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When California State University paid OpenAI $17 million last year to give campuses unlimited access to a high-powered educational version of ChatGPT, the goal was to help students learn to use artificial intelligence for their education and future careers. However, the announcement came as a surprise to faculty and students, who were left on their own to figure out how to use AI ethically. 

Afraid students would use ChatGPT Edu to cheat, many professors turned to in-class tests using bluebooks and scantrons, or employed faulty AI detectors like TurnItIn to catch AI-generated work. Meanwhile, other faculty have embraced ChatGPT and made it part of their curriculum. This all has left students confused over the use of AI in their courses.

A recent Cal State survey of over 94,000 students and university employees found 52% of faculty reported AI having a negative affect on their teaching, and 67% of students felt their professors don’t teach them how to use AI effectively.

As Cal State approaches the end of its 18-month contract with OpenAI this July, the university system has not announced whether it will renew the deal. Some faculty at San Francisco State University have begun a petition calling on Cal State Chancellor Mildred Garcia to end the partnership.

The Cal State Chancellor’s office points out that the AI survey found 64% of students, faculty and staff said AI has affected their learning experience at their university positively, and 63% said they’ve seen more opportunities on their campus to learn about AI. 

“Our systemwide AI survey results reflect what we are seeing across our universities — widespread engagement with AI tools and technologies,” wrote Cal State spokesperson Amy Bentley-Smith in an email. 

The university system left it up to campuses to dictate the proper uses of the chatbot while offering tools and training on a website called AI Commons. But students and faculty say those resources have not been enough. As of April, only 0.7% of students and 16% of faculty had completed the voluntary training, based on data provided by Bentley-Smith. 

Assemblymember Mike Fong introduced Assembly Bill 2392 in February, which would require Cal State and California Community Colleges, as well as request University of California schools, to provide training on any AI product deployed on campuses. 

Last fall, Fong and the Assembly Standing Committee on Higher Education questioned Cal State officials about planning around the AI initiative.

“During the joint hearing on higher education and privacy, discussions revealed that California State University campuses have adopted AI tools without consistent guidance or training, raising concerns around data privacy, academic integrity, and equitable use,” said Fong in an email to CalMatters.

While a few students and faculty testified at the hearing, others have continued to echo those issues.

“I’m not sure [Cal State] realized how much new work it would require, how much revision to the old way of doing things it would require,” said Ryan Jenkins, the chair of the AI Task Force for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo’s faculty union chapter.

Students want to be a part of AI decisions

Cal State Northridge communications major Katie Karroum was shocked when she saw the announcement about ChatGPT Edu last year. As the vice president of systemwide affairs for the Cal State Student Association, she would have expected the chancellor’s office to meet with the student organization that represents over 470,000 students throughout the state.      

“We were not consulted when the contract was signed, and we weren’t even given a heads up,” Karroum said.

Cal State chose OpenAI as the least-costly option, according to assistant vice chancellor of academic technology services Leslie Kennedy. The contract aimed to give everyone free access to ChatGPT Edu across all 22 campuses. Previously, campuses and individuals were paying for their own upgraded ChatGPT accounts that allow users to generate content like images and research reports without the limitations of the free version. 

The contract with OpenAI was signed in January 2025, revealed later that month at a board of trustees meeting, and formally announced through a systemwide media release in February 2025, which is how Karroum found out.

Katie Karroum, communications major and vice president of systemwide affairs for the Cal State Student Association, at Cal State Northridge. Credit: Ariana Drehsler for CalMatters

In a meeting of the Cal State Student Association last October, student representatives from each campus told Karroum that they saw a lack of justice for students accused of using generative AI to cheat, and that they were concerned about the data collected from the chatbot being shared.

ChatGPT Edu at Cal State is defaulted to not use data for training models, but users can opt to allow their data to be shared, according to testing by CalMatters.

Students have also complained about the absence of a consistent AI policy in their classes, according to an open letter published by Karroum. At most campuses, professors get to decide their classroom policies, including about AI. 

Yagmur Wernimont, a sophomore at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, said that although AI is used for automation and robotics in her intended agriculture field, she still does not use the technology herself because she thinks “it’s making us dumber” and doesn’t promote learning. She also watched herself fall behind while a classmate used ChatGPT to get a 100% on an assignment. 

While her professor verbally told the class at the beginning of the quarter not to use AI, the rule was not on the syllabus, nor was a clear consequence for using AI. Wernimont said this might have given students a loophole for using it. 

At Cal State Bakersfield, Emily Callahan, dean of students for academic integrity, said there has been a steady uptick of students reported for improper use of AI. She said students are using the chatbot to gain an unfair advantage over others. 

Wernimont has also witnessed a divide between professors over AI. While one of her professors required the use of Google NotebookLM, an AI-powered note-taking app, an English teacher told Wernimont’s class that she was sad students would be using AI for writing, but shared a presentation on ways to cite the tool anyway.

“They’re all having different ways and ideas how to do it,” she said. “And it’s kind of conflicting as a student.”

Ryan Jenkins, a philosophy professor, sits in his office on the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo campus. Credit: Julie Leopo-Bermudez for CalMatters

Kennedy said the university system hasn’t excluded anybody from the discussion around AI. The Chancellor’s Office started a generative AI committee in 2024 that includes students and faculty. 

“It was the committee’s recommendations that served as the basis for the CSU to identify, evaluate, and negotiate with multiple companies who at the time offered plans designed specifically to help bring AI tools to higher education institutions,” said Cal State’s chief information officer Ed Clark in an email. “Their assessment and feedback have been and continue to be essential to how the CSU implements its AI strategy that is both cost-effective and secure.”    

A new board formed after the implementation of ChatGPT Edu focuses on California’s workforce by including representatives from technology companies. Cal State Student Association President Tara Al-Rehani said that while she is part of that board, it makes no final policy or guidance decisions on AI use.  

Karroum said although students need to learn how to use AI, she doesn’t like feeling part of an experiment.  

“I think that we’re being treated as, like, test rats right now because there’s no policy and there’s no guidance,” Karroum said.

Faculty introduce new classroom policies on AI

Faculty leaders said they also were caught off guard with the ChatGPT deal. According to the Cal State survey, 59% of faculty regularly use AI in teaching and research, and 68% said they include an explicit statement on AI use. 

According to a repository of more than 200 AI syllabus policies housed on Cal Poly San Luis Obispo’s website, one criminal justice professor from Cal State Fullerton describes in the syllabus when, why and how students should use AI. The professor also includes an example of a good AI disclosure statement from a student who outlined their use of ChatGPT for an assignment.

The AI Commons website states that faculty ultimately decide how they want to implement generative AI into their curriculum,taking into consideration whether it might improve teaching and learning in their classroom like any new technology.

Jenkins, who teaches philosophy at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, gives exams in class using blue books and scantrons to avoid any potential for students to cheat with AI. When ChatGPT was first released in 2022, Jenkins tested the chatbot by giving it a reading quiz. It gave all the right answers, alarming Jenkins that his students might use the technology while taking tests online. Today, Jenkins tells his students to treat AI like any other source when using its outputs for an assignment, but still proctors exams in-class.

“The bread and butter of philosophy is reflecting on your own ideas and trying to sort out what you believe and why,” Jenkins said. “If you have a tool that does that for you, then you’re being denied an opportunity to practice that skill.”

Ryan Jenkins, a philosophy professor, on the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo campus. Credit: Julie Leopo-Bermudez for CalMatters

Jenkins said he does not have an AI statement in his syllabus because neither the department nor Cal Poly has provided one to use. On its website, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo links to the AI Commons as well as an AI statement builder from Pepperdine University for faculty to use. But the university does not require any specific statement from professors. 

At Cal State Fullerton, Shelli Wynants helps faculty decide how to use AI in their classrooms through her role in the university’s faculty development center. She also teaches students in her child and adolescent studies courses to critically review AI output, and make sure they are remaining “the thinker and the decision maker” in the process. 

Wynant said she refers to AI as an “assistant” or “teammate,” but emphasizes it should never replace human judgement. She has found that many of her students who plan careers in teaching want to learn how to use AI responsibly for the sake of their future students. “These students need to get up to speed because they’re going to be the ones teaching students digital literacy,” she said. 

In August 2025, the Assembly Standing Committee on Higher Education questioned Cal State officials about planning around the AI initiative. Representatives of the Academic Senate, Cal State Student Association, California Faculty Association and Cal State Employees Union spoke to the Assembly committee about their discontent over the contract with OpenAI.

“We understand all these criticisms and concerns, and they’re valid,” said Cal State’s chief information officer Ed Clark at the meeting. “The best way to deal with those concerns is to have our universities participate in helping to shape the future of these technologies. We can’t just sit back and let it go by.” 

Students still need support, even with AI chatbots

Staff at university tutoring centers are struggling to advise students who say faculty are blaming them for cheating by using the very AI tools the university system wants them to learn to use. According to the Cal State AI survey, 78% of students, faculty and staff said the ethical use of AI is a major concern.

Students walk through the Cal State Northridge campus. Credit: Ariana Drehsler for CalMatters

Seher Vora, the coordinator for San Jose State University’s writing center, created an AI Writer Toolbox after conversations with tutors about students who were being penalized by professors for using AI. The toolbox helps students work with AI responsibly, including how to properly cite AI use and not using the chatbot for generating work that is not their own.

The toolbox also includes a disclosure tool that allows students to fill out a form outlining their use of AI for an assignment. The form generates a certificate for students to submit with their work.

The writing center at San Jose State advises students to check with their professors if they are unsure what uses of AI they accept. Vora hopes her work with the toolbox will encourage education around AI, for both students and faculty.

“We have to stay on top of it,” she said. “It’s changing every day.”

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This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for its newsletters.

In what Gov. Gavin Newsom hailed as a major milestone, his $20 billion Delta tunnel largely cleared another chokepoint last week — but it still faces obstacles of a different magnitude.

For more than half a century, California’s leaders have debated rerouting water around, rather than through, the network of rivers, farmland and marshes of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Newsom’s version would pipe Sacramento River water through a 45-mile bypass to a reservoir on the California Aqueduct, in an effort to shore up state supplies and send more water south. 

Delta communities call the plan a water grab that would devastate one of the country’s largest estuaries and destroy towns, wildlife and generational farms. State officials and major water suppliers say it’s necessary to safeguard water for two-thirds of Californians against the threats of climate change and natural disasters. 

Tasked with refereeing the fight, a state agency called the Delta Stewardship Council weighed opponents’ many challenges to the project and on April 23 voted voted 6-1 to require the Department of Water Resources to address just two of them. 

Newsom declared victory, saying, “We are closer than ever to seeing this important piece of infrastructure completed.” 

Maybe closer than ever, California water watchers say, but still far from complete. Far bigger obstacles loom: court rulings that have upended California’s financing plans, critical water rights decisions still to come from state regulators, and water agencies that have yet to decide whether the tunnel’s water will be worth the cost. 

“These are all existential,” said Jeffrey Mount, a senior fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California. “You’ve got some pretty tough hurdles ahead.” 

A dying Delta

The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta is the heart of California’s nature-defying water systems, where state and federal pumps send Northern California river water coursing to cities and farms in the lower half of the state. 

The Delta is collapsing under the strain — wracked by algal blooms, degraded water quality and fish species spiraling toward extinction. Residents, environmentalists and the fishing industry fear that diverting freshwater through a tunnel will push it over the edge. 

Voters beat back the first-generation tunnel — a peripheral canal — in the 1980s, during Gov. Jerry Brown’s first stint as governor. But governor after governor has continued the push. The canal eventually became the twin tunnels that became Newsom’s Delta Conveyance Project, which remains mired in planning. 

Carrie Buckman, environmental program manager for the tunnel project at the Department of Water Resources, is optimistic that construction could start as soon as 2029 and would last around 13 years.

But with Newsom in his final year as governor, the clock is ticking. And the region’s residents continue in limbo — bracing for a project that would carve through their communities, farms and waterways.  

“Nobody seems to care about the people out here on the ground,” said Duane Martin Jr., a third-generation cattleman in the Delta.

Duane Martin stands near the Sacramento County pasture, southwest of Elk Grove, where he has grazed cattle for 20 years, and where California water managers plan to build a major construction complex for the Delta tunnel.
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr. / CalMatters

Martin steered his pickup down country roads, along the orchards and pastures of Sacramento County. Great egrets strutted the edges of fields to snatch small, struggling creatures from the grass, and red-winged blackbirds clung to golden stalks of mustard. 

Martin worries for his cattle operation. His father was a cattleman. His grandfather was a cattleman. Now a father himself, his daughters’ cattle graze in the pasture outside his home. 

He’s outraged by the prospect of the truck traffic, the noise, the churn of the concrete batch plant and the roughly 200-acre pile of tunnel muck planned for land where he’s been grazing cattle for decades. 

But more than that, he said, gruff beneath his Stetson, “It’s the community that they’re going to impact — those of us that have lived here most of our lives.” 

“They’re going to change the Delta area forever.” 

An unending water war

The Delta’s vulnerability is real: Levees are at risk of crumbling under age, earthquakes and climate-fueled storms; sea level rise threatens to flood the system with too much saltwater. 

For Buckman, it’s simple: As climate change makes California’s swings from wet to dry more extreme, “It’s about water supply.”

Mount, like the water suppliers supporting the project, believes construction is inevitable. “If you don’t build it in this generation, you’ll build it in the next,” he said. “Build a tunnel, or start a very painful process of really cutting back on water supplies from the Delta.” 

The costs are high; around $20.1 billion by the Department of Water Resources’ estimate, $60 to more than $100 billion per an economic assessment commissioned by opponents. 

California doesn’t yet have a way to pay for it. State water managers planned to issue revenue bonds, to be paid back by water agencies receiving water from the tunnel — and their customers. 

But a trial court said that the water code did not give the Water Resources “carte blanche to do as it wishes” and the financing plan “exceeded its delegated authority.” The Third District Court of Appeal agreed, and in April, the California Supreme Court refused to review the case. 

Buckman said that the department still plans to issue bonds and is figuring out its next steps. 

As yet, no water agency has committed to paying for a tunnel — and no agency likely will, until the department can finance it, according to Kelley Taber, an attorney representing tunnel opponents. 

The federal government and the powerful irrigation districts it supplies have already opted out, Buckman said.

The Delta community of Isleton, visible from the banks of the Sacramento River. Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr. / CalMatters

“Ag, at large, cannot afford to pay for large infrastructure projects,” said Jennifer Pierre, general manager for the State Water Contractors, an association of public water agencies that receive water from California’s massive delivery system, the State Water Project. But she said the costs don’t diminish the need. 

That leaves the bulk of the bill with urban water suppliers and their customers. 

Metropolitan Water District, the Southern California water import giant that supplies half the state’s population, is already paying nearly half the tunnel’s planning costs — but it’s also heavily investing in local recycled water supplies. 

Its board isn’t expected to vote on whether to shoulder much of the tunnel’s construction costs until 2027. No construction commitment before then means no commitment before a new governor takes office.

Meanwhile, major water rights questions remain unresolved. 

State regulators are holding hearings that could last through the summer about whether to allow the Department of Water Resources to divert Sacramento River water into the proposed tunnel intakes. 

Newsom has advocated for a Delta tunnel since his first days as governor. Four Newsom appointees sit on the seven-member Delta Stewardship Council that just advanced the tunnel project, minus a couple speedbumps. He has also championed unsuccessful legislative fixes to financing and other roadblocks. 

The question is whether the next governor will continue the push. Pierre said they must — the need for the tunnel is clear. 

Mount isn’t as sure. It will depend on the next governor’s priorities — and who they put in key leadership positions. 

“Whoever they appoint, that is really where it happens,” he said. “It’s hard for me to imagine that if Brown and/or Newsom weren’t all in on this, it would have gotten this far.” 

‘They’re gonna have to take it’

Martin pulls his pickup to the side of the road next to a lush pasture he leases that’s more prairie than Pacific. This is one of the next battlegrounds for the tunnel project. 

In the spring and summer, Martin grazes hundreds of cows and their calves here. And in the winter, the Sacramento Area Sewer District plans to pipe recycled water onto the fields, creating seasonal feeding grounds and rest stops for the protected sandhill crane and other birds traveling the Pacific Flyway. 

It’s part of the largest agricultural recycled water project in the state, Harvest Water, to provide highly treated wastewater to 16,000 acres of farmland in the region and take the pressure off local groundwater supplies. 

California has already awarded more than $400 million for Harvest Water, but the funding hinges on the environmental benefits like habitat the project will provide, according to the sewer district’s Jofil Borja. It’s an ideal spot, between the Stone Lakes National Wildlife Refuge and the Cosumnes River Preserve. 

And that’s where it runs up against the tunnel project. The pastures where Martin grazes his cattle and the sewer district plans to create seasonal habitat are also in the Department of Water Resources’ sights. State water managers plan to build a nearly 600-acre construction complex — with a permanent 214-acre mound of excavated tunnel materials up to 15 feet tall — right here.

“You tell me if you want to be the neighbor that lives right there, lookin’ out his front yard at this pile of muck,” Martin said, gesturing at a house across the road. Right now, its view is a sea of grass that disappears into a darker line of trees. 

Duane Martin, a third-generation cattleman, bought his first cows when he was 10 with money he borrowed from his grandfather. Now, his daughters’ cattle graze in the pasture outside his Delta home. Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr. / CalMatters

In refereeing the fight over this land, the Delta Stewardship Council last week ordered the Department of Water Resources to resolve its conflicts with Harvest Water over the site, or explain why that isn’t possible, the council’s staff report said. 

Kelley Taber, the attorney representing the sewer district, is celebrating the mixed victory. 

“I always thought that this was going to be [the department’s] Achilles’ heel,” Taber said. Among the “multitude of disastrous impacts to the Delta,” she said, it’s “the most obvious fatal flaw.” 

Buckman disputed staff’s assessment of the siting conflict in a letter to the council, saying that the tunnel project can’t avoid the entire Harvest Water footprint, and that the habitats don’t exist yet. But, she added, the department would “work promptly” to address the issue. 

If it does, to the council’s satisfaction, state water managers will still need to buy or seize the land. The landowner declined to speak on the record.

Martin expects it will be a fight — and he’s ready for it. Under eminent domain, the state can forcibly take property for a public purpose. The landowner can contest it. But he’s unlikely to stop it. 

“They’re gonna have to take it,” Martin said. “I’ve got a lot of friends that leave, but I ain’t about to quit. I’m a fighter, and I’m going to stay here and fight for it to the death.”

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The annual Cinco De Mayo Festival drew thousands of people to downtown Watsonville Sunday with live music, food booths, arts and crafts and information tables. 

The free five-and-a-half-hour event was put on by Fiestas Patrias. It drew to the stage the popular singer Graciela Beltran, folkloric dance troupe Esperanza del Valle, Mariachi Perla de Mexico and popular bands from Mexico, including La Calle Show and Banda S7.

A huge crowd takes in the music at the Cinco De Mayo Festival (Tarmo Hannula/The Pajaronian)

“The festivals of Fiestas Patrias bring residents together from throughout the Monterey Bay to celebrate and to learn about the heritage and culture of Mexico,” organizers said.

May 5  is the actual day of celebration for Mexico’s victory over the Second French Empire at the Battle of Puebla in 1862.

Officials plan to use nearly $43 million from Santa Cruz County’s general fund reserves and departmental trust funds to help keep safety-net services available and avoid employee layoffs. The first of several county budget hearings is scheduled for Tuesday.

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Ryan Coonerty is no stranger to campaigning, having served as a Santa Cruz city councilmember, mayor and county supervisor over the past two decades. He said that although many of the issues the community faces aren’t new, they have evolved. There’s a “broad frustration” that quality-of-life issues aren’t being addressed with more urgency, he said, with a heightened anxiety about the current job market a newer concern among the electorate. 

“It’s everything from traffic to encampments to beautification to proposed developments that are out of scale and will impact adjacent neighborhoods,” he said. “I’m hearing at the doors that people love Santa Cruz, they love living here, and they’re also frustrated by these issues where they want to see more progress.”

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Coonerty said that his platform and the issues he’s most concerned about haven’t changed much since he first announced his bid for mayor, but said balancing issues is always a challenge.

“There are 30 issues at any given time that the city needs to figure out how to respond to,” he said, naming road maintenance and pushing back against proposed offshore oil drilling as examples of both basic and complex problems. “I don’t know that we’ve added to the variety of issues, but I feel like I’m getting a more nuanced view of these issues from my conversations with community members.”

On job creation, given its emergence as a major community worry, Coonerty said he wants to ensure businesses currently operating can continue to do so. That means meeting with them to understand their needs, whether it’s a facade makeover, a parklet or another amenity. He also wants to ensure that the city pitches Santa Cruz as a place with talented people and a good quality of life. 

“There’s no better way to connect to a community than to open a brick-and-mortar store and get to know your neighbors,” he said. “You can bring your skills and business acumen to a community and get an economic benefit, but also community benefit.” 

Coonerty said that the issues cited by opponents — namely his support for automated license-plate readers and his advisor role for San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, now running a campaign for governor that has received sizable donations from tech moguls – don’t come up at all when walking neighborhoods and talking to residents. He said his work with Mahan has “nothing to do with technology,” and that his position on automated license-plate readers is the same as the current city council’s.

“If there’s a way to [use automated license-plate readers] that doesn’t have the concerns with the current administration’s abuse of civil liberties, then we should explore those,” he said. However, he added that he’s not in a rush to do so, especially during a Trump administration.

His opponents point out that Coonerty also has received donations from real estate agents and developers as well as consulting fees from development firms such as Lawlor Land Use.  But he said that doesn’t change his stance on development in Santa Cruz. He also said he wouldn’t do any consulting for local projects should he win the mayorship. He said he would also make sure any work he undertakes complies with conflict-of-interest laws. He added that about 90% of his contributions are from locals, regardless of what industry they work in.

“I have made clear that I believe that there are good projects that benefit the community, provide needed housing or revenue that are real pain points for the community,” he said. “I’m also completely prepared to fight against bad projects.”

Overall, Coonerty thinks his experience speaks for itself, as well as his commitment to the community as someone who has started businesses, run nonprofits and volunteered.

“I love this community. I believe that with focus, we can improve our quality of life and create opportunities for everybody,” he said. “I think I have the skills, knowledge, experience and relationships to get the outcomes the community wants.”

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Santa Cruz County’s budget for 2026-27 safeguards core services and avoids layoffs, despite a historic fiscal squeeze, writes County Executive Officer Nicole Coburn, who is in her first year in the job. The $1.29 billion plan relies on $43 million in one-time funds, reducing county reserves to 10.4%, but keeping critical programs running. Without structural change, she writes, Santa Cruz County faces a projected $67 million deficit as soon as next year. The county is asking for millions from the state for help to overcome the shortfalls caused by federal cuts. This budget buys time, she writes, but the county will likely need to make hard choices in the future. The board of supervisors will meet for budget hearings in the coming weeks.

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The Aptos High track and field programs will enter the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League finals riding a perfect wave.

Both the boys and girls squads finished dual meet competition at 5-0, but now they have a chance at perfection with their sights set on a championship Saturday at Harbor High School. The meet is scheduled to begin at 10am.

The stakes could not be higher for the Mariner girls team, which needs one more win to claim the SCCAL team title outright. In order to do so, they must defeat rival Santa Cruz one final time. 

The two programs have been the class of the league all season, and Saturday’s showdown promises a fitting conclusion to the campaign.

The boys group, meanwhile, have a bit more margin. A second-place finish would still be enough to secure the overall SCCAL crown, a testament to the depth and consistency the Mariners have shown throughout the year.

Leading the charge for the boys are Bryce Boudreault and Brady Bliesner, two athletes who have powered Aptos across a range of disciplines all season. Boudreault has been a force in the field events, excelling in pole vault, discus and shot put. 

Bliesner has anchored the distance program, starring in the 800 meters and middle-distance relays. 

Together, Boudreault and Bliesner represent the kind of versatile, high-point production that championship teams are built around.

On the girls side, Ella Boyes and Kenzie Culbertson have been the program’s standard-bearers. 

Boyes has dominated the hurdles while also contributing in the long jump, making her one of the league’s most dangerous multi-event threats. 

Culbertson has been a workhorse in the distance events, racking up points in the 800 meters and relays throughout the season.

But what has defined this year’s Aptos program goes beyond its top performers.

Aptos head coach Thad Moren pointed to the willingness of several athletes to stretch themselves across multiple events. It’s a key reason the Mariners have remained so competitive in the team standings. 

Isabella Hernandez, Ryder Yamaguchi, Bella Briceño-Nichols and Anthony Sandford-Carroll have each answered the call to compete in a wide range of events, filling scoring gaps and proving that Aptos’ depth is genuine.

“In order to be a competitive championship team, we need athletes that are willing to do a wide range of events and challenge themselves to score points for the team,” Moren said.

Moren said for the girls, it ends with a chance to add a league banner to a perfect record. For the boys, the math is already in their favor — now it’s just a matter of finishing the job.

Watsonville city officials have ended a short-lived paid parking pilot along Aviation Way after pushback from local businesses, removing meters just days after the program launched.

The 30-day pilot, which began earlier this week along the busy commercial strip at 45 Aviation Way, was intended to test whether paid parking could improve turnover and availability. The program charged $1 to $2 per hour from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and was scheduled to run through May 27.

But business owners reported a drop in customers and raised concerns that the fees would discourage visitors from stopping at the cluster of restaurants and shops, including Honeylux Coffee, Beer Mule and Slice Project.

In a statement released after the program was halted, City Manager Tamara Vides said the pilot achieved its purpose by quickly generating feedback.

“This pilot program is doing exactly what it’s intended to do. It’s giving us immediate, real-world feedback from the people who use these areas every day,” Vides said. “We heard our community clearly, and we are responding.”

The city said it observed some early improvements in parking use and turnover in both Aviation Way and downtown Watsonville, where meters remain in place. Officials will continue evaluating the downtown portion of the pilot while exploring alternative solutions for Aviation Way.

The Aviation Way test had drawn sharp criticism during this week’s City Council meeting, where business owners said the meters were already affecting foot traffic.

Brando Sencion, co-owner of Slice Project, previously told the council his business saw a “huge dip” in customers almost immediately after the meters were installed. He also said he had to pay to park while making deliveries to his own shop.

Shawd DeWitt, co-owner of Beer Mule, warned the added cost could drive customers elsewhere and force businesses to absorb new expenses, such as subsidizing employee parking.

Some council members also expressed concern about the rollout. Councilman Jimmy Dutra called the Aviation Way corridor “one of our successful areas” and said he did not want to “put a wrench in it,” while Councilman Eduardo Montesino said he had received complaints from residents and questioned the need for meters in that location.

Following the city’s decision to remove the meters, Sencion said business owners felt heard.

“We are really grateful to the city for listening and taking action so quickly,” he said in the press release. “We left the meeting feeling heard and optimistic about better solutions moving forward.”

City officials said the brief Aviation Way pilot still provided useful insights and helped open dialogue with the business community as they consider future parking strategies. Any long-term changes would require City Council approval.

A 42-year-old Castroville man has been arrested on suspicion of human trafficking, attempted murder and multiple other felony charges following an investigation that began with a reported assault outside a local shopping center, according to the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office.

Eric Adam Melendrez was taken into custody April 28 in Salinas after detectives located him driving a silver Honda CR-V, the sheriff’s office said. He was arrested without incident.

The case began on April 23, when witnesses reported seeing a man strangling a woman near the shopping center at 11290 Merritt St. in Castroville around 11:45pm. A sheriff’s sergeant responded and located the woman, while deputies also found a vehicle linked to the suspect nearby containing evidence, authorities said.

During the initial investigation, the woman told deputies she had been sexually trafficked by Melendrez, who had fled before law enforcement arrived, according to the sheriff’s office.

Detectives with the agency’s Violent Crimes Unit took over the case. Authorities said that when Melendrez was arrested five days later, he was found with suspected methamphetamine, as well as smaller quantities of heroin and fentanyl, along with cash and scales consistent with narcotics sales.

Melendrez was found to be in possession of this suspected methamphetamine. (Contributed)

Search warrants served at multiple locations in Monterey County led to the seizure of additional narcotics, a firearm and items investigators believe are connected to sex trafficking, including condoms, lingerie and perfumes, the sheriff’s office said.

Detectives also said they obtained evidence that Melendrez threatened the victim with a knife and attempted to prevent her from cooperating with law enforcement.

Based on the investigation, authorities sought a $1 million bail enhancement and obtained an emergency protective order for the victim.

Melendrez was booked into Monterey County Jail on charges including human trafficking, attempted murder, pimping, pandering, corporal injury to a spouse or cohabitant, possession of controlled substances for sale, being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and dissuading a victim, according to the sheriff’s office.

Investigators said they believe there may be additional victims who have not come forward. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Janelli Arroyo at 831-755-7261 or Detective Sgt. Nicholas Kennedy at 831.755.3773.

The investigation remains ongoing.

Protesters gathered in the Overlook Center in Watsonville Friday to highlight worker’s rights, condemn Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) round ups of immigrants, the use of Flock surveillance camera systems on city streets and other issues.

More than 120 people gathered and waved signs and chanted in front of the Target Store claiming the chain retailer endorses ICE presence and is “one of the biggest union busters in the country.” Protesters also said Target has eliminated their Diversity Equity and Inclusion policies. After an hour, the group marched south on Man Street to Romo Park in downtown Watsonville to join the annual May Day Picnic. 

Headed up by the Monterey Bay Central Labor Council Friday’s  theme for May Day was “Honor Working People.” 

The 4pm rally and escuelita (little school) at Romo Park addressed issues such as “Tax billionaires and corporations,” “Fund healthcare and education,” and “Not war and deportation.”

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.

El Concejo Municipal de Capitola comenzará a avanzar hacia elecciones por distritos, evitando así la amenaza de una demanda de un bufete de abogados del sur de California.

“Tenemos la extralimitación de un abogado de otro lugar obligándonos a hacer algo que no nos gusta,” dijo el concejal Joe Clarke en la sesión especial del jueves por la noche. “Pero, lo bueno de Capitola es que todos se unirán y lograrán el mejor resultado, y simplemente pasarán por el proceso.”

La ciudad recibió una carta del bufete Shenkman & Hughes, con sede en Malibu, en marzo, en la que recomendaba iniciar voluntariamente el proceso para cambiar a elecciones por distritos antes de la fecha límite del 5 de mayo o enfrentar una demanda.

La base de la queja del bufete es que las elecciones generales privan de derechos a las comunidades minoritarias al diluir el poder de los votantes latinos de Capitola. Los abogados afirman que la forma actual en que los residentes de Capitola eligen a los concejales viola la Ley de Derechos Electorales de California de 2001 (CVRA). La ley busca otorgar más poder de voto a las comunidades minoritarias desfavorecidas en las elecciones locales.

Shenkman & Hughes afirma que el sistema de elección general de Capitola diluye la capacidad de los residentes latinos para elegir a un candidato de su preferencia “o de otra manera influir en el resultado de la elección del concejo de la ciudad.” Los latinos representan actualmente alrededor del 26.5% de los casi 10,000 residentes de Capitola, según los datos más recientes de la Oficina del Censo de Estados Unidos.

La ciudad llevará a cabo al menos cinco audiencias públicas sobre el cambio, la primera programada para el 28 de mayo y la quinta para el 23 de julio. Durante la próxima reunión del concejo municipal, el 14 de mayo, los residentes podrán aprender más sobre el proceso de distritación y responder a la propuesta.

Es probable que la reunión del 28 de mayo determine el número de distritos y si el cargo de alcalde será elegido de manera general, como en Santa Cruz. La ciudad también contrató a National Demographics Corporation como demógrafo y consultor de mapas. La firma trabajó anteriormente con la ciudad de Santa Cruz y el Distrito de Atención de Salud del Valle de Pájaro.

Las elecciones por distritos no entrarían en vigor hasta las elecciones de noviembre de 2028.

Bajo el sistema actual de elección general, los candidatos al concejo municipal pueden postularse para cualquier puesto vacante, representando a la comunidad en general. Todos los votantes eligen quién representa esos puestos.

En las elecciones por distritos, los concejales representan un vecindario específico, en el que también deben vivir. Los votantes solo pueden votar por los candidatos que representan su distrito. Las ciudades de Santa Cruz y Watsonville utilizan este modelo para elegir a los concejales. Scotts Valley tiene elecciones generales.

Los miembros de la comunidad que hablaron en la reunión del jueves estuvieron divididos sobre el tema. La residente de larga data Linda Smith dijo que apoya la transición a elecciones por distritos y que la ciudad evite una demanda.

También pidió al concejo municipal de cinco miembros que considere los requisitos de residencia dentro de los distritos, haciendo referencia a la salida del exconcejal Alex Pedersen, quien renunció abruptamente al concejo municipal la primavera pasada después de que un grupo de miembros de la comunidad lo acusó de no vivir dentro de los límites de la ciudad.

La residente Theresa Green dijo a los concejales que cree que el proceso se está apresurando.

“Parece que ya tenemos problemas para conseguir suficientes personas que se postulen para el concejo municipal,” dijo Green. “Esto puede ser más difícil con distritos. ¿Qué pasa si ningún candidato se postula?”

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

The post El Concejo Municipal de Capitola comienza la transición a elecciones por distritos appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.

Karen Delaney, Executive Director of the Volunteer Center, recently wrote, “Hope and happiness are, sadly, in short supply right now — but not amongst volunteers.”

That’s not sentimental. That’s her thesis, refined over 44 years of building a volunteer movement in Santa Cruz County. Volunteering, Karen will tell you, is the antidote — to isolation, to despair, to the creeping sense that nothing we do matters. People who show up are the people who stay hopeful, because they’ve seen what happens when neighbors help neighbors. They’re healthier. Happier. More connected.

It’s civic duty, but it works on you like medicine.

Karen Delaney has spent 44 years carrying the torch for one simple truth: ordinary people doing ordinary good is how communities thrive. Come celebrate with her on May 20.

This June, Karen is retiring. She has spent her career lifting up the quiet heroes — the volunteer who drove seniors for decades, the literacy tutor who shaped 10,000 others, the neighbors who showed up for the floods and the fires and the daily work of an entire county taking care of itself. Now she’s the one whose legacy is being celebrated, and the only way to honor it — the only way that would actually make sense to her — is to do the thing she spent her life teaching us to do: Show up.

Here’s a list of ways you can start right now. If you don’t see something that lights you up, visit scvolunteercenter.org for 150 more ways to serve, or meet with our volunteer matchmaker (another Karen legacy) and get paired with your new favorite activity.

1. Become a Literacy Tutor
   The Volunteer Center’s Literacy Program has been teaching adults in our community to read, write, and speak English for 50 years. Two to three hours a week, free training, no teaching background required. You’ll help a neighbor build skills that will change their family for generations. Sign up for a free info session.
   
2. Helping Hands — home repairs for seniors
   Use your handy-person skills to install grab bars, change lightbulbs, and other small home repairs that help local seniors stay safely in their homes.
   
3. Saturday, May 9 — Pitch In Santa Cruz County
   Countywide cleanup day. Beaches, creeks, parks, neighborhoods — dozens of groups are organizing across the county, and you can join one or start your own. Three hours of your morning, connect with your neighbors, keep our county beautiful.
   
4. Pack groceries for families at Jacob’s Heart
   Tuesday and Thursday mornings in Watsonville, packing nutritious groceries for families with children in cancer treatment.
   
5. Esperanza Community Farms Food Hub
   Urgent volunteer need to keep a CSA program running for 300 South County families and 30 small farmers. Wednesdays in Watsonville.
   
6. Become a Long-Term Care Ombudsman
   Over 60% of nursing home residents never receive a visitor. Trained advocates visit residents in skilled nursing and assisted living facilities, ensure their rights are protected, and stand up for those who often have no one else. Comprehensive training, one-year commitment.
   
7. Join an upcoming beach clean up
   Fun, sun, and community? Yes please!  From Capitola to Main Beach – find a clean up at your favorite spot, or let the Volunteer Center help you schedule one with your group.
   
8. And on May 20 — Be the Difference Awards
   Nearly 500 civic leaders, business partners, and community champions will gather to honor this year’s top volunteers, nonprofits, and businesses — and to celebrate Karen’s Legacy of Service. It’s her last official event, and a once-a-year chance to see what 44 years of grassroots community-building looks like, all in one room. Reserve your tickets before they’re gone.

Karen’s career has been a testimony to one simple truth: connection is the cure. For loneliness, for cynicism, for the worry that one person can’t possibly make a difference.

Her legacy is that we remember, we’re connecting, and we’re the difference.

By Leslie Lee, Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County

About the Volunteer Center

At the Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County, we connect people for good because meaningful service is the heart of a strong, vibrant community and a healthy, happy life.

For 60 years, Santa Cruz County has trusted the Volunteer Center to help people connect for good, turning compassion into belonging and lasting impact. Our vision is a community where giving is the way of life — where everyone’s gifts matter, kindness is celebrated, and together we build a stronger, healthier, more connected community where everyone thrives.Learn more at scvolunteercenter.org.

The post The happiest people in Santa Cruz County are volunteers: here is how you can join them appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.

Some of the most powerful mental health support comes from ordinary people who truly “get it”, those who have walked a similar path and found recovery along the way. Individuals with lived experience of mental health conditions, often called “peers,” have a unique ability to foster hope, trust, and self-empowerment in others. These can be the very ingredients that make recovery possible.

Bilingual NAMISCC Peer Leaders and volunteers conduct outreach in the community, sharing a message of hope, offering support, and connecting people to valuable resources.

Mental health needs in Santa Cruz County are urgent and measurable. Nationwide data suggests that about 1 in 5 residents are living with a mental health condition right now. Recent local data also indicates that up to 40% of young adults in our community may have experienced serious psychological distress within the last year (Datashare SCC). Yet despite how common these challenges are, only about half of those who need care are thought to be receiving it (nami.org).

That means many of us, our loved ones, friends, and neighbors, could be struggling without support. Barriers such as stigma, the cost of care, language access, lack of information, provider shortages, and an often-confusing behavioral health system frequently keep people from getting help.

So, what is peer support, and why does it matter?

At its heart, peer support is grounded in shared experience. In mental health recovery, it means building connection with others who have personally navigated the ups and downs that can come with mental health challenges and seeking care. Again and again, research has shown that peer support works. The evidence is found not only in numerous peer-reviewed studies, but also in the everyday stories of people quietly showing up for one another.

Peers and family members shared stories of personal experiences during NAMISCC’s Compassion Training with Watsonville Fire Dept. in March 2026.

NAMI (the National Alliance on Mental Illness) is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization, with more than 650 independent affiliates serving communities across the country. Here in our community, NAMI Santa Cruz County (NAMISCC) provides a vital lifeline of free, bilingual, peer-based services. This includes support for individuals navigating mental health challenges, family members, and those with a loved one who is a peer. Additionally, NAMISCC provides early intervention education and support for youth and the wider community.

NAMISCC’s educational programs, weekly support groups, bilingual HelpLine, and social supports offer a bridge to recovery and community for hundreds of individuals every year — many who might otherwise experience isolation and despair. What makes these programs especially powerful is the role of peer support. All NAMISCC programs are facilitated by individuals with lived experience. Peer Programs are led by peers, while Family Programs are led by family members with experience supporting a loved one through mental illness.

At NAMISCC, we see the impact of peer support come alive every day. One participant describes the importance of reliable, accessible weekly support: “Every week I have a safe space to be heard or to listen to others. These groups are something I look forward to, and they have become a vital part of my routine.”

“NAMISCC planted the seed of hope within me and continued to support me.” – NAMISCC Peer Leader Jen Wentworth

Peer Leaders Hugh, Michael, and Jen help lead NAMISCC Peer Programs and facilitate monthly Peer Meetup socials.

NAMISCC Peer Leader, Jen Wentworth, says that discovering NAMI peer support literally saved her life. “When I first took the NAMI Peer-to-Peer class back in 2008 I was completely surprised and very inspired that the classes were taught by peers like me. They were living a self directed life and were living in recovery which never seemed possible for me until I saw them in recovery.” She says of her peer community, “we have a special bond because we know what it’s like to live with serious mental illness and the struggles of managing our symptoms in our life.” Now, Jen is part of the NAMISCC Peer Leader team, supporting and inspiring others to seek recovery. She says, “Peers and family members often come to NAMI desperate and confused. Here they find a safe place to learn, understand, and find support within the mental health community – and they grow in their lives. It creates hope for them. ”

“Living with mental illness and/or trauma is a very isolating experience. Humans are social animals; we need the support of others for recovery and healing.” – NAMISCC Peer Leader Amante Libre

For 17 years, Peer Leader Amante Libre has been involved with NAMISCC’s Peer Programs – both as a participant and then as an employee. “Having been part of NAMI and in particular the Connection Peer Support Group program for many years, I have had the privilege of seeing how transformative peer support can be. Through peer support, people learn that recovery is possible and that they can still live a satisfying life while living with mental illness and trauma. Many of the participants of our program have been so transformed by their experience that they decided to become part of the program themselves. I consider that the secret sauce of why the Connection program has been so successful at providing compassionate support.” 

Peer support inspires people in their hardest moments, showing them that recovery is possible, healing can happen, and no one has to walk this path alone.

If you live with mental health challenges, or have a loved one who does, NAMISCC is here for you. No diagnosis is needed to join our supportive community of peers and family members. Learn more on our website: click here.

All of NAMI Santa Cruz County’s programs and services are 100% free to participants, thanks to the generosity of caring people in our community. Currently, there is a need for funding to keep these essential supports free and available to all who need them. You can help ensure that no one has to face mental health challenges alone. 

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and you can make a difference this month in our community by supporting no-cost mental health education and services through NAMISCC. Right now, you have the chance to change a life through a donation to NAMISCC’s Spring Fundraiser. Join in to offer hope, healing, and a pathway to recovery for someone in need of support today: Yes, I want to Provide Peer Support Today.

The post From isolation to community: Why peer support matters appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.

At a March 10 listening session at the London Nelson Community Center, residents gathered to discuss issues facing the City of Santa Cruz. (Amaya Edwards — Santa Cruz Local / Catchlight Local)

SANTA CRUZ >> Santa Cruz Local staff spent weeks meeting with and listening to City of Santa Cruz residents about their top concerns going into the June 4 election. The June primary consists of Santa Cruz mayor, Santa Cruz City Council and the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors. Residents told us their top priorities are housing, traffic, homelessness and government transparency.

To press candidates on residents’ concerns, we asked around 200 residents two key questions: what’s the biggest issue where you live? And what would you like to see done about it? 

Our staff conducted an online survey of 165 residents, interviewed 30 in-person, and invited 14 to an in-person, 90 minute listening session at the London Nelson Community Center. The residents we surveyed ranged in age from 19-93. Of those, 72% were white, 7% were Latino, 70% homeowners and 25% were renters.

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The reoccurring themes that kept coming up for residents?

• Affordable housing availability. 
• Local response to state housing construction mandates.
• Traffic and road safety. 
• Homelessness and homeless services. 
• Transparent communication between local elected leaders and residents.

Housing was the top concern, with affordability and accessibility top of mind. Residents pointed to myriad costs of unaffordable housing in Santa Cruz as a major quality of life issue. “I know so many young people who went to college, who come from middle class families, and they have full time jobs, and they’re living in their cars because it’s like the only affordable option,” shared Michael, 30, of Santa Cruz. 

Many residents were dubious of new construction as a solution. “The narrative is if you just build, build, build things will get more affordable… I would like to believe that’s true, but I’m not convinced that it is,” said Stacey, 45, of Santa Cruz. 

Residents were at turns split or at a loss for how to address affordability. While some residents weren’t interested in new housing being built, others were in favor of creative solutions like more backyard ADUs, potentially to house elderly homeowners who rent out their larger houses, or converting single family homes into duplexes or triplexes. 

Many residents were also concerned about the local government’s response to state housing mandates and the perceived pressure to build new housing. “[There is] excessive catering to developers without local accountability or sufficient affordable housing,” said Michael, 64, of Santa Cruz. 

Transportation was the second most common concern. Residents told us that they find roads to be crowded, unsafe and generally unpleasant for bikers and pedestrians. Many named specific intersections near their homes or on their commutes that they find routinely dangerous. Among those named were Bay Street and High Street and Water Street, Soquel Avenue and Morrissey Boulevard. “Traffic control over speeding and street repairs is needed, especially for bicyclists,” said Linda, 73. “There’s slow East-West traffic from too many cars on the roads,” said Dan, of Santa Cruz. “We need a comprehensive streets program and not only the lower Westside but really citywide,” said Stephen, 76.

Residents also shared concerns about the sustained homeless population in Santa Cruz and quality of life for homeless and housed people. “Homelessness and housing are really big issues right now, and both really need to have county-wide solutions and not piecemeal by city or county.” said Kathy, 73, of Santa Cruz. 

Those we surveyed didn’t agree on how best to address homelessness. Many expressed frustration with constant sweeps. “I’ve seen a lot of hostility and just more crackdowns… you can’t park an RV on the street, you can’t sit on a bench… it’s so hostile to people who are in a situation that any of us could be in,” said Cooper, 28. Some want City officials to focus on increased services and housing. “Redirect some of the Santa Cruz Police Department budget to social service appropriate to unhoused and those needing mental health support,” suggested Michael, 64, of Santa Cruz. Some residents felt that the existence of local services contribute to homelessness, and should be pulled back. “Cut off all money to the homeless, EBT and Medical… total waste,” said Karen of Santa Cruz. 

The desire for a more transparent, responsive and communicative local government was a concern threaded throughout our surveys and interviews. Residents told us they want local leaders to show them that they are listening. Residents offered advice to incoming elected officials on this topic, including:

• “Have meetings or listening sessions with community members with actionable next steps on what you heard.” 
• “Find ways to demystify where our taxes go, where our general fund is spent and how to make the most with the monies our local government has access to” 
• “Gather listening sessions neighborhood by neighborhood to learn what we need you to accomplish during your term representing us.”
• “Engage with your whole community, not just those in the largest tax bracket. You are a representative for Santa Cruz as a whole, you should have the community’s best interests at heart.”
• “Make a point of talking to someone outside your normal circles on a regular basis.”

From these core themes, we plan to ask the following questions of candidates Santa Cruz mayor and city council: 

• Do you support policies like rent control, rental assistance or enhanced eviction protections? Do you have other plans for making existing housing stock more affordable?
• How will you balance the pressures of state housing mandates with the desires of current residents?
• What do you believe works and doesn’t work about the city’s homelessness policy? What changes do you plan to make in office?
• What policies would you propose to make roads safer and easier for all residents? 
• What’s your plan to rebuild trust in local government with the people that you represent?

Elena “Nini” Cohen, Kara Meyberg Guzman and Billy Rainbow discuss the challenges facing residents in the City of Santa Cruz at a March 10 listening session. (Amaya Edwards — Santa Cruz Local / Catchlight Local)

At our March 10 listening session, 14 residents shared their experiences making a life in Santa Cruz and perspectives on the City’s future. Participants expressed a deep love for the City of Santa Cruz and a desire to stay, even as life feels more and more precarious for renters and those on a fixed income. 

Young people shared the impact of the housing crisis on their lives. “All my friends moved away. Everyone I was friends with who grew up here moved away because the rent was too high and the opportunities were too low,” said Emeline, 25, who hopes to see the City support converting single homes to duplexes and triplexes to increase affordable housing stock. 

Nico, 27, recently moved and delivered muffins to their new neighbors, but the burden of rent keeps their hopes for community connection low. “My neighbors are renters and work numerous jobs and have multiple kids, and we’ve talked briefly, but they’re like, yeah, it’s hard for us to attend a block party, let alone help facilitate one.”

Among participants, there was excitement for neighborhood-based innovation that focuses on community cohesion. Ellen, 64, suggested that local government funneling money to neighborhoods themselves might allow neighbors to intervene directly for those that are homeless on their blocks – a common point of concern among residents. She also wants to see creative zoning that makes neighborhoods more conducive to community connection. “Allowing for libraries, small stores, not like a Target or a Safeway, but like a little corner store or a cafe… would be really useful to keep people moving and walking and just being present in their space,” said Ellen. 

Participants also expressed a desire for greater local government transparency and accountability, particularly around housing. “There should be some annual public accountability. Here’s what we built, here’s how it reduced the cost of housing, or didn’t, here’s how it changed the rate of homelessness,” said Stacey, 45. 

Our staff spent a week tabling at Cabrillo College’s Aptos campus, where we interviewed 25 students, including 10 City of Santa Cruz residents. We asked: what’s the biggest issue facing your community? 

Almost every student we spoke to mentioned the cost of living and affordability of housing. “The cost of living is pretty bad, seeing everything getting more expensive in real time sucks,” said one 23-year-old student. They shared that it’s difficult to afford housing as a student: rent is high and jobs are low-paying. One student, aged 20, shared that he and most of his friends had been unable to secure part-time jobs, despite months of applications. Even with full-time work, students said it’s hard to make ends meet. Many younger students live with family, and don’t have plans to move out. 

Students also shared community concerns. Almost half of the students we spoke to shared fear about Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. They discussed the impact of fear on the immigrant communities they’re part of, like people sheltering at home. Slightly less than half of students also shared concerns about homelessness, which they discussed as a failure of local government to keep residents housed. 

At a food distribution on the North Coast, our staff interviewed 10 Spanish-speaking residents who live in or just outside the City of Santa Cruz. Here too, concerns about housing and the cost of living were top of mind, with residents telling us that rising prices are making it difficult to afford basic necessities. 

Our Noticias Watsonville team conducted a week of listening in March with residents of Watsonville and the Pajaro Valley. To learn more about what they heard, check out Catalina Jaramillo’s story. 

Candidates interviews are underway and once published in May, our free election guide will be available in English on our website, in print and on our Instagram. Our Spanish election guide will be available in print and in our Noticias Watsonville WhatsApp group. To stay in the loop, sign up for our weekly newsletter, follow us on Instagram or join our Spanish-language news community on WhatsApp.

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.

Learn about membership Santa Cruz Local’s news is free. We believe that high-quality local news is crucial to democracy. We depend on locals like you to make a meaningful contribution so everyone can access our news. Learn about membership

The post Santa Cruz residents have spoken: housing, homelessness and transportation appeared first on Santa Cruz Local.

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

Road incidents as of 7:30 a.m. on May 1

• A lane on westbound SR-152 at Clifford Drive/Ohlone Parkway in Watsonville/Pajaro is closed for asphalt paving. The closure will last until July 3, ending at 5:59 a.m.
   
• A single car crash happened at CRG12 and Pini Rd in Watsonville/Pajaro at 6:48 a.m. today. The car ended up on its passenger side on the curb, but did not roll over. No other cars were involved, and there were no major injuries or damage. The driver left the scene at first but came back. A tow truck was called.
   

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: SR-152 lane closed for paving; minor crash at CRG12 appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.

A viral fruit-shaped mousse dessert at a Capitola bakery has drawn long lines and daily sellouts, with hundreds of pastries gone within hours as customers flock from across the region. The surge in demand is pushing owner Ela Crawford to shift focus from wholesale to her storefront, even as the labor-intensive treats limit how many she can produce.

The post Crowds line up for viral fruit desserts at Capitola’s Sugar Bakery appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.

After three decades at Soquel High School, retiring band director Jim Stewart leaves behind a program defined as much by community and belonging as by musical achievement. Through a mix of humor, discipline and care, Stewart shaped generations of students — many of whom went on to careers in music and education.

The post More than music: Jim Stewart’s 30 years of building community in Soquel High’s band class appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.

Under the threat of a lawsuit, the Capitola City Council voted Thursday night to start the process of switching to district-based elections. The complaint from a Southern California law firm charges that the current at-large system disenfranchises minority communities by diluting the power of Capitola’s Latino voters.

The post Capitola City Council to begin transition to district-based elections appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.

Gillian Greensite has lived in Santa Cruz for more than 50 years and has been politically active for most of that time. But this year marks her first run at any elected office. 

Why now? She said she believes the city is promoting “overdevelopment.” She said that outgoing mayor Fred Keeley leaves “big shoes to fill,” but that she’s up to the task.

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

“My research into that made me think that it’s time for leadership to take the city in a direction more responsive to the neighborhoods who are being impacted by the overdevelopment,” she said, adding that she listened to neighbors speak at a community meeting on a project at 930 Mission St. who were fighting back tears. 

“I feel that our neighborhoods and our existing community is being shoved aside,” Greensite said, “and the impetus is on more development, and I think that needs a change in direction.”

In the decades since Greensite moved to Santa Cruz from Australia, she’s been active in the community. She’s a frequent attendee and public commenter at Santa Cruz City Council meetings, an advocate for rape prevention, having worked as head of rape prevention education at UC Santa Cruz for 30 years, and a longtime environmentalist who has pushed back against the city on numerous occasions. She was involved in lawsuits regarding the Wharf Master Plan, as part of her work with community group “Don’t Morph the Wharf,” and a lawsuit when the city tried to change its heritage tree ordinance. She served on the city’s Commission of Prevention of Violence Against Women, its Parks and Recreation Commission, and the civil grand jury in 2023 and 2024.

Greensite said the city is developing far beyond what the state is requiring, adding that although the state required the city to plan for more than 3,700 units by 2031, there are already more than that in the pipeline just halfway into the cycle. She pushes back on the argument that the rapid pace of building is because the city failed to build enough in past years, and while she doesn’t think Santa Cruz can stop building, it can control its pace and promotion. She also wants more transparency regarding who is getting into the new units. 

“We still don’t know what percentage of any of the affordable housing is actually going to local workers,” she said. She cited research from San Francisco that argues whoever occupies new units, more than anything else, dictates the cost of housing.

“If you have expensive housing, which most of the new housing is,”she said, “people who move in have higher incomes. Since we’re overbuilding more than we’re required to, it is going to make this community less affordable.”

Greensite also is against “ministerial approval” for housing developments, meaning that there would be no public hearings in front of elected bodies regarding new projects, an idea the city is considering. 

“I think councilmembers and the mayor should hear from people that they are hurting with this development if they’re living right next to it,” she said. “If the council says we can’t do anything, well, you better hear how people feel about it rather than squash public hearings.”

At the city government level, Greensite would like to cut managerial bloat in some departments, particularly the housing and economic development departments, and redirect funding to what she believes are undervalued bodies. That includes the parks department, where she said she has seen “neglect.”

Greensite said she’d encourage all councilmembers and the mayor to hold regular, moderated meetings with constituents in each of the city’s six districts, giving them the chance to connect more directly and ask questions of their representatives. She also would like to hold a town hall with state representatives like state Sen. John Laird and Assemblymember Gail Pellerin to explain support for state laws making it easier to build.

“There are cities who push back against the state,” she said. “Not very successfully, but why aren’t we a leader amongst them?”

Greensite said that although Keeley runs efficient meetings, she doesn’t like that there’s no discussion of an issue until a motion is on the floor. By that time, councilmembers often have already drafted a motion with city staff before the meetings, she said. She thinks the lack of transparency isn’t a new problem, but it is growing along with local bureaucracy. She thinks that councilmembers should be working through motions with their colleagues during a council meeting, rather than beforehand.

“I think it’s done a disservice and I think that people feel their comments are wasted,” she said.

Greensite, drawing from her experience in rape prevention advocacy, also wants to see more transparency around the law enforcement response to reported rapes. She wants more robust data, and a regular evaluation of how the city is responding to ensure the “best possible response to those who report rape.”

On the topic of law enforcement, Greensite said that she understands the law enforcement benefits that automated license-plate readers provide, but that the city council made the right move pulling out of the Flock Safety contract, and is not interested in bringing the technology back.

Although that is in line with all candidates other than Ryan Coonerty, Greensite said she believes she diverges from them on the issue of homelessness. She said she has compassion and empathy for people struggling with mental health and substance-abuse issues to the point that they cannot take care of themselves, but that “a small group of folks” exhibit destructive behavior. She said she does not take a blanket approach to homelessness, and thinks if people turn down shelter offered to them, they should not be allowed to live on the streets and should possibly be involuntarily committed to a facility where they can get the treatment they need.

“We’re not living in an era where these big institutions locked people up and did experiments on them,” she said. “We’ve sort of swung the pendulum to saying ‘Whatever you want to do in public is OK and we can’t impose on your rights.’ I think it needs to be brought back into balance, but not repeat the mistakes of big institutions of the past.”

Greensite believes that her platform and feelings on the state of Santa Cruz will resonate with locals, and if not, at least she made her case.

“I think the community is actually quite concerned at the nature of the changes to Santa Cruz,” she said. “I may be wrong, and if I can get my message out and I’m not elected, that’s alright. Then the community sees it differently.”

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This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for its newsletters.

The candidates running for lieutenant governor are apt to hint at the post’s largely symbolic and overlooked status when discussing their ambitions for the statewide office.

It’s true that California’s lieutenant governor is mostly a ceremonial position. Eleni Kounalakis, who currently holds the position, is next in line if the governor is absent or vacates the office, such as when they’re out-of-state, undergoing surgery or if they die. Kounalakis, who terms out this year, is also president of the state Senate and can cast a rare tiebreaking vote if called upon. Most of her influence lies within higher education, where she sits on all three of the state’s higher education boards.

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Because of this, the four major leading candidates for the office in the upcoming June primary are emphasizing the sway they’d like to have on higher education, such as freezing tuition or cutting back on remedial coursework.

Previous lieutenant governors have used the office as a stepping stone to the state’s top job, including Gov. Gavin Newsom who held the position for eight years before his election in 2018. 

But it’s still mostly unknown to voters and suffers a poor reputation.

“I called the lieutenant governor sort of the Seinfeld of state government, because nobody knows who it is, and then they think it’s a job about nothing,” Gloria Romero, a Republican candidate, told CalMatters.

The major Democratic candidates include Josh Fryday, who leads volunteer programs in the Newsom administration, state Treasurer Fiona Ma, who terms out this year, and former Stockton mayor Michael Tubbs. 

Here is what each candidate, in alphabetical order, said about how they’d approach the gig.

Josh Fryday Josh Fryday leads volunteer programs in the Newsom administration. Credit: JoshFryday.com

Fryday said one of his biggest priorities as lieutenant governor would be to try to get California community colleges to credential more trade workers to help build more clean energy projects and boost the state’s renewable energy supply.

Prior to becoming part of the governor’s cabinet in 2019, he was the CEO of NextGen America, a clean advocacy organization started by billionaire Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer.

He also said he would push for developing more student housing on public land to increase enrollment and create more revenue to stem rising tuition costs.

The former mayor of Novato also emphasized expanding the volunteer service program he helped develop as chief service officer in Newsom’s cabinet. He would like it to include more community colleges and universities. In addition to Newsom’s support, he’s endorsed by the California Teachers Association and California Federation of Teachers. 

Janelle Kellman Janelle Kellman is a climate attorney and former mayor of Sausalito. Credit: JanelleKellman.com

Former Sausalito mayor Janelle Kellman wants to make community college free and expand training programs for in-demand jobs as a member of the state’s higher education boards. But the lieutenant governor is one of 18 members on the University of California board of regents and has limited capacity to enact a single policy change. 

Kellman has received support from the California Legislative Jewish Caucus and the LGBTQ Stonewall Democratic Club.

The lieutenant governor has no role in electricity regulation or insurance. But Kellman, a climate attorney, said she would work to cut utility costs by getting rid of extra electricity fees. She also said she’d work with the insurance commissioner to reduce premiums for homeowners who take preventive measures to mitigate wildfire risks.

Kellman spent 10 years in local government on Sausalito’s planning commission and city council and is the founder of a climate nonprofit focused on sea level rise.

She also supports building more student housing.

Fiona Ma

Finding other ways to generate revenue for California State universities outside the general fund is one way Ma would look to lower the cost of housing and tuition. She supports partnering more with private companies to lease out spaces such as campus theaters when they’re not being used.

Ma has an exhaustive resume in local and state politics: She spent six years in the Assembly after one term on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and was on the Board of Equalization for four years before she was elected state treasurer in 2019.

As treasurer, she has issued housing bonds to California universities, which she said has given her “a different perspective” on how to build more student housing.

“Some of them do have land and they are working with some of the developers that have a speciality with building student housing” she said. 

Ma is endorsed by the California Democratic Party and construction and hospitality unions. She was accused of sexual harassment in 2021 by a former employee, who said Ma required her to share a hotel room with her and bought her gifts. The state, using taxpayer dollars, settled the lawsuit for $350,000 in 2024.

Ma has repeatedly denied the accusations and called the lawsuit “frivolous.”

It took up three years of her life, and voters still elected her, she said. “I still got all the same endorsements that I got the first time I ran in 2018,” Ma said. “I’ve gotten even more support for my lieutenant governor’s race.”

Gloria Romero Republican Gloria Romero served in the California Assembly and was the first woman to become majority leader in the state Senate. Credit: GloriaRomero4LtGov.com

Romero, a Democrat-turned-Republican, supports school vouchers to let parents use taxpayer dollars to pay for private school education — which teachers unions vehemently oppose. She also supports slashing remedial coursework to help students finish their degrees faster.

A former assemblymember and first woman to become Senate Majority Leader, Romero spent 12 years representing east Los Angeles in the state Legislature as a Democrat until 2010. She switched parties in 2024 and announced her lieutenant governor run as a joint ticket with Steve Hilton, one of the leading Republican candidates for governor.

On how she’d navigate negotiating with the Democratic supermajority in the Legislature and on numerous boards as a rare Republican, Romero said she would individually meet with each colleague to see where their priorities overlap.

Michael Tubbs Michael Tubbs was the first Black mayor of Stockton, elected in 2016 at age 26. Credit: MichaelTubbsforCA.com

Tubbs is looking to return to office to help drive down the cost of higher education more than a decade after skyrocketing to political stardom in Stockton as one of the youngest big city mayors in the county.

His ascent as the city’s first Black and youngest mayor at 26 in 2016 garnered him national attention as the son of a single mother raised in a poor neighborhood who climbed his way to full ride at Stanford.

He supports freezing tuition at all public colleges by cutting “administrative bloat,” cutting remedial coursework that doesn’t count toward graduation requirements and streamlining programs for in-demand industries such as nursing.

Tubbs is a special economic adviser to the governor and leads the nonprofit organizations Poverty in California and Mayors for a Guaranteed Income, dedicated to implementing universal basic income pilot programs in cities across the state, a flagship initiative of his mayorship.

California’s major public employee union, Service Employees International, is supporting Tubbs.

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