School officials report that the kind of harsh rhetoric being seen elsewhere around the country has not reared its head in Santa Cruz County. For that, school leaders who are already challenged on numerous other fronts give thanks.
Watsonville
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Weighing ‘impact on entire community’: Mixed reviews for Kaiser project as Koenig solicits feedback
While some neighbors vocally worried about traffic concerns at the proposed Live Oak medical site along Highway 1 on Soquel Avenue, others expressed the need for such services in the middle of the county. The next community meeting is Nov. 5, with a final decision on the project set to be made by February.
Posted inK-12 Education
Hybrid SRO program on its way: PVUSD chief says cop-clinician pairing to be in place by Nov. 1
Pajaro Valley Unified School District Superintendent Michelle Rodriguez says hires are imminent for both Watsonville and Aptos high schools and that the pilot program should be on its way by Nov. 1.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Future transit preview or limited engagement? Coast Futura will demo Santa Cruz rail option
The battery-powered, zero-emission Coast Futura is offering free rides along the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line on its clean-energy streetcar. The rides, which must be reserved, will be in Watsonville on Oct. 16-17 and between the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and Capitola the following weekend.
Posted inRecreation & Sports
Get out of your car and ride: Biketober hits Santa Cruz for third year
For its third annual Biketober event, Ecology Action is encouraging novice and experienced cyclists to get out on the road, even if just for one ride, throughout the month of October.
Posted inUncategorized
After a pandemic pause, Open Studios poised for a creative reset: ‘People are hungry for art’
The next three weekends bring a longed-for chance for artists across Santa Cruz County to reconnect with the community and fellow artists — or, for many of the younger, first-time participants, to make real-life connections with folks they’ve seen only virtually during the past year and a half.
Posted inCity Life
PHOTOS: Watsonville shows off its inner geek with inaugural ‘Nerdville’
Lookout’s Kevin Painchaud was on hand as lovers of comic books, fantasy and all the art that comes along with it gathered Comic-Con style at the Gene Hoularis and Waldo Rodriguez Youth Center.
Posted inWatsonville / Pajaro
‘Kids pretty much on their own’: Leaders grapple with Pajaro Valley’s pandemic-fueled youth violence crisis
Those who see it up close talk to Lookout about what they view as the biggest challenges to fixing the problems that ail so many kids growing up in Watsonville. But they are far from easy, and many rooted deeply in the systems that govern an area with a disproportionate population living below the poverty line.
Posted inCity Life
The pandemic in metal: Pajaro Valley Arts exhibits ‘memories of a time like no other’
In the ongoing “Reflections” exhibition at the Watsonville gallery, members of the Monterey Bay Metal Arts Guild answered the call for works about their journey through COVID-19 and other upheavals of recent years.
Posted inEvents, K-12 Education
‘A proactive, preventative approach’: PVUSD’s leader explains why new campus safety plan is the answer
In an exclusive one-on-one with Lookout, Pajaro Valley Unified School District Superintendent Michelle Rodriguez calls the pairing of a school resource officer with a mental health clinician on the Aptos and Watsonville High campuses a “win-win.”