The best things of 2023 for SC County

The best news events in Santa Cruz County in 2023:

Watsonville Community Hospital's transition in ownership:

The hospital is now a public entity, no longer burdened by the failing forprofit corporation that not only declared bankruptcy but now has been accused in a lawsuit of “gross mismanagement” and siphoning funds fore personal use.

The hospital lost more than $20 million in both 2021 and 2022 and continues, even under public ownership, to lose money. Voters who live within the Pajaro Valley Health Care District will be asked in the March 5 state primary election to fund a $116 million obligation bond to pay for improvements that include buying the land the hospital sits on. Considering how far the hospital has come in the past couple of years, and the remarkable efforts to raise $66 million that culminated in the purchase, the bond will be a good investment.

Pajaro River levee:

An agreement announced in November moved up by a year construction of a new levee system on the Pajaro River. While this agreement to start work next summer on a levee that will provide 100year flood protection doesn't protect against a flood this rainy season, it's a major step forward for a project that will take years to complete and that has taken decades to put into motion. And the new date demonstrated how local, state and federal elected officials across many levels of government worked together to finalize an additional $47 million for a project that already had a price tag of $400 million.

Work on Highway 1:

One of the seemingly never-ending frustrations for South County and Mid County commuters and drivers has been the traffic bottlenecks on Highway 1. But 2023 has seen a massive project taking place, creating an auxiliary lane from the Soquel Avenue/Drive offramps. This expansion will lead to an “auxiliary lane” stretching from Soquel Avenue/Drive to State Park Drive in

Aptos, and, then to a more complicated construction of lanes from State Park Drive to Freedom Boulevard.

Retired Regional Transportation head Guy Preston deserves a lot of credit for getting these projects funded and approved, along with progress on the long hoped-for coastal recreational trail. The RTC has used a voter-approved transportation funding measure and leveraged this support into bringing in hundreds of millions of dollars for highway expansion and construction of the trail.

Santa Cruz Metro:

Continuing its rebound from COVID declines in ridership, Metro has made dramatic steps forward this year in proving an alternative to car transit. Among the developments: A three-year pilot transportation project, the Wave Service, that local leaders say could bring “transformational change” to the county by increasing bus ridership was fully funded. Earlier this year, Metro purchased 57 new zeroemission buses that along with an announced 15-minute bus service and free rides for K-12 student should make a difference in our clogged streets and highway, while battling climate change. In addition, new or revamped hubs in downtown Santa

Cruz and Watsonville have also been granted funding to include affordable housing as part of the projects.

End of the drought:

Yes, the heavy rains of last winter brought flooding and other problems to local folks, including washed-out roads, piers, campgrounds and the misery afflicting the farmworker community of Pajaro in North Monterey County. Still, there were no major wildfires in 2023, a welcome circumstance throughout much of California, and drought restrictions were lifted, as groundwater supplies got new life and reservoirs filled up. And, there were other welcome developments as well, including a drop in the counted numbers of houseless persons and progress on adding housing in the cities and county.

We'll come back next week with a list of the biggest headaches of the year.