Quick Take:
The State of California, specifically the Public Utilities Commission, has proposed a set of regulatory changes – NEM 3...
Good morning! It’s Monday, Jan. 3, and Santa Cruz County has a mostly cloudy day on tap, with highs in the low to mid-50s and chances of rain later on.
We’ve got a mix of looking forward and looking back to help us ease into this first week of 2022, with Wallace Baine ruminating both on what turning over the calendar might mean and offering some predictions for the new year. The Lookout Santa Cruz staff put our heads together to lay out the storylines we’re going to be following this year, and Lookout photographer Kevin Painchaud has a review of 2021 in pictures.
Shall we dig in?
Wallace Baine’s surefire predictions for 2022 in Santa Cruz
Whether you get them right or not, it’s always fun to throw wild — sometimes silly — guesses at the wall and see if they stick. Santa Cruz County’s longest-serving journalist takes on 2022.
➤ MORE FROM WALLACE: A year later, our ’21 for ’21′ crew looks back at 2021
22 Storylines for 2022
Lookout previews the action-packed year ahead for Santa Cruz County, from the continued effects of the COVID-19 pandemic to politics and more. Look ahead with us here.
➤ HIGHLIGHTING REGULAR FOLKS DOING GREAT THINGS: Revisit our Unsung Santa Cruz series
As we turn the page yet again, grief for the old year, hope for the new one
There’s something about the passing of this specific year that feels different, as if we’re witnessing not just the changeover of years, but of eras. Read Wallace Baine’s reflections here.
➤ WANT MORE WALLACE? Get all of his columns in one place
The 2021 video experience
Lookout photographer Kevin Painchaud takes us on a visual flipbook tour through the year’s most memorable moments. Watch it all here.
➤ LOOKING BACK AT 2021: Our month-by-month review of the year’s top stories
‘We’ve lost Tom’
A fatal shark attack in Morro Bay devastates a family and alarms the surf community. Our partners at the Los Angeles Times examine the aftermath of the Christmas Eve incident.
➤ REMEMBERING BEN KELLY: Shark victim’s loved ones pay tribute with inclusive ‘No Contest’ (Lookout)
Around the county …
➤ Scotts Valley begins early stages of recreation restart (The Press Banner)
➤ Humpback whale mural complete at Watsonville community center (The Pajaronian)
➤ Soquel High swimmer Ella Mazurek proving to be a quick study at Cal (Santa Cruz Sentinel)
And into the first Monday of 2022 we go. Keep tabs throughout the day by bookmarking our website and following us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also visit our Lookout Newsletter & Text Center to sign up for our Lookout PM and Best Bets newsletters, plus email and text alerts.
And if you’re not already, please consider becoming a Lookout member (tell a friend, too!). Our content isn’t possible without community support.
Have a great day, all! I’ll see you back here tomorrow morning.
Will McCahill
Lookout Santa Cruz