TOLO Scrapped, City Council Goes Back To Square One
After widespread community opposition, the implementation of the Temporary Outdoor Living Ordinance (TOLO) was suspended. Instead, city officials will go back to the drawing board to draft a new ordinance, based on four points outlined by the City Council, by May 11. “It is very…
Summer Fun Looms as Boardwalk Reopens
It’s just before noon on a sunny Tuesday in Santa Cruz, and while most folks were in their virtual classes or at their Zoom office job, the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk had hundreds of people ready to ride the Giant Dipper for the first time…
Ruling on Temporary Restraining Order in San Lorenzo Leaves Houseless in Limbo
Along the San Lorenzo Riverwalk, houseless residents can be seen biking, gardening, napping, and even lifting weights under the warmth of the spring sun. This is as close to idyllic as the park has been in recent months. But this relative quiet is deceptive. The…
Santa Cruz County eases COVID-19 restrictions heading into spring
As of April 4, there are 15,363 cases of COVID-19 in Santa Cruz County, including 200 deaths and 14,975 recovered. For updated information on vaccine eligibility, please check the Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency (HSA) website. As of April 4, UC Santa Cruz has…
As Other Cities Across California Adopt Hazard Pay for Grocery Store Workers, Santa Cruz is Lacking
*All worker sources are anonymous for their protection. Even under their masks, food service and grocery store workers are expected to do their jobs with grace and a smile. As essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, that means remaining friendly, efficient, and polite in spite…
Annual Watsonville Film Festival Goes Virtual
As the famed Cholitas Escaladoras de Bolivia, “Cholita Hikers of Bolivia,” neared the 22,837-foot summit of Mt. Aconcagua, their vibrant traditional skirts blow under heavy snow and high winds, filling the screen. At the other end of Latin America, the lush green mountains of Chiapas,…
Students are Back in School, but Educators are Reckoning over Underfunded Public Education
As of March 15, there are 15,101 cases of COVID-19 in Santa Cruz County, including 265 active cases, 196 deaths and 14,640 recovered. For updated information on vaccine eligibility, please check the Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency (HSA) website. As of March 15, UC…
City Council Passes Temporary Outdoor Living Ordinance
*Source declined to give their last name. The Santa Cruz City Council voted 5-2 to approve a controversial “temporary outdoor living ordinance” (TOLO) on March 10 that outlines restrictions on the time, place, and manner where houseless people can camp in the City of Santa…
Feeding the Houseless Good Food
All sources in the following piece requested that their last names be omitted for their safety. The Santa Cruz People’s Kitchen was born out of flames. During last summer’s CZU Lightning Complex fires, Sal, a UCSC dropout and experienced line cook, was evacuated from Boulder…
The Downfall of the Santa Cruz Progressives
The Santa Cruz City Council voted five to two to approve a new city ordinance to ban overnight sleeping in much of Santa Cruz last week. This ordinance, targeted at the houseless community, could have been projected months ago as a new City Council took…