Local News

Good Times editor Brad Kava previews this week’s issue, from the 418 Project’s new director and Fourth of July events to local safety concerns, food, comedy and Street Talk.

Josie Cowden spotlights The Paring’s 2021 Red Wine from Lompoc, a crimson blend with notes of cedar, toast, coffee, tobacco and dark fruit.

James Durbin & The Lost Boys kick off the Fourth of July weekend on Friday with a free Lighthouse Field show featuring hard rock anthems, food trucks, beer, wine and holiday energy.

Elizabeth Borelli visits Glow Prescription Skincare in Capitola to learn about summer skin care, healthy aging and the Pilates Facial from aesthetician Milene Freire.

Siran Babayan profiles Joe Ortiz and his musical Escaping Queens, a story of family, food, music and survival from Queens to California.

DNA profiles comedian Beth Stelling, whose sharp stand-up, national TV credits and relentless work ethic bring her to Felton Music Hall.

Mark C. Anderson visits Bad Animal in Santa Cruz, where Chef Nick Hahn’s market-driven menu turns seasonal appetizers into bold, shareable flavor experiences.

A California law going into effect Wednesday bans the use of “sell by” labels on food packaging. Manufacturers selling food in California must now use two standardized labels — a “best if used by” label for peak quality and a “use by” label for product safety.

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

California librarians were stunned when a last-minute budget change stripped K-12 schools of a trove of research materials, potentially leaving thousands of students without resources to do reports, projects or homework assignments.

Without notice to schools or librarians, the Legislature last week canceled $5.5 million that pays online fees for the Encyclopedia Britannica, New York Times, PBS videos such as Ken Burns documentaries, scientific journals and thousands of other online materials used by students and teachers. The cut goes into effect on July 1, 2027.

“We had no idea this was coming,” said Greg Lucas, head of the California State Library, which helps oversee the program for California’s 10,000 public schools. “This will have a huge impact on California students.”

The program, called Compass, is an online database of research and curriculum materials that have been vetted by teachers and librarians. Compass is also available through public libraries, but the vast majority of users are at K-12 schools. Since the program launched in 2018, it’s received nearly 1 billion hits.

Students use Compass for classroom assignments as well as for recreation. Many of the materials are available in multiple languages. Among the more popular features are National Geographic Kids; Pebble Go Science, which includes hundreds of science activities for pre-kindergarten through second grade; and Alexander Street, which offers videos of cultural performances such as the Joffrey Ballet and the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Compass is especially important at a time when fewer schools have libraries — and librarians — to help students with research. Although nearly 90% of schools have physical space on campus for books, magazines and other research materials, only about a quarter of those spaces are staffed by librarians. The rest are staffed by volunteers, classified employees or not at all. California ranks 49th nationwide in school librarian staffing, with nearly 10,000 students for each librarian, according to research by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. 

Compass is available free to all schools in California. If schools were to subscribe individually to Compass materials, they’d spend more than $216 million annually, according to a State Library report. A typical medium-sized school district might pay $100,000 or more for the services, an expense lower-income districts are less likely to have money for.  

Losing the service raises concerns about internet access

Without access to Compass materials, students would likely rely on free resources online. But those materials tend to contain advertisements or track user data, a violation of state student privacy laws. They also are less likely to be vetted for accuracy, a particular danger in the age of artificial intelligence.

“Losing Compass is catastrophic for the state of California,” said Kate MacMillan, library services coordinator for Napa Valley Unified. “This service is a lifeline. I can’t believe the Legislature would let this happen.”

Funding for Compass was in earlier versions of the budget the Legislature debated over the past few months. But the final version eliminated Compass funding after July 1, 2027. Instead, it directs $5 million of the funding toward the state’s new dyslexia screener, and $60,000 for technical support of an online lesson-sharing platform called California Educators Together.

Legislators and staff members on the budget education committees contacted by CalMatters did not comment on why the money was cut. 

Meanwhile, librarians are launching an aggressive campaign to save the program. They’re emailing Newsom and the Legislature, and trying to bring attention to the issue.

Connie Williams, a retired school librarian and former head of the California School Library Association, said that losing Compass will exacerbate disparities in the state’s education system. Lower-income schools will lose crucial learning resources, while higher-income schools will be able to pay the subscription costs themselves, without state assistance.

“The disparity will be overwhelmingly glaring,” Williams said. “We’re leaving students at the mercy of whatever is free on the internet.”

It’s especially galling, she said, that this move comes as the state is promoting media and digital literacy in schools. In 2023 California enacted a law requiring schools to teach media literacy in all subjects, with a focus on teaching students to recognize fake news, determine if an information source is trustworthy and generally think critically about what they view and read online.

“We want students to think critically, put away their phones, know how to do research,” Williams said. “And we’re grabbing away some of the best learning tools we have.”

Have something to say? Lookout welcomes letters to the editor, within our policies, from readers. Guidelines here.

The post California school libraries blindsided by ‘catastrophic’ budget cut appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.

In a letter to the editor, an Aptos resident applauds a recent Community Voices op-ed about Driscoll’s and pesticides.

Felton Fire leaders have proposed a charge on property owners to maintain an independent district. (Amaya Edwards —Santa Cruz Local/CatchLight Local)

FELTON >> Property owners in Felton Fire Protection District are considering a new annual charge that could help the embattled district secure a future with paid fire staff. The district has faced years of mounting pension debt, decreasing volunteers and a rotation of chiefs, leaving residents uncertain about its future.

Supporters — including Felton Fire leaders — say the proposed property assessment would be the most cost-effective option, and would provide the best response to 911 calls. But detractors question whether the proposed $1.7 million income boost is truly needed.

If the assessment fails, Felton Fire could dissolve or try again to pass a different tax or assessment. Felton Fire leaders said that without a cash infusion, the district could run out of money to pay staff and volunteers by 2028.

(function() { window.mc4wp = window.mc4wp || { listeners: [], forms: { on: function(evt, cb) { window.mc4wp.listeners.push( { event : evt, callback: cb } ); } } } })(); Stay informed on Santa Cruz County’s biggest issues. Santa Cruz Local’s newsletter breaks down complex local topics and shows residents how to get involved. Email address:
mc4wp.forms.on('subscribed', function(form) { // gtag.js if(form.id == '6954') { gtag('event', 'subscribe', {'event_category': 'newsletter_prompt', 'event_label':'top_of_story'}); } }); Leave this field empty if you're human: Key Takeaways

• Property owners can turn in mail-in ballots until July 24. Owners who would pay more get a bigger say. 
• If the tax isn’t approved, Felton Fire leaders could propose another way to raise money, or ask another agency to take over. 
• It’s unclear if other agencies would be willing to absorb Felton Fire, or how much residents would pay.
• Volunteer-driven response is currently meeting the community’s need, but is unsustainable, Felton Fire leaders said.
• Regardless of the vote outcome, emergency service will continue.

What is the assessment, and how do I vote?

The property assessment is proposed under state Proposition 218, which differs from elections for parcel taxes and bonds. Only property owners can vote, and each vote is weighted according to the amount they would pay — essentially, those who would pay more get a bigger say. The assessment requires 50% approval of the weighted ballots. 

Ballots were mailed out in late May and must be returned by July 24. They may be submitted:

• By mail, using a pre-paid envelope included with the ballot. Send to 131 Kirby St., Felton, CA 95018. 
• In person by July 24 at the Felton Fire district office at 131 Kirby St. in Felton.
• In person at a public hearing for the assessment, 6 p.m. July 24. 

Voters who want to change their vote or request a replacement ballot can call 831-335-4422.

Property owners who believe the assessment doesn’t comply with the California Constitution have until July 6 to submit a written objection. If the assessment is approved, it may only be challenged in court by those who have submitted a constitutional objection.

Who would pay, and how much?

The assessment must also be priced according to how much each property owner would benefit from the improved service. The assessments have been priced according to property use, property value, fire hazard and distance to the station.

Each ballot includes the amount of the property’s proposed assessment. A typical single-family home would be assessed $697.43 annually. The assessment can increase up to 3% a year to match inflation. A citizen panel would annually review Felton Fire’s finances and assessment spending.

All properties are legally required to pay the tax. But though homeowners could face a lien for non-payment, churches, nonprofits, or government buildings like schools would not.

What would the assessment pay for?

Felton Fire collects about $1.1 million annually through property taxes. The new tax would increase the district’s revenue to $2.8 million.

The district has long relied on volunteer firefighters. Until 2024, it also had a part-time administrator, a full-time chief and up to two full-time firefighters and two full-time captains. But the district can no longer afford the full-time employees, said Interim Chief Issac Blum, and is currently staffed entirely by volunteers. 

Volunteers receive a $120 stipend for a 12-hour shift. Blum receives up to a $2,500 stipend each month, though some months he has opted not to take it, he said. Blum said he usually works at the station four days a week, in addition to a full-time paid position at NASA Ames research center near Mountain View.

Blum said he intends to vacate his volunteer position at the end of the summer. The board is interviewing six candidates for the role, one of whom is set to receive a job offer after the assessment vote. If the board offered him the role, “I would have to think very hard about it,” he said. “What we want to ensure the next fire chief is the best person for the job.”

About $1.6 million of the expanded $2.8 million budget would go to training and salaries, including health care and retirement:

• A full-time chief and for $166,000 to $193,000 base pay. 
• Three fire captains.
• Six firefighters. The staffing plan also accounts for two on-call volunteer firefighters.  

The Proposition 218 assessment must be linked to the cost of a specific benefit to property owners. In this case, Felton Fire leaders say, the money would allow the re-hiring of three full-time firefighters and a full-time chief, ensuring faster response times and more firefighters responding. It would also pay for training and equipment.

District leaders previously considered a $700 parcel tax before pursuing the assessment.

What happens if the tax doesn’t pass?

If property owners reject the proposed assessment, the station will not immediately close, and 911 calls will still be answered. The station’s reserves are expected to be mostly depleted by an agreement underway to exit California’s CalPERS pension system, a move to make future hires less costly.

The reserves have enough money to also cover a $400,000 shortfall in this year’s budget and staff the station for one year with a slightly larger paid staff — a chief, two fire captains and an administrative assistant.

Without an assessment, the station may not have enough money to continue to maintain that staffing after 2028, Blum said.

If the assessment fails, Felton Fire leaders could propose a lower assessment, or renew efforts for a parcel tax. Director Erica Schwanbeck said she is unsure if she would propose another revenue measure or move towards dissolving. 

“I would hope that there’s a through road there” to continue without dissolution, “but I don’t know for how long.” she said.

Could another agency absorb Felton Fire?

If Felton Fire leaders are unable to find a sustainable way to provide emergency response, they could ask another fire agency to absorb the district. But no district would be obligated to take on Felton Fire’s coverage area.

A 2025 report from the Local Area Formation Commission of Santa Cruz County included a dozen possibilities for Felton Fire’s future. The report’s four top-ranked options are to be absorbed by another fire agency. 

One of those agencies is County Service Area 48, also known as Santa Cruz County Fire. The agency is part of the county government, though leaders have discussed becoming an independent fire district. CSA 48 has two existing assessments, which total about $367 for a typical single-family home. But if CSA 48 takes over Felton Fire, it could decide that the existing assessments won’t be enough to provide service to Felton residents, and propose an increase.

CSA 48 is in the process of absorbing Pajaro Valley Fire Protection District, which opted to dissolve after years of unsuccessful tax proposals. Pajaro Valley Fire Chief Dave Martone said the move is a win for residents, who will now have more robust emergency service. Martone did not take a position on the Felton assessment.

Former interim Aptos/La Selva Fire Chief Don Jarvis, a Pajaro Valley Fire District resident and past consultant for LAFCO, presented the South County dissolution as a cautionary tale for Felton Fire residents. Single-family homeowners will pay more to CSA 48 than what Pajaro Valley Fire proposed as an assessment. It’s unclear how much CSA 48 would charge Felton property owners if it absorbed the area. A county spokesperson declined to comment on whether CSA 48 would be willing to absorb Felton Fire, or how much it would charge.

The neighboring Zayante Fire Protection District could also offer to absorb Felton Fire. Zayante Fire Chief Jeff Maxwell said that neither he nor Zayante Fire’s board of directors have taken a position on the tax or the possibility of taking on Felton Fire’s service area, and that said Felton Fire leaders have not reached out to discuss the issue.

Blum said Zayante’s staffing model wouldn’t work for Felton Fire long-term. Zayante, which takes on fewer calls than Felton Fire, employs two daytime fire fighters and relies on volunteers at night. Like CSA 48, Zayante Fire leaders could decide they need to raise taxes to take on the expanded service, he said.

“Maybe we could tread water for a few years, but the reality is that it still does not provide a long-term solution for the Felton community,” Blum said. 

Ultimately, Felton Fire residents will not have a firm idea of how much a takeover would cost until the district signals an intent to dissolve.

LAFCO Executive Officer Joe Serrano had encouraged directors last year to start the dissolution process at the same time they pursued a new assessment, to create a “Plan B” in case it fails. That would have triggered a process for LAFCO to consult with neighboring fire agencies and create a report on the possible cost and viability of being absorbed by another agency. The directors opted not to start that process, leaving the other options unclear.

“It’s a little misleading to say that there’s other options out there,” Serrano said. “There are, but there’s no analysis, there’s no commitment, there’s nothing.”

Does Felton Fire need 24-hour paid staff?

Supporters of the assessment say that it assures an industry-standard three-person response to emergencies — and it makes a four-person response, with the assistance of a chief or volunteer, more likely.

Labor protection laws stipulate that with fewer than four people, fire fighters can enter a burning building only for search and rescue. With four people, two can enter to fight the fire from within while two stand outside.

Felton Fire has 25 volunteer fire fighters, including 21 with enough training to respond to calls, Blum said, but only three live in Felton. The rest may not be available on short notice.

Blum attributes the difficulty of recruiting local volunteers to the increasing gentrification of the San Lorenzo Valley with more commuters to Silicon Valley. Within a decade, “you’re going to see this transition all the way through the valley,” he said.

Maxwell, the Zayante Fire chief, said his agency has had success hiring daytime staff while relying on local volunteers for nighttime coverage. “I think it takes strong leadership to create an environment that is welcoming for those members of the community,” he said. “It’s absolutely not easy.”

Serrano said the fact that other agencies have survived on a smaller budget thus far doesn’t mean the model is sustainable long term.

“If you lose your legacy fire chief and you have to hire someone new, you know, they may not want to take a pay cut like the current fire chief is taking,” he said. “You can easily compare somebody, but at the end of the day, Felton Fire is struggling with its current model, and it’s looking for ways to address that.”

If voters approve the assessment but later push to reduce paid staffing, fees could be lowered with the vote of three board members.

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The post As Felton Fire faces mounting financial challenges, an assessment proposal divides residents appeared first on Santa Cruz Local.

The Bay Area will host one more World Cup match, which is slated for Wednesday at 5 p.m. — and it’s a big one. The U.S. men’s national team takes the pitch for a high-stakes knockout match against Bosnia-Herzegovina just a short drive up the road from Santa Cruz County. 

There are still last-minute tickets available at Levi’s Stadium through authorized resale sites, as FIFA’s primary sale has ended and the organization is no longer selling tickets. Those resale platforms are StubHub, SeatGeek and Vivid Seats.

However, jumping at the opportunity will be costly. To the surprise of no one, even the cost of the cheapest tickets dwarf most prices you’ll find for a typical sporting event. No single ticket is priced beneath a four-digit dollar amount.

On StubHub on Tuesday afternoon, tickets ranged from $1,407 to $3,487. Tickets from SeatGeek were similar, ranging from $1,386 to $5,852. Vivid Seats tickets started at $1,329 and reached all the way to $9,316 and above for the Category 1 and 2 seats — considered the best views in the house.

If those figures don’t scare you away, make your way to one of those providers as soon as you can. Tickets are going fast and there is only a limited number remaining.

Have news that should be in Lookout Briefs? Send your news releases, including contact information, to news@lookoutlocal.com.

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The post There are still tickets left for the final World Cup match in Santa Clara — if you can pay the price appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.

Businesses operating in Santa Cruz County must register with the county clerk. Lookout Santa Cruz reviews the public filings from local businesses to report on new businesses starting in the area.

Here is what’s new in local business recently.

New businesses

• GREEN HILL GARDENING was registered at 236 Miramar Dr., Santa Cruz, by Gavin Wellington Hill as an individual business on June 22.
• AKFLORES CONSULTING was registered at 260 Camino Al Barranco, Watsonville, by Alexandre Kozoroski Flores as an individual business on June 22.
• COFFEE AND JAM was registered at 107 Washburn Ave., Capitola, by John Borgman as an individual business on June 22.
• DR JIMI’S HANDYMAN SERVICES was registered at 590 Madrona Ave., Felton, by Phd Operations, LLC, as a limited liability company on June 22.
• BLACKWING MARKETING was registered at 270 Cambridge Dr., Watsonville, by Blackwing Ventures, LLC, as a limited liability company on June 22.
• ARTTERIE, YOLTZIN was registered at 191 Acorn Dr., Boulder Creek, by Yoltzin Q Delgado as an individual business on June 22.
• HELENA ROMERO ART was registered at 519 Humes Ave., Aptos, by Helen Thompson as an individual business on June 22.
• ALIGNED WITH ALLY was registered at 511c Swift St., Santa Cruz, by Allyson N Torres as an individual business on June 22.
• FEHER SUPPLY POTS MATERIAL NURSERIES was registered at 63 Mount Madonna Rd., Watsonville, by Fernandez Hernandez Antonia as an individual business on June 22.
• OMNIA STONE AND TILE was registered at 825 Walker St. #102, Watsonville, by Mx Builders, Inc. as a corporation on June 22.
• ALEXAS DOG GROOMING MOBILE was registered at 1 Amesty Rd., Watsonville, by Bernardo Garcia Contreras as an individual business on June 22.
• ALCHEMY EPOXY COATINGS was registered at 216 Arthur Rd., Watsonville, by Martin Evan Gonzalez as an individual business on June 23.
• THE SANTA CRUZ CHILDREN’S THEATRE was registered at 510 Riverview Dr., Boulder Creek, by Sunflower Stages LLC as a limited liability company on June 23.
• HotelKio was registered at 228 Potrero St., #B, Santa Cruz, by Hotelkio LLC as a limited liability company on June 23.
• SANTA CRUZ CABANA COMPANY was registered at 516 Wilkes Circle, Santa Cruz, by Santa Cruz Cabana Company LLC as a limited liability company on June 23.
• TOM’S PAINT & FINISH was registered at 154 Elm St., Watsonville, by Thomas Tamayo Alvarez as an individual business on June 23.
• LATIN FINANCE was registered at 1481 Freedom Blvd., Watsonville, by Dagoberto Marin Gomez as an individual business on June 23.
• UN FINANCE was registered at 1481 Freedom Blvd., Watsonville, by Uriel Nolasco Hernandez as an individual business on June 23.
• FLOW IN KINETIC CURVES was registered at 2800 A Glen Canyon Rd., Santa Cruz, by Randolph Lee Smith as an individual business on June 23.
• SANTA CRUZ POOP SCOOPERS was registered at 10 Fred Court, Scotts Valley, by Reilachi Ventures LLC as a limited liability company on June 24.
• MATH ROCKS was registered at 22 Blake Lane, Scotts Valley, by Nadzeya Miatselitsa as an individual business on June 24.
• MONUMENT BUILDERS INC. was registered at 103 Bluebonnet Lane, Scotts Valley, by Monument Builders Inc. as a corporation on June 24.
• CORRALITOS CREEK SANCTUARY, INVISION HEALTH was registered at 52 Browns Valley Rd., Corralitos, by Gina Lynn Locatelli as an individual business on June 24.
• DRIP 2 HARD BARBERSHOP was registered at 2120 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz, by Drip Fades Barbershop LLC as a limited liability company on June 24.
• PENCILS PORTRAITS PAINTS was registered at 127 Prospect Court, Santa Cruz, by Pencils Portraits Paints LLC as a limited liability company on June 24.
• AMERICAN INSPECTION SERVICE was registered at 165 Hillcrest Ave., Ben Lomond, by Chance Group Inc as a corporation on June 24.
• FUSION DANCE COMPANY was registered at 272 Hames Rd., Watsonville, by Cambell Ruth Walker as an individual business on June 24.
• DENHAM CONSTRUCTION was registered at 491 5th Ave., Santa Cruz, by Jordan Riley Denham as an individual business on June 25.
• MINDFUL-MEDIATION, LLC was registered at 226 Campus Dr., Aptos, by Mindful-mediation, LLC as a limited liability company on June 25.
• ELAINE MURPHY NUTRITION was registered at 732 Delta Way, Watsonville, by Mary Elaine Murphy as an individual business on June 25.
• TERIYAKI MADNESS was registered at 550 River St., Suite D, Santa Cruz, by Archgate Inc as a corporation on June 25.
• GIVE THANKS was registered at 2851 Research Park Dr., Suite D, Soquel, by Stony Cruz LLC as a limited liability company on June 25.
• MIKE’S PLUMBING was registered at 8297 Hermosa Ave., Ben Lomond, by Michael Rose as an individual business on June 25.
• SANTA CRUZ RECOVERY LOUNGE was registered at 542 Ocean St., Suite # I & J, Santa Cruz, by William R Maximiuk as an individual business on June 26.
• CALCOMP ADVISORY was registered at 113 E 5th St., Watsonville, by Linda L Rosser as an individual business on June 26.
• RESCUED BY THE DUSTY BAG LADY, THE DUSTY BAG LADY BOUTIQUE, THE DUSTY BAG LADY ENTERPRISES, THE DUSTY BAG LADY ON WHEELS, THE DUSTY PEARL COLLECTION was registered at 5515 Washington Way, Felton, by Khristine Joanne Guire as an individual business on June 26.
• EL BARRIO OAXAQUENO INC was registered at 329 Rodriguez St., Watsonville, by El Barrio Oaxaqueno Inc as a corporation on June 26.
• WINDWARD LEADERSHIP LABS was registered at 1329 Seabright Ave., Santa Cruz, by Katelyn Marie Lucille Judge as an individual business on June 26.

Have news that should be in Lookout Briefs? Send your news releases, including contact information, to news@lookoutlocal.com.

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The post Santa Cruz County business filings: Week of June 30 appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.

The ruling allows states to ban transgender student athletes from playing on girls’ and women’s teams, but doesn’t require it. States like California can keep their current policies.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld a broad conception of birthright citizenship, rejecting President Donald Trump’s executive order declaring that children born to people who are in the United States illegally or temporarily are not American citizens.

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

▼︎ new incidents   ▼︎ long-term incidents

Road incidents as of 6 a.m. on June 30

• Highway 9 is facing closures in both directions at Pool Drive in the San Lorenzo Valley because of bridge work. The closure is expected to end at 5:59 a.m. on July 2.
   
• A lane on north Highway 9 at Two Bar Road in the San Lorenzo Valley is closed for bridge work. The closure will last until 6:01 a.m. on July 2.
   
• Alternating lanes are closed on Highway 9 at Riverdale Park in the San Lorenzo Valley because of bridge work. The closure is expected to last until April 30, 2027.
   
• There is one-way traffic on Highway 9 at Cascade Avenue in the San Lorenzo Valley because of ongoing work. This closure will last until Aug. 31.
   
• A lane on westbound Highway 152 at Clifford Drive/Ohlone Parkway in Watsonville is closed for asphalt paving. The closure will last until 5:59 a.m. on July 3.
• A section of Coolidge Drive between High Street and Hagar Road in Santa Cruz will be closed to northbound traffic from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. through today to allow county crews to do pavement work.
   
• Playa Boulevard will be closed between Palma Avenue and Benito Avenue in La Selva Beach on July 4 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the annual La Selva Beach Fourth of July Parade.
• Pine Street (between Highway 236 and Harmon Street) and Lomond Street (between Pine Street and Railroad Avenue) in Boulder Creek will be closed for the Boulder Creek Fourth of July Parade.
• Soquel Drive will be closed between State Park Drive and Trout Gulch Road in Aptos on July 4 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. for the annual Aptos Fourth of July Parade.
   

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 Tuesday morning traffic: Highway 9 closures; July 4 parade road closures ahead appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.

The City of Santa Cruz’s GO BIKE! Downtown E-Bike Rebate program has long been popular, with 254 e-bikes sold and $134,800 in rebates dispersed over the past five years. And with gas prices hitting a new record high in California this year and e-bike sales skyrocketing, the city has been preparing to meet the continued demand.

Starting Wednesday, the city will relaunch its GO BIKE! program, with the rebate tiers increasing to a $500 base amount and $1,000 for low-income individuals. The program is designed to provide workers with cheaper e-bikes, reduce barriers to biking and encourage more downtown workers to use bikes for transportation. 

Claire Gallogly is the principal transportation planner for the City of Santa Cruz and manages the greater GO Santa Cruz Downtown program, which includes the GO BIKE! program. On top of the e-bike rebates, GO also provides things such as free transit passes, BCycle memberships, commute workshops and carpool assistance.

She said the city recognizes that while e-bikes are a more affordable way to get around for many trips than a car, there’s still a large up-front purchase price. As such, she continued, the increase in the rebate amounts reflect what the community is feeling with the increased cost of living.

“Across the board, we have experienced costs going up. People are paying more for gas, groceries, rent, so many things,” Gallogly said. “Rebate has always been a tool to address part of this cost concern.”

People who work within the downtown Santa Cruz parking district are eligible to apply for a rebate, and the program is funded by the downtown parking district’s parking fees. The rebate funds must be spent at Santa Cruz County bike shops, and GO BIKE! is partnering with nine shops across Santa Cruz and Watsonville.

The applications for the rebate program are first-come, first-served starting Wednesday.

Have news that should be in Lookout Briefs? Send your news releases, including contact information, to news@lookoutlocal.com.

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The post High cost of living and commuter demand prompt Santa Cruz’s GO BIKE! program to relaunch with increased e-bike rebate amounts appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.

Ahead of Tuesday’s board of supervisors meeting, county staff have prepared a new parks budget proposal that preserves most of the county’s arts funding and avoids major cuts in services and programs offered by the department.

A widely cited claim that Santa Cruz County’s childhood cancer rate is 38% above the state average is muddling the debate about pesticide reform, writes Watsonville activist and retired nurse Kathleen Kilpatrick. The number doesn’t prove pesticides cause cancer and shouldn’t be used that way, she writes. But correcting that statistic doesn’t change the broader body of evidence linking pesticide exposure to childhood cancer and other serious health harms. Driscoll’s, the largest berry marketer in the world, has the resources to reduce its use of the most hazardous pesticides and should publicly show its progress, not debate cancer numbers, she writes.

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

The Department of Motor Vehicles is on track to share driver’s license and identification data with an outside network despite concerns from immigrant advocates that the information could expose people to deportation. 

The California Legislature authorized that sharing in the state budget it passed on Monday, along with a separate transportation measure that laid out some special oversight procedures to protect the data. 

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the budget and is expected to approve the companion measure, which his administration negotiated with lawmakers.

Lawmakers earlier had refused to approve the data-sharing plan until protections were put in place late last week. 

The stakes are high for the more than 1 million immigrants who have driver’s licenses. The system records the last five digits of a driver’s Social Security number and uses the placeholder “99999” for people without one. Advocates fear that feeding that information into a national database could expose undocumented Californians to federal immigration enforcement and told CalMatters in April that such a plan amounts to “a betrayal.”

Earlier this year, the governor’s office told CalMatters that reporting on the dispute amounted to “manufacturing fear and panic with lies.”

The new state budget includes $55 million, which the DMV will use to enable the sharing of California records with the State-to-State Verification Service and SPEX database run by the nonprofit American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA). 

State officials have argued that the data sharing is needed to comply with the federal REAL ID Act, warning that if California does not participate, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security could refuse to accept state IDs at airports. They say the system can be queried for only one record at a time using information supplied by an applicant and that bulk searches are not possible. 

The new legislation includes additional measures to protect immigrants from the database being misused for federal immigration enforcement. They include asking the attorney general to sue the nonprofit that runs the national database or participating states if they do not stick to the terms of the data sharing; requiring annual public reporting on data requests and any unusual patterns in usage; and directing the DMV to write a monitoring plan, due in draft by February 2027 and in final form by July 2027. It also directs the state auditor to assess compliance with data sharing guardrails starting in 2030.

“The established safeguards limit the information shared to the minimum necessary,” said H.D. Palmer, spokesperson for Newsom’s Department of Finance.

But some advocates say the oversight protections do not go far enough. 

“The guardrails will not prevent federal or other state law enforcement from obtaining an order requiring [the state-to-state system] to retrieve and disclose data, including in bulk, and requiring [the system] not to disclose that fact,” said Ed Hasbrouck with the civil liberties group the Identity Project. 

Ronald Coleman Baeza, on behalf of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, thanked state lawmakers Monday for “ensuring there are guardrails” around the data sharing program but also urged lawmakers to require an audit before 2030.

“We are disappointed that Social Security numbers will continue to be shared, but we appreciate that there will be a monitoring plan, a stakeholder process in place, and also enforcement and an audit,” he said. “There’s definitely going to be more work to do to make sure that we do protect the information from Californians in the driver’s license database system.” 

Representatives of the ACLU Cal Action and California Immigrant Policy Center similarly thanked lawmakers for adopting additional protections but expressed concern about the potential impact on the lives of undocumented immigrants of sharing sensitive data with an out-of-state entity.

Sen. Laura Richardson is a Democrat from Inglewood who questioned the data-sharing plan earlier this year. In a Senate budget hearing Monday, she voiced support for the data protections in the transportation bill. She also urged the state auditor to evaluate data sharing activity before 2030 “given our vulnerability of having that data out there.”

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