Lookout PM: Coonerty and Chen Mills' campaign house parties, Cal Fire's 48-acre prescribed burn, Esperanza del Valle's upcoming exhibit

Welcome to Friday night’s Lookout PM.

Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz mayoral race: Plenty of similarities within the division between Coonerty, Chen Mills

By Max Chun

Ryan Coonerty and Ami Chen Mills are reaching the end of a long, intense campaign to decide who will be mayor of Santa Cruz for the next four years. The two have made their stances on the city’s major issues clear over the past several months, and in the closing stretch of the campaign, they seek to make their final cases to voters.

Cal Fire conducts 48-acre prescribed burn at Swanton Pacific Ranch to reduce wildfire risk

By Kevin Painchaud

Cal Fire’s CZU unit conducted a prescribed burn Thursday morning at Swanton Pacific Ranch near Highway 1 in northern Santa Cruz County, burning approximately 48 acres in partnership with Cal Poly San Luis Obispo to improve forest health, enhance wildlife habitat and reduce wildfire risk.

Esperanza del Valle celebrates Mexican culture through folklórico attire in Watsonville

By Alia Yee Noll

Esperanza del Valle is showcasing 15 traditional folklórico outfits spanning multiple regions of Mexico in a new exhibit at the Watsonville Center for the Arts. The free exhibit has a reception Saturday and continues through Nov. 21.

Santa Cruz County coast faces possible coastal flooding, 16-foot waves and dangerous surf

By Lookout Santa Cruz staff

The National Weather Service will issue a coastal flood advisory beginning on Friday and a beach hazards statement on Saturday.

OPINION: Our healthcare infrastructure is at risk of collapsing. Santa Cruz County must act now.

By Faris Sabbah and Nadia Al-Lami

Pediatric health providers warn that federal and state healthcare cuts could put more than 21,000 Santa Cruz County residents at risk of losing Medi-Cal by 2028. Currently, 41.9% of local residents ages 0 to 20 are enrolled in Medi-Cal, making stable coverage critical for children and families. Here, Santa Cruz County Superintendent of Schools Faris Sabbah and Nadia Al-Lami, pediatric medical director for Santa Cruz Community Health, insist that protecting children’s health means protecting the safety-net system they depend on. They advocate voting yes on Measure E and no on Proposition 44. They also offer valuable tips for those who fear losing health services.

Sudden surge in ICE arrests empties streets in California’s San Joaquin Valley

By Wendy Fry / CalMatters

The San Joaquin Valley is California’s agricultural heartland. Suddenly, it’s the focus of an immigration enforcement campaign that has communities on edge.

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