Santa Cruz swimmer Joel Wilson, 77, sets world record in a career built around helping others
At 77, longtime Santa Cruz swim coach Joel Wilson just set a masters world record at the 2026 U.S. Masters Swimming Summer Nationals in Sacramento — the newest milestone in a career that stretches back more than 70 years. But ask Wilson about it and he’ll tell you it matters less than watching the swimmers he mentors hit their own goals. Read more from Kevin Painchaud.
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OPINION: What does a $950 bus ride have to do with Jack O’Neill’s Santa Cruz legacy?
Jack O’Neill believed every child should have the chance to experience the ocean. Land-use attorney Monica Hammer, who sits on the planning commission for the City of Santa Cruz and the board of O’Neill Sea Odyssey, learned about the ocean’s power from her Danish father, an avid sailor. Once we form a relationship with the natural world, we have a reason to care for it, she writes in a Community Voices op-ed. Today, a lack of transportation – about $950 in school bus fare – is keeping some classes of local children from making that connection, and from discovering an ocean that is waiting less than an hour away. O’Neill hopes to change that by providing up to 85% of the transportation costs. Read Hammer’s opinion piece here.
10 hot jobs in Santa Cruz County: Week of Sept. 4
Looking for a new job in Santa Cruz County? Explore the top 10 exciting job opportunities across industries like education, healthcare, and more. Your next career move starts here!
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