Is the rail trail really Santa Cruz County’s best bold idea? Stanford Ph.D. student Richard Randall argues it’s time to imagine alternatives — like massive workforce housing, smarter buses or even ferries — before sinking billions into a train with modest capacity.
Opinion from Community Voices
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
A Lookout View: Yes on Santa Cruz’s Measure C – with a caveat
This Nov. 4 ballot feels like a grudge match, but dismissing it would be a mistake. Measure C could give Santa Cruz 10 times more power to prevent evictions and build affordable housing. The Lookout Editorial Board says yes on C, no on B — but only if the city proves it can spend the money wisely.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Letter to the editor: Joy Flynn is not prepared for her job as PVUSD trustee
In a letter to the editor, an Aptos resident levels criticism at Joy Flynn, a member of Pajaro Valley Unified School District’s governing board.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Letter to the editor: Yes on 50 is a vote against dictatorship
In a letter to the editor, an Aptos resident urges readers to vote for Proposition 50, California’s redistricting ballot measure.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Watsonville council is betraying the community by approving Flock surveillance cameras
Watsonville leaders betrayed the community by approving 17 more Flock Safety surveillance cameras, writes a countywide grassroots coalition that opposes the cameras. The vote means Watsonville will have more than any other city in Santa Cruz County even as critics warn the devices erode privacy.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
We have to plan now to protect the coast for generations
Santa Cruz County’s coast is already feeling the bite of storms and erosion, and we can’t afford to ignore what’s coming, writes David Carlson, a resource planner at the county Community Development & Infrastructure department.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Letter to the editor: RIP KION 46 and Telemundo 23 news
In a letter to the editor, a former TV and radio journalist laments the demise of television news operations at KION 46 and Telemundo 23.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Don’t wait for tragedy: Santa Cruz County must tackle e-bike danger today
Local activist Kevin Norton and surgeon John Maa warn that e-bikes are far more dangerous than most realize — especially for children. In California, e-bike crashes have surged nearly 19-fold since 2018 and were up 177% in Santa Cruz County in 2024, with some injuries resembling motorcycle wrecks.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
A Santa Cruz affordable housing primer – and why Measure C makes sense
Santa Cruz is on track to add nearly 900 truly affordable apartments — well short of what’s needed for teachers, servers, health care workers and longtime unhoused neighbors, writes housing advocate and former Santa Cruz mayor Don Lane. He advocates for Measure C on the November ballot.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
A pediatrician’s advice for caring for your kids’ emotional well-being
Back-to-school jitters affect kids of all ages, but pediatrician Sara Faheem reminds parents that preparation, open conversations and modeling empathy can ease the transition. She encourages year-round check-ins on both physical and emotional health, not just at the start of the school year.