Lookout PM: Ryan Coonerty announces bid for mayor, Jeffery’s sudden ‘temporary’ closure, and PVUSD to cut assistant principal position in elementary schools

Ryan Coonerty announces run for Santa Cruz mayor, reentering electoral politics

By Max Chun

About three years after he wrapped up his second term as District 3 county supervisor, longtime Santa Cruz politico Ryan Coonerty returns to electoral politics with a run for Santa Cruz mayor in 2026. He previously held the mayor position in 2008 and 2011, when it was a ministerial, rotating term among city councilmembers.

Sudden ‘temporary’ closure at Jeffery’s sparks questions, hope about reopening longtime restaurant

By Lily Belli

Jeffery’s, the nearly 50-year-old diner at Capitola Road and Soquel Avenue, abruptly closed Jan. 28, leaving longtime customers searching for answers. A staff member suggested the restaurant has been sold and will reopen. The owner declined to comment. Public records say nothing about a sale.

Lily Belli on Food: Whither Jeffery’s, a taste of Bad Animal’s new fare and notable anniversaries

The fate of Eastside Santa Cruz restaurant Jeffery’s, Bad Animal’s new global bistro fare and milestones for local food businesses are all on the menu in Lily Belli’s Tuesday newsletter.

Pajaro Valley Unified to eliminate assistant principal positions in elementary schools

Pajaro Valley Unified School District administrators are proposing to eliminate 17 assistant principal positions at elementary schools next academic year, a move that has alarmed teachers already reeling from roughly 160 recent layoffs.

Watsonville teacher placed on leave after making pro-ICE comment on social media

By Hillary Ojeda and Tania Ortiz

Lookout spoke with Sarai Jimenez, the teacher who in January posted a pro-ICE comment on social media, prompting a flurry of angry posts on Watsonville internet groups. Pajaro Valley Unified administrators declined to comment, but parents at the school where she taught until last month say they’re shocked and unsettled.

OPINION: Offshore oil threatens Santa Cruz County’s coastal economy — we must act now

By Kristen Brown, Terence Concannon, Melissa Mahoney

Local business and fishing leaders Kristen Brown, Terrence Concannon and Melissa Mahoney warn that proposed offshore oil and gas leasing would endanger local tourism, fisheries and the region’s coastal identity. They urge the public to submit “negative nominations” to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management by Feb. 26 to protect federal waters off Central California from drilling.