge purchased the property, formerly known as Palace Stationers.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Santa Cruz sales tax measure, which could’ve raised $6M, is dead for now — here’s why and what happens next
The measure was expected to help create an additional $6 million annually for the city. That revenue would have been reinvested back into a variety of programs and departments including homelessness services, parks, public works, wildfire prevention, affordable housing and infrastructure improvements.
Posted inCOVID Today
Good news, bad news from Newel: SC vax rate doubles, but so does Delta count
Health Officer Gail Newel said Tuesday that while Santa Cruz County officials are discussing whether to follow most of the Bay Area in returning to a mask mandate, the area has a lower case rate and better hospital capacity than neighboring counties. Still, she said that two recent deaths are likely COVID-related, the first such fatalities since March.
Posted inEnvironment
Sewage line break along East Cliff causes contamination of Schwan Lake, other waterways
A temporary health advisory was also issued at Cowell Beach late last week due to elevated levels of bacteria, probably unrelated to the East Cliff situation. Swimming and wading should be avoided while the advisory is in effect.
Posted inCOVID Today
San Lorenzo Valley bar temporarily closes due to positive COVID-19 cases
Joe’s Bar in Boulder Creek has announced it will be temporarily closing for a week due to positive COVID-19 results in both patrons and staff. The announcement came via Joe’s Facebook page.
Posted inCOVID Today
As fears of the Delta variant grow in the San Lorenzo Valley, are vaccine numbers keeping pace?
Vaccination rates in the upper parts of the San Lorenzo Valley, Ben Lomond and Boulder Creek in particular, “are about 10% lower than the rest of the county,” Santa Cruz County spokesperson Jason Hoppin said.