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Credit: Hillary Ojeda / Lookout Santa Cruz

UCSC corpse flower set to bloom just in time for Halloween — and it stinks

By Hillary Ojeda

A corpse flower at UC Santa Cruz is getting ready to bloom for only the second time since it arrived in 2012, and it could open right around Halloween. The bloom is short-lived and smells terrible, and it may pull in big crowds again. In 2022, thousands of people came to see (and smell) it.

Credit: Cate Peters

Santa Cruz surf club helps girls build confidence and find their place in the lineup

By Cate Peters

Girl Grom Surf Club brings girls ages 6 to 16 together for free monthly surf sessions at Capitola Beach, helping them build skills, confidence and friendships in a sport where they often feel outnumbered. Founded in San Diego in 2024, the nonprofit now has four California chapters and aims to foster confidence and stronger mental health through surfing.

Credit: City of Scotts Valley

Carmageddon: Santa Cruz County traffic deaths and serious injuries are declining, but cyclists remain at risk

By Max Chun

The Community Traffic Safety Coalition’s crash report from September shows that deaths and serious injuries on the road have decreased in recent years, although the problem remains serious overall.

Credit: Heyday Books

Santa Cruz welcomes author Obi Kaufmann, who reimagines California’s ecology

By Wallace Baine

Artist and naturalist Obi Kaufmann, whose illustrated books explore California’s landscapes and ecosystems, takes a philosophical turn in his new book, “California Inside Out: Mapping an Ecology of Mind.” He argues that the state’s identity is rooted less in its political boundaries than in its ecological systems and the Indigenous stewardship that helped shape them. Kaufmann will discuss the book at Bookshop Santa Cruz on Thursday.

Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

OPINION: A Lookout View: Karen Cogswell for Cabrillo College trustee

By Lookout Editorial Board

With Cabrillo College at an important crossroads with finances, attracting and retaining students, expanding its offerings and rebuilding trust with parts of the community after the debate over changing the school’s name, the Lookout Editorial Board endorses Karen Cogswell for the Area 6 seat on Cabrillo’s governing board, citing the most relevant experience, the clearest ideas and the strongest grasp of the college’s challenges among the three candidates.

Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

OPINION: Meet the Santa Cruz mayoral candidates: Ami Chen Mills and Ryan Coonerty

By Community Voices

Ami Chen Mills and Ryan Coonerty are running to succeed Fred Keeley as Santa Cruz mayor. Hear from each in their own words with short videos.

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Best of Santa Cruz County events, October 19-22

Here are some events you may be interested in this week:

Monday, Oct. 19

Tuesday, Oct. 20

Wednesday, Oct. 21

Thursday, Oct. 22

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Max Chun is the general-assignment correspondent at Lookout Santa Cruz. Max’s position has pulled him in many different directions, seeing him cover development, COVID, the opioid crisis, labor, courts...