Family, friends and fellow union members plan to rally in support of detained Santa Cruz resident and green card holder Cliona Ward at the Santa Cruz County courthouse Wednesday morning. Ward was detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials at San Francisco International Airport on April 21.
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Posted inPolitics & Policy
Confused by coverage maps, supervisors agree to consider tree-disguised Bonny Doon cellphone tower and dodge lawsuit
A proposed 151-foot cell tower in Bonny Doon has sparked debate over wireless coverage, scenic views and legal authority, as the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors weighs conflicting data and accusations of regulatory missteps ahead of a final decision set for June 10.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
Anthropologie store slated for former New Leaf space on Pacific Avenue
In a recent meeting with Downtown Association of Santa Cruz members, the business organization’s director said it was “a verified rumor” and “good news” that home decor and clothing retail chain Anthropologie will move into the spot at Pacific and Soquel avenues in downtown Santa Cruz vacated last fall by New Leaf Community Markets.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Days after cultural celebration, Trump administration revokes Senderos arts grant
Senderos, a Santa Cruz-based nonprofit, faces funding cuts from the National Endowment for the Arts. The nonprofit received an email Friday night from the federal agency that it will no longer receive a $10,000 grant.
Posted inEducation
Parents protest as English-only students at dual-language Live Oak Elementary forced to switch schools
Parents at Live Oak Elementary School feel blindsided by the district’s “sudden” decision to move third and fourth grade students in the English-only strand to Del Mar Elementary starting next school year. Superintendent Pat Sánchez said the choice was made to solve staffing issues across the district.
Posted inWatsonville / Pajaro
Watsonville cemetery’s rules limiting gravesite decorations spur online backlash
Pajaro Valley Memorial Park’s decision to ask families to remove some decorations on gravesites has sparked an online petition calling on the cemetery to stop the policy. The cemetery’s owner said while the policy isn’t new, it hasn’t been enforced for several years.
Posted inAptos
Rio Del Mar HOA’s fence spar over public walkway expected to go to trial later this year
A long-running dispute over public coastal access in Aptos nears a courtroom resolution, after the Rio Del Mar Beach Island Homeowners Association doubled down in the face of a historic, multimillion-dollar fine from the state for fencing off a public walkway.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Santa Cruz County health director resigns following proposed layoffs
A day after news broke that Santa Cruz County’s largest department, the Health Services Agency, would propose layoffs and cuts to services and staffing positions, the agency’s director, Mónica Morales, abruptly announced her resignation.
Posted inLatest News
Longtime Santa Cruz resident and green card holder detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection at San Francisco airport
Cliona Ward, a Santa Cruz resident for almost 30 years, was detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection at San Francisco International Airport on Monday. Ward’s roommate told Lookout that authorities said they could not verify that previous criminal charges against Ward had been expunged.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Layoffs, staff and service cuts to lead county health department’s budget proposal
Santa Cruz County’s Health Services Agency is proposing major budget cuts that could mean layoffs, program reductions and the end of key services. A briefing Tuesday to the county board of supervisors will unpack the financial pressures behind the agency’s difficult decisions.