Sunday Reads: Impact of a new downtown arena; kids leading the way on trans attitudes

What would a new downtown arena mean for Santa Cruz audiences?

With Kaiser Permanente Arena extended beyond its intended lifespan, the Santa Cruz Warriors want a multipurpose downtown venue that could host events beyond basketball year-round, with a capacity of 3,000-4,000. That would be an alluring upgrade from the Civic Auditorium in terms of attracting big-name musical acts and speakers, but whether a new venue would suit mainstay Civic tenants like the Santa Cruz Symphony is a concern — and in any case, it’s no slam dunk that a bigger new venue would be filled regularly, either. Read Wallace Baine’s Sunday column.

➤ MORE FROM WALLACE: What will the new Santa Cruz look like? Readers sound off

Our kids accept trans classmates without a problem — why can’t we all be so open?

“I believe listening to your child and honoring their feelings is the kindest and bravest and most loving thing to do,” Lookout columnist Claudia Sternbach writes after hearing her 9-year-old grandson’s easy, matter-of-fact mention of a classmate with they/them pronouns. “The folks who are trying to take away the rights of trans people need to get educated.” Read her latest here.

➤ LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Make your voice heard and read what Santa Cruzans are saying about local issues

Inside Santa Cruz’s ambitious downtown expansion plans: 12-story towers and a new multipurpose Warriors arena

A new arena for the Santa Cruz Warriors. Lots of new housing in tall buildings. Street reconfiguration. These factors are all in play as Santa Cruz officials prepare to update the public on where things stand with the neighborhood south of Laurel Street downtown — and a ballot measure governing building heights and affordability could yet change the calculus. Christopher Neely reports.

➤ CHANGING SANTA CRUZ: Dig into Lookout’s coverage of the ongoing development downtown