Celebrate Father’s Day with scenic train ride and barbecue
Treat dad to a train ride and barbecue lunch on Father’s Day, June 16, at Roaring Camp Railroads, where guests can view model railroads on display at two onsite locations presented by Lionel Gauge and Diablo Pacific model railroad clubs.
Pan for gold and watch the blacksmith at work. Enjoy live music at the outdoor chuck wagon barbecue from 12-3pm. Crafts and Farmer John tractors for kids.
Forest Steam Trains depart for Bear Mountain at 10:30am, 12, 1:30 and 3pm. Regular public Beach Trains depart for Santa Cruz at 10am and 2pm, and from Santa Cruz to Roaring Camp at 12pm. Reservations are recommended.
Roaring Camp is in Felton, six miles north of Santa Cruz. Exit State Route 17 at Mt. Hermon Road to Felton. Turn left on Graham Hill Road, then drive 1/2 mile to the entrance.
For more information, call 831-335-4484 or visit roaringcamp.com.
Community invited to North Coast Rail Trail groundbreaking
The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission invites the community to celebrate the groundbreaking for the North Coast Rail Trail on Thursday, June 20, from 12-1:30pm at Wilder Ranch State Park, 1401 Coast Road, in Santa Cruz.
The North Coast Rail Trail Project is a 7.5-mile multi-use bicycle and pedestrian trail extending along the railroad corridor from Wilder Ranch State Park in the south to Davenport in the north in unincorporated Santa Cruz County. The project comprises the majority of Coastal Rail Trail Segment 5 of the larger Monterey Bay Sanctuary Scenic Trail (MBSST) Network.
The North Coast Rail Trail is divided into three phases. Phases I and II will begin construction in June 2024. Phase I spans 5.4 miles from Wilder Ranch to Panther/Yellowbank Beach. Phase II spans 2.1 miles from Panther/Yellowbank Beach to Davenport and includes new paved parking lots and restrooms in Davenport and at Panther/Yellowbank Beach, improved access to the parking lot at Bonny Doon Beach, and a pedestrian crossing of Highway 1 in Davenport. Phase III includes construction of the Cotoni Coast Dairies Highway 1 overpass that connects the Coastal Rail Trail on the coastal side of Highway 1 to Cotoni Coast Dairies National Monument on the inland side of Highway 1. This phase is scheduled to complete environmental review in 2024, design in 2025, and begin construction in 2027.
The RTC, in coordination with Federal Highway Administration Central Federal Lands, is implementing the North Coast Rail Trail. The project was awarded two separate grants to develop the trail, parking lots and overcrossing. Funding for construction of the trail and parking lots comes from federal funds ($33.2 million), Measure D ($8.2 million), and from the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County and the California Coastal Conservancy ($5.25 million combined). Project partners include California State Parks and the County of Santa Cruz. The contractor on the project is Joseph J. Albanese Inc. based in Santa Clara, Calif.
The public is invited to celebrate with the RTC and project partners Central Federal Lands, California State Parks, Santa Cruz County, California Coastal Conservancy and U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management. The festivities will take place in the main parking lot at Wilder Ranch State Park.
For more information on the North Coast Rail Trail, visit sccrtc.org/seg5.
County launches redesigned website for community development
The County of Santa Cruz Department of Community Development and Infrastructure has announced the launch of its newly redesigned website.
The website redesign includes the integration of the Public Works Division, Planning Division, and the newly established Unified Permit Center all on one website. The integration simplifies the process for residents and businesses to find what they need without having to navigate through multiple websites, and is part of the department’s ongoing commitment to improve the accessibility of available public services through an improved user experience.
New website features include enhanced search functionality for users to quickly find documents, forms, and other necessary resources, user-friendly and modern layout, events calendar, announcements, accessible quick links and more.
The County of Santa Cruz invites all residents and businesses to explore the new website and take advantage of its enhanced features. For more information, visit the new Community Development and Infrastructure website cdi.santacruzcountyca.gov.
