UC Santa Cruz faculty, students and campus unions are fighting back against new parking rate increases, accusing the administration of implementing the hikes in bad faith and violating its own policies.
Westside / Downtown
Posted inEducation
Legendary composer and Nina Simone brother, collaborator Samuel Waymon to bring six-decade legacy to UCSC
Samuel Waymon, the legendary composer and activist who spent a quarter-century shaping the sound of his sister Nina Simone, is bringing his six-decade cultural legacy to UC Santa Cruz this October for a weeklong residency.
Posted inLatest News
City of Santa Cruz eyes 2027 construction for partial West Cliff Drive roadway, path relocation
The City of Santa Cruz is working to wrap up permitting and land acquisition processes for a project that involves relocating a section of West Cliff Drive farther inland to improve public safety and coastal access well into the future as coastal erosion remains a chief concern.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Purrrrrrfest returns: Santa Cruz metal bands rock out to help black cats
Santa Cruz’s annual Purrrrrrfest returns Saturday to the Blue Lagoon, bringing four local metal bands together to raise money for the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter’s Bogey Fund, which helps black cats find homes. The quirky benefit concert has grown into a beloved community tradition now in its sixth year.
Posted inFood & Drink
Homeless Garden Project clears final roadblock to owning Natural Bridges Farm
Homeless Garden Project cleared the final major regulatory hurdle to purchasing the 4-acre Natural Bridges Farm it has leased on Santa Cruz’s Westside for three decades, paving the way for the nonprofit to establish the first permanent home in its 36-year history.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
This week in Santa Cruz County business: Diving into the 2026 county workforce report; downtown development signs first retail client
Jessica M. Pasko crunches the latest county jobs numbers, notes Bookie’s Pizza’s impending move to a new Pacific Avenue development and highlights other local comings and goings in her latest business roundup.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
In wake of national ICE traffic stop deaths, Santa Cruzans gather in grief and protest on Ocean Street
Driven by a rise in national ICE-involved deaths, Santa Cruz community members gathered Monday evening to honor two men killed during separate traffic stops over the past week. Organizers said the vigil is part of an ongoing effort to stand in solidarity with those targeted by aggressive immigration enforcement.
Posted inFood & Drink
Lily Belli on Food: Homeless Garden Project milestone, Bookie’s move downtown, culinary greats at Bookshop
A big next step for Homeless Garden Project, a move downtown for Bookie’s Pizza, renowned culinary minds joining forces at Bookshop Santa Cruz – find all that and plenty more in Lily Belli’s Tuesday newsletter.
Posted inEducation
UC Santa Cruz expands undergraduate housing guarantee to two years starting this fall
UC Santa Cruz will begin offering two years of guaranteed housing to its new undergraduate students starting this fall.
Posted inFood & Drink
Santa Cruz’s Homeless Garden Project takes major step toward buying longtime farm
Homeless Garden Project is one step closer to owning its longtime Natural Bridges Farm after years of regulatory hurdles, with a key zoning decision this week that, if approved, would clear the way for the nonprofit to purchase the 4-acre property and begin construction on a permanent home as early as 2027.
