Hiya folks! It’s Wednesday, Aug. 12, and it could be a pretty Fogust-y day for many in Santa Cruz County. The forecast calls for a mostly cloudy one for those of us closer to the bay (where a coastal flood advisory remains in effect until 2 a.m. Thursday), while the mountains should see some sunshine and highs around 80.
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Jessica M. Pasko starts us off with her weekly look at local business, spotlighting a proposal by Santa Cruz developer Workbench to build a six-story, mixed-use building with up to 281 housing units on what’s now Seabright Plaza. That 63,313-square-foot property is currently home to a shopping center that includes Ace Hardware, the Bagelry, Fog City Tattoo, Akira sushi restaurant and several other businesses.
As students in Pajaro Valley Unified School District head back to school, the district and its teachers union are working through the next stage of contract negotiations after months of bargaining failed to produce an agreement, Hillary Ojeda reports. The sides are working through the fact-finding point of the impasse process, with teachers bargaining for better compensation, lower class sizes and special education caseloads, and fighting against a proposed cap on the district’s contribution to their healthcare costs.
Tania Ortiz was on hand in Aptos on Tuesday afternoon as local government and nonprofit leaders joined Rep. Jimmy Panetta to reassure Santa Cruz County’s immigrant community that they are committed to supporting them as deportation fears continue. “They’re affecting the essential workers that we have in our communities. They’re affecting the criminal justice system,” Panetta said of Trump administration enforcement policies. “And it’s affecting the trust, not just in our criminal justice system, but all of our institutions.”
The Wednesday headlines also include Lily Belli’s latest food & drink newsletter and an update on the Timber fire burning in Big Sur – let’s go.
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This week in Santa Cruz County business: Workbench files pre-application for new housing on site of Seabright business plaza; Joby makes moves in Texas
In her weekly look at local business, Jessica M. Pasko reports on a proposed six-story mixed-use development in Santa Cruz, Joby Aviation’s latest maneuvers and names, numbers and dates to know. Read it all here.
Pajaro Valley students return Wednesday as teachers, district remain at impasse
Pajaro Valley Unified School District students return with their teachers and district still at an impasse over a new contract. Negotiations have now moved into fact-finding, bringing the sides closer to a potential strike vote if they remain unable to reach a deal. Here’s the latest from Hillary Ojeda.
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Thank you for reading – now get out there and show Wednesday who’s boss.
Will McCahill