Statewide Region Blog Articles


Image caption: The author, left, with Hilltromper Managing Director Mike Kahn at the Cotoni Coast Dairies National Monument.
A Collective, Monumental Effort

The Cotoni Coast Dairies National Monument, just north of Santa Cruz, brought a community together.

Image caption: Many hands make the community bloom.
Cultivating Civic Engagement

Things bloom best when people get their hands dirty.

Image caption: New garbage and recycling receptacles! A new raised path through the rainy-season swamp!
Things Are Getting Better

All across California, municipalities and nonprofits are making their communities better.

Image caption: New six-story apartment buildings in downtown Santa Cruz loom large over a funky one and two-story plaza one block away which is home to Redwood Records, The Bagelry (est 1977) and the world renowned Kuumbwa Jazz Center.
The Coming California Housing Boom

Suddenly, a lot of housing is being built across the state.

Image caption: A screenshot from “Modern Times” (1936), Charlie Chaplin’s meditation on the vicissitudes of labor.
For May Day: A Temp Worker’s Oddest Jobs

They were odd jobs, but somebody had to do them. On International Workers’ Day, one peripatetic laborer shares his career lowlights.

Image caption: West Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz, California, following a storm in January 2023. Throughout the state, communities are being forced to budget for disaster.
Budgeting for Resilience

California communities are focusing resources in response to the effects of climate change and other challenges.

Image caption: A  total solar eclipse can offer a rare opportunity to see stars and planets during the day.
The Universe Winks

There is no scientific explanation for the conditions that make an eclipse inevitable. It’s a coincidence. Or a miracle.

Image caption: Every now and then, it's important to focus on good things.
One Good Thing

We announce a new initiative and invite our members to contribute.

Image caption: New neighbors might be moving to Solano County soon. A whole lot of them.
Building a City From the Ground Up

We’re getting ready to track the progress of California Forever’s plans to build a city of 400,000 in what is now Solano County farm country.

Image caption: Good corporate citizenship is tasty.
Announcing the California Local Good Business Directory

We're making it easy for local businesses to tell the story about how they give back to the community.

Image caption:
Reflections on My 2023

Michael Gelbman finds some perspective amid the divisiveness.

Image caption: We look back as we rush forward.
2023 at California Local in Review

In which we count our accomplishments, and blessings, at the turning of the year.

Image caption: Voters have many decisions to weigh before March 5.
One Citizen, One Vote

A year from now we’ll be choosing the next U.S. president. But there are many important decisions to be made before then. Now’s the time to start getting ready for the March 5 primary.

Image caption: California is one of the most complex political entities in the world. California Local’s upcoming book explains it all in 46 fascinating chapters.
‘How California Works’—a Synopsis of California Local’s First Book

California Local enters the world of book publishing with its upcoming book, ‘How California Works,’ explaining the inner workings of this ‘most American state.’

Image caption: The tricky part is putting it all together.
What’s New @CALocal: September 2023

We’ve made it easier to find and track news and other information and connect with your local elected representatives.

Image caption: Detail of interactive map that delivers real-time information drawn from reliable sources.
Distributing Ground Truth by Mapping the Situation

Social media were once very good at sharing reliable first-hand information about fires, floods, etc. Not any more. Here’s an alternative.

Image caption: Gulp! We welcome our robot overlords.
ChatGPT in the Newsroom: Is AI Coming for Journalism?

The world of journalism has been confronted by the sudden appearance of the so-called Large Language Model (LLM), a specific type of Artificial Intelligence platform, of which ChatGPT is the most famous example. We dive in and take a look.

Image caption: Illustration by Chris Neklason.
Ex-Twitter: One Dead Bird

Big Social Media is becoming useless as a news feed or organizing hub. Is a replacement emerging in the Fediverse?

Image caption: As the news desert fades, the information islands come into view.
News Deserts and Information Archipelagos

In which we contemplate the demise of the "newspaper of record" at the hands of private equity, and the rise of the small newsroom network to replace it.

Image caption: Time to step up and speak out.
Conveniently Contacting Your Elected Representatives

We've made it one-click convenient for members to contact their elected representatives.

Support California Local

$10 • $25 • $50 • Our Impact
Blog

Articles in which we try to explain ourselves.

Join Us Today!