On Thursday, UCSC announced its administrators will participate in a 16-month program led by Hillel International to help the university strengthen its support for Jewish students. The UCSC leaders will join a cohort of other universities, including UC Irvine, to learn how to better understand the experiences of students on campus and implement ways to improve the atmosphere for Jewish students and all students.
Santa Cruz
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Santa Cruz needs an affordable housing tax measure; a $95 parcel tax is the best option
The city of Santa Cruz needs more taxes to support affordable housing, writes James Weller, a local housing advocate. A proposed 2024 ballot measure is under discussion by a citizens committee and in recent polls 63% preferred equally either a parcel tax or an assessed-value tax-rate increase. That leaves Weller optimistic. Anyone can join in the planning process over the next month; Weller invites Santa Cruz residents to participate.
Posted inCity Life
Symphony brings the music of classic Hollywood to downtown Santa Cruz
The Santa Cruz Symphony will play the beloved themes of movies from “Lawrence of Arabia” to “The Godfather” to “Gone With the Wind” to “Pink Panther” and more Saturday in its annual pops concert at the Civic Auditorium, and it’s all preceded by food trucks, beverages and popcorn out front on a closed-off Church Street.
Posted inCity Life
Lookout Trivia is back!
Rev up that big brain and get a team together as Lookout’s trivia night returns to Abbott Square. It’s happening Tuesday nights starting June 27 and running into October, and it’s free.
Posted inHousing & Development
Which way to the beach? After decades of talking about it, Santa Cruz is finally poised to connect downtown to the beach
Making the transition from downtown to the beach seamless has been a goal of city leaders for years, and now Santa Cruz is poised to convert the area south of Laurel Street into a busy, pedestrian-friendly part of town, similar to a few blocks north. A new housing complex on Center Street is to be called Calypso, a six-story building with more than 200 units of market-rate and affordable housing.
Posted inLatest News
Traffic calming, new infill walls and flying cars on West Cliff: Residents air concerns at wide-ranging meeting
Santa Cruz residents tuned in Tuesday to a West Cliff Conversations virtual meeting, where they said they’d like to see traffic calming and West Cliff Drive access restoration prioritized. The city is holding a second, in-person public meeting about the future of West Cliff on Wednesday.
Posted inFood & Drink
Lily Belli on Food: Santa Cruz’s permanent parklets progress, a prescription for produce, and summer flavors
Hello eaters! Jessica M. Pasko here. While Lily is out on maternity leave, I’m pitching in on the latest local food news. A little about me — I’m a writer and a native of upstate New York, living in Santa Cruz for over a decade. Our rich food culture is just one of the many […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Santa Cruz transitions to permanent parklet program
Downtown Santa Cruz businesses that want to make their pandemic-era outdoor dining arrangements permanent must apply for a permit by the end of June, and while the city has worked with restaurants and incorporated their feedback on costs and other issues, it’s still a pricey proposition for some.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Pogonip homeless encampment clearing to stretch into July as some residents head to armory
Crews contracted by the City of Santa Cruz, aided by police, continued the second phase of clearing out Pogonip encampments Monday. Daniel Extine of Clean Team Associates, the Santa Cruz-based company contracted by the city to do most of the clearing, said workers expect to have all six phases of the cleanup completed by mid-July. Residents such as Santos Martinez, 58, were preparing to move to the armory.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Men convicted of vandalizing BLM mural at Santa Cruz City Hall expected to help with upcoming repainting
The vandalized Black Lives Matter mural will finally be repaired June 24, with defendants Brandon Bochat and Hagan Warner present. SC Equity Collab expects to begin holding annual touch-up events for the mural going forward.