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Grey Bears, which has been helping seniors for more than five decades, has unveiled plans to renovate an 11,000 square-foot warehouse next to its existing mid-county facility. 

The space, formally a warehouse for Palace Art & Office Supply, will serve as a home of the Grey Bears Healthy Food Program. 

“This critical infrastructure expansion supports the organization’s mission to meet rapidly growing demand for senior nutrition and community services,” said Executive Director Jennifer Merchant. “We’re bursting at the seams. This is an opportunity for us to create a home where we can live in for the next 50-plus years.”

Grey Bears in Santa Cruz is currently working on transforming this 11,000 square-foot warehouse into their Healthy Food Program facility. (Tarmo Hannula/The Panaronian) 

Building plans, submitted to the County of Santa Cruz in February, include a renovated multi-use warehouse space, expanded ADA restrooms, permanent indoor market designed to feel like a neighborhood grocery store, expanded interior refrigeration and storage capacity, and a state-of-the-art kitchen nearly double the size of the existing kitchen. That kitchen in 2025 was used to serve 63,000 meals.

“This new facility allows us to support the next generation of seniors,” said Kayla Traber, Development Director. “We all know that Santa Cruz County has the fastest growing senior population in the state of California and this project will allow us to support local seniors to thrive in their community and have a place where they belong.” 

Grey Bears purchased the warehouse in 2024 for $4 million and has already begun transitioning some administrative operations into the building. Full renovation efforts will take several years, with projected completion by 2028. The total project is anticipated to cost $9.6 million dollars. 

Community support for the project includes philanthropists Rebecca and Bud Colligan, Julie Packard, the Packard Foundation, Monterey Peninsula Foundation and the Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County. Grey Bears also received a matching grant from the 1440 Foundation, which agreed to match dollar-for-dollar up to $500,000 in donations to support the project.  

The project is 80% funded, with $1.8 million remaining to be raised. Grey Bears is asking the community to help with donations.

Additionally, Grey Bears runs a large thrift store of repurposed donated household items that helps with their funding.“We promote activity, seniors learning and volunteering to keep our community engaged and connected,” Grey Bears said. To donate and learn more, visit greybears.org.

These women take part in the Mother’s March in Watsonville on Jan. 30, 1957.

More than 400 women were set to take part in the event to raise money for polio. They raised $4,800 the previous year, and that year were aiming for $5,000.

Agricultural emissions, industry in Watsonville, heavy machinery and semi-trucks that transport produce from across the country: there are countless pollutants in the Pajaro Valley that can affect air quality. But for many years, residents of the Pajaro Valley have lacked access to timely, accurate data on air quality. 

Javier Gonzaléz-Rocha, a Watsonville native and applied mathematics professor at UC Santa Cruz, is looking to change that. 

González-Rocha is developing a network of drones and small sensors that can be attached to homes. He uses data collected from these monitors to try and paint a clearer picture of the air quality in the Pajaro Valley, as data that appears on common weather apps is often inaccurate. His team has deployed 35 monitors across the region, mostly on the outside of homes in Watsonville, Corralitos and Castroville. 

“People who live and work in the Pajaro Valley spend extensive amounts of time outdoors. We’re surrounded by fields that are harvested by humans, they’re out there all day,” said González-Rocha. “This is very much impacting their quality of life. It all has implications for their health.”

The Pajaro Valley often sees air pollution in the form of particles like PM2.5. Measuring only 2.5 micrometers—about 30 times less than a human hair—PM2.5 particles can easily enter the lungs and are known to worsen conditions such as asthma, bronchitis and heart disease.

Pursuing the project has led González-Rocha and his team to uncover unexpected sources of pollution.

While flying a drone to collect measurements, his team noticed that air quality began to worsen as the sun set over the Pajaro Valley. Investigating why this was, they found that the change may have been caused by people burning their trash in the evening. 

“The idea would not be to reprimand someone for doing that, but to try to understand the root cause—why they’re burning trash, and how do we create education and programs that support community members so they don’t have to do it,” Gonzalez-Rocha said. 

González-Rocha developed the data alongside graduate students at UCSC and is working with the community organization Regeneración to get information out to people in the Pajaro Valley. 

Eloy Ortiz, a special projects manager at Regeneración has been working with González-Rocha for the past two years on ensuring that those living in the Pajaro Valley are making good use of the air quality data. The organization hosts listening sessions to present data and understand the concerns that the larger community has. 

“For me, it’s about educating people about health issues and what they might be exposed to and potentially building resources to help people,” said Ortiz. “For residents, for people who are working outside, for people who are working in agriculture, for people who are working in gardens, for people who are labouring outside.”

The goal of the project is to ensure that people of the Pajaro Valley can make informed decisions about air quality. Those involved believe that decisions about whether or not to go for a run, to allow children to play outside, to wear a mask while working should be strongly and accurately informed.

“What’s really exciting about this is that it opens the conversation.” González-Rocha said. “It creates a great opportunity for thinking about the systems in place to protect our community and make decisions. This gives us an entry point to really think about how all stakeholders can work together to make meaningful progress towards climate resilience.”
Anyone interested in getting involved can visit regenerationpajarovalley.org or contact Eloy Ortiz at El**@**********************ey.org.

Watsonville High senior Lisandro Pantoja last week got a sneak preview of what the best track-and-field athletes within the section have to offer.

The mighty and powerful Wildcat placed sixth in the discus event with a toss of 148 feet at the 45th annual Central Coast Section Top 8 Invitational at Los Gatos High on April 18.

“I feel like I belong in these types of meets,” said Pantoja, who also took 13th in the shot put event with a throw of 44 feet, 5 inches. “There’s always mixed feelings of what if I mess up, all those negative things.”

Nevertheless, the former Wildcatz football lineman continues to work on having a positive outlook as his final season in a gold and black uniform nearly comes to an end.

“I’ve had a few bad meets, so I’m trying to work on having a better attitude,” Pantoja said. “Be more optimistic.”

Watsonville head coach Rob Cornett said his stud hurler is having a successful spring campaign, yet Pantoja hasn’t been able to reach his top mark of 156-5 such as he did in last year’s Mission Championships at Rancho San Juan.

“A little bit of a form flaw that we have to fix. It takes a lot of repetition to do it,” Cornett said. “[Pantoja’s] working on it, but he’s consistently throwing over 140s, which is really good. Not a lack of strength, that’s for sure.”

Pantoja recorded a season-best throw of 153 feet at the Winter Time Trials on Feb. 28. He came close to beating that mark with a toss of 152-6, while also setting a personal best of 46-11 in the shot put at the Leland Don Bell Quicksilver Classic on April 4.

The following week, Pantoja made an appearance at the prestigious Arcadia Invitational in Southern California, placing 14th with a throw of 146-10 in the discus.

“There was so much more competition,” Pantoja said. “It was a really odd environment for track and field because it’s rare to see a lot of people go out of their way to view the meet…Stanford-packed like it was a football game.”

In the shot put, athletes have a choice between what is called the glide (linear) or spin technique.

But there’s no such thing as a linear throw in the discus, which is why most athletes will opt for the spin technique because throwing off a rotation is better than going in a linear motion. 

“But by doing so, it’s technically 10 times harder,” Cornett said. “[Pantoja’s] doing it well. So that’s getting him that rotational speed that’s getting him to where we need to be.” 

Pantoja added it’s not just about chucking a heavy ball or disc.

“A lot of coordination skills are required,” he said. “Of course, you have to be fast, explosive, balanced, and there’s the mental aspect of it.”

Luis Marquez, a senior, has been another good thrower who has been doing well inside the ring for the ‘Catz. He set a personal best in the discus with a toss of 139-11 at the Allen Dunn Haybaler Invite on April 18, and a record throw of 43-5 1/2 in the shot put at the 53rd Avis Kelley Invitational on March 28.

“I have high hopes for [Marquez], too,” Cornett said.

Watsonville sophomore Noel Navarro, who began the season with some lower back issues, is getting close to breaking 40 seconds in the 300 hurdles. He set a personal best of 41.91 while notching his sixth first place finish of the season during a Pacific Coast Athletic League Mission Division meet on April 21.

“[Navarro’s] starting to turn some heads,” Cornett said. 

Junior distance runner Nain Garcia-Ferreyra has held a steady pace throughout the season, earning three first place finishes in the 800 and three wins in the 1600.

Cornett is hoping Garcia-Ferreyra will have enough to take him to the CCS finals but it’s a really rough section. 

“There are some great runners in our section,” Cornett said. “But then again, that kind of competition breeds good marks for [Garcia-Ferreyra], too. That’s going to push him.”

On the girls side, sophomore Noemi Torres is having a record-setting season after tossing a personal best of 28-9 in the shot put at the Avis Kelley Invitational and hurling a 91-2 at the Haybaler Invite.  

The ‘Catz have a newcomer in sophomore Victoria Perez, who is leaving quite the impression in the shot put and discus. She set a personal best mark of 82-1 in the discus at the Haybaler Invite, and tossed a 26-4 in the shot put in last week’s Mission Division meet. 

Brianna Vanegas, a junior, hit a personal best in the triple jump with a leap of 31-11 at the Haybaler Invite.

“It’s going to put [Vanegas] in the mix of going to PCAL Masters to get to the CCS Championships,” Cornett said.

Cornett said last week they competed against a challenging Pacific Grove squad, and they faced a tough Monte Vista Christian group on March 26.

Both schools were promoted from the Cypress to the Mission following a successful season in 2025.

“[Pacifc Grove and MVC] were really good down there, and just got better,” Cornett said. “They came into our league with high expectations, and they’re doing it. So it’s gonna be tough against those two, they just got some very outstanding athletes.”

Monte Vista Christian senior Conor Gilliam placed eighth in 1 minute, 58.37 seconds in the 800-meters boys race at last week’s CCS Top 8.

Gilliam was also part of the 4×800 relay team with senior Gavin Beckmen, and freshmen Owen Beckmen and Joseph Palacios, who took 11th in 8:35.40. 

MVC junior Isaiah Ortega placed 15th with a jump of 10 feet in the pole vault, 

MVC sophomore Anna Conca (5:08.27) and junior Finley Castro (5:29.33) placed ninth and 17th, respectively, in the 1600 girls race. Teammate senior Nylie Joneson finished 10th with a jump of nine feet in the pole vault event.

Other formidable opponents in the Mission Division include Alvarez, Carmel, Monterey and Stevenson.

The goal for Cornett moving forward is to prepare the ‘Catz for the upcoming PCAL Mission Championships at Watsonville High on Friday at 4pm.

Then hopefully after that it’s on to the Masters Meet at Monte Vista Christian on May 8 at 4pm.

“Again, it’s the cliche of taking it one meet at a time,” said Cornett with confidence. “But we’re gonna get Masters and then see how many we can get through to CCS.”

#tdi_1 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item1 { background: url(https://pajaronian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/PAJ2617-CCS-Top-8-WEB-2-80x60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; } #tdi_1 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item2 { background: url(https://pajaronian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/PAJ2617-CCS-Top-8-WEB-1-80x60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; } 1 of 2 Monte Vista Christian sophomore Anna Conca, left, competes in the 1600-meters race during the 45th annual Central Coast Section Top 8 Invitational at Los Gatos High on April 18. (Raul Ebio/The Pajaronian) Watsonville High senior Lisandro Pantoja placed sixth in the discus event during the 45th annual Central Coast Section Top 8 Invitational at Los Gatos High on April 18. (Raul Ebio/The Pajaronian)

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

Tom Steyer, the billionaire environmental activist and self-styled progressive candidate for governor, is on track to run the most expensive gubernatorial campaign in state history, having already spent more than $132 million. 

He’s saturated the Internet and TV as special interest groups ramp up advertising of their own ahead of the June 2 primary and county officials prepare to mail out ballots. 

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

Campaign finance disclosures filed late Thursday show that through mid-April, Steyer continued to outspend his opponents twenty- to thirtyfold, mostly to blitz the state with television ads that began airing early in the race. Nearly all of the money came from Steyer personally, $105 million of which he poured into the campaign from January through April 18.

He’s already dwarfed the $73 million Gov. Gavin Newsom’s campaign spent fighting the recall election against him in 2021 and surpassed the amount Newsom’s political committee spent last fall to pass Proposition 50, the Democratic gerrymander effort with intense national interest. 

If Steyer continues at this rate, he is likely to come close to or exceed the $159 million record that former eBay executive Meg Whitman burned through — also largely of her own money — in her unsuccessful 2010 run for governor. 

The campaign finance filings show that his competitor, tech-backed San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, dominated his fellow Democrats in fundraising over the past four months, bringing in $13 million. Former Rep. Katie Porter raised $2.8 million in that period, while former Attorney General Xavier Becerra brought in $1 million, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa raised $707,000 and state schools Superintendent Tony Thurmond raised just $62,000. 

Katie Porter (second from left) speaks during a gubernatorial candidate forum hosted by the California Immigrant Policy Center, California Latino Legislative Caucus Foundation and ACLU California Action in Sacramento on April 14. Credit: Fred Greaves for CalMatters

On the Republican side, conservative television commentator Steve Hilton’s campaign said he raised $4.4 million while Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco raised $1.5 million. Both remain at the top of the polls. 

Steyer’s outsized spending is a flashpoint in a race defined by wealth, inequality and California’s affordability crisis. Progressives are eager to tax billionaires this year; the resulting backlash to those proposals has prompted wealthy Silicon Valley executives like Google’s Sergey Brin and venture capitalist Michael Moritz to spend in earnest this election year. 

Steyer is promising to rein in wealthy interests like them and corporations. He says he’ll implement publicly funded universal health care, reduce electricity bills and raise corporate property taxes to pay for state services. 

His own wealth is derived from a hedge fund where he once invested in fossil fuels and private prisons before pivoting toward liberal activism. It serves as both fodder for criticism from opponents across the political spectrum and an unlikely source of his own progressive credentials. He’s been able to convince several left-wing groups such as the California Nurses Association and the Bernie Sanders-founded political action committee Our Revolution that he “can’t be bought” by other special interests, earning him their endorsements. His ads have helped boost his standing among likely voters from relative obscurity to the top of the Democratic pack. 

Democrats still tied

Yet he’s hardly broken away, continuing to be essentially tied in recent polling with other Democrats just behind the two Republican front-runners, Bianco and Hilton. 

Instead, in the wake of fellow front-runner Rep. Eric Swalwell dropping out of the race this month over sexual assault and misconduct allegations from multiple women, it was Becerra who got a surge in support. The former Biden-era health secretary had been polling around 5% and fundraising poorly before getting a boost from small donors when Swalwell’s campaign imploded just two weeks ago. 

Becerra surged enough in polls to be included in the first of a series of televised debates on Wednesday night, during which he was eager to attack his opponents but faced criticism for lacking policy specifics and for giving Newsom an “A” grade “on effort” for his approach to homelessness. The number of Californians who are homeless has risen steadily during Newsom’s nearly eight years in office. 

Becerra will have to keep raising money to remain competitive. His campaign spent four times what he brought in between January and April 18, and he ended the cycle with just $507,000 as the race entered its most expensive stage. 

Porter, a former Orange County congressmember who has been stalling in the polls, raised less than she did in the second half of last year. But she still has $3.7 million on hand. 

Aside from Steyer, Mahan raised the most over the past four months. Little-known around the state, he is running on a platform of making state government more efficient. He has promised not to raise any taxes, to suspend the state gas tax and tie state agency leaders’ pay to performance. 

His campaign is funded by a who’s-who of Silicon Valley executives, billionaires and groups known to clash with Sacramento’s powerful labor unions. They’re also funding a pair of independent political spending committees supporting Mahan that raised $25 million and spent $19 million on ads through April 18. 

Other special interest groups are also ramping up their spending. A group opposing Steyer, funded by the state’s realtors, construction industry, electrical workers’ union and Pacific Gas & Electric, has spent $14 million on ads attacking Steyer’s prior investments. This week, PG&E and the California Chamber of Commerce poured in another $7 million. Steyer has proposed challenging PG&E’s monopoly status to lower Californians’ utility bills. 

Swalwell used campaign funds to pay attorney

The filings also revealed that Swalwell used campaign funds to pay one of the attorneys defending him against the misconduct accusations. 

His campaign paid $40,000 to Sara Azari, who sent media statements denying the accusations after he had already suspended his campaign and appeared on NewsNation, where she is a legal analyst, suggesting his accusers had “shame” or “regret” but that “doesn’t make it rape.” 

Swalwell had also used at least two other law firms to send cease-and-desist letters to the women and others alleging misconduct; those firms do not appear in his campaign finance statement. His gubernatorial campaign has returned at least $43,000 in donations since its implosion. 

Swalwell paid campaign funds to use his own campaign finance AI startup, and to cover about $22,000 in child care expenses, which he and his wife routinely did for years from his congressional campaign account. That is allowed under federal and California campaign finance law as long as the child care needs were campaign-related; Swalwell has been one of the biggest spenders in that category. 

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Top 10 exciting job opportunities in Santa Cruz County – Apply today!

Are you searching for your next career move in Santa Cruz County? Look no further! We’ve curated a list of the top 10 job opportunities recently posted to our job board, spanning various industries and roles. Whether you’re a recent graduate, seasoned professional, or someone seeking a fresh start, Santa Cruz has something to offer for everyone.

1. Finance Coordinator (Temporary) at Central California Alliance for Health (the Alliance)
2. Residential Community Service Supervisor at UC Santa Cruz
3. Principal Financial Analyst at UC Santa Cruz
4. Director of Product Success (National) at Lookout Local
5. Pediatric Dental Office Manager / Financial Coordinator at Alison K Jackson Children’s Dentistry
6. Principal Financial Analyst at UC Santa Cruz
7. Crop Production Assistant & Weekend Farm Steward at Homeless Garden Project
8. Executive Assistant to the Associate Vice Chancellor at UC Santa Cruz
9. Health Center Manager at The County of Santa Cruz
10. Conference Services Coordinator at UC Santa Cruz

Why work in Santa Cruz County?

Santa Cruz County boasts a vibrant community, picturesque surroundings, and diverse career opportunities. From academic roles at UC Santa Cruz to impactful positions in healthcare and local government, the perfect place to support both your professional growth and work-life balance.

Ready to take the next step?

Apply for these exciting job opportunities in Santa Cruz County today!

FIND MORE ON THE LOOKOUT JOB BOARD >> Looking to hire? Build your team with us

• List your open positions: Amplify your job listings to reach engaged Santa Cruz County job seekers – post your job today.
• Save with job bundles: Purchase a job board bundle of 4 or 8 listings and save 25%. Redeem your jobs anytime. Bundles never expire. Get Your Bundles Here.
• Exclusive discounts for Marketing Partners: Are you a Lookout Marketing Partner? Contact your representative today to access your exclusive discount.

Questions about the job board? Reach out to Brittany at brittany@lookoutlocal.com.

The post 10 Hot Jobs in Santa Cruz County: Week of April 24 appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.

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 April 24

• A black SUV and a white pickup were involved in a minor collision at SR129 and Murphy Xing in Watsonville/Pajaro at 6:51 a.m. today. A 35-year-old man had a head and back bruise but was conscious and breathing.
   
• 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 at 5:59 a.m.
   

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: Minor crash at SR129/Murphy Xing; SR-152 lane closed appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.

Elementary school principal Renee Golder, 48, and UC Santa Cruz senior Gabriella Noack, 24, are competing to win the Santa Cruz City Council District 6 seat, which covers part of Santa Cruz’s Westside and UC Santa Cruz. 

Incumbent Golder has been on the council for six years and assures voters that they “know what they’re gonna get” if she’s elected. She says she’s not a politician and unsuccessfully searched for the past two years for a replacement candidate to run this year. Despite her desire to not seek reelection, Golder feels called to do the job.  

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“I want to serve my community, and I consider myself to be a problem-solver more than a leader,” she said. “That’s why I want to do this work.” 

Newcomer Noack offers District 6 voters a young voice who holds several opposing viewpoints to Golder on substantive issues, such as Flock Safety cameras. Driven to run in part by her background of being raised by both her adopted parents of an upper-middle-class background, and by her biological family — who faced incarceration and lower incomes — Noack has firsthand experience of the disparate access to opportunities people have based on the household in which they were raised.  

“If we were born into a different family or into a different place that had different social systems, we wouldn’t ever get the opportunity to be that same person,” she said. “Taking care of our social systems and taking care of my community, it inherently feels like taking care of myself and taking care of my [biological] family.”

The next District 6 councilmember will serve a four-year term representing the district’s approximately 10,500 residents, who reside between the oceanfront homes on West Cliff Drive to the northern portions of UCSC student housing. Of that population, about 6,200 registered voters will be asked to select either Golder or Noack for the race, unlike the mayoral race, which all registered voters in the city will have on their ballots. 

Lookout sat down with the candidates to learn more about their views on development and Flock cameras, their backgrounds and why they’re running for the position. 

A problem-solver seeking reelection

Golder, a longtime teacher and now principal of about six years, has worked for 20 years at Bayview Elementary School. She has two adult children and her husband, Mike, is a firefighter. She says her priorities since her first days on the council have been public safety and homelessness. 

Golder leans more conservative than her counterparts. She has also been a supporter of greenlighting affordable housing construction and she was part of the majority vote to end a contract with controversial license-plate reader firm Flock. 

She said she’s open to approving a contract for a different vendor to replace Flock, saying she would first like to see what the options are and gauge whether her constituents support it.

“I feel like any decision I make, I have to go with the information that’s given to me at the time. It’s not about my personal opinion, when I’m up there on the dais,” she said. “I’m not going to say I would never do anything.” 

Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

Golder said her feelings about city development are complicated. On the positive side, she is “so proud” of the city’s collaboration with Santa Cruz City Schools and UC Santa Cruz to get workforce housing up in her district. The school district broke ground on a workforce housing project earlier this year, and UCSC expects to open a workforce and student housing complex later this year. 

As for Golder’s concerns about development, she has been lobbying for more local control. California cities are under state mandates to develop thousands of new units by 2031 – including 3,736 for Santa Cruz. Because Santa Cruz is one of a handful of cities that are on track with building those units, Golder says, she and the city council have been lobbying the state to loosen its grip over development. For example, she said the city could have more control over parking and density bonuses. 

“We’d love to have a little more say in those things, and especially since we’re being proactive and good players,” she said. 

Golder said one of the issues that led her to seek a seat in the first place was the city’s response to homelessness. She said Santa Cruz is “cleaning up the mess” of what city leaders did decades ago: enabling large encampments. Golder says the poor health and safety and environmental damages in encampments make her angry, expressing dismay that anyone could be allowed to suffer like that. 

MAY 7: Hear from Santa Cruz mayoral, city council candidates in an election forum moderated by Lookout

The City of Santa Cruz, often with Santa Cruz police and nonprofit Housing Matters, carry out frequent encampment sweeps citing health and safety concerns. Critics have decried the sweeps, saying that the practice only exacerbates challenges for people experiencing homelessness. This year, advocates also have denounced the end of day services offered by Housing Matters. 

Golder said she understands the concerns and wants to provide care to people experiencing homelessness. But she thinks that should be addressed through a collaboration between nonprofits and county agencies. 

“What I would continue to do moving forward is continued collaboration with the county like we’ve been doing in order to most effectively spend the money that we have,” she said. “We’re a city, we don’t have a health and human services department. Any money that we’re putting out there for the homeless is coming straight from the general fund. It’s money that’s not being used to build a pool. It’s money that’s not being used for raises for SEIU.” 

Among her proudest accomplishments are her work on the council to repair West Cliff Drive after the 2023 storms, as well as her work to better align the city’s recreational offerings with interests at Santa Cruz schools at no cost to families. 

For example, previously some school-parent organizations fundraised to have a skateboard club to bring skateboards and ramps to the schools, but it wasn’t accessible to all kids. Now, through the city’s Parks & Recreation department, any child can, regardless of their income. 

Golder has endorsements from former and current city councilmembers including Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson, Ryan Coonerty and Cynthia Mathews. 

A hopeful youth 

What Noack lacks in years, she makes up for in life experience. Born in Baltimore, Noack was later raised in Sacramento by her adoptive parents. Growing up and taking trips along the coast, she fell in love with Santa Cruz’s culture and made it her goal to move here, study here and to raise a family here. 

After high school, she worked manual labor jobs — including stonemason, cook and ski lift operator — for two years to save money for college, which she started in 2022 at Cabrillo College. At Cabrillo, she was a volunteer peer tutor, and also a volunteer teacher in the Watsonville jail. 

UCSC senior Gabriella Noack is running for the Santa Cruz City Council District 6 seat. Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

She later transferred to UC Santa Cruz, where she’s double-majoring in philosophy and sociology and is planning to graduate this spring. Through a UCSC program, she’s co-facilitating a technology program at local nonprofit Barrios Unidos that aims to teach vocational technology skills to people who were previously incarcerated. 

In addition to Noack’s drive to ensure fair access to opportunities to all Santa Cruzans, Noack has another idea motivating her to run for city council. Since late last year, she has seen peers transformed by hope following the victories of young leaders – New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and U.S. Olympic gold medalist Alyssa Liu. 

For a long time, Noack saw peers express “disillusionment with politics,” but she said Mamdani changed that. Liu transformed ice skating, a sport with rigid standards, into something she enjoyed. 

“That’s really how I feel about politics,” she said. “We’ve seen corruption, and it’s made a lot of people, especially in my generation, ignore politics. But I think my generation can be the change, and I want to be a part of that.”

Noack’s positions on the city’s response to homelessness and Flock cameras diverge from Golder’s. Noack said she would not accept another vendor to replace Flock. 

“I think that privately contracting out highly sensitive information to private companies that make a living off of mass surveillance isn’t prioritizing community safety,” said Noack. “No, I would not support another private contract with a different private [automated license-plate reader] system.” 

Last month, Housing Matters ended its day services program, such as showers and mailboxes, leading dozens of people to scramble for other providers. Addressing the area’s dwindling options for people experiencing homelessness, Noack said the city should provide more services and continue collaborating with local nonprofits. 

“I think we need to take this as a lesson, as saying we need government-provided services that can’t just go away without an explanation at the blink of an eye,” she said. “I think that more progressive taxing initiatives are a good way to create this wealth.” 

She’s also against encampment sweeps: “You’re just taking sleeping bags away from people who desperately need them.”

Noack says expanding affordable housing in Santa Cruz is her No. 1 priority. She wants to add more workforce housing and thinks the city should focus on hiring local construction companies, to put dollars back into the pockets of local workers so they can afford to live here. 

“When we’re building in Santa Cruz, if we’re prioritizing local labor, if we’re prioritizing local companies,” she said. “That means that we’re incentivizing our local economy that naturally is going to funnel back into Santa Cruz better.” 

Another priority is for the city council to revisit the city’s district maps. For example, she said that the District 6 map splits up UC Santa Cruz, which means that the university students, who make up a large portion of the city’s population, don’t have a single district that represents them. 

“It’s a huge problem,” she said. “It’s really important that we think about accurate voter representation.” 

Outside of school and volunteering, Noack works two jobs: at Companion Bakeshop farmers market stand and modeling for portrait drawings. She said she has a waitressing job lined up starting this summer, after graduation.

Noack has endorsements from Santa Cruz for Bernie, Get The Flock Out and SEIU Local 521. 

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The post A Westside elementary school principal and a UCSC student face off for Santa Cruz City Council’s District 6 seat appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.

After 28 years, Java Junction will close its River Street location on Monday. Owner Michael Spadafora cites steep rent increases, prolonged construction disruptions and conflicts with landlord Balboa Retail Partners and property manager JLL. The closure follows months of reduced sales tied to lost outdoor seating and limited communication about the project, said Spadafora. The café’s Seabright and Santa Cruz Harbor locations will remain open.

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Candidates in the June 2026 primary election filed their first pre-election campaign finance forms on Thursday. Local candidates and ballot measure committees are required to file campaign statements by specific deadlines, disclosing the contributions they have received and the expenditures they have made. 

Of those that filed their disclosures by Thursday night, Santa Cruz mayoral candidate and longtime politico Ryan Coonerty’s campaign received by far the largest total donation amount in the most recent fundraising period, at just over $50,000. District 4 county supervisor candidate Tony Nuñez was a distant second, with slightly more than $20,000 raised.

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

The reports are filed as Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) Form 460s and apply to all candidates and committees that have raised or spent at least $2,000 in a calendar year.

This first filing covers the period between Jan. 1 and April 18. The next pre-election filing is due on May 21, and covers the period from April 19 and May 16. A semi-annual deadline follows on July 31, and covers the period from May 17 through June 30.

The amounts listed are solely cash contributions from individual donors. They do not include loans or non-monetary contributions, and do not include cash expended so far.

Neither Santa Cruz County Superior Court judge candidate, Bryan Hackett and Alisa Thomas, filed a disclosure form by Thursday evening, so they are not included below.

Lookout will update this story with late candidate filings as they become available.

District 4 county supervisor

Tony Nuñez has raised $20,022.99 since the start of 2026. Notable donors include Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds CEO Dori Rose Inda, Pajaro Valley Prevention and Student Assistance CEO Jasmine Najera, Santa Cruz Port District Chair Reed Geisreiter, Community Bridges Chief Finance Officer Douglas Underhill, philanthropists Bill and Brigid Simpkins, Low Carbon executive Ed Colligan, former Pajaro Valley Health Care District board member Katie Gabriel-Cox, Gayle’s Bakery & Rosticceria owners Gayle and Joseph Ortiz, tech entrepreneur Guy Kawasaki, Watsonville High School Principal Joe Gregorio, and Community Foundation Santa Cruz County Communications Coordinator Josue Monroy.

Elias Gonzales has raised $5,878 since the start of 2026. Notable donors include former FoodWhat development director and Santa Cruz City Council candidate Kayla Kumar, Ecology Action program manager and local campaign manager Celeste Gutierrez, Santa Cruz mayoral candidate Chris Krohn, and Santa Cruz for Bernie.

Incumbent Felipe Hernandez did not file a disclosure form by Thursday night.

Santa Cruz mayor

Ryan Coonerty has raised $50,115 since the start of 2026, by far the most of any local candidate on the ballot. Notable donors include Sempervirens Fund Director of Government Relations Rachel Dann, Santa Cruz City Councilmember Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson’s 2024 committee, Santa Cruz Mayor Fred Keeley, Santa Cruz Symphony board president Linda Burroughs, former Scotts Valley city councilmember Jack Dilles, former Santa Cruz mayor Cynthia Mathews, longtime politico and Coonerty’s father, Neal Coonerty, Bookshop Santa Cruz owner and Coonerty’s sister, Casey Protti, Meta executive and Coonerty’s brother-in-law Michel Protti, Assemblymember Gail Pellerin, NHS owner Richard Novak, former county office of education administrator Carol Polhamus, county analyst Andy Schiffrin, city planning commissioner Pete Kennedy, Santa Cruz City Councilmember Renee Golder, developer Owen Lawlor, former Santa Cruz City councilmember Martine Watkins, Democratic Central Committee member Andrew Goldenkranz, Granite Construction Vice President of Government Affairs Don Roland, Bay Federal Credit Union CEO Carrie Birkhofer, former Scotts Valley city councilmember Jim Reed, Cushman and Wakefield managing director Reuben Helick, Lincoln, Nebraska, mayor Leirion Baird, and Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read’s committee Friends of Tobias Read.

MAY 7: Hear from Santa Cruz mayoral, city council candidates in an election forum moderated by Lookout

Ami Chen Mills has raised $6,664 since the start of 2026. Notable donors include Harm Reduction Coalition services coordinator Denise Elerick, Campaign for Sustainable Transportation co-chair Rick Longinotti and local activist Jasmeen Miah.

Chris Krohn has raised $5,652 since the start of the year. Early Santa Cruz for Bernie member and co-founder Jeffrey Smedberg is a notable donor.

Gillian Greensite has raised $4,689 since the start of 2026. Housing activist and emeritus UC Santa Cruz sociologist John Hall is a notable donor.

Joy Schendledecker has raised $2,650 since the start of 2026. Notable donors include housing activist and emeritus UC Santa Cruz sociologist John Hall, local activist Jasmeen Miah and Santa Cruz for Bernie.

Santa Cruz City Council District 4

Scott Newsome has raised $5,738 since the start of 2026. Notable donors include Bookshop Santa Cruz owner and Ryan Coonerty’s sister, Casey Protti, city planning commissioner Pete Kennedy, Democratic Central Committee member Andrew Goldenkranz and the Democratic Women’s Club of Santa Cruz County.

Hector Marin did not file a disclosure form by Thursday night.

Santa Cruz City Council District 6

Renee Golder has raised $11,659 since the start of 2026. Notable donors include Santa Cruz City Councilmember Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson’s 2024 committee, Santa Cruz mayoral candidate Ryan Coonerty, developer Owen Lawlor, former county office of education administrator Carol Polhamus, longtime commercial real estate agent William Ow, Santa Cruz Mayor Fred Keeley, former Santa Cruz mayor Cynthia Mathews, Play Bigger CEO and Save West Cliff founder Al Ramadan, Bookshop Santa Cruz owner and Ryan Coonerty’s sister, Casey Protti, and Pacific Wave Surf Shop.

Gabriella Noack did not file a disclosure form by Thursday night.

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An administrator from San Jose’s Moreland School District will be the new Live Oak School District superintendent starting July 1. 

Moreland School District Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services Jennifer Baldwin will be the new Live Oak School District superintendent starting July 1. Credit: Courtesy of Live Oak School District

Moreland Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services Jennifer Baldwin will replace Pat Sánchez, who was in the role since summer of 2024. 

“Jennifer has been described as a highly collaborative leader with exceptional integrity and a distributive leadership style,” governing board president Kristin Pfotenhauer said in a statement. “She has a history of team building around a unifying vision resulting in significantly improved student outcomes and strengthened morale for staff.” 

Baldwin, who lives in Santa Cruz, has 30 years of public education experience, ranging from teacher to assistant superintendent. She’s spent the past seven years at Moreland, where she was first the assistant superintendent of human resources and is currently leading educational services. She received a doctorate in educational leadership and innovation from Arizona State University.

“I am truly honored and excited to join Live Oak School District and serve a community so committed to students,” Baldwin said in a statement. “I look forward to partnering with our students, staff, families, and community to build on the district’s strong foundation and create meaningful opportunities for every student to succeed.”

Teachers union president Lauren Pomrantz said teachers are relieved that the school board has made a choice. She said she’s still learning about Baldwin, but heard a “glowing review” from the president of the Moreland teachers union.

“That’s always a good sign,” said Pomrantz, adding that teachers are happy that Baldwin is local and already has many contacts in Santa Cruz. 

Sánchez’s last day will be June 30. 

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Capitola’s contract with Flock Safety for automated license-plate readers in the city will continue for another 24 months. Meanwhile, members of grassroots group Get The Flock Out say they’ll continue to let police and elected officials in Capitola and Watsonville, which also has a deal with Flock, know about their concerns with the Atlanta-based company.

The post Capitola automatically renews contract with Flock; anti-surveillance organizers see ‘long road ahead’ appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.

Santa Cruz County is falling far behind its housing goals, with most jurisdictions on pace to meet barely half their targets – or less, write housing advocates Rafa Sonnenfeld and Janine Roeth. The problem, they write, isn’t a lack of planning; it’s that high costs, fees and delays make building financially unworkable. Proven solutions such as faster approvals and lower barriers are already on the table, but action keeps getting pushed years into the future. Every delay deepens the shortage, drives up prices and pushes more residents out, they write.

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The top candidates vying to be California’s next superintendent of public instruction took the stage for two virtual forums this week, detailing how they would handle achievement gaps, artificial intelligence concerns, LGBTQ+ protections and more. 

Six candidates participated in the forums hosted by EdSource, about six weeks before voters will go to the polls for the June 2 primary election. Whoever wins the position will help shape the future of nearly 6 million students in California. 

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

Tuesday’s forum featured San Diego Unified School District Board Member Richard Barrera, former State Sen. Josh Newman and Chino Valley Unified Board President Sonja Shaw. Wednesday’s forum included State Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi, former Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon and Nichelle Henderson, a trustee for the Los Angeles Community College District. 

The forums took place in a wide-open race with no clear front-runner. None of the candidates reached even 10% of support from likely voters in a survey released last week by the Public Policy Institute of California.

The achievement gap

One of the biggest challenges facing the next superintendent will be persistent achievement gaps across racial and ethnic groups, as well as between low-income and affluent students in California schools. 

Newman suggested three approaches: reforming curriculum to “make sure that standards are set and maintained in every district,” ensuring that teachers are paid enough to live in the communities where they teach and addressing chronic absenteeism by “bringing kids back into school and making them engaged.”

Muratsuchi touted his role in passing the Local Control Funding Formula, California’s education funding formula designed to give more resources to districts with the highest percentages of low-income students. He said the funding formula has helped, but acknowledged more needs to be done, especially before students reach kindergarten.

“We need to make sure that we provide more quality child care, quality preschool experiences for all kids, regardless of income, in order to close the achievement gap,” he said.

Barrera pointed to San Diego Unified as a model for improving outcomes at the high school level. He said that when he joined the district’s board, only 45% of all students overall, and 25% of Black and Latino students, were graduating having completed the A-G requirements, the college preparatory courses needed for admission to a California State University or University of California campus.  

“We raised the standards for our graduation rates,” he said. “We said we want A-G to be the sequence that all students take and all students have access to. And we got those numbers up to 70% for the entire student body, and also 70% for Latino and Black students.”

Artificial intelligence

Several candidates agreed that artificial intelligence in the classroom presents risks and challenges and called for stricter guardrails.

Shaw said she is concerned that artificial intelligence is eroding students’ critical thinking skills and called for more research, including creating a “group to study” AI. 

Henderson said students should be taught “how to utilize AI to enhance their learning” and prepare for future careers, predicting that many jobs they will hold have yet to be created “because of the innovations and the rapid change of AI.”

Rendon pointed to New York as a model, where he said teachers are “front and center” in the discussions around how to use artificial intelligence in the classroom. He said California should do the same. “Incorporate teachers into that conversation to make sure it’s not just administrators who are telling schools and telling teachers how they need to be incorporating AI,” he said.

Protecting LGBTQ+ students

The forums were not designed as debates, but some of the candidates did clash over California’s efforts to make LGBTQ+ students feel more welcomed in schools. Those efforts include the SAFETY Act, a 2024 law prohibiting districts from requiring staff to disclose a student’s sexual orientation or gender identity.

Barrera said California’s laws protect LGBTQ+ students, but added that there are “uneven protections” depending on the district. He said his district, San Diego Unified, partnered with Equality California, an LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, and has been recognized as a model district on issues including sexual health education curriculum and anti-bullying efforts.

Moments later, Shaw accused Barrera and San Diego Unified of financial mismanagement for “putting money towards ideologies in the classroom.” She also claimed groups such as Equality California are discriminatory, and that “our daughters don’t feel safe in their locker rooms and in their sports.” Shaw has worked to keep transgender athletes out of girls sports.

Barrera responded by citing estimates that there are 65,000 to 80,000 transgender students in California schools and noted that the mother of AB Hernandez, an openly transgender track athlete from Jurupa Valley, sent Shaw’s district a cease and desist notice, which accused Shaw of cyberbullying.

“That’s not the kind of leadership that we need in California,” Barrera said.

Shaw’s stances were also brought up during Wednesday’s forum, when Rendon said that if he isn’t elected, he wants to make sure that a candidate other than Shaw wins the election. He said Shaw is “very much against the principles that we as Californians have stood for repeatedly.”

Opposition to restructuring CDE

Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed that the operation of the California Department of Education be shifted away from the superintendent of public instruction and instead to the governor and the State Board of Education.

Unsurprisingly, the candidates all said they oppose that idea.

Shaw noted that voters elect the superintendent to run the Department of Education, calling it a “constitutional seat.” Barrera agreed, noting that California voters in the past have rejected initiatives to eliminate the superintendent as an elected position. He called Newsom’s proposal an “end-around” to bypass voters.

Newman suggested the proposal, if implemented, would decrease accountability. That view was echoed the following night, when Muratsuchi said the state superintendent serves as part of a “checks and balance system” to the governor. 

Rendon voiced perhaps the strongest opposition to the proposed changes, which he called “awful.”

“I think they would be bad for Californians. I think they would be bad for California schools. And ultimately, they would be bad for democracy at a time when we see the demise of democracy, threats to democracy all over the world,” he said.

Henderson, who arrived late to Wednesday’s forum, was not present when Newsom’s proposal was brought up, but she has previously said she is against the idea.

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Santa Cruz Shakespeare’s Artistic Director Charles Pasternak brings Vincent van Gogh to life in a one-man play based on Leonard Nimoy’s script.

With the weekend nearly here, check out things to do around Santa Cruz County with a recommendation from Lily Belli and a specially curated list from Lookout’s BOLO events calendar.

The post Best of Santa Cruz County arts & food events this weekend, April 23-26 appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.

A rendering shows an apartment building at Mission and Otis streets in Santa Cruz proposed by local developer Andy Goldberg. (Workbench)

SANTA CRUZ >> A proposal to demolish a medical office building in Santa Cruz at the corner of Mission and Otis streets and replace it with a six-story, 60-unit rental apartment building faces opposition from neighbors and from those concerned about the potential displacement of medical professionals.

All but two of the more than 20 residents who spoke Tuesday at an online community meeting were against the project, proposed at 926 and 930 Mission St. 

The building would contain a mix of studios, two-bedroom and three-bedroom apartments, five of which would be reserved for “moderate income” renters and five for “very low income” renters. Income limits are set annually by the state.

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The building would also have ground-floor commercial space, bicycle parking, solar panels, a 14-space parking area and other amenities. 

Jamileh Cannon, owner and co-founder of Santa Cruz-based Workbench, the project’s architect, said Tuesday that more than half of Santa Cruz renters pay at least 30% of their income toward housing, and that more than a third of Santa Cruz renters pay at least 50% of their income toward housing.  

“If we build more, then demand decreases and price growth slows,” Cannon said. Already, she said, rents in Santa Cruz County are starting to level off, “which is amazing for our community.”

Cannon said that the city of Santa Cruz must approve thousands of additional units by 2031 to meet its state-mandated housing goals.

She said she expected the new apartments would attract university students, as well as young professionals, couples and older singles looking to downsize.

At the meeting, several neighbors brought up traffic, parking, privacy and safety concerns, as well as concerns about the building’s size, shadows, architectural design and potential effect on property values.

“I share your concerns over the proposed height of this building, abutting up to a single family-home neighborhood, the lack of a setback, and the lack of parking,” said City Councilmember Scott Newsome, who is up for reelection and faces a challenger in the June primary. 

“A sentiment I’m hearing more often from the community is that people are for housing, but they also feel that certain developers have shown they’re not willing to responsibly wield the power the state has handed them,” Newsome added. 

In recent years, state laws meant to address California’s housing crisis have largely stripped power from local authorities to deny or change proposals for housing.

A Santa Cruz resident who identified herself as a health-care provider in the building set to be demolished said “this will put us in a really tough position.” 

Another woman who said she’s a patient at a chiropractor office onsite asked where the medical professionals would go once displaced by this housing project. “It’s very inconsiderate of the developers to destroy their practice and deprive the community of such needed service,” she said.  

Local real estate developer Andy Goldberg, a frequent partner of Workbench, is behind the project. Once a formal application is filed, a public hearing will take place before the zoning administrator or planning commission. 

This project is one of several multi-story apartment buildings expected to be built on Mission Street in Westside Santa Cruz. Current proposals include an eight-story, 60-unit building on Mission Street between Bay and Trescony streets, a six-story, 67-unit building on Mission and Dufour streets, a three-story, 21-unit building adjacent to Mission Hill Middle School and a five-story, 48-unit building at the site of the Food Bin and Herb Room on Mission and Laurel streets. 

In general, multi-story apartment complexes in Santa Cruz have proved contentious. Three of Workbench’s projects, for example, are now being fought over in court.

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Michael Tilson Thomas, a leading American conductor for a half-century who headed orchestras in San Francisco, Buffalo, Miami and London while also composing, died Wednesday. He was 81.

The post Michael Tilson Thomas, renowned conductor and composer, dies at 81 appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.

Here’s what’s happening on Santa Cruz County roads this morning…

▼︎ new incidents

Road incidents as of 7 a.m. on April 23

• A pickup truck and a four-door vehicle collided at the intersection of Highway 1 south and the Highway 129 off-ramp in Watsonville. The crash happened when the truck pulled out to turn and was hit by another vehicle coming over the overpass. It is not known if anyone was injured. The incident was reported today.
   
• A lane on westbound Highway 152 at Clifford Drive/Ohlone Parkway in Watsonville is closed for asphalt paving. The closure is scheduled to last until July 3.
   

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 Thursday morning traffic: Crash at Highway 1-129 off-ramp; Highway 152 lane closed for paving appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.

Two new vendors are joining Abbott Square Market, with longstanding farmers market stall India Gourmet opening a permanent kiosk and Luna’s Borikén Bites preparing to debut Puerto Rican dishes in the Octagon. The additions expand the downtown Santa Cruz food hall’s lineup with globally inspired menus.

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