Good morning, one and all. It is Monday, Sept. 22, and another sunny day is on tap for Santa Cruz County, with highs ranging from mid-70s at our beaches to lower 90s in the mountains.
JOIN US: Lookout, along with our partners at CalMatters, will present this timely screening of the documentary “Stripped for Parts: American Journalism on the Brink” at the Del Mar Theatre in Santa Cruz on Wednesday from 7 to 9 p.m. It’s the story focused on hedge funds’ takeover of the American daily. Lookout founder Ken Doctor will be joined by CalMatters CEO Neil Chase and Voices of Monterey’s Julie Reynolds to discuss with you this moment in America, in a panel discussion following the film.
It’s been quite a week in American media, as ABC, CNN and New York Times all faced new challenges, either by lawsuit, merger or pressure. “We’re looking forward to a robust discussion this Wednesday, after the accelerating threats to news media, now unfortunately increasing,” Doctor wrote over the weekend. “We’ll be glad to discuss all of this – national and local – with our readers after we air this pertinent movie.” Get your tickets here.
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An affordable housing project now underway in Scotts Valley has the city’s mayor worried over a loss of local control, Christopher Neely reports. While Derek Timm says it’s good Scotts Valley will add 100 affordable units, “common sense was thrown out” in the process by which developer Workbench leaned on state law to speed the project, including the demolition of the old Seagate office building on Scotts Valley Drive.
A vote earlier this month by the Watsonville City Council to expand the city’s use of Flock Safety license plate-reading cameras doesn’t diminish its commitment to Watsonville’s status as a sanctuary city for immigrants, officials tell Tania Ortiz. “We’re working to balance community safety, along with the responsibility of ensuring that our residents, especially our immigrant families, do not feel targeted or fearful in the current political climate,” Mayor Maria Orozco told her.
In his weekly traffic-and-transit-focused Carmageddon column, Max Chun previews Santa Cruz County’s first Week Without Driving event, a weeklong challenge for residents to explore all the ways to get around without a car. That all kicks off next Monday.
Mat Weir has the story of Audio 37, the remnants of Santa Cruz blues sludge metal band The Bad Light, which released its final album in 2022 after the death from cancer of lead singer Celeste Deruisa. The remaining members have reemerged with a new sound, a new name and a renewed sense of purpose, and play their first show Sunday as part of the downtown Cedar Street Festival.
The Monday headlines also include Lily Belli’s story on the impact of the 2020 CZU fire on Santa Cruz County’s winemaking industry – keep on readin’.
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As Scotts Valley’s first affordable housing project breaks ground, mayor says developer, state bulldozed public process
As Scotts Valley’s first all-affordable housing project in decades moves forward, Mayor Derek Timm laments the loss of prime office space and local control, while developer Workbench hails the 100-unit project as a milestone win for housing. Christopher Neely reports.
Watsonville leaders say controversial plan to expand license plate readers won’t undermine city’s sanctuary status
Watsonville officials are defending their city’s immigration sanctuary reputation amid an outcry from residents over a plan to nearly double the use of Flock Safety’s license plate surveillance cameras. Read more from Tania Ortiz.
DAILY DIGEST
Shaping up to be another busy week around Santa Cruz County, so make sure you’re taking advantage of all the ways Lookout offers to keep up with our award-winning local coverage. Sign up here for breaking news alerts and for all of our other newsletters – including In the Public Interest, Christopher Neely’s weekly dispatch covering county politics and policy, hitting inboxes later Monday. Download the Lookout Santa Cruz app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store to bring us along wherever your journey takes you, and connect with Lookout on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Threads and Bluesky to keep tabs via social media.
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Thanks for reading – hope your Monday is a good one.
Will McCahill