Hey hey hey. Thursday, Oct. 16, has arrived, and the Santa Cruz County forecast is calling for mostly sunny skies and temperatures into the 60s and 70s. A heads-up if you’re heading to the beach the next few days: The National Weather Service has issued a beach hazards statement for Friday evening through Saturday, warning of rip currents and sneaker waves.
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Federal funding cuts that have gutted crucial food resources and work requirements that will reduce the number of people eligible for food assistance programs are compounding food insecurity across Santa Cruz County, Lily Belli reports. Nonprofits including Grey Bears and Second Harvest Food Bank are scrambling to keep their lifelines open to the more than a quarter of county residents who count on food assistance.
With redistricting measure Proposition 50 topping California’s November ballot, the county’s top Republican and others have seen “No on 50” yard signs stolen, Michael Lelieur tells Max Chun. “If you guys control everything, what are you scared of?”, he said of expressing the sentiment in the heavily Democratic area. “If a bunch of Republicans are putting up signs you don’t like looking at, it’s free speech. Do you have to destroy them?”
Tania Ortiz breaks down this week’s contentious Watsonville City Council meeting, where trade workers packed the chamber amid a debate over union labor rules. Local workers are pushing to preserve workplace protections, while city officials are raising concerns over construction delays and rising costs; the council put off a decision until Nov. 5.
Facing declining enrollment and a projected budget deficit, Soquel Union Elementary School District is beginning to explore the prospect of saving money by possibly closing one of its three elementary schools, Hillary Ojeda reports. Superintendent Scott Turnbull told Lookout the discussion is in the “very early” stages and emphasized that the school board hasn’t identified any specific school or ordered district staff to start closing a school – a process that typically takes about two years.
Prop 50 is also the topic in Lookout’s Community Voices opinion section, with Casey Beyer writing that it’s a symbolic gesture with little real power to change outcomes in Washington – and risks silencing minority viewpoints in California and deepening partisanship.
A packed set of Thursday headlines also includes a new survey that sheds light on the mounting challenges facing Santa Cruz County’s aging population – keep on reading.
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‘A very challenging time’: SNAP cuts and lost funding deepen food insecurity in Santa Cruz County
Santa Cruz County’s food safety net is under growing strain as deep federal funding cuts and new SNAP restrictions reduce the food supply to local nonprofits like Grey Bears and Second Harvest Food Bank. With demand already high — more than a quarter of county residents rely on food assistance each month — local leaders warn that thousands more will soon lose benefits. Read the story from Lily Belli.
Santa Cruz County Republican chair frustrated by theft of ‘No on Prop 50’ yard signs
Santa Cruz County Republican Central Committee Chair Michael Lelieur said that numerous “No on Prop 50” signs have been taken from his yard and other supporters’ — something he believes is vandalism and election interference. Prop 50 proponents also say they have had some of their own signs stolen. Max Chun reports.
DAILY DIGEST
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Enjoy the Thursday sunshine, and thanks for reading.
Will McCahill