Morning Lookout: Pajaro’s uncertain recovery, building an IT biz, changing approach to unhoused

Hello again, Lookout friends. It is Monday, March 20, and a mostly cloudy day and temps in the 50s are ahead for Santa Cruz County before rain and wind move in overnight and continue through much of Tuesday.

Rather fly solo as you explore Lookout to kick off the week? This way.
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Floodwaters have receded more than a week after the catastrophic failure of the Pajaro River submerged the town of Pajaro and surrounding fields, but months of uncertainty lies ahead for growers and farmworker, Max Chun reports. “It’s looking pretty ugly right now,” one farmer tells him. For those looking to help those affected by the flood, we’ve compiled information on where to donate, how to volunteer and more.

A new workweek means a new installment of our How I Got My Job series, with Kaya Henkes-Power talking to Chris Miller about how he built his IT solutions company, Cloud Brigade. “You have to be able to handle uncertainty,” Miller says of his line of work. “This job isn’t for everyone.”

Monday also means a deep dive into local politics from Christopher Neely, in the form of his In the Public Interest newsletter. The latest edition looks at a changing approach to how the City of Santa Cruz deals with the unhoused community, from Food Not Bombs gatherings to oversized vehicles parking on local streets. If you’d like to get that newsletter delivered right to you, click here.

Our Monday headlines also include Wallace Baine on the local pair behind a video game that aims to take on climate change, plus Community Voices opinion pieces catching up with a former resident of the Benchlands homeless encampment and about the turmoil at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds. Let’s get moving.

Growers and farmworkers face long recovery process following Pajaro floods

(Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz)

It’s been just over a week since a levee along the Pajaro River failed, flooding the town of Pajaro and much of the nearby farmland in north Monterey County, just over the river from Santa Cruz County. Though the full picture of damage sustained is unclear at this point, farmers and workers alike face short-term uncertainty and a long-term recovery. Read more here from Max Chun.

➤ BACKGROUND: How a long history of racism and neglect set the stage for Pajaro flooding

Tech entrepreneur Chris Miller on what it takes to build an IT business

(Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz)

Cloud Brigade CEO Chris Miller spoke with Lookout about being involved in the early stages of tech, running a small technology business and how students can break into this industry. Kaya Henkes-Power has the latest How I Got My Job.

➤ MORE IN THE SERIES: A cider maker, an industrial designer, a psychiatrist and more talk about their lines of work

And that’s what I know as another week dawns. There’s more coming from Lookout, as usual, so I’d recommend you follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay current on happenings around Santa Cruz County. Another great way to stay current (and to help you score big on our weekly news quiz) is via breaking news text alerts and all of our newsletters, which you can sign up for here.

Our content isn’t possible without community support, so if you’re not already, please consider becoming a Lookout member.

May your case of the Mondays be a mild one, and I’ll see you back here Tuesday a.m.

Will McCahill
Lookout Santa Cruz