The City of Santa Cruz does not want to remove any of the outdoor dining spaces that popped up during the pandemic. Quite the contrary, says Bonnie Lipscomb, Santa Cruz’s economic development director. The city wants to help restaurants keep the parklets and outdoor dining options and transition from temporary to permanent permits. The process can take time, she says, but the city is working to streamline it. The ultimate goal, she says, is to keep these spaces open long-term and keep dining outdoors safe and accessible to all.
Community Voices
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Letter to the editor: Tell the city to enforce large home design permit zoning codes guidelines
New Leaf Community Markets brand manager Lindsay Gizdich said the store is moving from Pacific Avenue in order to have…
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
I have worked for Native Animal Rescue for seven years — calls have exploded since 2021
Native Animal Rescue of Santa Cruz County makes close to 3,000 rescues a year — nearly double what it did as little as two years ago. Here, Amy Red Feather, the agency’s wildlife supervisor, makes a plea to humans to be more careful of other species. She also takes us through the recent rescue of a Seabright pelican who got her foot hooked and tangled in a fishing line.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Cabrillo College name needs to change, trustee Steve Trujillo writes — it’s the right thing to do
School leaders have put off a vote on the Cabrillo College name change until at least 2028. But Steve Trujillo, a trustee, thinks this is a mistake and wants the name removed. “To say Cabrillo was merely exploring is laughable,” he writes.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Let’s hold our state accountable for pesticide regulation: Urge Gov. Newsom to sign AB 652
California likes to brag about its robust environmental laws, writes local activist Woody Rehanek, but it rarely talks about the troubling pattern of pesticide use and public health. A September “People’s Tribunal on Pesticide Use and Civil Rights in California” helped illuminate disparities in exposure. It also highlights problems in our state’s decentralized regulatory system, which allows county agricultural commissioners to wield unchecked power. A proposed solution, Assembly Bill 652, aims to establish stronger rules to hold the Department of Pesticide Regulation accountable for these practices.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
The Santa Cruz music scene is great, but the volume might be giving you hearing loss
Electrical engineer and part-time drummer Ron Green has a suggestion for his fellow musicians: Bring the volume down. He says his ears often ring when he leaves shows, which does not bode well for long-term hearing health. “It seems impossible to attend a live music show without the use of some sort of ear protection,” he writes. “This does more damage than most people realize.”
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Letter to the editor: Mountain bike track will ruin Felton park
New Leaf Community Markets brand manager Lindsay Gizdich said the store is moving from Pacific Avenue in order to have…
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
The California Legislature has the backs of the LGBTQIA+ community — here’s how
Three of Santa Cruz County’s state legislators — Assemblymember Dawn Addis, Sen. John Laird and Assemblymember Gail Pellerin — proudly outline strides our state has made in assuring that the rights of LGBTQIA+ people are protected. That includes codifying same-sex marriage, offering support for students in schools and for foster students, offering inclusive health care policies for LGBTQIA+ people and establishing all-gender restroom policies. They explain the details and why this matters here.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Letter to the editor: Tell the city council to stop approving large homes in Seabright
New Leaf Community Markets brand manager Lindsay Gizdich said the store is moving from Pacific Avenue in order to have…
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Letter to the editor: Climate organizations are also signing on against hate in our community
New Leaf Community Markets brand manager Lindsay Gizdich said the store is moving from Pacific Avenue in order to have…