Hiya, folks. It’s Friday, March 27, and we’re again looking at a mix of sun and clouds around Santa Cruz County, with upper 70s closer to the bay and 90 possible in the mountains. Much the same through the weekend before perhaps some rain next week.
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With nonprofit Housing Matters set to close its public homeless day services in Santa Cruz’s Coral Street area next week, Max Chun looks at where things stand with efforts by the city and county to fill in those gaps. Some interim replacements should be ready, but the longer-term picture is cloudy.
Watsonville Community Hospital is getting closer to finding a potential health care partner to help manage the facility’s day-to-day operations, Tania Ortiz reports, with the health care district’s governing board targeting April to present options. And after a loss of nearly $23 million in January, February saw the hospital in the black.
Hillary Ojeda takes us inside a production of the play “Zoot Suit” happening this weekend at Pajaro Valley High School in Watsonville. “You can feel them identify with the struggle of it, the beauty of being Mexican, the difficulty of being Mexican, and all the chaos in between,” Pajaro Valley High’s drama teacher told Hillary Ojeda about students’ response. “I think that’s why it means a lot, and also, zoot suits are so cool.”
The Friday headlines also include a cheat sheet to the weekend ahead, including the latest round of “No Kings” protests happening in Santa Cruz and Watsonville. Let’s get after it.
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City, county have some interim replacements for shuttering day services, but long-term solutions remain uncertain
With the closure of Housing Matters’ day services less than a week away, the city and county of Santa Cruz have worked to get some interim replacements ready to go come next Wednesday. However, long-term solutions are still unclear. Community organizations have expressed interest in providing services, but nothing is solidified. The city is also exploring ways to implement more permanent public hygiene facilities. Read more from Max Chun.
Built from the ground up: Pajaro Valley High students stage ‘Zoot Suit’ in DIY theater
Pajaro Valley High School students are staging the play “Zoot Suit” in a makeshift “black box” theater built from unused classrooms, reflecting their teacher’s embrace of the Chicano theater ethos of rasquachi, or creating something from nothing. The production, rooted in the historical events of the Zoot Suit Riots, has fostered cultural pride and identity among students while drawing on community support and ties to El Teatro Campesino. Hillary Ojeda sets the stage.
DAILY DIGEST
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Before I go, a heads-up on our election forum set for April 15: Join Lookout at the Watsonville Civic Plaza from 6 to 8 p.m. for a panel discussion ahead of the June 2 primary. Lookout’s Community Voices opinion editor, Jody K. Biehl, will host and moderate the event and will include time for questions from the audience. Hear from the 4th District county supervisor candidates – Elias Gonzales, Tony Nuñez and incumbent Felipe Hernandez – as they vie for your vote. RSVP for free here.
Have a good Friday, and here’s to a safe, relaxing weekend beyond.
Will McCahill