As health coverage becomes more uncertain, Santa Cruz County’s community health providers are doubling down on what works: partnership, write six healthcare safety net leaders. When a pregnant patient at Santa Cruz Community Health needed dental care, Dientes Community Dental Care was ready next door — one example of how Salud Para La Gente, Santa Cruz County Health Centers, Janus of Santa Cruz, Encompass Community Services and Dientes work together to close gaps in care. All will participate at Friday’s Community Health Resource Fair and Breastfeeding Walk in Watsonville. The authors encourage community members to attend and discover the services and support available to them and their families.
Opinion from Community Voices
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Letter to the editor: Lookout’s ‘Why Art Matters’ series is a great idea
In a letter to the editor, a Scotts Valley resident lauds a new Lookout series spotlighting local artists and art.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Letter to the editor: Lookout misses the point on vehicular homeless – where are the locals?
In a letter to the editor, a Santa Cruz resident outlines his issues with a recent Lookout story on homelessness.
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Letter to the editor: Vote no on all tax increases in November
In a letter to the editor, the chairman of the Santa Cruz County Republican Party urges readers to vote against all tax increases proposed on the November ballot.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
I grew up in the manosphere before it had a name
The manosphere didn’t invent misogyny — it monetized it, writes attorney Angela Lipanovich, co-founder of the Santa Cruz Feminist Society. In a deeply personal essay, Lipanovich reflects on the childhood abuse that shaped her understanding of power, class and gender, arguing that feminism is ultimately a conversation about economic dependence. Teaching girls their worth and boys that masculinity doesn’t depend on domination is as important as mathematics, she writes.
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Made in Santa Cruz: Why Art Matters | Abi Mustapha
“Made in Santa Cruz: Why Art Matters” is a new video series, published every other Sunday, exploring the artists who shape Santa Cruz County’s creative landscape. Each episode offers a peek into an artist’s practice, the places and experiences that inform their work, and the ways creativity helps us see our community differently. The series begins with multidisciplinary artist Abi Mustapha.
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Standing strong for our children: AB 2691 shows why Dawn Addis’ record falls short on school safety
Shannon Kessler says her experience as a former athlete, mother of a female athlete and founder of Save Girls’ Sports Central Coast makes her the more qualified candidate for the District 30 Assembly seat, which includes communities across the Central Coast. Kessler, a Republican, is challenging incumbent Assemblymember Dawn Addis, pointing to their differing views on girls’ sports, parental rights and legislation including Assembly Bill 2691, the Public Trust Protection Act, which Kessler says reflects concerns about child safety and public accountability. She argues that her background in business, civic leadership and grassroots advocacy provides a different approach to representing Central Coast families.
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We’re making permitting easier in Santa Cruz County – have you noticed?
Santa Cruz County is making it easier to get a permit. Here, Matt Machado, deputy county executive officer and director of community development & infrastructure, discusses how the county has redesigned its permitting process over the past few years to make it more customer-friendly. The new unified permit center offers expanded online service, but also an in-person option, he writes. He explains how the changes are making permitting more accessible, efficient and transparent while maintaining the standards that protect public safety and the environment.
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What the Homeless Garden Project taught me about belonging in Santa Cruz
After spending two years unhoused, Damien Christopher Camany found more than job training at the Homeless Garden Project — he found a place to belong. Here, he reflects on how working the soil helped him rebuild his sense of purpose, dignity and community, and why the organization’s mission extends far beyond farming. The Homeless Garden Project recently secured the rights to acquire the 4-acre farm it has stewarded for decades — an important step toward permanently preserving both its organic farming program and transitional employment services. Camany offers a firsthand perspective on why protecting this place means protecting opportunities for people rebuilding their lives.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Letter to the editor: Don Lane’s ice cream adventure is about loving the inner child
In a letter to the editor, a Santa Cruz resident shares his appreciation for former mayor Don Lane’s California ice cream journey.
