Ahead of a Trump Administration, Santa Cruz County Reaffirms Commitment to Immigrant Communities
“We are ready.” MariaElena De La Garza, Executive Director of the Community Action Board of Santa Cruz, gestures to the line of officials and community leaders from Santa Cruz County gathered to reaffirm their support to immigrants. At 1 p.m. on Nov. 7, county leaders...
Haunted Happenings: Halloween Unites the Santa Cruz Community
As day crept into night on Oct. 31, the entirety of downtown Santa Cruz flooded with spook-tacular holiday music and festivities in celebration of Halloween. Locals of all ages dressed in costumes ranging from intricate and complex to downright ridiculous. “Halloween in a lot of...
Community Calls for Change while Pogonip Sweeps Continue
On the morning of Oct. 15, fog settled between the trees as houseless residents in Pogonip gathered all of their belongings into large plastic bags. They lugged these bags past the side of Pogonip Nature Loop where city officials delivered a warning for an encampment...
Pajaro River Levee Sweeps: Calling Into Question What the Unhoused Population Really Needs
Editor’s Note: Courtney, an unhoused individual referred to in this piece, identified herself by first name only and is referred to as such throughout the piece. Courtney Lindberg, the Watsonville director of public works, is identified as Lindberg after her introduction. They have no affiliation...
“Cost is on the Ballot”: Former SUA President and Local Organizer Ayo Banjo on Measure Z
The time before election day shifts from days into hours, signaling the last opportunities to vote in the 2024 election. Ayo Banjo, former UC Santa Cruz Student Union Assembly President and current marketing director for the Resource Center for Nonviolence, is one of many community...
We Asked You: Gauging the Political Climate at UCSC and in the Broader Community
Editor’s Note: City on a Hill Press encourages all UC Santa Cruz students to exercise their right to vote on Nov. 5 in the general, state, and local elections. Gen Z and Millennials represented around 40 percent of the eligible voting population in 2020, yet...
Student Guide to the Santa Cruz Ballot
Santa Cruz County residents will see 10 State Propositions and 17 Local Measures on their ballots on Nov. 5. City on a Hill Press has compiled 15 Propositions and Measures particularly relevant to students so you can make informed decisions this election season. Local Measures...
Rethinking Reproductive Justice
The American healthcare system is under scrutiny as restrictive abortion policies rise across the country. Amidst the lobbying, lawmaking, and advocacy, the unequal landscape of reproductive healthcare around the world is coming to light. Since the Supreme Court’s 2022 ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s...
Santa Cruz County Health Alert for Shigella Outbreak
As the cold winter season drags on, the houseless community faces another dire threat. On Feb. 8, the County of Santa Cruz released a health alert about four confirmed cases of Shigella sonnei, or shigellosis, among houseless people in the county. Three weeks later, the...
Surveillance and Safety Concerns Arise After SCPD Drone Purchase
Quiet buzzing breaks through the still air. There’s a four-legged, flying object in the sky. Its three reflective eyes stare out, scanning, searching. It’s a Skydio X10 drone — A.I.-powered, with advanced thermal imaging, and the ability to detect a 0.1mm crack in a concrete...