Good morning, one and all. It is Monday, Sept. 8, and once the marine layer clears out, Santa Cruz County is in for a mostly sunny day, with highs in the 70s and 80s – then a slight chance of showers overnight and into Tuesday morning.
Before we dive in: With our partners at CalMatters, Lookout is hosting a screening of “Stripped for Parts: American Journalism on the Brink,” a film that chronicles the damage caused by hedge fund ownership of once-proud community newspapers. The Sept. 24 event at the Del Mar Theatre in downtown Santa Cruz will be followed by a panel discussion and kicks off our fundraising efforts for Lookout’s fifth anniversary. Get your tickets and more info here.
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Hillary Ojeda has the latest in our series on the aftermath of the CZU fire, five years later, reporting on how Bonny Doon Union Elementary School District has become more safety-conscious, better prepared for another fire and brought greater focus and resources to mental and social health after the campus just escaped destruction.
Facing millions in losses amid federal Medicaid cuts, Watsonville Community Hospital is speeding up a search for a health care partner to manage operations and avoid a financial crisis, Tania Ortiz reports.
In his weekly Carmageddon column, Max Chun lays out changes the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission could consider to planned segments of the Coastal Rail Trail as it faces a $72 million funding gap – and how some of those changes could put state money at risk.
Mat Weir takes us on set of the latest movie to be filmed in Santa Cruz – “Poultrygeist 2,” the latest low-budget shock-horror production from cult movie studio Troma. “We’re into trash with a message,” says its co-writer and videographer. “It’s too boring if it’s all message and too empty if it’s all trash. They have to be mixed together.”
The Monday headlines also include what photographer Cat Cutillo saw at Sunday’s Ironman race in Santa Cruz and Wallace Baine’s story on a dip in local summer tourism – keep on readin’.
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Five years after CZU, Bonny Doon Elementary lost students, but found a renewed purpose in healing
Five years after narrowly escaping the CZU fires, Bonny Doon Elementary has transformed from a small mountain school into a vital community anchor. Despite falling enrollment, the school expanded mental health services and created new programs to help students and families heal from dual traumas of wildfire and pandemic isolation. Here’s Hillary Ojeda’s story.
Zombie chickens invade Santa Cruz: Cult studio Troma films latest grindhouse flick downtown
Cult movie studio Troma, which has helped launch the careers of Hollywood A-listers like James Gunn, filmed its latest low-budget shock-horror production, “Poultrygeist 2,” in downtown Santa Cruz. Mat Weir has been on hand.
DAILY DIGEST
That’s about 10 pounds of news in a 5-pound bag, so I’ll let you get to unpacking it – but rest assured, there’s more on the way from Lookout. 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 Santa Cruz County politics & policy, hitting inboxes later Monday. Download the Lookout Santa Cruz app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, and stay current by connecting with Lookout on social media via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Threads and/or Bluesky.
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Thanks for reading – here’s to a smooth Monday all around.
Will McCahill