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By Eric Johnson
Published May 06, 2024
California Forever's proposed city (in blue) is located roughly halfway between San Francisco and Sacramento.
On January 29, The Newsletter ran a piece under the headline “The California Exodus and ‘California Forever’.” Both of these big stories moved significantly over the past week, and we revisit them today.
Also, as always: Peruse your cureated local News Feed; learn about a local nonprofit doing good work; and check out our Recipe of the Week.
Last Tuesday, the company that plans to build a high-tech, green, walkable city of 400,000 in rural Solano County announced that it had gathered enough signatures to qualify for the November ballot. The story involves an insane amount of money, some insanely powerful billionaires, and a detailed set of plans that appear to be quite sane, if not visionary. Here, amid well-earned controversy, we offer two pieces that consider the project on its own terms.
California Forever: Building a New Community From the Ground Up
California Forever CEO on Democracy and City Planning
The California Department of Finance announced this week that the state’s population rose last year, after declining in both 2021 and 2022.
Is the ‘California Exodus’ Over?
Our friends at Sacramento Digs Gardening publish a recipe from their gardens every Sunday, which we feature here so you can start your week with some yum.
See more recipes in their Taste Spring! cookbook.
Happy Cinco de Mayo! Time to dig into this fruity salsa
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Santa Cruz County's Homepage |
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Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship |
This nonprofit group brings together thousands of volunteers to maintain trails in local open spaces, with a focus on sustainable outdoor recreation that works with the environment rather than against it.
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From Our Media Allies |
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Lake Lompico: A Labor of Love |
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The Lompico Pond Restoration and Demonstration Project involves a group of dedicated outdoor enthusiasts who have been meeting on the last Saturday of every month to restore a small mountain lake. |
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Watsonville Celebrates New Housing Complex |
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Dozens of people gathered Friday to celebrate the opening of a 53-unit housing complex, the latest in Watsonville’s drive to provide housing for all income levels. |
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Full House at Business Expo and Job Fair |
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Hundreds of people attended the 2024 Pajaro Valley Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture Business Expo Job Fair at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds April 25. |
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Into the Woods: Watsonville to Plant Thousands of New Trees |
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Over the next two decades, the city of Watsonville plans to add thousands of trees to its landscape, create a plan to take care of them and train crews of young people to aid in that effort. |
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Volunteers Shine at ‘Be the Difference’ Awards |
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On May 8, the Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz is throwing a fête to honor the contributions of those who give their time, talent and treasure to local agencies. |
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New Training Facility Proposed for Santa Cruz Police and Fire |
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Leaders of Santa Cruz Police and Santa Cruz Fire have a new $20 million training center in their long-term plans to replace outdated facilities inside and outside the city. |
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Scotts Valley Water District Well Replacement Project Restarts |
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Construction of Scotts Valley Water District’s 1,500-foot-deep Sucinto Well is underway. |
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State Report on Homeless Services Calls for More Accountability |
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A recent state report about two California cities’ homeless services spending echoes concerns raised in a 2023 Santa Cruz Local investigation about how money is spent on homeless services in Santa Cruz County. |
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Organic Rising: Central Coast Farmers Featured in New Film |
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Anthony Saua, director of Organic Rising, talks about the rise of organic agriculture and its importance to health, the environment and slowing global warming, |
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Female Lowriders Celebrated in Watsonville |
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Filmmaker Gloria Morán discusses her film, Unique Ladies about an all-female lowrider club in San Diego. Her screening is part of a five-day Cinco de Mayo celebration in Watsonville of lowrider culture. |
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Following the Fall Creek Fish Ladder Trail |
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It is a short walk from where you park on Farmer Street to the bridge over the new $2.3 million rebuild of the Fall Creek Fish Ladder. |
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Soquel Drive Housing Complex Proposal Draws Concerns |
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A Monday night meeting about a proposed five-building housing complex on Soquel Drive drew dozens of residents who lambasted developers about the project’s size, additional traffic and other concerns. |
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Is Cowell Beach the Best Beginner's Surf Break in the World? |
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A practical, user-friendly guide to learning to surf in Santa Cruz: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly |
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Recent Local News |
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• Lookout Santa Cruz Wins Pulitzer Prize
Lookout Santa Cruz has won the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting for their coverage of the January 2023 floods.
(05/06/2024) → Lookout Local• New Federal Funds for Rail Studies Announced
Central Coast Representatives Lofgren and Pannetta jointly announced $1 million in federal funding for studies about expansion of rail service in the region.
(05/06/2024) → Santa Cruz Sentinel• Rotary Raises $90,000 for Treasure Cove Inclusive Playground
The Capitola Aptos Rotary Club presented a check for over $90,000 to County Park Friends which is fundraising for the Treasure Cove Inclusive Playground at Jade Street Park.
(05/04/2024) → Times Publishing Group• Wharf Restaurant to Be Demolished
Because of damage to pilings sustained in a December storm, the Dolphin Restaurant is set to be taken down to effect repairs to the end of the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf.
(05/02/2024) → Lookout Local• Bond Considered to Finance Facility Upgrades
The Scotts Valley Unified School District is looking into a bond measure on the November ballot to fund upgrades and improvements to classrooms and facilities.
(05/02/2024) → Lookout Local• Harvey West Park Homeless Encampment Cleared
The City of Santa Cruz cleared an encampment used by 30-40 people from the Harvey West Friendship Park on May 1.
(05/02/2024) → Santa Cruz Sentinel• Teen Kitchen Project Grows
The Teen Kitchen Project is building a new kitchen space in Soquel to expand meal production capacity to meet demand from those in need.
(05/01/2024) → Santa Cruz Sentinel• Reprieve for Live Oak Farmers Market
The management of the East Cliff Village Shopping Center negotiated a new one-year lease with the Live Oak farmers market, giving them more time to find a new location.
(05/01/2024) → Lookout Local• Pro-Palestine Encampment at UCSC
Hundreds of UCSC students and faculty participated in a peaceful march to the Quarry where several dozen protestors set up tents.
(05/01/2024) → Lookout Local• City Council Postpones Herb Room Descision
in its April 30 meeting, the Santa Cruz City Council postponed a decision on the 59-unit housing development project at the site of the Herb Room on Mission Street amid fierce neighborhood opposition.
(04/30/2024) → Lookout Local• Rail Trail Segments 10 and 11 Approved
In a unanimous vote, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors approved the plan to proceed with segments 10 and 11 of the Coastal Rail Trail.
(04/30/2024) → Lookout Local|
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Recent Statewide News |
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• Metal Detectors, Fear, Frustration. College Commencements Altered Amid Gaza War Protests
At many universities across the country, graduation for the Class of 2024 will feel more like making it through airport security than a procession through a free-flowing campus green or a cheering stadium crowd.
(05/04/2024) → Los Angeles Times• How Congress Is Letting Die an Internet Connectivity Lifeline for Millions
More than half of the U.S. House supports a bill to extend the funds, but it can’t get out of committee.
(05/04/2024) → CalMatters• California's Population Increased Last Year for First Time Since 2020
During the much-ballyhooed “California exodus” amid the pandemic, remote workers moved to other states where they could live for a fraction of the cost compared to cities like Los Angeles or San Francisco.
(04/29/2024) → Los Angeles Times|
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Government Announcements |
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County of Santa Cruz (05/06/2024) 5/6/2024 - Public Hearing to Consider the Revised Low-Impact Camping Area Ordinance on May 8 |
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United States (05/05/2024) Palmer Candy Company Recalls White Confectionary Products Because of Possible Health Risk |
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Palmer Candy Company, Sioux City, Iowa, is recalling its "White Coated Confectionary Items" because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immu
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City of Watsonville (05/03/2024) Groundbreaking Ceremony for Ramsay Park Renaissance Project |
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Santa Cruz County Office of Education (05/03/2024) Recognize a Teacher |
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Dear community member, One of the highlights of the role of County Superintendent of Schools is getting to recognize the exemplary educators who work across all levels of our TK-12 school community. As we head into Teacher Appreciation Week, from May 6-10, the COE is thrilled to provide a way for students and families to [...]
The post Recognize a …
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United States (05/03/2024) Chuao Chocolatier Recalls Its: .39 oz /11 Gram Potato Chip Mini Bar Lot 4022 Due to Undeclared Hazelnuts |
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May 3, 2024, Chuao Chocolatier is voluntarily recalling a single production of Potato Chip mini bar .39oz/11 gram LOT 4022 because some packages may contain undeclared hazelnut. People who are sensitive or have allergies to hazelnut could be at risk of a serious or life-threatening allergic reactio
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United States (05/03/2024) Hormel Foods Sales, LLC Recalls a Limited Number of Planters® Honey Roasted Peanuts 4 Oz. and Planters® Deluxe Lightly Salted Mixed Nuts 8.75 Oz. Because of Possible Health Risk |
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Hormel Foods Sales, LLC is voluntarily recalling a limited number of two PLANTERS products that were produced at one of its facilities in April. This recall only impacts two retailers in five states. These products are being recalled because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria
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City of Watsonville (05/03/2024) Congratulations Nick Merolla: 2024 Youth Champion of the Year! |
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United States (05/02/2024) FSIS Issues Public Health Alert for Raw Pork Chorizo Products Due to Possible Foreign Matter Contamination |
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WASHINGTON, May. 2, 2024 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert due to concerns of raw pork chorizo products...
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County of Santa Cruz (05/02/2024) 5/2/2024 - County Releases Updated Three-Year Framework Focused on Lowering People Experiencing and Returning to Homelessness |
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United States (05/01/2024) Cargill Meat Solutions Recalls Ground Beef Products Due to Possible E. coli O157:H7 Contamination |
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WASHINGTON, May 1, 2024 - Cargill Meat Solutions, a Hazleton, Pa., establishment, is recalling approximately 16,243 pounds of raw ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7...
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