Local Campaign Aims to Tax Unoccupied Vacation Homes
Affordable housing is a mainstay of Santa Cruz politics. A new campaign led by local renters and homeowners wants to add a new caveat to local policy to help alleviate the housing crisis and spur affordable housing development. The Yes on Empty Home Tax Campaign…
Business Returns to Normal as Supply Chain Crisis Persists
Over a year has passed since local businesses first went into lockdown in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and, since then, economic recovery has been unsteady. Business has picked back up, albeit with masks and vaccinations, easing the pressure on local stores. Alana Helms, a…
Halloween 2021: What happened in Santa Cruz
As the autumn leaves crunch under your feet and midterm season approaches, Halloween is the perfect time to get out of your dorm, temporarily forget about those stressful papers, and enjoy the weekend. Halloween at the Boardwalk The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk hosted a Halloween…
City Council Advances Overnight Oversized Vehicle Parking Ban
Just last week, drivers could park RVs anywhere in the city. These abilities may soon be taken away if the Santa Cruz City Council approves the Oversized Vehicle Ordinance. The Oversized Vehicle Ordinance prohibits parking of oversized vehicles, defined as vehicles over 20 feet long,…
As UCSC’s Growth Plan is Approved, Local Concerns Still Linger
The 2021-2040 Long Range Development Plan (LRDP) sets a guiding framework for UC Santa Cruz’s physical and enrollment growth over the next two decades. As one of its former principal student representatives, Matthew Waxman was heavily involved in drafting UCSC’s 2005 LRDP. Now as an…
Streetcar Demonstrations Show Potential for Light Rail in Santa Cruz
The possibility of Electric Passenger Rail will briefly become a reality in Santa Cruz County in two weeks. Clean-energy, battery-powered streetcars will have free demonstrations in Santa Cruz and Watsonville to raise awareness of the need for passenger light rail. Coast Futura, a coalition of…
New Ballot Measure Seeks To Increase Funds Towards Youth Development
Every time you buy weed in Santa Cruz, your tax dollars are invested in Santa Cruz’s youth. A new ballot measure is seeking to increase that use of tax dollars. Measure A, if passed, would designate more tax revenue toward the Santa Cruz Children’s Fund….
Street Vendors to Return to Beach Street with New Permitting Process
For a beach town boasting a historic boardwalk, buying street food in Santa Cruz is a much more elusive task than you would think. As restaurants, bars, and even the boardwalk itself have reopened recently, hoping to recover from COVID-related economic losses, street vendors have…
“Our Work Continues”: Hundreds Gather at Courthouse Steps to Remember George Floyd
How much has the world changed in a year? The question remained aloft as over 200 people gathered in front of the Santa Cruz Courthouse on the evening of May 25, the first anniversary of George Floyd’s murder by Minneapolis police. The community gathering and…
From the Field to Your Table: How Corporate Growers Exploit Farmworker Vulnerability
The fastest strawberry pickers can complete approximately nine baskets per hour, being paid between $1.75 and $2.00 per basket. Growers say this piece rate can suffice for minimum wage, but that is rarely the case. Exposed to dangerous pesticides, unable to access benefits like healthcare,…