The organization on the front lines of mental health awareness, advocacy and education has been around for four decades, but the work has ratcheted up exponentially in recent years. Many of those helping shed the stigma are among those whose lives were suddenly upended by the tragic consequences of unchecked mental health conditions.
COVID Economy
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Pressure building on pesticides, Driscoll’s says it will consider organic-only by schools
A new advocacy group’s campaign to educate the public about the dangers of pesticides sprayed near neighborhoods with schools in Watsonville has also focused specific pressure on berry giant Driscoll’s, a multibillion-dollar company spawned in Santa Cruz County. Leaders at Driscoll’s and its main affiliated grower confirmed to Lookout that they are listening.
Posted inCoast Life
Beyond the Benchlands: Under lawsuit threat, Santa Cruz sets plan to clear homeless camp. What happens next?
Santa Cruz began clearing the Benchlands this week, but city leaders acknowledge that this could be a slow process depending on the number of shelter beds it can provide and the willingness of those in the encampment along the San Lorenzo River to relocate.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Homeless vets were said to be a local success story. So why does the latest data indicate otherwise?
While support for homeless veterans has been robust at both the state and national levels, a recent survey done in conjunction with February’s one-day point-in-time count suggests that the situation in Santa Cruz County might not be as positive as local advocates believed. Was it an anomaly or is there a bigger problem to be addressed?
Posted inBusiness & Technology
As retail itself morphs, downtown Santa Cruz fine-tunes approach to filling empty spaces
COVID made running a business in downtown Santa Cruz even harder on top of all the pre-existing impacts of online shopping. Today, 15 empty storefronts remain, down from about 30 that opened up after the pandemic hit. The city is working on new ways to get more businesses — particularly women- and minority-owned ones — into those spots.
Posted inCity Life
Post Nickelodeon, can Santa Cruz become a film lover’s paradise? A couple with deep industry ties thinks so
Dennis Bartok and Marja Adriance have an ambitious vision for a nonprofit, arthouse film center that would take over for the long-beloved, but beleaguered Nickelodeon Theater in downtown Santa Cruz — or find another venue. The couple wants to offer a wide array of restored classic and cult films and even add a cafe or wine bar. But as the pandemic lingers, a possible recession looms, they face starting costs of at least $5 million. Can they pull it off?
Posted inLatest News
Are widespread layoffs coming? How the pandemic has changed employers’ recession strategy
With workers still hard to find, more businesses appear reluctant to let go of those they have, even as they’re beset by inflation and slowing sales.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Shelter closures show new homeless response plan in midstream
Santa Cruz County-run programs at the Oceana Inn and the National Guard Armory will close their doors by the end of this month, amounting to a net loss of 252 of the county’s 638 total shelter beds. Says county Housing for Health director Robert Ratner, “We have to stop taking our money and investing it in one-time-only things; we have to corral the limited money we have invested in a strategic way.”
Posted inFood & Drink
Anonymous complaints have curtailed New Bohemia’s outdoor business, cost it $25,000 and forced layoffs
With outdoor operations all the rage under COVID, will New Bohemia Brewing Company’s struggles be shared by others?
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Local cred in the spotlight: Takeaways from Tuesday’s South County candidates forum
While Assembly District 30 contenders spent much of their time showing that they know this place where none of them resides, the homegrown District 4 county supervisor hopefuls differed mainly on their priorities and truly diverged on only one big issue. Hint: It involves the future of train transportation in Santa Cruz County.