In the middle of Wednesday night, at least five City of Santa Cruz parks vehicles were destroyed in what officials said was an intentional firebombing at the city’s yard at Harvey West Park. An investigation is underway, with spray-painted messages found nearby.
Grace Stetson
Grace comes to Lookout from just over the hill, originally from Sunnyvale but with a variety of journalism experience from across the country.After doing her undergrad at Seattle University, Grace earned a master’s in journalism at Northwestern’s Medill School, where she focused on housing and gentrification issues via roles with The Chicago Reader, Illinois Public Media, and WNYC.In 2018, she moved to Brooklyn, where she joined the team at Dateline NBC as a full-time program coordinator. In this position, she balanced reporting work for the show’s online Cold Case Spotlights vertical with assistant production on special episodes, and connected with the Story Development team in preparing daily briefs on news-of-the-day.Since returning to the South Bay Area in Sept. 2020, Grace has freelanced for local publications such as San Jose Spotlight, Metro Silicon Valley, and The Six Fifty. Having lived in many places across the U.S. and worked for small, mid-tier, and larger markets, Grace is excited to delve back into community journalism with Lookout Santa Cruz.“This team and endeavor is such an exciting opportunity, and an exciting vision for what the future of local news can look like,” she says. “I can’t wait to have the chance to serve this community with high-quality, in-depth journalism.”
Posted inHousing & Development
Ask Lookout: Is the one iconic coast-side home along West Cliff Drive getting knocked down or restored?
Originally built in 1937, the home at 1307 West Cliff Dr. has gone through many different owners. As the property gets a facelift, locals wonder: What is the history of the home, and why is it the only one directly up against the Pacific Ocean? What’s your question? Ask Lookout at news@lookoutlocal.com, and put Ask LO in the subject line.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Santa Cruz County Democratic Central Committee files cease-and-desist order against Jimmy Dutra
Election Day is in less than a week, and some candidates are making a last-ditch effort to get votes. For Jimmy Dutra, running for Santa Cruz County Supervisor, however, that effort could result in both confusion and litigious action.
Posted inHousing & Development
Cities, county and UC Santa Cruz outline their housing plans
At the Housing Santa Cruz County forum Wednesday, hosted and co-sponsored by Lookout, local officials explained what’s been done and what’s on the drawing boards.
Posted inHousing & Development
$5M from Apple helps fund Santa Cruz’s new Pacific Station South project
As the city of Santa Cruz was raising funds for the Pacific Station redevelopment, one unusual donor came forward: Silicon Valley-based Apple. Here’s what Lookout learned about the tech company’s loan for the project.
Posted inEducation
Are 9% of UC Santa Cruz students homeless?
It’s a shocking number that has come up in debates ahead of June’s election. Lookout looks into where the number comes from and what it does and doesn’t mean.
Posted inHousing & Development
Three two-wheel trips — with eats — to make the most of your Santa Cruz weekend
May is here, and it’s the perfect time of year to enjoy some new bike routes — and the snacks along the way. Consider these three for this weekend or soon.
Posted inHousing & Development
Pac Station South groundbreaking begins remake of Lower Pacific
As four new housing projects — aiming to add 185 units around lower Pacific Avenue and Front Street — begin to take shape, Pacific Station South gets going.
Posted inHousing & Development
‘Not everybody really gets to live in a beach town’: Realtors on what’s ‘getting worse’ in Santa Cruz real estate
Suddenly rising interest rates have thrown a new wrench into the plans of prospective home buyers. Can it get any worse? We asked a pair of real estate agents, veteran Kelley Trousdale and relative newcomer Rebecca Wallace.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
County closing last two COVID-driven Project Roomkey shelters
Project Roomkey provided shelter to more than 1,000 people in Santa Cruz County as a response to pandemic homeless needs. By the end of June, the county will close the last two of its six shelters — with most, but not all, of the residents placed in other housing.