Fans traveled from across the West Coast to Santa Cruz’s Evergreen Cemetery for a Día de los Muertos tribute to hometown musician Oliver Tree, who died in a helicopter crash in Brazil in June. The gathering also offered a glimpse into his enduring legacy, with his family revealing plans for a substantial archive of unreleased music, books, films and other creative projects, as well as a grant program for emerging artists.
Westside / Downtown
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Santa Cruz mayoral candidates Chen Mills, Coonerty face campaign ad controversies just before Election Day
Campaign advertisements for both Ami Chen Mills and Ryan Coonerty received criticism on social media over the weekend. A volunteer-made Chen Mills poster was accused for being antisemetic, while a Coonerty poster on a fire truck in the closed area of Pacific Avenue on Halloween was criticized for using a city-owned vehicle for a political campaign, and for potentially blocking emergency services should they have needed to access the area.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
29 new businesses have opened in downtown Santa Cruz since 2025. Here’s why.
Downtown Santa Cruz has welcomed 29 new businesses since January 2025, with locally owned shops and restaurants helping revive a commercial district that struggled with nearly 40 empty storefronts post-pandemic. New housing, increased foot traffic and city programs designed to attract businesses are helping fuel the growth, with 11 more businesses on the horizon.
Posted inLatest News
It stinks! The UC Santa Cruz corpse flower is in bloom
The UC Santa Cruz corpse flower is blooming for its second time ever, and its stench can be experienced only Sunday. It’s housed at the UCSC Arboretum, where staff say they’ll be open until 6 p.m.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
Watsonville Community Hospital board votes to close maternity services, NICU despite pushback from community members
The Pajaro Valley Health Care District board of directors voted 3-2 to close Watsonville Community Hospital’s maternity services, which includes labor and delivery, and its neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The decision does not mean an immediate closure, and the board could rescind its decision if funding becomes available.
Posted inLatest News
‘An inspiration to many’: Dolores Huerta’s legacy lives on in Santa Cruz County activists she inspired
Dolores Huerta, the pioneering labor leader and co-founder of United Farm Workers, inspired generations of activists across Santa Cruz County. Local leaders from Watsonville to Santa Cruz remember her as a champion for farmworkers, women’s rights and community activism.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Two new independent bookstores bring fresh energy to Santa Cruz County – one for romantasy, one for adventure
The Burning Ember opens this week in downtown Santa Cruz, stocking romance and romantasy. Trailside Books is set to follow next month in Aptos Village, with shelves built around adventure, children’s books and local history.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
Santa Cruz County business: Downtown Pops! seeks tenants; two new bookstores slated to open
In her weekly dispatch on Santa Cruz County business, Jessica M. Pasko reports on pop-up opportunities at a pair of Pacific Avenue spots, notes local participants in the ongoing indie bookstore renaissance and highlights names, dates and numbers to know.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Ryan Coonerty has spent 25 years showing up for Santa Cruz – let’s make him mayor
Ryan Coonerty has spent 25 years dedicated to public service and work on wildfire recovery, affordable housing, early childhood programs and coastal preservation, write Carol Fuller, Richelle Noroyan and Leslie Steiner. His experience, dedication to the community and record of delivering results, they argue, make him uniquely prepared to lead the city through its challenges. The authors criticize his opponent, Ami Chen Mills, for opposing a major affordable housing and library project and question her approach to homelessness. They also dismiss her campaign rhetoric and cynical attacks on Coonerty as devoid of substance. They believe Santa Cruz needs experienced, pragmatic leadership, not division and obstruction.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
The next Santa Cruz mayor? Vote for a transparent, open and visionary candidate, Ami Chen Mills
Joy Schendledecker and Chris Krohn – who ran for the office in the primary – endorse Ami Chen Mills for Santa Cruz mayor, arguing that the city needs a new direction on development, affordability and transparency. They criticize her opponent Ryan Coonerty’s ties to developers and the growth-friendly political establishment. The former mayoral candidates say Chen Mills would prioritize neighborhood input, design review, affordable housing and more open government. They frame the race as a choice between continuing current policies and putting residents’ interests first.
