Mornin’! Wednesday, March 11, has arrived in Santa Cruz County, and the forecast is again for mostly sunny skies and temperatures heading toward 80.
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Tuesday was a busy day for the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors. Max Chun reports that with millions in deficits projected in the 2026-27 fiscal year and beyond, county officials say cuts are inevitable and outlined their priorities for navigating what’s likely to be a painful process. The supervisors also moved forward with an ordinance to ban federal immigration enforcement agents from using county property for their operations, Tania Ortiz reports.
A court battle between two major flying taxi rivals is heating up, Jessica M. Pasko reports, with Archer Aviation accusing Santa Cruz’s Joby Aviation of concealing ties to China in a new countersuit. That’s just one of the items you’ll find in her weekly business roundup, which also includes a controversial new car dealership getting the OK in Capitola.
Lily Belli reported Tuesday on the Capitola Village fire that killed one local resident and damaged a neighboring building, forcing two restaurants to shut down and postponing the opening of a new ice cream shop. She also introduces us to Santa Cruz’s newest pizza joint, with restaurateur Ryan Thompson opening Pogonip Pizza just off the UC Santa Cruz campus on the Upper Westside, bringing his own vision to California-style pies, offering creative and primarily vegetarian toppings.
A Rio Del Mar resident is out with a new memoir detailing the history of California’s first women lifeguards, and Cecilia Schutz talked to Debbie Friedman about the bumpy path she and a few others faced in the 1970s and ’80s. “Women didn’t join to overcome these big obstacles put in front of them, to prove themselves to be as worthy as men,” she says. “We brought an incredible amount of strength and passion for lifeguarding. What we wanted was supportive people to teach us how to be a lifeguard.”
To the headlines …
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Supervisors see belt-tightening ahead with Santa Cruz County budget deficit projected to hit $23M in ’26-27
Santa Cruz County faces a hefty deficit going into annual budget hearings. County supervisors weighed in Tuesday on what’s most important in the 2026-27 fiscal year as leaders and staff prepare to propose a budget in the coming months. Max Chun has the latest.
Pogonip Pizza debuts near UC Santa Cruz with bold toppings and a nod to Santa Cruz bike culture
Fourth-generation restaurateur Ryan Thompson opened Pogonip Pizza on Santa Cruz’s Upper Westside in February, bringing creative California-style pies with seasonal, locally sourced toppings to a neighborhood he described as a food desert. His new spot near UC Santa Cruz blends inventive flavors, local cultural references and a community vibe aimed at nearby families, students and mountain bikers. Get a slice with Lily Belli.
DAILY DIGEST
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Thanks for reading – now get out there and give Wednesday the what-for.
Will McCahill