Morning Lookout: Advocating for Pajaro, five-story Mission Street project, mosquito worries

Good morning, folks. It’s Thursday, April 6, and Santa Cruz County is in for a mix of sun and clouds, with highs in the low to mid-60s.

If you’re rather explore what’s new from Lookout on your own, be my guest.
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The situation in Pajaro is top of mind in our Community Voices opinion section, where Eloy Ortiz of Regeneración Pajaro Valley Climate Action writes about all he saw during a recent walk through the agricultural town submerged by flooding on top of years of disinvestment.

In Santa Cruz, meanwhile, residents will get the chance later this month to weigh in on a mixed-use development proposed for the site of the Food Bin and Herb Room on Mission Street, Max Chun reports. The five-story building would have 59 single-room-occupancy units.

There’s plenty more in the Thursday headlines, including a buggy consequence of all the winter rain, so please join me as we take a look.

We owe it to Pajaro to help: ‘If Pajaro does not exist, what are we going to do?’

(Via Eloy Ortiz)

Eloy Ortiz, special-projects manager for Regeneración Pajaro Valley Climate Action, has tried to help farmworkers and others in Pajaro recover after disastrous flooding forced thousands to evacuate and left a yet-unknown number of people and families homeless. He recently walked through Pajaro, talking to people and trying to assess their needs. In a Community Voices opinion piece, he recreates that walk for us and helps us see the need, the disenfranchisement and the disconnect in aid. Read it here.

➤ MORE FROM PAJARO: How a Pajaro Middle School teacher and her students are navigating recovery after Pajaro River levee breach

Santa Cruz to hold public meeting on mixed-use project for site of Mission Street’s Food Bin & Herb Room

(Via City of Santa Cruz)

The 42,849-square-foot development would take over the parcel where local grocery stores The Food Bin and Herb Room currently sit. It is still in the pre-application phase, and the City of Santa Cruz is hosting a community meeting April 18 for residents to learn more about the development, ask questions and raise concerns. Max Chun reports.

➤ MORE FROM SANTA CRUZ: City officials lay out vision for Coral Street homeless services hub

So that’s Thursday all teed up for you. Lookout can tee up your weekend, too — coming later will be Wallace Baine’s weekly stroll through the Santa Cruz County arts and entertainment scene, complete with nine timely recommendations, in a little newsletter we like to call Weekender. You can get that and all of Lookout’s newsletters, plus breaking news alerts via text and email, by signing up here. Lookout is on social media, too, so follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay current.

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May your Thursday be a good one — I’ll catch you back here Friday morning.

Will McCahill
Lookout Santa Cruz