Greetings! Friday, Nov. 7, is here, and it’s a mostly sunny forecast for Santa Cruz County, with temperatures headed into the 60s and 70s as we trend warmer through the weekend. A beach hazards statement and a coastal flood advisory remain in effect into Saturday, so take care if you’re headed to the bay.
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With demand for food aid surging as the ongoing federal government shutdown pauses assistance payments, Lily Belli reports that Second Harvest Food Bank is ramping up efforts to handle the surge. The nonprofit is increasing deliveries, adding more pickup locations at schools and county offices and educating new customers on how to take advantage of the food bank’s web of distribution sites at organizations across the county.
The groups behind Santa Cruz’s competing affordable housing ballot initiatives agreed after Thursday’s vote-count update that Measure C has passed, to the joy of Mayor Fred Keeley, who had made the effort a key piece of his 2022 campaign. “Finally, the right measure at the right time on affordable housing got in front of the voters, and the community coalesced behind that,” he told Hillary Ojeda. “And I’m very proud of our community.”
Salmon and trout populations in Santa Cruz’s watersheds, such as the San Lorenzo River, have taken a hit in recent decades. Now, Alonso Daboub reports, officials at the city’s water department hope that retooling water regulatotions will help reestablish fish — and build sustainability in Santa Cruz’s water systems.
We’ve got another set of community favorites on the Lookout List –take a look through the local businesses readers turn to for health and self-care.
The Friday headlines also include a fresh set of recommendations from Wallace Baine for things to do around Santa Cruz County arts & entertainment this weekend and beyond – onward.
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Second Harvest adding sites, doubling volunteer shifts as demand for food surges after pause in SNAP benefits
A pause in supplemental nutrition assistance benefits on Nov. 1 has driven thousands of Santa Cruz County residents to seek food aid, flooding distribution sites and prompting confusion among first-time visitors. In response, Second Harvest Food Bank and its partners have doubled volunteer shifts to pack grocery boxes, plan to expand pickup locations and received more than $1 million in community support. Read more from Lily Belli.
Election 2025: Santa Cruz affordable housing advocates celebrate win on Measure C
Santa Cruz voters have approved Measure C, the housing advocate-supported ballot initiative, with more than 53% of the vote, while the competing Measure B, supported by local real estate interests, failed with just 11.9%. County officials continue counting ballots, with the next update set for 4 p.m. Friday. Hillary Ojeda has the latest.
DAILY DIGEST
We’re moving right along toward the weekend, but be sure to keep tabs for what’s still coming from Lookout this Friday. As noted above, we’ll get another update from the county elections department on vote totals, and Lily Belli will be back in a few hours with a bite out of Santa Cruz County food & drink in the form of Eaters Digest. Sign up here for that and any of Lookout’s many other free newsletters that might tickle your fancy (breaking news alerts, too), and download the Lookout Santa Cruz app from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store to get all of our award-winning coverage right on your smartphone. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Threads and Bluesky are where you can find us on social media.
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May your Friday be a smooth one, and here’s to a safe, relaxing weekend beyond. Thanks for reading!
Will McCahill