Lookout PM: Activist Rose Filicetti passes away, Capitola license plate data access error, Manresa Bread's Westside bakery expansion

Welcome to Tuesday night’s Lookout PM.

Find the latest Lookout List winners and runners-up here. Be sure to sign up for our breaking news email alerts here, and download the Lookout Santa Cruz app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

Santa Cruz County loses ‘a warrior’ with the passing of activist Rose Filicetti

Capitola resident Rose Filicetti was a ‘force to be reckoned with’ in the world of local nonprofits. The activist and volunteer community leader died Monday at the age of 73 from complications after heart surgery. A community remembers her tireless contributions. Continue reading…

Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

Lily Belli on Food: Manresa Bread spreads its wings, Miracle’s Christmas kitsch returning to Abbott Square and getting ready for Thanksgiving

In her Tuesday newsletter, Lily Belli notes Manresa Bread’s move into a bigger space, with a bistro to come, on the Westside, previews the return of Christmas-themed pop-up Miracle to Abbott Square and begins making Thanksgiving plans. Continue reading…

Capitola police chief says immigration officials’ access to its license plate reader database was a mistake

Federal and out-of-state law enforcement agencies accessed databases with information collected by Capitola’s automated license plate readers on behalf of immigration officials between 2024 and early this year. Capitola’s police chief says it was a mistake. Continue reading…

Pajaro Valley Unified school board to discuss plan to cut more than 160 positions at Wednesday meeting

The Pajaro Valley Unified School District board will discuss a proposal Wednesday to eliminate more than 160 positions — including counselors, teachers, mental health clinicians and special education staff — in an effort to address a $15.3 million budget shortfall tied to declining enrollment and the loss of pandemic-era funding. Continue reading…

The 2025 Lookout List: Restaurants

From summer camps and tutoring programs to musical classes, veterinary clinics and pet grooming, Lookout readers picked the places that keep kids learning, pets pampered and families smiling. The 2025 Lookout List: Family & Pets winners and runners-up are the local favorites everyone trusts to make everyday life a little more joyful. Continue reading…

OPINION: Why are Housing Matters’ vital day services for unhoused people being closed?

OPINION: Housing Matters — Santa Cruz County’s largest homelessness nonprofit — plans in March to shut down its Coral Street day services, including public showers, bathrooms and a mailroom. The closure comes with no clear transition plan, writes Marsa Greenspan, a former Housing Matters employee. Continue reading…

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