Dear District Five Resident,
As the days grow shorter and the weather gets cooler, it's a wonderful time to get outside and enjoy all that the Fifth District has to offer!
There are some exciting new opportunities to explore our community, including the recently opened trails in the Pace Family Wilderness at Quail Hollow Ranch County Park and the new Pump Track at Felton Covered Bridge Park. Both projects reflect years of collaboration and investment in our public spaces.
We're also making progress on improving pedestrian and bicycle safety. The Caltrans Felton Pedestrian Safety Improvement Project will add a sidewalk and bike lanes connecting downtown Felton to the SLV tri-school campus. If you missed my recent town hall on this project, you'll find a recording and additional information linked below.
And finally, today is Election Day! If you haven't already cast your ballot, please don't forget to do so before 8 PM. Every vote matters!
I hope to see you out and about in our beautiful community!
In community,
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In Case You Missed It: A Safer Felton Pedestrian Town Hall
Thank you to everyone who attended the town hall I hosted about the Caltrans Felton Safety Pedestrian Project. When complete next summer, the project will create a safer route for students, families, and other pedestrians in the community.
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At the town hall, Caltrans provide an overview of the project’s history and purpose, shared updates and upcoming timelines, and discuss other important information for the community. Representatives from Caltrans and the Regional Transportation Commission also gave a high-level overview of other projects planned or underway in the SLV area.
If you were unable to attend, you can still watch the recording, view the slides, and download the resource flyer that was shared. |
Celebrating the New Pace Family Wilderness Trails at Quail Hollow Ranch County Park |
This week, I had the pleasure of recognizing the many volunteers and organizations who helped make the new trail system at the Pace Family Wilderness in Quail Hollow Ranch County Park a reality!
Years of hard work and collaboration went into this project, and the results are pretty incredible. Not only do these new trails give our community more opportunities to explore the beautiful and unique Sandhills habitat, but the project also supports important habitat restoration and wildfire prevention efforts. Along the way, partners helped establish a seed bank for the endangered Ben Lomond wallflower, remove invasive broom, and restore native meadows.
I'm so grateful to our County staff and community partners who worked together, secured grants, and stuck with this project over the years. It's a great example of what we can accomplish together. And with this gorgeous fall weather, there's no better time to get outside and check out these new trails!
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Get ready for a GIRLS ON WHEELS Takeover at the Felton Pump Track! |
Since opening in September, the new Felton Covered Bridge Pump Track has rarely been empty – but one thing has been notably missing: girls!
To promote gender equity among the biking community, County Parks has joined with Ecology Action, the Santa Cruz Mountain Trail Stewards, Girls Rock, Little Bellas Mentoring on Mountain Bikes, and Team Mama Bear to host a “Girls on Wheels Takeover” on Sunday, November 8th.
Girls and women of all ages are invited to try out the brand-new pump track in a safe and supportive environment.
This is a free drop in event – no registration required.
Mini clinics will also be held for bikers ages 8+ throughout the morning.
*This event is subject to the conditions of the track and may be rescheduled due to rain.
Bring your own wheels and protective gear and be ready to roll! Let's get more girls and women on the new pump track!
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Today is Election Day! Thank you for Voting! |
Casting my vote at the in-person voting center at the Las Cumbre Community Center my office was able to help open for residents in the area. |
If you haven’t voted yet, please make sure to return your ballot by 8 PM so your voice can be heard! However, please don’t mail your ballot today – return it by dropping it off at an official ballot drop-box or by voting in person. Same day registration and replacement ballots are available at in-person voting locations.
Drop box locations in District Five include: District Five in-person voting locations will be open from 7 AM to 8 PM and are located at: More locations throughout the County can be found on the Elections Department’s website. (For additional information about local measures, see my previous newsletter on this election).
After the polls close, the Santa Cruz County Elections Department will provide initial results on its website. (Note that the results posted regarding statewide and federal races only reflect how Santa Cruz voted - not the results of those races). Mail-in ballots that are appropriately post-marked will still be valid if they are received within 7 days of the election, so eligible ballots will still be coming in until November 10th, and results will not be final until certified, which can take up to 30 days.
If you would like to see what it looks like as staff count ballots, check out the Elections Department’s cameras.
Thanks again for being a voter! |
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