Starbucks locations on Mission Street and Ocean Street and at 41st Avenue and Clares Street are part of a national one-day unfair labor practice strike Thursday that includes more than 100 Starbucks stores.
Capitola & Soquel
Posted inCity Life
Santa Cruz County’s parklets are here to stay. What will they look like now?
With COVID-19 restrictions over, Santa Cruz County’s restaurants are at a crossroads: Should they keep their outdoor, pandemic-era dining spaces, even as jurisdictions require more permanent setups? It’s a question of dollars and cents — punctuated by the changing faces of the county’s downtowns.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Soquel Creek Water District: Incumbents Jaffe, Christensen, Lather appear headed to reelection
In the race for three spots as directors of the Soquel Creek Water District, Bruce Jaffe, Rachel Lather and Carla Christensen led as as the top three vote-getters on Wednesday, with 27.83% (4,280 votes), 27.43% (4,219) and 24.33% (3,742) respectively. Challengers Kris Kirby (10.66%) and Corrie Kates (9.38%) were trailing.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Soquel Creek Water District: Three incumbents intent on Pure Water Soquel project vs. two newcomers calling for change
Soquel Creek Water District’s election has five candidates battling for three seats and comes at a pivotal time, just as the ambitious, $145 million Pure Water Soquel project takes shape. The project puts 8 miles of pipes from Santa Cruz to Capitola and has disrupted traffic throughout the area for months. The incumbents want to see the project to its end in 2023; the newcomers insist water costs and district salaries are too high. Lookout asked the five candidates for statements. Read the four responses we got here.
Posted inEvents, K-12 Education
Soquel Union Elementary School District candidates on teacher pay, mental health, declining enrollment and pandemic learning loss
Sixteen candidates are running for nine seats in five school districts across the county. Lookout sent questionnaires to all of them asking about the most pressing issues facing their schools. Here, we take a look at Soquel Union Elementary School District.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Five candidates for three Capitola City Council seats; budget, revitalizing mall, affordable housing are top concerns
The Capitola City Council race has five candidates vying for three seats. Only one candidate — Yvette Brooks, the incumbent and mayor in 2021 — has served on the council. The others are new to politics and offer diverse experiences and expertise. Joe Clarke is a retired Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s sergeant; Enrique Dolmo Jr. is an athletic director; Gerry Jensen owns a construction and development company; and Alexander Pedersen has a home enhancement business. Lookout asked each to answer two questions. Their answers are here.
Posted inK-12 Education
Measures K and L: $371 million in bonds to Santa Cruz City Schools for repairs, building workforce housing
Voters in the Santa Cruz City Schools high school and elementary school districts will be casting ballots in the November election to decide if the district should issue $371 million in bonds to fund renovating the schools and building workforce housing. If the measures pass, property owners will pay between the equivalent of four cups of coffee per month or one pizza per month, depending on where they live and which of the measures applies to them.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Following the money: Final campaign finance receipts provide clues to Nov. 8
The final round of fundraising and expenditure reports for Santa Cruz County candidates were due late Thursday. Lookout dug in to see what stories they told. Here’s what we found.
Posted inFood & Drink
EATERS DIGEST: Closures startle Aptos, SLV; Uncie Ro’s opens in Watsonville; a PSL for the haters
In this week’s Eaters Digest, Restaurant Malik Williams in Aptos and Ben Lomond’s Tyrolean Inn close their doors, while Uncie Ro’s opens in Watsonville. Plus, Lily Belli suggests two seasonal beverages to imbibe this autumn.
Posted inK-12 Education
A ‘feeling of home’: What the Soquel High Multicultural Club means to these students
“They are growing up in such a charged time. This population of kids are so open-minded, but they live in such a closed-minded world,” says one of the teachers who’s an advisor to the Soquel High School Multicultural Club. “I think it’s just really important for them to surround themselves with people who think like them and who accept them.”
