Good morning, one and all. Thursday, Nov. 13, is here, and so is the rain, which could be heavy at times around Santa Cruz County – with accompanying gusty winds – as the storm system lingers in the area into Friday.
Members, don’t forget to RSVP for Lookout’s fifth anniversary party at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History next Wednesday, Nov. 19, from 6 to 8 p.m., enjoying local food and beverages and connecting with community members. We’ll have a special program reflecting on Lookout’s first five years and our vision for what’s next. We will end the event with some dessert and a toast to the next five!
And we’ll have some anniversary merch available (hint: think Killer Acid). Not yet a member? Become one today and come join us.
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With Housing Matters set to end homeless day services next spring, Max Chun spent some time in the Santa Cruz nonprofit’s mail room – a key lifeline for members of the unhoused community. “I think all of this stuff is a lot more helpful than the community realizes,” said one regular client. “I mean, it helped me get my life on track.”
Tania Ortiz was on hand Wednesday night as Pajaro Valley Unified School District’s governing board discussed plans to cut 160 positions and has this dispatch:
Almost a month before the Pajaro Valley Unified School District school board is expected to vote on nearly 160 layoffs, parents, mental health clinicians and teachers turned out for a meeting to ask trustees to reconsider the cuts and think about other possible solutions to the district’s budget issues.
Nearly 150 people packed into the Watsonville City Council chambers to share their frustrations and concerns with district officials over the proposed cuts, with many saying losing those positions will cause students’ well-being to suffer and will continue to stretch staff thin.
District staff presented their proposed recommendations to cut about 160 full-time positions — totaling nearly $15.3 million — which includes mental health clinicians, special education positions and counselors. Trustees will make a decision on cuts during the Dec. 11 meeting.
“We’re facing a crisis of loneliness, and our youth deserve to be seen, to be known and to feel that their school cares and provides access to that care,” said Jessica Zovar, a mental health clinician at Watsonville High School.
Check back later for Tania’s full story.
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office is still searching for a Utah woman who was last seen Nov. 6 at a bonfire at Rio Del Mar State Beach, Hillary Ojeda reports. With foul play seen as a possibility, detectives are in the Aptos area actively investigating and seek the public’s help.
Santa Cruz therapist Lisa Herendeen returns to Lookout’s Community Voices opinion section, pointing to the jabs Gov. Gavin Newsom has been landing recently on President Donald Trump as a lesson in reclaiming power from a bully. She connects the current political dynamic to her work helping clients and students recognize and use their own power in difficult situations.
There’s also a new installment of the Lookout List, with locals’ favorites in shopping and retail in the spotlight. Let’s check out all of Thursday morning’s headlines.
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The mail room at Housing Matters is more than a free post office. For many, it’s a lifeline
As unhoused residents and homeless service providers work to find ways to provide basic amenities after Santa Cruz nonprofit Housing Matters’ day services close at the end of March, perhaps no service is more important than the organization’s mail room. It allows both unhoused people and members of the public to send and receive mail from the organization’s address as well as communicate with county and federal agencies regarding benefits and other social programs. Read more from Max Chun.
Nearly a week after Utah woman disappears at Rio Del Mar beach, sheriff still searching for leads
Utah tourist Danielle Staley, 35, vanished after a bonfire at Rio Del Mar State Beach earlier this month. A week after Staley arrived in the community by van with a friend, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office is canvassing the area, reviewing video and urging the public to come forward with tips to help find the missing woman. “We’re not saying that there was foul play involved,” an investigator said. “We’re just not ruling it out.” Hillary Ojeda has the latest.
DAILY DIGEST
As I mentioned, there’ll be more from Tania Ortiz later on Wednesday’s contentious Pajaro Valley Unified School District board meeting, so check back with Lookout for that. Also on tap is Weekender, Wallace Baine’s recommendation-packed jaunt through Santa Cruz County arts & entertainment, one of the many free newsletters and breaking news alerts you can sign up for here. Other great ways to stay current on all our local coverage are by downloading the Lookout Santa Cruz app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, and by following Lookout via social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Threads and Bluesky.
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Please be safe out there (turn your lights on if you’re using windshield wipers on the road), and I hope to see back here tomorrow – thanks for reading.
Will McCahill