We look out for Santa Cruz County and you. Here are some of most recent stories of positive community impact, driven by our newsroom’s reporting.
Lily Belli
483 days for 120 square feet; How Santa Cruz’s permitting process almost killed one entrepreneur’s dream: This story spotlighted the negative effects Santa Cruz’s lengthy and bureaucratic permitting can have on small businesses. It was widely read throughout the community, inspiring discussion online, and revealed the issues within the building department that have led to a cumbersome and inefficient system. In response, representatives from Santa Cruz’s building department met with the winery owner in the story to see how they could improve their systems.
Sunday marks Live Oak farmers market’s last day at East Cliff Village after lease talks fail: This story broke the news to the community that the Sunday farmers market in Live Oak would leave its home of 22 years that following Sunday, after it failed to renegotiate a new lease with the property owner, Swenson Builders. The news created a strong community reaction, and a few hours after it was published, Swenson Builders reached out to the market to offer it a 30-day extension.
‘Very much a shock’: Twisselman Enterprises booted from Boardwalk after 90 years in business: This story broke the news that, after 90 years in business, Twisselman Enterprises would end its operation at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk after its lease was unexpectedly not renewed by the Santa Cruz Seaside Company. The story did not change the Twisselman family’s circumstances, but it did draw the community’s attention to what many considered a ruthless act by the Seaside Company to kick out a longstanding, locally owned and family operated business.
Max Chun
Nightmare in Aptos paradise as Jackson Browne property dispute heads toward court decision: This story tracked the long, arduous path through the legal system that one couple had to take in order to finally move forward with building their dream home in the hills north of Aptos. Singer-songwriter Jackson Browne owned the property next door, where his son lived. Eventually, they took issue with the build, resulting in a multiyear easement dispute. Although the story did not drive change directly, it examined a complicated issue around power and money and how it affects day-to-day life.
A driver’s guide to Santa Cruz County road delays to come: The coming years will bring numerous projects and significant changes to Santa Cruz County roads and transportation — which also means plenty of traffic delays. This piece lays out the biggest projects over the next several years as well as the impacts that drivers can expect in an already congested region.
Students, workers union say UCSC slow to address safety concerns ahead of bus crash: Following the fatal crash of a UC Santa Cruz bus in December, my colleague Hillary Ojeda and I reached out to a number of students, workers and administrators to discuss longstanding safety concerns around the bus system. Although the cause of the crash was not determined to have been a mechanical failure, the story highlighted the ongoing fears that many UCSC students and workers have surrounding their main source of transportation.
Christopher Neely
‘It’s a mess’: Attempt at illegal Coastal Commission nominations shows decades of state law violations by Santa Cruz County: A post on the California Coastal Commission means a chance to vote on land use issues across California’s 1,100 miles of coastline. Given the invaluable private property and natural assets along the coast, the Coastal Commission is considered one of the most powerful land-use agencies in the United States.
So when a seat on the commission became vacant, and the Speaker of the California State Assembly wanted to fill it with an elected official from the Central Coast, the local politerati jostled for a nomination.
Yet, in Santa Cruz County, the three nominations for the seat — a local mayor, a city councilmember, and the chair of the county’s board of supervisors — were selected illegally behind closed doors. I found this out by asking simple questions about the process of making nominations for the influential post. This then revealed that the committee responsible for nominating appointees to the Coastal Commission, and a handful of other decision-making boards, had been working outside of the public’s view for decades.
The story resulted in the invalidation of the county’s nominees of a public apology and commitment to changing how the selection committee operates. The county then selected a new slate of nominees, including the one who was eventually selected among a multi-county pool of choices.
Hillary Ojeda
As backlash over Cabrillo College name change grows, some donors weigh whether to keep giving: As Cabrillo College leadership moved forward with plans to rename the college, rumors spread that big donors to the college who opposed the name change were going to stop giving to the college. We reached out to more than 20 donors to try to answer that question. The story helped to dispel rumors and show the range of sentiments among the colleges’ major donors.
Firings, resignations and finger-pointing: How Live Oak School District fell into crisis: Live Oak School District Superintendent Daisy Morales announced her resignation on March 15 after months of turmoil. We spoke to teachers, parents and district staff to understand what brought the district to this point.