A chilly good morning, readers. It is Wednesday, Feb. 18, and chances of not just rain but possibly snowflakes in Santa Cruz County’s higher elevations are in the forecast, with temperatures barely cracking the 50-degree mark for most of us.
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Lillian Schrock-Clevenger starts us off with a look at the life of Marjorie Albright, who died last month at 108 after what one of her 10 grandchildren called “a great life” – astronomy degrees from Wellesley and working as a “human computer” during World War II before settling down to build a community in Aptos.
Friends and family are calling the death of Kurt Van Dyke, a prominent surfer with deep roots in Santa Cruz, a “monumental” loss, Max Chun reports. Van Dyke, 66, was killed over the weekend in a break-in at his apartment in Costa Rica, where he’s lived since the 1980s.
We could be nearing an end to the dispute over beach access around a group of homes in Rio Del Mar, with Hillary Ojeda reporting that Santa Cruz County and a homeowners association are headed to court next month to iron out details after the state’s top court declined to hear the HOA’s appeal.
Hillary also has the news that more than 40,000 graduate student workers and staff across the University of California system have voted to authorize a strike, accusing the university of committing multiple unfair labor practices and bargaining in bad faith as contract negotiations near a Feb. 28 expiration date.
After years of renovations and red tape, the cocktail lounge in the spot formerly occupied by The Poet and The Patriot Irish pub in downtown Santa Cruz is set to open, Lily Belli reports. The Alley Oop is intended to complement nearby Kuumbwa Jazz and “give a little bit of romance to that side of downtown,” says owner Max Turigliatto, who previously led the makeover of Westside watering hole Mission West.
The Wednesday headlines also include Jessica M. Pasko’s weekly dispatch from Santa Cruz County business, including new owners for a bastion of the local music scene and a new site aiming to be a repository for local kids activities. Onward!
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‘She delighted in the world around her’: Aptos matriarch, WWII ‘human computer’ Marjorie Albright lived 108 years to the fullest
Marjorie Albright passed away Jan. 28 at age 108. The painter, golfer, bridge player and devoted community volunteer is remembered as being curious, resourceful and joyful. She studied astronomy at Wellesley, worked as a human computer during World War II and moved to Aptos in 1990. Lillian Schrock-Clevenger has her story.
Prominent surfer Kurt Van Dyke, killed in Costa Rica, remembered for ‘spiritual connection’ to the ocean
As Costa Rican and international authorities investigate the killing of prominent surfer and Santa Cruz native Kurt Van Dyke, friends and family remember his deep love for surfing and the intense connection he had with adventure and the ocean. Here’s what Max Chun heard.
DAILY DIGEST
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Thank you for reading – here’s to getting over the Wednesday hump.
Will McCahill