Across Santa Cruz County, storm damage cost estimates have reached $76 million. The board of supervisors will discuss priorities with county personnel Tuesday.
Storms 2023: Road to Recovery
Posted inLatest News
Highway 9 and Highway 236 repair work continues with no reopening dates
Caltrans says crews are working to clear mudslides and repair storm damage to Highway 9 in the Ben Lomond area and Highway 236 near Boulder Creek, but the agency does not yet have an estimated reopening date for either.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Was the president’s visit to Santa Cruz County worth it?
Veteran journalist and former Santa Cruz Sentinel editor Tom Honig reflects on President Joe Biden’s visit to Santa Cruz and the fiscal impact it might have on recovery and rebuilding. The exposure, he believes, is good for Santa Cruz and our hard-hit surrounding areas. He felt heartened by the local turnout to see Biden and is hopeful it will bring results.
Posted inLatest News
Watsonville residents near Pajaro River tributaries seek answers in aftermath of Santa Cruz County storms
Those who live in the lowest-lying areas adjacent to the Pajaro River’s tributaries knew that flooding was a possibility, but most had never seen it for themselves. When a weather system predicted to drop far less rainfall than it did arrived on New Year’s Eve, it created a perfect storm of chaos for many residents — particularly some of the area’s oldest and most vulnerable in the neighborhood known as The Villages.
Posted inLatest News
Storms 2023: Power to be restored Friday to 23 Felton customers
The power went out in Felton during storms that hit the community around 1 a.m. on Jan. 8. Pacific Gas & Electric crews were unable to begin repairs in the area of Pine Drive and Redwood Drive until Jan. 23 because of a mudslide, flooding, downed trees and damaged equipment.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
‘They need to know they matter’: Why a humanistic approach is core to this new homelessness group’s work
Evan Morrison’s four-month-old Santa Cruz Free Guide, which has been running the Safe RV Parking program at the Armory, has caught the attention of others who keep a close eye on homelessness response efforts. It’s why the City of Santa Cruz called on the Free Guide to pop up an emergency shelter downtown during the worst nights of winter storms. Morrison believes successful homelessness response begins with a specific mindset, grounded in empathy.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
What NYT omitted about life in the Santa Cruz Mountains: Neighbors with chainsaws
Daniel DeLong lives in the Santa Cruz Mountains, where packing a chainsaw is often just part of mountain life. His young daughters are as familiar with the gear – ropes, helmets, wedges, mini sledgehammer – as they are with their own backpacks. Unfortunately, The New York Times reporter who interviewed him last week during the storms, was not. “That reporter omits the most important aspect of rural mountain living: preparation. And having neighbors who look out for each other,” he says.
Posted inFood & Drink
Local chefs cooking up fundraiser for Capitola workers; tickets now on sale
With more than 100 employees unable to return to work due to prolonged restaurant closures, chefs from Reef Dog Deli, Trestles, Home and Shadowbrook are teaming up for a Feb. 6 gala.
Posted inFood & Drink
What Joe Biden ate during his visit to Santa Cruz County
The president, notorious for his love of ice cream, did indeed sample a Santa Cruz favorite, and his team also chowed down on some local pizza amid the whirlwind tour that included stops in Capitola Village and Seacliff State Beach.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Public Works gears up for widespread repairs, sees West Cliff as hardest-hit part of Santa Cruz
West Cliff Drive took the brunt of the damage within the City of Santa Cruz, which means that it will be the main focus of the beginning of storm recovery. However, there is plenty of work to be done around the city — and it could take quite some time to complete all the repairs.