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A man was taken to a trauma center Friday night after he was shot in the head while driving along Freedom Boulevard.

According to radio dispatches, the man was driving north on Freedom when a pickup with several people onboard pulled alongside his Toyota sedan in front of a Valero gas station just before 10pm. At one point, someone in the truck aimed a rifle at the sedan and shot the driver in the head. The pickup driver then sped off. 

Watsonville police shut down all lanes of Freedom Boulevard in the area as Watsonville firefighters and paramedics treated the victim for transport to a hospital as a large crowd of people flocked to the crime scene to watch the drama unfold. As of 11pm no suspects had been found. 

A proposal for a six-story apartment building at Mission and Otis streets is headed to a community meeting on April 21. (Workbench)

Community meeting on 930 Mission St. proposal

• 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 21.
• Join on Zoom or call 669-444-9171 and enter 817 3446 4595.

SANTA CRUZ >> Two separate proposals for 60-unit apartment buildings on Mission Street in Santa Cruz were submitted to city planners in recent weeks. 

An eight-story building with 60 homes and ground floor shops is proposed at 1501, 1507 and 1511 Mission St. The project would demolish Donnelly Chocolates, Falafel Santa Cruz, and a single-family home and construct the apartment building across the three parcels. Project plans include 12 studios, 30 one-bedroom homes, six two-bedroom homes and 12 three-bedroom homes. 

A six-story building with 60 homes is proposed at 930 Mission St., currently a single-story building with medical offices. Project plans include 38 studios, 19 two-bedroom apartments and three three-bedroom apartments. A community meeting for the 930 Mission St. proposal is set for 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 21 on Zoom. 

Santa Cruz-based developer Workbench proposed the building at 930 Mission St. Workbench has numerous projects in the works across Santa Cruz County, including three projects embroiled in lawsuits.

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Renderings show a proposed eight-story apartment building at Mission and Trescony streets in Santa Cruz. (Anderson Architects Inc)

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Facing years of declining enrollment likely to take a multimillion-dollar bite out of its budget—coupled with federal education cuts and an impending recession—Pajaro Valley Unified School District has taken the first step toward possibly closing some schools.

District officials this week announced the creation of the Sustainable Schools Advisory (SSA), a group of 23 parents, staff and community members described in a press release as “a community-informed effort focused on the long-term strength of our schools.”

The Board of Trustees on Wednesday heard its first report on the group—including a summary of its inaugural meeting Tuesday—but took no action.

No decisions have been made about which schools could face closure. But the issue has surfaced at board meetings, with officials noting many campuses are below capacity and some classrooms sit empty.

PVUSD Chief Business Officer Gerardo Castillo said the SSA will examine demographics, enrollment and transportation as it meets twice a month through November. The group will present its findings and recommendations to the board that month.

Castillo acknowledged it will be a “very difficult process,” noting generations of families have attended neighborhood schools.

“Our schools, for many of us, are like our family,” he said. “That’s where we grew up.”

Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge John Salazar will serve as the advisory’s independent facilitator.

In other PVUSD news, the district will soon form a committee to consider renaming Cesar Chavez Middle School.

Communities across the U.S. have taken similar steps following a March New York Times report in which two women accused Chavez of sexual assault. Civil rights leader Dolores Huerta later said Chavez raped her twice, and that she bore two children from those encounters.

She said she kept quiet for decades to help protect the civil rights movement, with Chavez as its de facto leader.

Castillo said forming the committee will be a “key moment for our district.”

Renaming the school would be “a significant undertaking,” he said, estimating the cost at about $100,000. That includes researching a potential new namesake and replacing signage.

The 11-member committee will include students, staff, teachers and community members, and will be led by the principal.

Trustee Gabe Medina said he supports renaming the school but suggested delaying the process until the district’s financial outlook improves. When that time comes, he said, the honoree should reflect local culture and community.

“I’m hoping we generate local names and highlight those people who had the courage to really organize in our community and, dare I say, stand up to power that abuses its authority,” Medina said.

PVUSD has proposed capping teacher health benefits as part of ongoing contract negotiations, a move expected to draw significant opposition.

Both the district and the Pajaro Valley Federation of Teachers announced the proposal Tuesday. The district is offering a 7.77% salary increase over three years and a $36,000 annual contribution toward family health coverage. District spokesman Alejandro Chavez called it a starting point for negotiations.

Teachers say the proposal would shift substantial costs onto employees. Cesar Chavez Middle School teacher Emily Halbig said the raises — about $177 per month in the first year — would not offset higher premiums. District projections show a family PPO plan costing about $47,900 next year, leaving teachers to pay roughly $12,000 annually if the cap is adopted.

“That’s not close to breaking even,” Halbig said.

She said the union expects strong opposition, noting similar benefit caps elsewhere have effectively reduced take-home pay over time. The union is also questioning the district’s financial outlook and seeking updated data.

Halbig said members are unlikely to accept the proposal, raising the possibility of an impasse and state mediation.

“This is the one thing people have told me they would strike over,” she said.

A seven-story building with below-market-rate studio apartments for older adults is proposed in Downtown Santa Cruz. (McSorley Architecture)

SANTA CRUZ >> A proposal for a seven-story building in Downtown Santa Cruz has been submitted with the help of Ryan Coonerty, candidate for Santa Cruz Mayor. The project would replace the single-story Dell Williams jewelry store building at 1032 Pacific Ave. owned by Coonerty’s wife and mother-in-law.  

The proposed building next to the Palomar Inn would have 38 below-market-rate homes for older adults. It would also include shops on the bottom floor and common space for residents on the second floor, including a community kitchen, meeting room and fitness room. The project does not include any parking, as permitted by state laws.

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A proposed building next to the Palomar Inn would use modular construction, where parts of the building are built elsewhere and assembled onsite. (McSorley Architecture)

Streamlined approval process

The proposal uses AB 2011, a state law that allows approval by city staff, without public hearings, for commercial buildings redeveloped to include housing. However, it’s also seeking for the city to cede about 10 feet of a stretch of the alleyway behind the building — which does require a Santa Cruz City Council vote. 

An appraiser is now determining the monetary value of the strip of land, said Santa Cruz Housing Development Manager Jessie Bristow. After that process, the city council and developers would negotiate on an agreement to transfer the property in a closed session of a city council meeting, Bristow said. If an agreement is reached, it would be discussed and voted on in public, during an open session of a council meeting, he said.

If city council approves the expanded footprint, the project would be approved as soon as the developer, Arcata-based Danco Group, submits a complete application that complies with city rules. An application submitted earlier this year was deemed incomplete and has been returned for additional information, said Senior Planner Ryan Bane.

Coonerty family connection

Dell Williams — and the land to be redeveloped — is owned by Emily Coonerty, the wife of mayoral candidate Ryan Coonerty, and Emily Coonerty’s mother, Cindy Bernard. Ryan Coonerty helped facilitate the deal with Danco after being hired as a consultant to find a suitable location for the project. That contract ended May 2025, he said. 

Ryan Coonerty also consulted for developers on other projects in the city in 2024 and 2025, including the Cruz Hotel, 201 Front St. and an apartment complex on Delaware Avenue  leased to UC Santa Cruz for students and staff.

“I was trying to help projects that I agreed with get the community and city support necessary to get across the finish line,” he said.

As part of his contract with landowners and developers for the 201 Front St. project, he has also had conversations with leaders of the Santa Cruz Warriors about their future plans for a stadium, he said. The contract ended July 2024, and Coonerty said he remains  “involved in ongoing talks with the Warriors” without pay.

He said his most recent contract with a developer ended in August 2025, for an unannounced project from Owen Lawlor Land Use outside of city limits. Coonerty said his experience working with developers would not conflict with his potential decisions as mayor and that he would recuse himself from any decisions related to the Dell Williams building, or any other matters advised by the city attorney.

“I’m going to abide by the letter and spirit of the law,” he said.

The building would include 38 below-market-rate homes for older adults and one market-rate unit for a building manager. (McSorley Architecture)

Questions or comments? Email info@santacruzlocal.org. Santa Cruz Local is supported by members, major donors, sponsors and grants for the general support of our newsroom. Our news judgments are made independently and not on the basis of donor support. Learn more about Santa Cruz Local and how we are funded.

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Un apagón causado por un problema de equipo en una subestación de Pacific Gas & Electric cerca del Hospital Dominican en Live Oak dejó a casi 18,500 residentes del condado de Santa Cruz sin electricidad la tarde del viernes.

El servicio eléctrico se restableció a las 4:15 p.m., según la portavoz de PG&E, Stephanie Magallon.

El apagón, reportado por primera vez a las 3 p.m., se extiende a lo largo de la costa del condado, desde Davenport hacia el sur hasta Aptos. Los residentes de Capitola y Pleasure Point no se vieron afectados por el apagón.

Magallon dijo a Lookout que las cuadrillas trabajan para cambiar a una fuente de energía diferente para determinar qué causó el problema en la subestación en Houts Drive.

Have news that should be in Lookout Briefs? Send your news releases, including contact information, to news@lookoutlocal.com.

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The post El apagón deja a más de 18,000 residentes del condado de Santa Cruz sin electricidad la tarde del viernes appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.

Esta traducción fue generada utilizando inteligencia artificial y ha sido revisada por un hablante nativo de español; si bien nos esforzamos por lograr precisión, pueden ocurrir algunos errores de traducción. Para leer el artículo en inglés, haga clic aquí.

Ha pasado más de un año desde que el presidente Donald Trump regresó al cargo y comenzó una campaña agresiva de deportación dirigida a los aproximadamente 11 millones de residentes indocumentados del país.

La población estudiantil inmigrante de Cabrillo College está sintiendo el impacto. 

La profesora y consejera de Cabrillo, Adela Naranjo-Bernabe, dijo a Lookout que notó una disminución en la participación en programas dirigidos a estudiantes indocumentados, y tiene conocimiento de al menos dos estudiantes que se autodeportaron.

En Cabrillo, el número de estudiantes indocumentados que solicitan ayuda financiera a través de un programa estatal ha disminuido significativamente desde que Trump asumió el cargo en enero de 2025. De 2023-24 a 2024-25, el número de solicitantes cayó 18%, de 209 a 171. Hasta ahora este año, ha habido solo 163.

“Tienen miedo de pedir ayuda – a veces ayuda financiera – porque creen que está vinculada a su capacidad a largo plazo para arreglar su estatus”, dijo Naranjo-Bernabe. “Dicen: ‘No queremos exponernos. No queremos que nadie tenga nuestra información personal’”.

Desde 2016 hasta el otoño pasado, Naranjo-Bernabe supervisó el Programa de Recursos DREAM del colegio, pero dejó el cargo para dedicarse a la enseñanza. Dijo que sigue en contacto con muchos de los estudiantes a quienes ayudó y contó a Lookout sobre su mayor ansiedad. La nueva coordinadora, Kim Leyva, asumió el cargo en febrero y, aunque todavía está aprendiendo los detalles del puesto, coincidió con Naranjo-Bernabe en que los estudiantes tienen mucho miedo.

“Hay mucha más ansiedad e incertidumbre”, dijo Leyva, y agregó que los estudiantes están preocupados por la seguridad de sus familias y su futuro.

El estudiante de Cabrillo College Omar dijo a Lookout que, aunque obtuvo la ciudadanía después de crecer como indocumentado en Watsonville, los esfuerzos de la administración federal por apuntar incluso a ciudadanos naturalizados lo tienen en alerta.

“Ser inmigrante, un error realmente puede costarte toda la vida”, dijo. “Y no existe esa tranquilidad de poder caminar cómodamente por la calle o conducir”.

Omar es un seudónimo; solicitó el anonimato por temor a ser objetivo de agentes del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas de Estados Unidos (ICE).

El Programa de Recursos DREAM del colegio se estableció en 2016 para proporcionar una variedad de servicios a estudiantes indocumentados, estudiantes que tienen familiares indocumentados y estudiantes con estatus protegido bajo la Acción Diferida para los Llegados en la Infancia de la era de Obama. A los niños que llegan a Estados Unidos sin documentación a menudo se les llama “Dreamers”, de ahí el nombre del programa del colegio.

Acción Diferida para los Llegados en la Infancia

DACA es el programa federal de Acción Diferida para los Llegados en la Infancia establecido por el expresidente Barack Obama. Después de años de batallas legales e intentos de Donald Trump de desmantelarlo, el programa ya no acepta nuevos solicitantes. Sin embargo, alrededor de medio millón de personas que ya tenían DACA todavía son elegibles para renovar su estatus. DACA proporciona protección contra la deportación y autorización de trabajo a inmigrantes que llegaron a Estados Unidos cuando eran niños. A los niños nacidos en el extranjero que llegan a Estados Unidos sin documentación se les llama “Dreamers”

Leyva dijo que los estudiantes indocumentados y los estudiantes de estatus mixto, a pesar de sus temores, son trabajadores y resilientes.

“Cargan con mucho estrés invisible en este clima político”, dijo. “Muchos se preocupan por la seguridad, la estabilidad de sus familias y su futuro. Estas preocupaciones pueden afectar la salud mental y la concentración académica. Los estudiantes indocumentados intentan navegar tiempos inciertos mientras acceden a la misma educación que todos los demás”.

El programa DREAM de Cabrillo proporciona una amplia gama de servicios, desde tutoría y servicios legales hasta ayuda con asistencia financiera. Leyva dijo que sus días recientemente han incluido reunirse con estudiantes para ayudarlos a presentar solicitudes para un programa estatal de ayuda financiera, la Solicitud de la Ley DREAM de California. El programa estatal nunca comparte la información de los estudiantes con agencias federales.

Los estudiantes indocumentados que califican para el programa de California son elegibles para subvenciones estatales y universitarias, exenciones de cuotas universitarias y becas privadas. Los estudiantes también son elegibles para pagar matrícula estatal, en lugar de las tarifas de matrícula mucho más altas que se cobran a los residentes de fuera de California.

Naranjo-Bernabe dijo que este es el programa que mostró una caída estimada del 25% en las solicitudes de estudiantes de Cabrillo en comparación con el período previo a Trump.

Leyva dijo que está enfocada en asegurar que los estudiantes conozcan la financiación estatal y que se sientan seguros para solicitarla. Envía un boletín semanal por correo electrónico con una variedad de información y noticias, y ha coordinado talleres de ayuda financiera para estudiantes.

Leyva también está trabajando en añadir nuevos elementos al programa DREAM, como una pasantía llamada la Beca de Incentivo de Servicio Dreamer. Bajo la iniciativa, los estudiantes reciben pago por trabajo voluntario con departamentos del colegio u organizaciones sin fines de lucro fuera del campus.

Los estudiantes que trabajan 150 horas durante un semestre pueden recibir $2,500 — para un total de 300 horas y $5,000 por año académico. Leyva espera lanzar el programa a mediados del otoño o al inicio del semestre de primavera de 2027. Lo está modelando a partir de San Jose City College, donde decenas de estudiantes están participando.

Leyva quiere que los estudiantes sepan que, a pesar de las serias amenazas provenientes de la administración federal, existe un sistema de apoyo y recursos seguros y accesibles para ellos en Cabrillo College.

“Aquí estamos”, dijo. “Estoy lista para ayudarlos cuando estén listos para venir a verme”.

Coordinadora de Recursos DREAM Kim Leyva

Leyva trabaja en el Centro de Watsonville de Cabrillo College en el Edificio B, Oficina B104, los lunes y martes de 8:30 a.m. a 5 p.m. Los miércoles y jueves, Leyva trabaja en el campus de Aptos en el Centro de Estudiantes Multiculturales, salón SAC 133, de 7:30 a.m. a 4 p.m. Atiende sin cita y recomienda hacer citas. El correo electrónico de Leyva es kileyva@cabrillo.edu y el número de su oficina para ambas ubicaciones es 831-786-4724. 

¿Tiene algo que decir? Lookout da la bienvenida a cartas al editor, dentro de nuestras políticas, de los lectores. Consulte las pautas aquí.

The post Por miedo, menos estudiantes indocumentados de Cabrillo buscan servicios a más de un año de la ofensiva migratoria de Trump appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.

A power outage caused by an equipment issue at a Pacific Gas & Electric substation near Dominican Hospital in Live Oak left nearly 18,500 Santa Cruz County residents without power Friday afternoon. 

The outage, first reported at 3 p.m., stretches along the county’s coastline, from Davenport south to Aptos. Residents of Capitola and Pleasure Point were not affected by the outage. 

PG&E spokesperson Stephanie Magallon told Lookout that crews are working to switch to a different power source to determine what caused the issue at the substation on Houts Drive. 

Power was expected to be restored later in the afternoon, Magallon said.

Have news that should be in Lookout Briefs? Send your news releases, including contact information, to news@lookoutlocal.com.

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Clouds build up over the Pajaro Valley recently. A new weather system will most likely bring showers and a possibility of thunderstorms starting Monday. Roger Gass of the National Weather Service of Monterey, said, “We are expecting to get showers Monday and a possibility of thunderstorms Tuesday. The upper level low is dropping in out of Gulf of Alaska.”
Gass said that while high winds are not expected, rain could be heavy at times. He said the Pajaro Valley could get from 1/2 to 1-inch of rain and 1-3 inches in north Santa Cruz County, the heaviest in the mountains.
“This rainfall could bring minor flooding in urban areas that could interrupt the morning and evening commutes Monday and into Tuesday. Showers are expected to taper late Tuesday and into Wednesday.

Three apartment proposals from developer Workbench are embroiled in legal challenges. (Workbench)

SANTA CRUZ >> Among local developers, Santa Cruz-based Workbench has been arguably the most prolific at advancing multi-story apartment buildings — and among the most likely to have its projects end up in court. Three separate Workbench housing proposals in Santa Cruz County are currently ensnared in litigation, tying up more than 200 proposed apartments, including 19 below-market-rate homes. 

Workbench’s founders have said the projects are necessary to address the county’s severe housing crunch. Some residents have fiercely opposed the potential developments, arguing the proposed homes are mostly unaffordable and the scale of the projects would strain local resources and infrastructure like water, traffic and parking. One of the projects, near Dominican Hospital, has generated public health and safety concerns. 

While California laws meant to address the state’s housing crisis have largely stripped power from local authorities to deny or change proposals for housing, some local leaders have pushed back amid their constituents’ ire.

Here are the Workbench projects currently in court and how the outcomes of these lawsuits could affect future development in Santa Cruz County.

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In May 2024, the Santa Cruz City Council approved a five-story, 48-unit project at the site of the Food Bin and Herb Room at 1130 Mission St. But the city council rejected the inclusion of storage spaces that Workbench intended to convert into 11 accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, which would make the total units 59. State law allows developers to convert unused space into ADUs to squeeze more units into an existing building.

Workbench and the Food Bin’s co-owner, Douglas Wallace, sued the city over the denial of the ADUs, alleging the city violated state housing laws that promote density and prevent local jurisdictions from imposing changes that would require a redesign.

An apartment complex on the Food Bin site approved by the Santa Cruz City Council in May has been stalled by a lawsuit over 11 in-law units. (Workbench)

After Judge Rebecca Connolly ruled against Workbench and Wallace in August, they appealed the case. In an opening brief filed in February, Workbench’s lawyers alleged the city council “buckled to public pressure” from angry neighbors and that this case “demonstrates why housing in California remains the most expensive in the nation.”     

“The city is arguing that it simultaneously did not remove housing units from the project while also arguing from the other side of its mouth that it did not remove non-housing amenity spaces,” Ryan Patterson, a San Francisco-based attorney representing Workbench, said last week. “Either way it broke the law. We look forward to the court of appeal seeing through the city’s charade.”

City of Santa Cruz spokesperson Ashley Hussey said, “The city has no comment on this matter as it is pending litigation.” 

Workbench has said it will not start construction on the apartments, geared toward college students without cars, unless the ADUs are approved.

Litigation around the Food Bin project likely influenced another Workbench project: the Clocktower Center at 2020 N. Pacific Ave. In August, the Santa Cruz City Council approved the 178-unit project, including amenity spaces that can be converted to 46 additional ADUs, which would bring the total to 224 units.

Santa Cruz City Council approved the 178-unit Clocktower Center project, with some spaces labeled with uses such as a steam room, a chef’s kitchen and a music room. (Workbench)

In the Food Bin project, Workbench labeled the storage spaces as future ADUs. In the Clocktower Center project, the spaces were labeled with uses such as a steam room, a chef’s kitchen and a music room. Because cities cannot apply local building rules that effectively block the building as designed, city attorney Tony Condotti said they could not force a redesign. 

Condotti said at the time that Workbench “obviously learned its lesson from the Food Bin case.”

The use of conversion ADUs to maximize units in a new development is increasingly common, said William Fulton, editor of California Planning & Development Report and former mayor of Ventura and planning director of San Diego. “But I have not seen that litigated significantly,” Fulton said.

He said the state has adopted dozens, if not hundreds, of housing laws in the past decade or so in an attempt to boost development. In places like Santa Cruz, he said, “basically everyone under 40 is boxed out of the ownership market” because home prices are so high in part due to the paucity of new construction. Many of these state laws have yet to be fully tested in the courts, and case law will set precedents that influence how far cities and developers can push the boundaries of the law.

Builder’s Remedy brawl

Two more lawsuits involving Workbench projects were filed last month and center around the Builder’s Remedy, part of a state law which allows developers to largely bypass local zoning requirements if a county or city lacks a state-approved housing plan, called a Housing Element.

Confused about housing jargon?

Read Santa Cruz Local’s housing glossary to learn common words, phrases and laws.

For decades, Fulton said, hardly anyone used the Builder’s Remedy, which was adopted in 1990 and amended in 2024. But in recent years Builder’s Remedy projects have proliferated. 

Across California, “it is not uncommon for cities [and counties] to resist application of Builder’s Remedy, or be either confused or unprepared about how to respond to a Builder’s Remedy application,” Fulton said. 

The County of Santa Cruz, responsible for planning for new housing in areas outside the four cities, failed to finish and get certified its latest Housing Element by a December 2023 deadline. Until the state issued a letter certifying the county’s plan in April 2024, Builder’s Remedy rules were apparently in effect. 

That same month, Workbench filed a Builder’s Remedy pre-application for a six-story, 105-unit apartment complex at 3500 Paul Sweet Road and another Builder’s Remedy pre-application for a three-story, 28-unit apartment complex at 841 Capitola Road, which later grew to be a five-story, 57-unit proposal.

A house at 841 Capitola Road in Live Oak could be redeveloped into 57 apartments. (Jesse Kathan — Santa Cruz Local)

Now, some neighbors who oppose the 841 Capitola Road project have sued, alleging that Workbench invoked Builder’s Remedy too late and that regardless the county’s approval of the proposed development should be invalidated on constitutional grounds.

The suit cited documents showing that no “substantive review” of the county’s Housing Element was conducted after March 15, 2024. 

The Board of Supervisors appears to agree with the neighbors’ interpretation. In a recent letter, supervisors asked the state to “correct the certification record” and determine the county to be in compliance as of that date. 

“If we prevail, the project will be subject to the same development standards that apply to everyone; it will not be able to bypass them by exploiting a loophole,” Mark Wolfe, a San Francisco-based attorney for the group of neighbors, said in a statement. The lack of a formal certification letter by March 15, 2024, was a “result solely of internal bureaucratic delay,” he added.

Workbench proposed a five-story, 57-unit apartment complex at 841 Capitola Road. (Workbench)

Workbench has argued that informal communications don’t constitute formal approval, and that a determination otherwise would leave the Builder’s Remedy process muddled in uncertainty. Patterson, Workbench’s attorney, said the county “did the right thing in approving this project.” 

“Unfortunately, NIMBY opposition never stops,” he said. “We look forward to successfully defeating their lawsuit in short order.”

The Santa Cruz County Planning Commission approved the proposal at 841 Capitola Road on Oct. 22, 2025. Neighbors of the project appealed it to the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors. (Amaya Edwards — Santa Cruz Local/CatchLight Local)

Similar Builder’s Remedy lawsuits disputing Housing Element dates have also been filed elsewhere in the state. 

“The biggest unanswered legal question is whether or not the state housing department has to actually approve a Housing Element for it to be valid,” said Fulton, the housing expert. He added that he expected the state legislature or state Supreme Court to eventually weigh in.    

The outcome of the lawsuit could determine the fate of another Builder’s Remedy project in Santa Cruz County: The Haven, which was also proposed in April 2024.

The Haven is a proposal for 123 single-family homes and 34 townhouses across more than 25 acres of undeveloped land across Graham Hill Road from Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park Campground. The proposal has drawn skepticism and concern from residents and county leaders alike but has yet to come before the county planning commission for a formal hearing.

Workbench sues county over delayed approval

Unlike the Capitola Road project, county officials have thus far balked at approving Workbench’s Paul Sweet Road project, which has been vigorously opposed by neighboring Dominican Hospital and Dominican Oaks senior housing residents. 

Last month, amid unresolved fire safety and sewer issues, Workbench sued prior to going before the county planning commission for a second time. The suit alleged that the commission and the county unlawfully failed to make a timely decision and that the project was therefore automatically approved “by operation of law.”

At 3500 Paul Sweet Road near Dominican Hospital, 105 apartments are proposed. (Workbench)

“This is a straightforward case of the county failing to make a decision by its deadline,” Patterson said. “The consequence is clear.”

The county thus finds itself in the position of being sued for one Builder’s Remedy project it approved on Capitola Road and another it hasn’t on Paul Sweet Road.

“It’s disappointing that taxpayer resources will now be utilized in litigation over projects the county did not bring forward, involving a law the county did not write,” Santa Cruz County spokesperson Jason Hoppin wrote in an email. “We look forward to a speedy resolution.”

In the Paul Sweet Road case, Workbench and the county will present their arguments at a hearing set for June 12.

Clarification: This story has been updated to reflect that the project at 841 Capitola Road was first proposed as a 28-unit, three-story apartment complex.

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The post As lawsuits ensnare three housing proposals, what could it mean for the future of development in Santa Cruz County? appeared first on Santa Cruz Local.

Lately, I see artichokes growing all along the coast in farms from the Pajaro Valley to Marina. 

I think they’re an unusual food. One way that I’m familiar with eating them is to first dip the steamed leaf in butter or mayonnaise, then scrape the meat off of the inside part of the outer leaves with your teeth. The inner leaves are more challenging but get what you can then discard. Then you scoop out the fuzzy part with a spoon and toss. Finally, you are left with a little bowl of tender pulp — the choke — most likely the only part of the entire thistle that is large enough to enjoy. I would guess that for one good-sized artichoke, you might get all of one cup if you’re lucky.

In its native state, the artichoke is a thistle. Its predecessor, the cardoon, was a garden flower mentioned by Homer in the eighth century BCE. It was bred to develop meaty leaves and a base that can be eaten before it has bloomed into a beautiful purple flower. Around the 1400s, its cultivation spread to France, Spain, England and beyond. They became a status symbol according to François Pierre La Varenne, the author of Le Cuisinier François in 1651; they were claimed to be an aphrodisiac.

There are many varieties from small to large and many ways to prepare them. The large globe variety is mostly grown around here and is best for the recipe below. Castroville, the part of Monterey County that grows 80% of the nation’s artichokes, has given itself the title of “The Artichoke Center of the World.” However, worldwide, the US is ninth in production of globe artichokes with Italy, Egypt and Spain in the lead. 

There are a lot of steps to preparing them. One main thing is to make sure they are sufficiently cooked. 

2-3 large artichokes, about 4 by 7 inches 

3 cups water

4 big cloves garlic, smashed and roughly chopped

3 bay leaves

1 teaspoon whole Sichuan peppers, whole allspice or black peppercorns

1/2 teaspoon chili flakes

1 tablespoon kosher salt

½ cup apple vinegar

1/3 cup honey 

3-4 tablespoons butter

Prepare the artichoke so that it is safe and easy to eat. Leave about 1 inch of the stem or less if you want them to sit by themselves. Pull off the small outer leaves around the base. Cut off about a ½ inch from the top.  Cut the spines off the tips of the larger outer leaves. Submerge in water, slosh around, then invert to dry.

Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a dutch oven or heavy-duty sauce pan that comes with a lid; it should be large enough to hold two to three large artichokes. Add garlic, bay leaves, peppers, chili flakes and salt. Add artichokes, lower heat, put on the lid and simmer over low heat for 20-25 minutes. Turn artichokes over and cover and steam another 5-15 minutes. Coating on the inside of the outer leaves should start to come off between your teeth. 

At that point, remove artichokes from pan, set aside and boil down liquid to about 1 1/2 cups. Stir in apple vinegar and honey. Add artichokes and boil for another 15 minutes with the lid off turning once so all sides get coated. The inside coating of the leaves should be soft now. Remove artichokes and keep warm.

Boil down the liquid again to about 1/2-3/4 cup. Strain out leaves, peppers etc. Add butter. Serve alongside artichokes as a dipping sauce.

A Letter to my Republican Friends

Our current president has launched what could very possibly become World War Three—a religious war that may even become nuclear. Is this really what you want for our children?

If not, please call your Congressional Representatives. We only need a few of the representatives that you elected to vote to stop the escalation.

Don Eggleston

Aptos

•••

BESS plays ‘vital role’

The battery facility proposed for Minto Road has been delayed. That’s a problem because it needs to be online as soon as possible if we are to stop burning fossil fuels. The delay is caused by resistance to the facility by some in the community. This resistance hurts my heart because a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) plays a vital role in fighting global warming. We must develop wind and solar energy. But the wind does not always blow and the sun does not always shine. We need batteries to store that energy. We experienced climate warming the third week of March when temperatures neared 100 degrees. It’s even worse for places like Africa where there are multiple regions stricken with drought and other places hit with catastrophic flooding.

A BESS facility must be regulated, but those regulations already exist. California Senate Bill 283 calls for the highest safety standards for fire and other dangers. It was authored by our own Sen. John Laird and signed into law. These regulations were prompted by the Moss Landing BESS fire. There were several serious design flaws in that facility. In the first place the batteries were all housed in one building. Once a fire started it could easily spread to the whole place. The BESS proposed for Minto Road will be made up of several buildings. At Moss Landing the batteries were stacked on top of each other At Minto Road they will be insulated from each other. At Moss Landing the fire protection system was inadequate. At Minto Road there will be a robust response to fires.

Emelyn Buskirk

Watsonville

•••

Tony Nuñez Leads with Integrity and Hard Work

As a mother raising my family here in Watsonville, I think a lot about the kind of community we’re building for our kids and who we can trust to lead it. This upcoming June 2 election for 4th District Supervisor feels especially important to me, because I’m looking for someone who truly understands our community’s needs. I believe Tony Nuñez is the right person for our district.

Tony went to Watsonville High, studied at Cabrillo College, and San Jose State, and has spent years telling our community’s stories as editor of the Pajaronian. Through his work with Community Bridges, he continues to stay connected to the people and families who call this place home. He lives here with his wife and son so he understands firsthand what it means to raise a family in South County right now.

What stands out to me most is that Tony shows up and he truly listens. And more importantly, he follows through. Tony’s leadership was invaluable in saving Watsonville Community Hospital, and then keeping it operating by working hard to get Measure N passed in 2024. That kind of leadership matters.

District 4 deserves someone who will do the work, stand up for our families, and fight for the future our kids deserve. Tony Nuñez has proven he will.

Joanne Sanchez

Watsonville

•••

Concerns about Valencia Elementary School closing

Community members who have spoken out, written in, or shared concerns about the possible closure of Valencia School have likely encountered the same dismissive responses: “take a breath,” “no decision has been made,” or “a Sustainable Schools Advisory is being formed.” While it is true that PVUSD has not formally announced a closure, it is important to clarify that these concerns are not based on rumor or speculation. Statements suggesting that Valencia is the school under consideration have come from individuals in positions of authority within the district, including an assistant superintendent, a principal at another site, and a board trustee. These are informed voices, not casual observers.

Many in our community have experienced similar situations before. We have participated in processes where input from staff and families was gathered, only to see it reshaped—or set aside—after the fact. Time and again, it has felt as though decisions were made before meaningful engagement ever began. Given this history, it is understandable that calls to “take a breath” or remain patient are met with skepticism.

This is about our children, our educators, and the integrity of our community. Trust is not built through reassurances—it is built through transparency and genuine engagement. Until that happens, we will continue to question and speak out.

Lily Gerrans

Aptos

•••

Farmworker rights movement still strong, despite Chavez scandal

As someone who has worked in and around the farmworker movement since 1970, I was devastated by the recent credible allegations of serious sexual misconduct by Cesar Chavez.

Many who fought for farmworker rights (an ongoing battle) have been stunned or angered by the sudden removal of Chavez’s name from streets, schools and celebrations and by the readiness of some who were never aligned with the goals of that movement to pile on. That anger was expressed in Charles Birimisa’s letter saying that the anti-immigrant forces behind ICE abuses are seeking to remove ethnic heroes. I don’t disagree with him there. 

He goes on to opine that Dolores Huerta revealing rape by Cesar Chavez over 50 years ago represented her being manipulated “…by some nefarious power” to steal Cesar’s place in history and get her own holiday. This is where his letter goes off the rails.

In the late 1960s Dolores had very good reason to not speak publicly about what Cesar did to her. At the time, rape was viewed as something that happened in an alley with a knife, not by a coworker or family member. Had she spoken out at the time she would likely have been discredited and disbelieved. Believe it or not, that might well have killed the nascent movement struggling to survive, in which she and Cesar were key organizers.

Dolores only spoke out when she learned that there were other women who had been molested as children by Cesar Chavez. These were not strangers, but women whom she had known all of their lives. Dolores’ disclosure authenticated their stories at real emotional and reputational cost to herself.

I applaud Dolores’s courage in supporting those women. Her place in history is secure, and she gains nothing by this but pays a huge price of emotional disruption within her own family.

It is wrong to see the farmworkers movement as Dolores or Cesar or both, as they are only two of the literally thousands of farmworkers and their allies who devoted years of their lives to building that movement.

The reports of Cesar Chavez’s sexual abuse of women are disheartening, but this whole affair does nothing to diminish my respect for the movement that he and Dolores Huerta and those thousands of other built, nor my pride in the tiny role that I played in it.

Mike Johnston

Watsonville

A 15-year-old was arrested Wednesday on the 500 block of Rodriguez Street in connection with a Feb. 8 shooting.

Watsonville police placed nearby Radcliff Elementary School on lockdown at about 11:50am as a preventative measure. The lockdown was lifted about 10 minutes later.

The suspected 16-year-old shooter was arrested on Feb. 20 in connection with the shooting, which occurred at Main Street and Green Valley Road, but left no reported victims.

The investigation is ongoing. Watsonville police did not release further details.

A wanted suspect out of Santa Cruz County has been arrested after Watsonville Police, aided by their Flock camera system, found him driving a stolen car in Watsonville.   

Officers on patrol were alerted that a stolen silver Toyota Avalon was in the area of the 1000 block of Green Valley Road on Monday morning. About five minutes after being alerted, 46-year-old Armando Zepeda was pulled over.   

Police learned that Zepeda had an active felony warrant out of Santa Cruz County for false imprisonment and vandalism. He was taken into custody and booked on charges of possession of a stolen vehicle.  

“Thanks to technology such as our Flock cameras, our Officers were able to recover the stolen Toyota Avalon in less than 24 hours and eventually get it back to its rightful owner,” ” WPD said on a social media post.

Fruition Brewing and Kitchen in Watsonville has been named Small Brewery of the Year at the 2026 Best of Craft Beer Awards, a national competition that drew nearly 1,400 entries from breweries around the world.

The Watsonville-based brewery in the East Lake Village Shopping Center earned the top small-brewery honor after winning a gold medal for its “Yuzu Haze” hazy IPA and a silver medal for its “Watsonville Wildflower” honey blonde ale.

The awards were announced following judging held April 10–12 in Central Oregon, where nearly 60 international judges evaluated more than 9,000 beer submissions across 51 categories.

Fruition Brewing was one of 108 breweries to receive medals this year, with 153 awards handed out overall, according to event organizers.

The gold medal-winning Yuzu Haze features locally grown citrus sourced from Red Sands Orchard and Pretty Good Farm in Santa Cruz County. Brewers hand-zest the fruit, and the beer is currently available only on tap, though the company said the award is prompting plans to expand into canning.

The silver-winning Watsonville Wildflower uses local honey from Lazy G Bees. The beer has previously earned a gold medal at the U.S. Beer Tasting Championship and is already distributed more widely.

Co-owner David Purgason called the awards “a huge surprise.

“But it’s great motivation to continue working hard,” he said. “Brewing is an art of constant adjustments, endlessly chasing perfection, especially when working with local agriculture that varies year to year.”

The Best of Craft Beer Awards, now in its 12th year, has grown into one of the largest professional brewing competitions in North America.

Breweries of all sizes sent over 9,000 containers of their finest product for evaluation in 51 categories and sub-categories.

Fruition Brewing is one of several food and beverage establishments in the shopping complex. This includes Sushi-Q, Silver Spur, Hong Kong Garden II and Staff of Life.

Anyone rolling along Riverside Drive into Watsonville from Highway 1 lately must have noticed the new, healthy welcome mat—20 acres of organic artichokes popping their thistle heads up at the Sadie Ranch. The organic crop is a first for the Pajaro Valley. 

The crop, known as globe artichokes, is the work of the crew at Lakeside Organic Gardens who have been harvesting the prickly vegetables that are being distributed around the nation.

“We’re using an excellent new hybrid seed that comes from Europe,” said Lakeside Organic Gardens owner Dick Peixoto. “They’re very expensive—each seed costs 60 cents—but it’s worth it because right now we’re harvesting between 800 and 1,000 cartons per acre; traditional artichokes commonly yield 200-300 cartons per acre.”

A harvest of globe artichokes along Riverside Drive. (Tarmo Hannula/The Pajaronian)

Production, from the time of planting to harvest, takes about 90 days.

“We can grow them year-round, easily,” Peixoto said. “Right now we are the largest organic artichoke grower in the country. While Castroville claims to be the artichoke capital of the world, Watsonville is the organic artichoke capital of the world.”

Around eight years ago Lakeside teamed up with Ocean Mist, a major artichoke grower in Monterey County and beyond, to produce artichokes.

“They didn’t want to go the organic route so, after a while, we launched our project and expanded our own way into organic production. This is our fifth year of doing artichokes. I have friends that have sent me photos of our artichokes in the grocery store in New York City and another grocery store in Maui.”

At the Sadie Ranch in Watsonville field workers have been harvesting between 800 and 1,000 cartoons of artichokes per acre. (Tarmo Hannula/The Pajaronian)

Peixoto says his company grows artichokes between Watsonville and Moss Landing and in Ventura Valley, south of the Salton Sea near El Centro.

“We’re doing around 1,000 acres in Holtville,” he said. “And all the crops we do here in the summer we do there in the winter.”

He added that people can purchase their artichokes in Watsonville at Staff of Life Natural Foods in the East Lake Village Shopping Center.

“And, of course, we prepare them for the dinner table at our California Grill restaurant on Green Valley Road,” he said. “These are the right variety and we have the right weather; they taste as good as any artichoke you’ll find.”

The 1882 Records Building—today called the Octagon Building—is shown in Santa Cruz in 1954. It is now part of the popular Abbott Square at Cooper and Front streets.v(Sam Vestal/Pajaronian file)

Eighteen artworks by Watsonville artist Sefla Joseph are now on exhibit at the Aptos Public Library, along with a show by Aptos artist Diane Levin.

Spread around the facility, Joseph’s works include abstract portraits done with charcoal, chalk, and ink and paintings in  acrylic/mixed media on canvas. 

“I found myself  starting to work with charcoal, chalk and ink in the Covid period during a time of isolation,” she said. “I fell in love with the forgiving nature of  charcoal. The mark making felt emotional and the hands-on experience helped me have a less controlled approach to my work. The abstract portraits were a perfect fit for me and the portraits helped me to find the spirit of the work.”

This portrait by Sefla Joseph is from her latest direction of artwork now on display. (Tarmo Hannula/The Pajaronian)

Joseph has shown her work in numerous group and solo shows, including PV Arts in Watsonville and at the Blitzer Gallery on the west side of Santa Cruz.

“I was very fortunate to have begun my  formal art training with Master Charles Reid who I studied with for many years,” Joseph said. “I was an Open Studio artist  for over 20 years. My work is about discovering our shared humanity.”

Levin’s works are hanging in the Children’s room at the library.

Aptos artist Diane Levin is currently showing nine of her paintings of animals at the Aptos Public Library. (Tarmo Hannula/The Pajaronian)

“These paintings are acrylic on canvas, done in a figurative/abstract style, meaning they are not literal, and sometimes, may not even look like a finished piece of work,” Levin wrote in a statement. “My goal, in particular, is to create a loosely defined image that evokes an emotion, as if the image is saying something to you.”

The San Francisco native has been living in Aptos for the past 46 years and has been a student of Joseph over the years.

“I’ve been doing painting since I was a kid,” she said. “My dad was a painter.” 

Levin created this acrylic painting of a lion for the new exhibit. (Tarmo Hannula/The Pajaronian)

Her show features several portraits of animals. Her abstract expressionist paintings have appeared in numerous shows around the county.

Joseph currently teaches in-person private classes and zoom classes in painting that include two-day workshops two to three to 3 times a year.

Of Levin, Joseph said, “She is a natural and one of the best painters in the county.”

And on April 25 Joseph will be teaching a mini-workshop at PV Arts from 10am to 12:30pm at 280 Main St. in Watsonville. To register, call PV Arts at 722-3062 or visit pvarts.org. The shows run through June 30 at 7695 Soquel Dr. in Aptos.

This post is updated throughout the day to reflect the latest incidents. It was last updated at 7:31 a.m..

Here’s what’s happening on the roads this morning…

▼︎ new incidents   ▼︎ long-term incidents

Road incidents as of 7:30 a.m. on April 17

• A lane on westbound SR-152 at Clifford Drive/Ohlone Parkway in Watsonville and Pajaro is closed for asphalt paving. The closure is expected to last until July 3 at 5:59 a.m.
   

Long-term projects

These have been going on for a while, but are still worth keeping in mind.

• Emergency sewer repairs are happening on Soquel Drive near Rancho Del Mar in Aptos. Traffic will be shifted, and there may be lane closures and some delays during work hours, depending on the weather.
   

Disclosure: Traffic incidents are partially generated by artificial intelligence. We are constantly working to improve the accuracy and quality of our AI-generated content. However, there may still be errors or inaccuracies. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us.

The post Friday morning traffic: Lane closed on WB SR-152; Soquel Dr sewer repairs ongoing appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.

More than a year into President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, undocumented students at Cabrillo College are increasingly avoiding campus services and financial aid programs due to fear of exposing personal information. College staff report declining participation and heightened anxiety among students, even as the school expands resources to reassure and support them.

The post Out of fear, fewer undocumented Cabrillo students seeking services more than a year into Trump immigration crackdown appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.

Hector Marin has become a recognizable name throughout Santa Cruz over the past four years. He’s twice run for Santa Cruz City Council, first against Greg Hyver and current District 4 City Councilmember Scott Newsome in 2022, and again in 2024, when he challenged District 2 City Councilmember Sonja Brunner.

Although he lost both races, Marin is embarking on his third campaign, once again facing off against Newsome, who is running for his second term. 

ELECTION 2026: Read more local, state and national coverage here from Lookout and our content partners

Marin told Lookout he loves the city and wants to serve the public. What keeps him running for District 4 – covering downtown and part of the Westside bounded by High Street to the north and Bay Street to the west – is simple, he said: the cost of living.

“As a renter, it’s very unstable in terms of housing and making sure we have a permanent place to call home,” he said. Marin teaches English language development and special education at Harbor High School, and said that his students and their families face the affordability problem constantly. “This story is reflective of many stories that our children and local working families are going through.”

Marin said he’s focused on being a “unifying voice” in the community, and that he strives to bring the general public together to find solutions to the city’s most pressing issues, such as affordable housing. He is also aiming to host more events for the public, such as community cleanup days.

Santa Cruz City Council candidate Hector Marin (right) answers a question posed by Lookout moderator Jody K. Biehl during a 2024 forum. Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

On affordable housing, Marin said he will advocate to ease the requirements for fully affordable housing projects, reduce red tape and push for rent stabilization that works for both the renter and the property owner.

More broadly, Marin said he wants to establish “cultural overlay zoning districts” so that local establishments or businesses that are popular or historical can be preserved.

Marin said he’s learned that the city will need both market-rate and affordable housing to make the city more affordable, but also that he wants to make sure there are more tangible paths toward ownership for Santa Cruzans. That could include rent-to-own units, like condos, for people to work toward owning their own property in a community with extremely high home prices.

“I’m also the only candidate calling for mixed-income housing,” he said. The Downtown Plan Expansion, he said, encourages housing separation, with lower-income residents and higher-income residents housed in different buildings. “No matter what your socioeconomic status is, you can still be in our community and you are still welcome.”

Marin said he also wants to prioritize creating a “clean, safe and inclusive Santa Cruz.” To do that, he said he’d like to start a program he calls the Santa Cruz Volunteer Corps. The program would bring together community members and partner with nonprofits to continuously clean up and beautify the city. He also wants to introduce educational workshops for youth cyclists and e-bike riders, along with stricter regulations of the powerful electric bikes. 

With nonprofit Housing Matters’ day services now officially closed, Marin said getting replacement services set up for the unhoused community is a major issue. While some temporary replacement facilities have been established, long-term fixes remain uncertain. He advocates building permanent 24-hour bathroom facilities throughout downtown, with city workers and community safety officers regularly monitoring the areas.

“If there’s a lack of day-center services for unhoused community members, we will see the impacts downtown, and our downtown residents will feel unsafe,” he said. “The city has to step in proactively, provide money and collaborate with the county Office of [Response, Recovery and] Resiliency.”

Marin said he supports the current city council’s January move to exit its contract with Flock Safety and halt use of its automated license plate readers. He said his commitment to helping and protecting local immigrant residents is a major factor in keeping him involved politically. He said District 4 has a large Latino population, particularly in the Beach Flats area, and that the district’s representative needs to take that seriously. He said he wants to make sure the city council and the city manager communicate frequently to stay on top of local federal immigration enforcement, and that federal immigration officers are “prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law” if they try to wrongfully arrest a community member.

Should he be elected, Marin said he will immediately set up meetings with his constituents and host town halls for residents to bring their concerns and issues directly to him. 

He said this will be a continuation of his work in the community, including his teaching job and the various events he has helped host, such as a community toy drive in Beach Flats, a Mexican Independence Day celebration and more.

“We want local government to be a place that goes to you and takes initiative, and we want to get people excited and energized about local government,” Marin said. “That’s what this is about, and that’s what we’ll bring in our city council tenure.”

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The post In third city council run, Hector Marin says he’s staying true to his goals: Community advocacy, inclusivity and transparency appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.