Five years after narrowly escaping the CZU fire, the San Lorenzo Valley community of Lompico is betting everything on its ability to outrace the next megafire. Residents are safeguarding their properties and plans are in the works to construct a second road out of the box canyon.
Carly Heltzel
Carly Heltzel is an editorial and audience engagement intern at Lookout this summer. She’s a journalism major going into her fourth year at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with minors in City and Regional Planning as well as Media Arts, Society and Technology. She’s also the incoming News Editor for Cal Poly’s paper, Mustang News, and writes a newsletter summarizing the top five Cal Poly, SLO and California stories each weekday during the school year.
This summer, Carly will be working on reader engagement, analytics and events in addition to her reporting. She’s most interested in reporting on the state’s housing crisis, breaking down complex data into digestible formats and getting to the human impact of local issues she writes about.
Originally from the south Bay Area, she spent many summer weekends in Santa Cruz and is excited to return to serve this community at Lookout this summer.
Posted inLatest News
Finishing touches in Capitola Wharf upgrade coming this fall
In the next two months, Capitola will install wave-shaped bikes racks, an informative kiosk, educational signs and embed locally made bronze fish in the wharf, finishing up the wharf’s short-term enhancement projects.
Posted inBonny Doon / Davenport
New sheriff’s substation coming to former Bonny Doon Vineyard space in Davenport
A new sheriff’s substation in Davenport will serve the North Coast community and boost law enforcement presence in the increasingly popular area.
Posted inHousing & Development
Santa Cruz County OKs pilot project to pay Native tribes to consult on new developments
A California rule change this summer exempted some development projects from having to consult with Native American tribes before building projects on culturally sensitive lands. On Tuesday, Santa Cruz County’s board of supervisors voted to require developers to pay for tribal consultations.
Posted inRecreation & Sports
What to know before visiting the newly opened Cotoni-Coast Dairies National Monument
Here’s what you need to know about the 9 miles of trails that opened up at Cotoni-Coast Dairies National Monument, just north of Davenport.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Santa Cruz Wharf restoration proceeds with $1 million budget-conscious plan
After 15,200 square feet was lost in the December 2024 collapse of the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf, the city council moved to restore 1,100 square feet for now, while laying the path for additional work as funds become available.
Posted inHousing & Development
Confronted with $6M in new fees, 190-room Cruz Hotel development takes another step forward
Groundbreaking could happen as soon as next summer on the hotel at Front and Laurel streets in downtown Santa Cruz, though its developer says the new fees, passed by the Santa Cruz City Council on Tuesday, could delay final financing.
Posted inLatest News
Beyond ‘dog catcher’: Santa Cruz County’s animal control officers have become lifelines for pets and people alike
Animal control officers in Santa Cruz County have evolved beyond their traditional “dog catcher” stereotype to provide a range of services, including welfare checks, dangerous dog situations and bridging the gap between law enforcement and vulnerable populations.
Posted inLatest News
Ask Lookout: Why was Santa Cruz’s town clock five minutes early? And who just fixed it?
Santa Cruz’s downtown town clock finally reads the correct time after years of becoming progressively earlier. The city contracted an electrician to fix it last week.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Sheriff vows to drop grant that gave federal officials information on undocumented inmates
Weeks after hearing about the grant, Santa Cruz County Sheriff Chris Clark vowed to stop receiving federal money for giving the Department of Justice information on undocumented immigrants.