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In the Public Interest: Behind Santa Cruz’s new national monument is a first-of-its-kind funding model that’s aiming to raise $2 million
Inside Santa Cruz County politics & policy with Lookout correspondent Christopher Neely.
A walk in new Big Basin, five years post-CZU: Signs of rebirth amid California lilac, huckleberries and ‘Dr. Seuss trees’
To a large degree, the redwood forests of the Santa Cruz Mountains have survived and are thriving in the wake of 2020’s CZU fire. We vulnerable humans often take comfort in the power of ecosystems […]
OPINION: Soquel Avenue bike lane improvements are good – we need even more
Avid biker Dan Arias takes issue with a recent Lookout op-ed criticizing balusters on Soquel Avenue as dangerous for cyclists. On the contrary, he says, officials should be praised for finding ways to separate bikers […]
UCSC clarifies delay on major housing project – now expected to break ground in 2027, open in 2029-30
Construction on the 2,900-bed Heller Drive student housing project at UC Santa Cruz will start in 2027 and be completed sometime in the 2029-30 school year; it was originally slated to be finished in 2028.
5 things to know about Gavin Newsom’s plan to redraw California’s election maps
California has an overwhelmingly Democratic delegation in Congress. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan could give his party five more seats and offset a Texas gerrymander.
It’s almost flu season. Should you still get a shot, and will insurance cover it?
Amid political chatter about vaccines and the U.S. government entities that oversee them, it’s understandable to wonder where all this leaves the 2025-26 flu vaccine. Here are some answers to common questions.
Best of Santa Cruz County events, Aug. 19-21
Here are some events you may be interested in this week:
Tuesday, Aug. 19
- “All the Pages Are My Days”: Print and Visual Culture of the Grateful Dead in Context | 8 a.m. @ McHenry Library
- Breathwork & Meditation with Horses | 9 a.m. @ BEYOND Liberty
- Resistance Training for Peri/Post Menopause | 9 a.m. @ SoulCare Studios
- Downtown Streets Work Readiness Mtg | 10 a.m. @ The 418 Project
- Want to be a Rodgers House Volunteer? | 10 a.m. @ The Rodgers House at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds
- Sensory Play | 11 a.m. @ Watsonville Public Library
- Programming with Rust | Noon via Zoom
Wednesday, Aug. 20
- Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park – Plant Diversity Walk | 10 a.m. @ Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
- 94th Annual California Landscape Exhibition | 12 p.m. @ Santa Cruz Art League
- Motion Pacific: Dance for PD | 1 p.m. @ The 418 Project
- Painting with Oils and Acrylics – with Toaa Dallo | 1 p.m. @ Santa Cruz Art League
- California’s Economic Future: A Fireside Chat with the State Treasurer | 2 p.m. @ Back Nine Grill & Bar
- Community Volunteer Event at 701 Ocean Street | 2 p.m. @ County Government Center
- Author Talks: Casey McQuiston | 4 p.m. via Zoom
Thursday, Aug. 21
- Sewing Lessons for Beginners | 10 a.m. @ Everything Home
- FREE: Yoga at Wildwood Park – Every Thursday morning | 10 a.m. @ Wildwood Park
- Redwood RX: Walk with a Doc | 10 a.m. @ Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
- Tai Chi in the Library | 10 a.m. @ Aptos Branch Library
- Bilingual Toddler Storytime | 10 a.m. @ Watsonville Public Library
- Yoga In The Pasture | Noon @ BEYOND Liberty, Center for Learning, Wellness, Sanctuary & Horse Retirement

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