Morning Lookout: Veterans Village dream being realized; how is redistricting going?

By Tulsi Kamath

Source: Lookout Santa Cruz

Good Morning! It’s Thursday, November 11 and to all our veteran readers, we thank you for your service and sacrifice. There will be patchy fog before 9 a.m. followed by a mostly sunny day with a high of 72.

Just in time for Veteran’s Day, the Santa Cruz County Veterans Memorial Building announced it has gone into escrow on a 6-acre property that will be used to house create a housing community for homeless veterans in Santa Cruz County. Meanwhile, our Grace Stetson looks to next steps after a split Santa Cruz City Council passed the controversial RV ban in the city that homeless advocates say will negatively impact those who rely on RVs for shelter.

And finally, Hillary Ojeda has an update on the redistricting process in Santa Cruz County and how that will impact you.

Let’s take a look:

Just in time for Veterans Day: Village for homeless vets becomes a reality with site in Ben Lomond

The Community Foundation's Susan True hugs the Veteran Memorial Building's Chris Cottingham on Wednesday.

A “Veterans Village” is set become more than just a pandemic-era dream. With the help of some key community partners, the Santa Cruz County Veterans Memorial Building announced yesterday that it had gone into escrow on a 6-acre property in Ben Lomond that will immediately house 16-18 people, with potential plans to expand that to 40. Read more from our Kevin Painchaud here.

Now that a split city council has passed a controversial RV ban in Santa Cruz, what happens next?

The oversized vehicle ordinance had its second reading at city council Tuesday, ultimately passing on a 5-2 vote. In advance of the implementation of the ordinance, city officials and advocates are working to assess next steps, including informing vehicle dwellers, setting up a permitting system, and establishing services. Read more from our Grace Stetson here.

Yay or nay: How some Santa Cruz business owners view the mixed-use library project

A sample rendering of what the new downtown Santa Cruz library could look like.

A mixed-use project under development review by the Santa Cruz City Council has become increasingly controversial. Lookout spoke to business owners in the downtown area to gauge their thoughts on the proposal for a new library building and affordable housing complex. Read more from Grace and Lookout contributor Haneen Zain here.

Whose line is it anyway? A closer look at redistricting proposals and their impacts on Santa Cruz County

A visualization of the current State Assembly 29 district lines a hypothetical map of new district lines in turquoise

Redrawing, or redistricting, of electoral maps is happening at several levels that impact Santa Cruz County residents. During a meeting this week, the County Board of Supervisors received an update on plans for the new district maps and voted 4-1 to direct staff to write a resolution or ordinance establishing the supervisorial boundaries. Read more from our Hillary Ojeda about how that will impact you here.

Change in scenery gives Jewel Theatre ‘new vision’ for long-awaited revival of ‘Pump Boys and Dinettes’

A Jewel Theatre production of "Pump Boys and Dinettes."

It’s been eight years since the Jewel Theatre staged “Pump Boys and Dinettes,” and with the company’s move from cozy downtown digs to the Colligan Theater, the holiday dessert of a musical that opens next Wednesday “feels like a totally different show, even though it’s the same.” Read more from our Wallace Baine here.

Around the county...

Ben Lomond man indicted on federal trade secret theft charges (Santa Cruz Sentinel)

Watsonville mayor casts lone ‘no’ vote in agreement for affordable housing project (The Pajaronian)

Committed to the earth: Jim Anderson and the Felton Cemetery (San Lorenzo Valley Post)

That’s it for today. If you’re enjoying our coverage, please tell your family and friends about our Lookout Newsletter & Text Center, where they can sign up for all the newsletters and alerts we offer. You can also keep tabs on everything we’re publishing through the day by bookmarking our website and following us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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Have a great day!

Tulsi Kamath
Lookout Santa Cruz