Good morning, one and all. Wednesday, June 10, is ramping up, as is the heat around Santa Cruz County – under sunny skies, we’ll see temperatures around 80 at the bay, in the upper 90s in the mountains.
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Lily Belli starts us off with the response Pajaro Valley apple farmers have seen in the wake of the news that Martinelli’s is not renewing contracts for their produce. School districts, nonprofits and other local organizations have reached out, but as one farmer told her, replacing the tons of apples that have been going to Martinelli’s is “not an easy pivot.”
The latest full closure of the Murray Street Bridge begins Wednesday, and business owners and local leaders are organizing a raft of events to bring visitors to the neighborhoods around the Santa Cruz Harbor, Jessica M. Pasko reports in her weekly look at county business.
We got another update Tuesday afternoon on the vote count in local elections, and the latest tally sees Ryan Coonerty’s lead in the race for Santa Cruz mayor slimming, increasing the prospects of a November run-off.
In Lookout’s Community Voices opinion section, writer and radio host Suki Wessling opines that in a county known for barefoot hippies, natural beauty and anti-establishment culture, Santa Cruz women still feel intense pressure to curate how they look – too much time staring into the digital mirror, not enough time simply living.
There’s plenty more in a packed set of morning headlines, but first, a reminder about a couple Lookout events happening this week:
- Wednesday: Lookout Trivia Night returns to downtown Santa Cruz, with the retired-ish Wallace Baine as emcee. It’s free at Abbott Square, but please do RSVP here.
- Thursday: The Santa Cruz Area Chamber of Commerce will host a business after-hours event at Lookout’s office above Pacific Avenue. Attendees will get to tour the newsroom, meet staff members and learn more about Lookout. Details and registration here.
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As Martinelli’s pulls back, local schools and nonprofits rally to support Pajaro Valley apple growers
After Martinelli’s announced it would not renew contracts with local apple growers, one Pajaro Valley farmer has been flooded with calls, ideas and offers from community members eager to help replace the major buyer. While potential partnerships with school districts, nonprofits and other local organizations show promise, growers say finding markets large enough to absorb the thousands of tons of apples once sold to Martinelli’s remains a significant challenge. Here’s more from Lily Belli.
This week in Santa Cruz County business: Events aim to boost visitors to Seabright amid latest Murray Street Bridge closure; air corridor project underway; Joby-Archer lawsuit developments
With the Murray Street Bridge set to be closed through September, business owners and community leaders have plans to bring visitors to the neighborhoods around the Santa Cruz Harbor this summer. Jessica M. Pasko’s weekly look at local business also includes updates on a project to connect four regional airports, including Watsonville’s; legal jabs between air mobility rivals; and plenty more names, numbers and dates to know. Read it all here.
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Have an excellent Wednesday – thank you for reading.
Will McCahill