Good morning, Santa Cruz County – it’s Wednesday, Oct. 22, and we’re looking at a slight chance of morning showers amid a mix of clouds and sun, with temperatures maybe hitting the low 70s in the warmest spots.
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Grey Bears’ primary mission is to feed older adults who are food-insecure, but the Live Oak nonprofit’s free hot lunch program has ballooned into a daily event, Lily Belli reports. It attracts people from across economic divides, from the unhoused to the comfortably retired, from elderly to young adults, many of whom say they return for the community as much as the food.
The Super Bowl is coming to Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara in 2026, followed later in the year by a number of World Cup soccer games, and Santa Cruz County is hoping to attract some of those visitors to this side of the hill, Jessica M. Pasko reports in her weekly look at local business. The board of supervisors is surveying various constituencies on how to make that happen.
Hundreds of unionized City of Santa Cruz workers have voted to reject the latest contract offer from the city and authorize a strike, Max Chun reports. There is currently no official date for any strike to begin, a union rep said after Tuesday’s vote, and the union and the city are set to enter mediation next week.
How about some Wednesday headlines?
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In aging Santa Cruz County, a free seniors lunch draws a cross-generational crowd in search of affordable meals and social connection
In the past five years, Grey Bears’ free hot lunch program in Santa Cruz has grown from serving a few dozen volunteers to feeding up to 300 people a day, as more residents turn to the nonprofit for food and connection amid rising costs and isolation. For many — from retirees to unhoused residents — the daily meal offers not just nourishment, but a vital sense of belonging. Read more here from Lily Belli.
This week in Santa Cruz County business: Business owners’ input sought ahead of 2026 sporting events; Seabright Social files for bankruptcy
In her weekly survey of local business, Jessica M. Pasko notes Santa Cruz County’s efforts to attract some of the visitors headed to nearby Santa Clara for next year’s Super Bowl and World Cup, bankruptcy for a business affected by the Murray Street Bridge closure and much more. Read it all here.
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Thank you for reading – be good out there.
Will McCahill