Quick Take:

In coastal Morro Bay, three iconic but defunct smokestacks are slated to be torn down. A lithium battery storage project...

Hello there, readers! It’s Thursday, Aug. 11, and the forecast for Santa Cruz County is again a sunny one, with highs from the 90s to the 70s.

Sounds like a great day to hit the beach, right? If you’re the sporty type, maybe you’ve run across Lizzy Fowler, whose beach volleyball classes and beloved No Attitudes tournaments are an institution on Main Beach — and Blaire Hobbs caught up with her for a Q&A.

And school might have just started, but Santa Cruz High senior Maren Detlefs already doesn’t want it to end. You’ll want to read their Community Voices opinion piece on feeling cheated by the pandemic and making the most of what’s left.

Want to skip right to Lookout and poke around for yourself? I’ve got you!
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Or you could get my exclusive tour of Thursday’s headlines — step this way.

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No Attitudes Allowed: Lizzy Fowler keeps beach volleyball fun, without the edge

Lizzy Fowler at the volleyball courts at Main Beach

Lizzy Fowler‘s classes have attracted veterans and newcomers alike, with players forging bonds that extend off the court. And the No. 1 rule for her popular monthly tournaments at Santa Cruz’s Main Beach? Go hard, have fun doing it. Blaire Hobbs has a Q&A.

➤ MORE FROM LOCAL NEWSMAKERS: Find all of our Lookout Q&As here

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I don’t want high school to end; the pandemic cheated me out of two years

Maren Detlefs entered Santa Cruz High as a senior on Wednesday.

Maren Detlefs started Santa Cruz High School as a senior Wednesday and already doesn’t want high school to end. Maren is excited for college, they write in a Community Voices op-ed, but feels cheated by the pandemic and wants to milk this final year for all the experiences they lost since COVID-19 hit in 2020. Maren is technical director in the school’s theater program and describes how the chaos backstage, the long weeks hot-gluing sets together and the roar of the audience at a final performance offers a sense of belonging the actors will miss dearly when high school ends. Read Maren’s full opinion piece here.

➤ MORE FROM COMMUNITY VOICES: Find more op-eds and letters to the editor, and learn how to contribute your own, here

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Morro Bay’s three iconic smokestacks are coming down, and a community mourns Labor unions are hot, but their moment might not last Thursday night: UCSC prof Gary Griggs delivers lecture as museum looks back at Seabright’s legendary Castle Beach UC admits record number of Californians and far fewer out-of-state students Fears of losing battle to control monkeypox in California, U.S. as cases surge

sts9 concert

Santa Cruz County Job Board

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And that’s what I know this Thursday morning. If, like me, you’re looking around the corner a little, you won’t want to miss Weekender, Wallace Baine’s recommendation-packed look at Santa Cruz County’s arts and entertainment scene, coming later today. Bookmark our site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep tabs on Wallace and everything else we’re cooking up.

Community support is what keeps the Lookout train chugging — so if you’re not already, please consider becoming a Lookout member. We can’t do this without you!

Here’s to a good Thursday!

Will McCahill
Lookout Santa Cruz

A veteran jack-of-all-trades journalist who is Lookout’s copy editor, writes and compiles Morning Lookout newsletter and produces Lookout’s other editorial newsletters and helps run Lookout’s social...