Hiya folks. It’s Thursday, Aug. 21, which forecasters say will be the hottest day of the week around Santa Cruz County – mountain locations could hit triple digits amid a National Weather Service heat advisory running into Friday night, and even beachside spots could be in the 80s under partly cloudy skies.
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Christopher Neely was on hand Wednesday at the ceremonial groundbreaking of Santa Cruz’s downtown library/affordable housing project, but not everyone was in a celebratory mood, he reports – local activist Keith McHenry was arrested after disrupting the event.
A Monday deadline is looming for unhoused residents along the Pajaro River levee, Tania Ortiz reports, and with no sure place for them to go as crews prepare to sweep the area ahead of levee repairs, residents and outreach workers are apprehensive.
Jessica M. Pasko has an update on a downtown Santa Cruz landmark, reporting that a hearing is set for next month on plans to turn the former Caffe Pergolesi into a wine bar and retail shop.
Up Highway 1, the former Bonny Doon Vineyard tasting room in Davenport will soon become a sheriff’s substation, Carly Heltzel reports. The aim is to boost law enforcement presence in an increasingly popular area that includes the newly opened Cotoni-Coast Dairies National Monument.
In Lookout’s Community Voices opinion section, MariaElena De La Garza, CEO of the Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County, challenges community members to set up a child safety plan – a roadmap for what to do if a parent or family member gets deported amid the Trump administration’s ongoing immigration crackdown.
Let’s go to the headlines.
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At former Caffe Pergolesi site, a new incarnation of Soif takes shape
Two former employees of Soif Wine Bar and Merchant are moving closer to opening their new wine bar and retail shop in the former home of Caffe Pergolesi in downtown Santa Cruz. The project faces a hearing before a city committee next month. Jessica M. Pasko has the update.
One arrested as Santa Cruz breaks ground on long-sought downtown library and affordable housing project
Santa Cruz launched construction on its flagship downtown library and affordable housing project Wednesday, though protests erupted as Food Not Bombs founder Keith McHenry disrupted the event before being arrested by police. Christopher Neely was on hand.
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Another busy day as we chug toward to the weekend, and on that note, make sure you’re keeping up with Lookout’s award-winning Santa Cruz County coverage – including Wallace Baine’s recommendation-packed weekly stroll through local arts & entertainment. Weekender hits inboxes later, and that’s just one of the many newsletters and breaking news alerts you can sign up for here. You can also stay informed via our social media channels – Lookout is on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Threads and Bluesky – and don’t forget to download the Lookout Santa Cruz app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store to keep that phone as smart as it can be.
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Stay cool, and thanks for reading.
Will McCahill