I’ve been executive editor of Lookout Santa Cruz for four months now – long enough to know my way around the newsroom, but not nearly long enough to run out of things to learn about this county.
But what has stuck with me most is how warmly this community has welcomed Lookout – and how much there still is to do.
I’m proud of the work our team puts out every day, but I also want to tell you where we’re headed, starting with some hiring news.
Alia Yee Noll just joined us as our California Local News Fellow, covering arts, entertainment and culture. She’s fresh out of the University of Southern California, where she studied journalism and minored in documentary film and gender studies – and where her real interest took shape: the places where art, accessibility and diversity meet. She’s previously interned at the Los Angeles Times, Ms. Magazine and Getty Publications, and ran the arts and features desk at USC’s Daily Trojan.
Alia grew up in Fullerton and, like a lot of Southern California transplants, insists California is simply the best state there is. Now that she’s up here, she’s hunting down the county’s best restaurants and live music, plans to spend afternoons scouting hikes and is on a quest for the perfect tea latte. Say hi when you see her around; I think you’ll like her as much as we already do.
And, eventually, she’ll be taking over our Thursday newsletter, Weekender – stay tuned.
Election season is here
The newsroom has shifted into a different gear this fall. We’re covering the Santa Cruz mayor’s race, city council contests in Watsonville, Scotts Valley and Capitola, school board elections across the county, and the local measures that’ll shape how things run here.
Our goal isn’t just repeating what candidates say about themselves. We want to dig into their records, explain what a measure would actually do and who it affects, ask the questions you’d ask if you had the time, and – perhaps more importantly – keep reporting after the votes are counted, not just up until Election Day, Nov. 3.
Like always, this coverage will be free for everyone in the county. Local election information shouldn’t sit behind a paywall. Our members make that possible, supporting the reporting and coverage that helps our community stay informed. If you value independent, nonpartisan local journalism, becoming a Lookout member is one of the best ways to support it.
We’re also putting together or helping organize a number of candidate forums so you can hear from the people asking for your vote directly, not through a press release:
- Sept. 23 – Santa Cruz mayoral forum with Ryan Coonerty and Ami Chen Mills, moderated by our Community Voices opinion editor, Jody K. Biehl, from 6 to 8 p.m. at The 418 Project.
- Sept. 30 – Watsonville City Council forum, co-hosted with the Pajaro Valley Chamber of Commerce.
- Oct. 7 – Capitola City Council forum, hosted by Capitola Cares and the Capitola-Soquel Chamber of Commerce, with Biehl moderating.
- Oct. 13 – Felton Fire Protection District forum, put together with a group of Felton residents, covering two open board seats.
More details and registration links are coming as each date gets closer, and we’ll keep updating our Election Central page all season.
Come meet the newsroom
One thing I’m looking forward to this fall comes on Oct. 6, when we set up a mobile newsroom at Abbott Square Market.
Ask what we’re working on. Tell us what we’re missing. Put a face to a byline. Alia will be there, I’ll be there, and so will a good chunk of the rest of the team.
Four months in, and I’m just as excited as the day I started – new colleagues, bigger ambitions, and a fall that’s only going to get busier. Come say hello. We’d like to meet you, too.
