• April 2023

    Growing Up In Santa Cruz, Literally

    When the University of California came to town in the 1960’s, our then conservative town thought the worst they were getting were boys in letter sweaters and girls in bobby socks, who may get a little rowdy at fraternity or sorority parties. Well, weren’t they surprised when every public university campus in the United States immediately became a hot-bed of liberal and radical politics: anti-war, pro-feminism, anti-establishment, and pro-environment. But, the changes did not stop there. Newly arrived folks associated with UCSC in some way or other became active in City politics, electing radicals such as Mike Rotkin, Bruce Van Allen to the city council, and Gary Patton to the…

  • July 2022

    Community Loss

    Help Save Watsonville Community Hospital Not only is it the place most babies are born, but it provides invaluable emergency services countywide. By TONY NUÑEZ When news broke late last year that Watsonville Community Hospital was facing imminent closure there was a panic among people that understood what the loss of the 106-bed acute care facility would mean for local health care. Quickly, a coalition of public entities and nonprofits—now known as the Pajaro Valley Healthcare District Project—formed to purchase the hospital and stave off what would have been a catastrophe for the Central Coast. The hospital employs 620 people and has a medical staff of over two hundred physicians.…

  • February 2022

    Solar vs Big energy

    Is California Attacking Local Solar Customers? by Casey Beyer, CEO, Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce For more than two decades, California solar energy companies, installers and customers have benefited from an incentive program known as Net Metering. What is Net Metering? It is a billing mechanism that credits solar energy system owners for the electricity they add to the grid. For example, if a residential customer has a PV system on their roof, it may generate more electricity than the home uses during daylight hours. If the home is net-metered, the electricity meter will run backward to provide a credit against what electricity is consumed at night or other periods…

  • February 2022

    Youth Bill of Rights

    City of Santa Cruz Children & Youth Bill of Rights By Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson and Renee Golder If passed, the Bill of Rights will help us promote youth-adult partnership, amplify youth voice and integrate youth voice in City decision making, and foster youth leadership development. Children and youth well-being is a topic that we can all get behind, right? Each of us has some relationship with children – we have our own grandchildren, aunts and uncles, and caretakers. Yet repeatedly, we as adults, organizations, and the government fails to prioritize youth in our decisions and actions. Case in point-In 2019, the federal government spent only about nine percent of the federal…

  • December 2021

    Support Local

    Supporting Local Businesses This Holiday Season by Zach Friend, Santa Cruz County Supervisor The holiday season is traditionally one of the largest sales times for many retailers. Over the last year and a half, local businesses have been facing additional pressures as a result of the pandemic and subsequent economic downturn. Many have faced declines in sales as online retailing has increased and others are having staffing challenges that have required hours to change or owners to work multiple shifts. As a community we have a unique opportunity to show support for our small, locally-owned businesses as they compete with national online retailers – especially during the holiday season. In…

  • October 2021

    Showing Up For Youth

    Showing Up for Youth By Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson Whether or not you’re a parent in this community, each of us has been impacted by the tragic stabbing at Aptos High School that led to the death of a 17-year old child, as well as the arrest of two other children. This has led me to reflect on the impacts of adults in my life when I was a child, and my role, our role as caring adults. When was a time when a caring adult who wasn’t your parent comforted, uplifted and gave you space to grow?I remember my fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Donovan. Little in size, big in heart, gray-haired,…

  • August 2021

    South County

    Expanding Services to South County by zach friend, County Supervisor One of the most significant actions the County took during our recent budget cycle was to authorize the purchase of a new South County Service Center. This purchase will create a second County government building that would provide mid and south county residents equal access to County services – including services for children – in a way that hasn’t been seen before. The building purchase, and subsequent location of many County services in a centralized south county location, will be the largest investment in service delivery for the south county in multiple generations. Where is it located?The new South County…

  • June 2021

    Expanding Broadband in Santa Cruz County

    Expanding Broadband in Santa Cruz County by zach friend, county supervisor It is estimated that as many as 1 in 3 California households lack broadband access with a disproportionate number of those households consisting of seniors, those with low-incomes and adults self-identifying as having a disability The pandemic highlighted the critical need for access to affordable, high-speed internet. For students participating in remote learning, parents attempting to work remotely and our families needing to access tele-health, high-speed internet is an essential resource. Yet, many households in our community, and throughout the state, either have limited bandwidth to meet their needs or are priced out of options. The County has taken…

  • February 2021

    Vaccine Timeline

    Understanding Vaccine Timeline and Questions By zach friend, county supervisor TUES | FEB | 2Supervisor Zach Friend hosts a COVID -19 Tele-Town Hall,  6-7 pm Supervisor Zach Friend will host a tele-town hall on Tuesday, February 2, 2021, from 6-7 pm with Dr. David Ghilarducci, EMS Medical Director and Deputy Health Officer for the County of Santa Cruz. Dr. Ghilarducci is a board-certified EMS Medical Director with extensive public safety and front line experience. Dr. Ghilarducci was previously a Fire Captain and Acting Battalion Chief with the Santa Clara County Fire Department and after transitioning to medicine served as president of the Emergency Medical Director’s Association of California, EMS Medical…

  • December 2020

    Should the Aptos and Central Fire Districts Merge

    Should the Aptos and Central Fire Districts Merge? It could save $3 million by 2026 By Zach Friend, County Supervisor Recently, the Santa Cruz Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) voted unanimously to approve the consolidation of the Central and Aptos/La Selva Fire Protection Districts. Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about the consolidation. Why is LAFCO involved in the consolidation? LAFCOs have broad authority under the state Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Act in regards to boundary changes for cities and special districts (like the Central and Aptos/La Selva Fire Protection Districts). Specifically, under this authority LAFCO can deny or approve, with or without conditions, a wide range of…

  • October 2020

    Preparing for Fire Season

    Preparing for Fire Season BY zach friend Given the recent devastation in our county it’s important to review some of ways you can prepare and protect your home and business from wildfire. One of the first things is to ensure that you have a home emergency and evacuation action plan – and practice it with your family. Cal Fire has a program called Ready, Set, Go! to help you create your own action plan. Here are some key elements: Get Ready Create a family disaster plan that includes meeting locations and communication plans – including how to evacuate large animals. Create an emergency supply kit (more info on that below)…

  • September 2020

    COVID Update

    COVID Program Updates By Zach Friend, Santa Cruz County Supervisor, District 2 As we continue to face health and economic challenges related to COVID-19 many in our community are looking into programs and services to provide assistance. While our community overall is faring better than many portions of the state and country, we’ve seen a significant increase in cases in the last month and also continued high levels of unemployment (or for those that are employed – reductions in hours and pay). Here are updates on some programs and information that might be of interest during this time. Rental Assistance Program Created The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to provide…

  • May 2020

    Santa Cruz County COVID-19 Update

    Santa Cruz County COVID-19 Updates BY ZACH FRIEND, COUNTY SUPERVISOR Many in our community have been severely impacted by both the health and economic conditions caused by the virus. With community members losing their jobs, businesses seeing declining revenue and tenants and renters unable to pay rent, we know it is also difficult to meet your basic needs – and many have been contacting me with questions on ways to get assistance. We want to help. What resources are available to you? How does the shelter-in-place order apply to a number of sectors? Here are answers to some of the most common questions that have been coming into my office…

  • leo's haven santa cruz
    January 2020

    Upgrades Coming to Local Parks: County Scoop January 2020

    Upgrades Coming to Local Parks County Scoop: January 2020 By Zach Friend, County Supervisor Many parks in the mid and south county haven’t been fully updated in quite some time. Over time, equipment has become safer, more interactive and also more inclusive – ensuring that children of all abilities have the ability to play in our parks. Over the last few years we’ve begun to upgrade many local parks and new plans are in the works. Here is an overview of some of the recent upgrades as well as what’s planned for parks in the mid and south county. LEO’s Haven at Chanticleer Park Phase one of the County’s first…

  • santa cruz affordable housing
    February 2020

    Making it Easier to Build Accessory Dwelling Units: County Scoop February 2020

    Making it Easier to Build Accessory Dwelling Units County Scoop: February 2020 By Zach Friend, County Supervisor, District 2 Throughout California there are discussions about how to address the significant affordable housing crisis. Recent studies on home affordability have shown that in coastal communities like ours less than a quarter of people earn enough income to be able to purchase a home and many can’t afford rising rents. Grandparents watch as their kids and grandkids move away as they are unable to deal with the cost of living.  There is no question that housing costs in Santa Cruz County are one of the biggest challenges facing our residents – especially…

  • Annrae Angel
    January 2020

    Judges Matter: County Scoop January 2020

    Judges Matter County Scoop: January 2020 By Annrae Angel How did United States Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, “the notorious RBG,” attain superstar status, become the subject of multiple biopics and gain a viral Internet following at the age of 86? Is it just because she is one impressive individual? Or is it because Americans are coming to realize how much judges matter? I would say, both. The high-profile confirmation hearings of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh further underscored the gravity and power of the judiciary at the national level, albeit in a different way.  Annrae Angel is one of three candidates running for Santa Cruz County Judge. Local…

  • Santa Cruz rain damage
    November 2019

    Preparing for Winter Rains: County Scoop November 2019

    Preparing for Winter Rains County Scoop: November 2019 By Zach Friend As we head into the rainy season it’s always good to do some advance preparations for your home or business. The County is still making repairs to storm damage that occurred a few years ago, which caused well over $120 million in damage to public roads and facilities in the unincorporated county. If we have a similar winter we can expect additional flooding, mudslides, road damage and downed trees. As we saw, this means that some neighborhoods might have limited access or even be cut off from access for a period of time. What can you do to prepare…

  • santa cruz environment plastic
    September 2019

    Protecting Our Bay: County Scoop September 2019

    Protecting Our Bay County Scoop: September 2019 By Zach Friend, County Supervisor It’s hard to imagine something more interconnected to our county than the Monterey Bay. Over the last few decades our local community has worked on preservation efforts that stopped offshore drilling efforts, ensured the creation of the Sanctuary and now are working to reduce plastic waste.  Plastic waste, in particular single-use plastics, are particularly problematic for our local marine ecosystem. Recently a joint study by the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute found significant amounts of micro plastic particles from the ocean surface to the seafloor. These plastics threaten marine life and the overall…

  • new downtown santa cruz library
    August 2019

    It’s Time for a New Library in Downtown Santa Cruz: County Scoop August 2019

    It’s Time for a New Library in Downtown Santa Cruz County Scoop August 2019 By Deb Tracy-Proulx As a parent, advocate for education, and former librarian, I have a deep understanding of the vital role public libraries play in the lives of children in our community. The Downtown Santa Cruz Library is where I brought my own young children for story and craft time. Then they went as third graders to learn how to do research for their California history projects. As middle and high school students, they went to our public libraries to meet classmates for group studying and tutoring. Many Santa Cruz kids spend their after school hours…