Hello again, Lookout friends. Thursday, Oct. 30, is upon us, with another sunny day forecast for Santa Cruz County as we warm into the 60s and 70s.
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With food insecurity in Santa Cruz County already on the rise amid drastic Trump administration cuts, the ongoing federal government shutdown could see more than 35,000 county residents lose CalFresh food assistance payments in November, Hillary Ojeda and Ashley Palma-Jimenez report. The CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank says her nonprofit is expecting to serve about 100,000 people next month, compared to its baseline of about 70,000, as a result of the CalFresh disruption.
Tania Ortiz was on hand Wednesday as county officials took a stand against Trump administration efforts to allow gas and oil drilling off the California coast, announcing during a news conference at the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf that they’re pushing to bring back a local government coalition to stop the attempts to lease protected marine sanctuaries to oil companies.
“A blend of architecture, nature and culture” is the goal for new walking tours of downtown Santa Cruz launched by local artist and product designer Matt O’Leary. O’Leary, who grew up on the Westside in the 1970s, has been doing informal tours for years, Wallace Baine writes, and hopes to expand his offerings to include surf spots and the UC Santa Cruz campus.
Lookout’s Community Voices opinion section has another argument in favor of Santa Cruz affordable housing ballot initiative Measure C, with former Santa Cruz mayor and housing advocate Don Lane responding to a previous op-ed by urging voters to vote yes and avoid letting perfect be the enemy of the good when it comes to changing the status quo.
A packed slate of Thursday headlines also includes Cabrillo College naming four finalists for school president – read on.
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Federal shutdown could leave 35,000 Santa Cruz County residents without CalFresh as food banks brace for surging need
More than 35,000 Santa Cruz County residents could lose access to federal food assistance in November as the ongoing government shutdown halts CalFresh payments, leaving families and students scrambling for support. Local food banks, already strained by funding cuts, are bracing for record demand, with Second Harvest Food Bank preparing to serve up to 100,000 people next month. Read more from Hillary Ojeda and Ashley Palma-Jimenez.
Santa Cruz County officials reviving a statewide coalition to block Trump’s offshore oil drilling plans
Santa Cruz County elected officials and activists are trying to reopen a playbook that helped safeguard Monterey Bay from offshore drilling in the 1980s. The county, backed by state and federal allies, is working to revive a statewide coalition to stop the Trump administration’s plans to restart oil and gas leases off the California coast by as early as 2027. Tania Ortiz reports.
DAILY DIGEST
A busy Thursday morning indeed, and if you’re peeking ahead to the weekend, you’re certainly not alone – and we’ve got just the thing among what’s coming later from Lookout. Wallace Baine will be along in a few hours with the mix of recommendations, news and notes from around local arts & entertainment we call Weekender, one of the many free newsletters and breaking news alerts you can sign up for here. You can take our award-winning coverage along for the Thursday ride by downloading the Lookout Santa Cruz app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, and if social media is something you’re into, connect with Lookout on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Threads and Bluesky to stay current that way.
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Have an excellent Thursday, and thank you for reading.
Will McCahill