Good morning! It’s Monday, June 15, and a pretty typical weather day is ahead for Santa Cruz County – morning clouds, sun later, temperatures ranging from around 70 to the upper 80s.
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Santa Cruz Metro’s Youth Cruz Free program has transformed how local students get around since it launched in 2023, but with a $28 million state grant set to run out early next year, transit advocates are scrambling against an Aug. 12 deadline to get a sales tax measure on the ballot, Max Chun reports. Without a local funding source, the agency faces major 40% service cuts and mass layoffs, placing the popular youth program directly on the chopping block.
Lily Belli hit the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk recently for not only a turn on Vertigo 360, the park’s first major new thrill ride in a decade, but also to check out some of its latest food offerings. Smash burgers, brisket, beignets and dirty sodas were on the menu before she strapped in for an upside-down look at Monterey Bay.
Singer and Santa Cruz native Oliver Tree was among six dead after two helicopters collided and crashed Sunday in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Born Oliver Nickell, the Harbor High grad was 32 and was in South America as part of a world tour that had been scheduled to bring him to UC Santa Cruz’s Quarry Amphitheater in August.
The Monday headlines also include an update from former Lookout columnist Claudia Sternbach and local election results you might’ve missed – onward.
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As state grants dry up, future of Santa Cruz Metro’s popular ‘Youth Cruz Free’ program hinges on a sales tax push
Santa Cruz Metro advocates are continuing their push for signatures to get a sales tax ballot measure before county voters in order to secure a local funding source to maintain Metro’s major service increases over the past three years. One program in jeopardy without local funding is Youth Cruz Free, offering free rides to K-12 students, which has shown to be a success among local students and their families. Read more here from Max Chun.
Upside down and overfed: New thrill ride and treats come to the Boardwalk
The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk’s first major new thrill ride in a decade, Vertigo 360, offers riders a soaring, upside-down view of Monterey Bay while adding to the park’s growing lineup of attractions. Along the way, Lily Belli samples several new food offerings, from smash burgers and smoked brisket to beignets and dirty sodas, highlighting the Boardwalk’s expanding culinary options. Get a taste of it all here.
DAILY DIGEST
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Have an excellent Monday – thanks for reading.
Will McCahill