Community News · Moss Landing, CA
Multiple people were killed and others injured in a shooting shortly after midnight Nov. 2 along Jetty Road in Moss Landing, per the Monterey County Sheriff's Office. Highway 9 near Paradise Park and Glengarry Road closes 7 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, Nov. 2-6, with detours via Graham Hill Road or Highway 17; rolling lane closures on Highway 17 are set for Wednesday, Nov. 4, from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m., weather permitting. The Regional Transportation Commission will hold a public hearing Thursday, Nov. 5, on five-year spending plans for highway improvements, trails, the rail corridor and Lift Line services. Santa Cruz County supervisors approved a $730,940 traffic signal at Soquel Drive and Robertson Street and a $441,590 partnership with Second Harvest Food Bank to help Pajaro and Salinas valley workers access jobs.
Transportation · Felton, CA
Construction to add pedestrian and bicycle safety features along a dangerous stretch of State Route 9 between Felton and the San Lorenzo Valley schools complex is underway, with completion expected by late summer 2027. The project includes 4- to 6-foot-wide sidewalks, three new retaining walls, curb ramps, gutter upgrades, and a bus pad at San Lorenzo Valley High School. District 5 Supervisor Monica Martinez hosted an Oct. 22 town hall at the high school with Caltrans and the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission to discuss the project. Community members raised concerns about bike lane width, the absence of a flashing-beacon crosswalk, and gutter pan safety for young riders. The corridor's narrow shoulders, ranging from 7 inches to 4 feet, have been linked to multiple fatal incidents, including the 2019 death of pedestrian Josh Howard.
Community News · Santa Cruz County
Four teenage lifeguards from Santa Cruz County's West Cliff Surf Lifesaving Club will comprise one-third of the 12-member U.S. Youth National Team competing at the Lifesaving World Championships in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, Nov. 25 through Dec. 13. The athletes—Natalie Allen, Nico Van Der Meer, Caetano Dawson, and Isla Cooper—are all California state or Santa Cruz City lifeguards and high school seniors trained by the Cowells Beach-based club founded in 2022. The competition features thousands of athlete-lifeguards from 70 countries across 32 ocean and pool events. The club is fundraising for travel costs through a GoFundMe campaign, bake sales, special-edition hat sales, and an aid station at the Santa Cruz Marathon.
Community brief · Soquel, CA
Raymundo Cortes and Daniel Sanchez opened Fenixa Breakfast & Sushi in September at the former Geisha Japanese Restaurant location in Soquel, California. The space was partially destroyed by a fire in March that closed Geisha, where Cortes had worked for over 20 years. The founders pooled resources with other longtime Geisha employees to reopen the restaurant. The menu blends traditional American breakfast with Mexican influence and sushi…
Community brief · Santa Cruz, CA
Noah Mitnick, a 19-year-old Santa Cruz native and Cabrillo College student, launched Melo, a local shopping app that centralizes Santa Cruz-area shops into one platform. The app is in beta with 12 participating stores listing more than 20,000 products, charging businesses a $25 flat fee to sign up. Mitnick also founded the Ziva Mitnick Foundation, named for his younger sister who died of Acute Myeloid Leukemia, which has raised over $30,000 for…
