Hello there! It is Thursday, March 26, and it’ll be a mix of sun and clouds for Santa Cruz County, with high temps in the 70s and low 80s.
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Santa Cruz County’s Mental Health Client Action Network, a peer-run day center that provided support and structure for people suffering from psychiatric disorders until it closed last year, might have new signs of life, Max Chun reports. MHCAN is working to form a full new board and is also exploring a partnership with another mental health agency, aiming to resume service.
The health care district that runs Watsonville Community Hospital is joining the ranks of local bodies prohibiting federal agencies from using their facilities for immigration enforcement, Tania Ortiz reports. The City of Watsonville, Cabrillo College, county supervisors and the county office of education have also adopted similar resolutions.
Lily Belli fills us in on what’s happening at the corner of Mission and Bay on Santa Cruz’s Westside, in the spot previously home to Burger. The Cruz Room is the brainchild of a former chef and commercial kitchen owner, who wants to transform the empty restaurant building into a hub of food, music and art.
And in Lookout’s Community Voices opinion section, Santa Cruz family therapist Lisa Herendeen says that she’s among those planning to march in Saturday’s “No Kings” protest, and will be raising her voice in song as she does it. Singing might not topple power, Herendeen writes, but it just might shift the energy. And that, she believes, is where real change often begins.
Before we hit all the Thursday headlines, a heads-up on our election forum set for April 15:
Join Lookout at the Watsonville Civic Plaza from 6 to 8 p.m. for a panel discussion ahead of the June 2 primary. Lookout’s Community Voices opinion editor, Jody K. Biehl, will host and moderate the event and will include time for questions from the audience. Hear from the 4th District county supervisor candidates – Elias Gonzales, Tony Nuñez and incumbent Felipe Hernandez – as they vie for your vote. RSVP for free here.
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Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz
Cruz Room plans shared kitchen, bar and live events at key Santa Cruz corner
A Santa Cruz chef and commercial kitchen owner plans to transform the former Burger. and D20 Pizza restaurant space on Mission Street into the Cruz Room, a collaborative hub for food, music and art with multiple businesses under one roof. Established pizza pop-up Sleight Of Hand has already signed on, and owner Matisse Selman is seeking additional partners to bring the community-focused concept to life. Lily Belli has a peek inside.
Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz
The Mental Health Client Action Network, shuttered since September, has appointed a new board and is working with Front St. Inc., another behavioral health agency, to explore a potential partnership with the goal of restoring a clubhouse-style facility within a year. Max Chun has the latest on MHCAN.
DAILY DIGEST
Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz
Credit: Aileen Vance
Credit: Natasha Leverett / Lookout Santa Cruz
Credit: William Liang / Associated Press
Plenty of headlines to sort through this morning, but wait, there’s more coming from Lookout! Weekender hits inboxes a little later with your cheat sheet to going out and eating well around Santa Cruz County this weekend, one of the many free newsletters and breaking news alerts you can sign up for here. We’ve also got an app for all that – download the Lookout Santa Cruz app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for all of our local coverage, breaking news notifications, games and more. And don’t forgot to follow along on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram and/or Threads if you’re the social media type.
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Be good out there, and thanks as always for reading.
Will McCahill
