It’s only the first day of spring, but make no mistake: Election season is just around the corner. Last Friday was the deadline for candidates to declare their intentions to run—unless no incumbent filed, in which case the deadline was extended to March 16. Now the roster of candidates and ballot measures is set for the June 7 primary, and county residents will have a say in more than two dozen federal, statewide and countywide races, as well as municipal contests, and elected positions in special districts.
How can one keep track of all that? A good place to start is the county elections department website: votescount.us But it’s just important to keep tabs on local news coverage. For instance, this week Santa Cruz Local asks residents about the biggest priorities in the upcoming Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors contests, in order to focus its primary election reporting on the issues that matter most.
Also on the ballot is another important issue: the Greenway Initiative. Santa Cruz County residents who vote on this ballot initiative on June 7 will effectively decide the future of rail service in the region. The Greenway Initiative removes all mention of rail planning with regard to the Santa Cruz Branch Line from the county’s general plan and calls for a wider trail to be built. California Local’s Santa Cruz Rail Trail tracker is an ever-growing repository for resource material, news articles and links to local news articles, so we encourage those interested in the issue to visit regularly to read the latest additions.
Rail Trail Crossings, Rights of Way and Cyclist Safety
Part of California Local’s mission is to amplify not only local media but also local voices. Keith Bontrager, who revolutionized mountain-bike design in his Santa Cruz garage decades ago, critiques one Westside segment of the Rail Trail in an essay that is excerpted (with his permission) from his post on NextDoor. Bontrager outlines his experience as a bicycle commuter on Segment 7 of the Santa Cruz Rail Trail versus a parallel track on a city street. It’s a long read, but passionate Santa Cruz cyclists will value his perspective.
Keith Bontrager on SC Rail Trail
MTB-design pioneer Keith Bontrager compares the commute on a segment of the Santa Cruz Rail Trail with a ride on a parallel street.
25 California Women Who Made History
In addition to heralding spring, March also brings Women’s History Month, an annual opportunity to look back at the achievements of women in American society. We live in the most populous U.S. state, so many groundbreaking women were either born in California or made history here. We’ve focused on 25 women from the 1700s to the present day, representing diverse achievements and backgrounds. And if you don’t see your favorite on the list, send us a letter to the editor and make your case!
In 1992, the federal government recognized a section of the California coast now known as the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. On March 19-20, Whalefest Monterey gives a nod to the sanctuary’s 30 years of ocean preservation.
(03/15/2022) → Read the full Monterey Herald report
Bob Gómez, who is serving as Watsonville’s first poet laureate for a two-year term, talks about his background and future plans for his tenure in the position.
(03/15/2022) → Read the full Voices of Monterey Bay report
Just days after Assemblyman Mark Stone confirmed he would not run for reelection, the 28th District Assembly race is heating up. At least five candidates had secured nominations: Leslie Dinkin, Liz Lawler, Gail Pellerin, Rob Rennie and Joe Thompson.
(03/15/2022) → Read the full Santa Cruz County Sentinel report
Local developer Workbench broke ground on a 13-townhouse development in Soquel. Lookout Local talks to founding partner Jamileh Cannon about why it took so long to begin building—and the impact of legislative efforts to speed construction of housing.
(03/14/2022) → Read the full Lookout Local report
Winery owner and UC Santa Cruz chemistry professor Phil Crews teamed up with a group of researchers to conduct a study on how the taste of wine was affected by wildfire smoke.
(03/13/2022) → Read the full KSBW NBC/ABC report
