Three Santa Cruz County fire protection districts — Central Fire, Scotts Valley and Zayante — are each putting either tax or bond measures out to voters this November aimed at funding aspects of fire response, ranging from vehicle fleet updates to modernizing existing fire stations and even constructing new facilities altogether.
Scotts Valley
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Family-friendly events in Santa Cruz County, Oct. 18-20
A roundup of fall family-friendly events in Santa Cruz County this weekend.
Posted inLatest News
Watsonville man sees drug, sex charges nearly double; incidents first reported at schools
The number of charges against Luis Alberto Salas, 35, accused of using social media to offer children drugs in exchange for sex, has jumped from 24 to 42 after the Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office filed an amended complaint against the Watsonville man on Monday. According to court filings, police first started investigating the case after students reported it to local schools.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
County supervisors’ response to CZU recovery investigation ‘does not align’ with reality, District 5 candidates say
The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors is deflecting criticism from a civil grand jury report accusing the county of mishandling recovery from the 2020 CZU wildfire. The two candidates running in this November’s election for an open District 5 supervisor seat — Christopher Bradford, a fire victim, and Monica Martinez — criticized the board’s response this week and called for more accountability and expedited rebuilding.
Posted inEducation
Six compete for three seats on Scotts Valley Unified School District board
Scotts Valley Unified School District’s five-member governing board has three seats up for election this November. The two incumbents and four newcomers who are running talked to Lookout about their goals and why they think they’re the right candidates.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
As longtime leaders retire, crowded Scotts Valley City Council race focuses on housing, Town Center project
Seven people, including one incumbent, are running for three seats on the Scotts Valley City Council this fall. They’ll take over for two longtime leaders who chose not to run again, and be charged with managing state mandates for a dramatic increase in affordable housing, along with kickstarting the city’s long-discussed Town Center project, which calls for the construction of a new downtown with housing and commercial uses.
Posted inFood & Drink
Best of Santa Cruz County food & drink events, Sept. 27-Oct. 3
Lookout food & drink correspondent Lily Belli highlights top events happening around Santa Cruz County in the coming week, plus more listings from Lookout’s BOLO events calendar.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Coke, Pepsi and Red Bull spend big to defeat Santa Cruz’s soda tax
A key pre-election campaign finance reporting deadline on Thursday revealed that the biggest players in America’s soft drink industry, including the parent companies of Coke, Pepsi, Dr Pepper and Red Bull, have donated nearly $1 million to defeat a city of Santa Cruz ballot measure this fall that would enact a special tax on sugary drinks.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Measure X: Scotts Valley business license tax measure explained
The City of Scotts Valley seeks to update and modify its business license tax for the first time in over 30 years via Measure X, which would introduce a new base rate and a sliding scale based on gross receipts that will determine the amount each business will pay annually. There is no formal opposition to the measure. Taxes on the city’s smallest businesses would jump from $90 to at least $150, while larger businesses could pay upward of $6,000 depending on their annual revenue. The changes would bring in an estimated additional $750,000 in local tax revenue.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
Ambient Photonics takes on the battery with its low-light solar tech
Headquartered in Scotts Valley, Ambient Photonics has a mission to reduce consumer dependency on single-use, disposable batteries. The replacement? Small solar cells that can harvest and store energy under low-light conditions, making them well-suited for small appliances such as computer mice or keyboards.
