Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: How will the Soquel Drive corridor overhaul change your daily commute?

Also, don't miss El capulin nursery on the Santa Cruz Patch calendar

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Cheers Santa Cruz! We’re back, helping you stay up to date with what’s happening. Let's take on the day together! ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

  • How will the Soquel Drive corridor overhaul change your daily commute?
  • What you’ll discover in Santa Cruz’s new online history timeline
  • See what a passerby caught defacing nature near Santa Cruz

Also on today's calendar: El capulin nursery and 9 more events.

Find out what's happening in Santa Cruzfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Today's riddle: I’m trying to think of a new cloud joke. 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

Find out what's happening in Santa Cruzfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

  • Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high of 61 and low of 41 degrees.
  • Monday: Plenty of sunshine, temps: high: 63, low: 48.
  • Tuesday: Sunny, with a high of 67 and low of 56 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Supervisors Prepare for Phase 2 of Corridor Project (tpgonlinedaily.com) — Santa Cruz County supervisors just advanced Phase 2 of the Watsonville–Santa Cruz Corridor Project, bringing new buffered bike lanes, rebuilt sidewalks, and faster bus service to the Soquel Drive stretch between State Park Drive and Freedom Boulevard. Backed by state and regional transportation grants, the $31.3 million effort follows nearly finished upgrades between Santa Cruz and State Park Drive and must be construction-ready within two years.
   

2. UC Santa Cruz historian develops visual chronology for city's website (santacruzsentinel.com) — Santa Cruz residents can now explore a new visual timeline of local history on the city’s website, created by UC Santa Cruz Ph.D. candidate Linda Ulbrich. Developed with city staff, historians, and the Museum of Art and History, the “living” chronology highlights Indigenous roots, immigration, floods, and community milestones, and is meant to grow as new stories and research emerge.
   

3. Passerby outraged after catching man's shocking act in beloved US nature area: 'I hope someone sent this to the police' (thecooldown.com) — A visitor in the Santa Cruz area caught a man spray‑painting bright blue graffiti on a rock and shared the photos on the r/santacruz subreddit, sparking outrage. The story highlights how this kind of vandalism scars local landscapes and can introduce harmful chemicals into soil and water, undermining the health and enjoyment of nearby natural areas.
   

4. Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History celebrates Kwanzaa (santacruzsentinel.com) — A community Kwanzaa celebration filled the Museum of Art and History in downtown Santa Cruz this weekend, featuring performances by Musical Soulmates youth choirs and local bassist-vocalist Etienne Franc. Organizers highlighted Kwanzaa’s seven principles, especially Kujichagulia (self-determination), while explaining the holiday’s symbols and African and African American roots to families and students from across the county.
   

5. Body recovered near Santa Cruz, authorities probe link to Monterey shark attack (sfchronicle.com) — Authorities recovered a body from the ocean just south of Davenport Beach, north of Santa Cruz, and are investigating whether it’s connected to last week’s shark attack in Monterey County. Santa Cruz County and Monterey County officials are coordinating closely, but have not yet released the person’s identity or confirmed any link to the missing swimmer.
   

📸 Around Santa Cruz

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Santa Cruz

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📣 Santa Cruz Shout Outs!

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Hello neighbors.
    I have a situation where a dear friend needs our support. We have two siblings we are needing to re-home. So Kangaru is a boy his father was to… (Nextdoor Live Oak)
  • Pet Ear medication warrning ;
    acute on set hearing loss. Mometavet-gentamicyn I am relating this because of the nightmare with our dog this week that has acute urgent hearing… (Nextdoor Blacks Beach)
  • University of California Santa Cruz posted a job opening for Music Department: Performance Practice & Performing Ensembles Lecturer Pool in Santa Cruz. Apply here.
  • The Stepping Stones Group, LLC posted a job opening for School Counselor in Santa Cruz. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Santa Cruz here.

Ok Santa Cruz! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I haven’t the foggiest.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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