Good morning, friends and neighbors. It is Wednesday, Nov. 12, and a wet, windy weather system is headed toward Santa Cruz County – after a mostly cloudy day, showers could begin by late afternoon (and continue into Friday), with winds gusting up to 50 mph overnight, per a National Weather Service wind advisory lasting from 10 p.m. Wednesday until 10 a.m. Thursday.
Members, don’t forget to RSVP for Lookout’s fifth anniversary party at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History next Wednesday, Nov. 19, from 6 to 8 p.m., enjoying local food and beverages and connecting with community members. We’ll have a special program reflecting on Lookout’s first five years and our vision for what’s next. We will end the event with some dessert and a toast to the next five!
And we’ll have some anniversary merch available (hint: think Killer Acid). Not yet a member? Become one today and come join us.
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Neighbors of a proposed apartment complex along Capitola Road in Live Oak are appealing last month’s county planning commission approval to the board of supervisors, Tania Ortiz reports. The 841 Capitola Rd. project relies on the state’s builder’s remedy mechanism, which allows developers to bypass local zoning laws, but residents point to emails showing the county was in compliance with state housing law and say builder’s remedy should be revoked.
Santa Cruz County lost “a warrior” with the death this week of activist and volunteer leader Rose Filicetti, with Wallace Baine talking to many who knew her well. “She was a deeply caring person,” one said of Filicetti. “She was very much all about social justice. She was truly dedicated to making life better for everybody in the community.”
In her weekly survey of local business, Jessica M. Pasko reports on the latest acquisition for Santa Cruz-based Paystand, this one a cryptocurrency payroll company, plus an area startup pitching a surf helmet Wednesday night on ABC’s business reality series “Shark Tank.”
A number of county schools are boasting new athletics facilities, Hillary Ojeda reports, hoping they’ll both help boost enrollment and encourage more students to participate in sports. That includes new fields at Capitola’s New Brighton Middle School and renovated bleachers at Watsonville High, plus upgrades coming soon at Scotts Valley High.
The hump day headlines also include readers’ favorites in home and business services getting their due in another installment of the Lookout List – check it all out below.
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Live Oak neighbors appeal approval of 57-unit Capitola Road project, challenge use of state’s ‘builder’s remedy’ law
Residents near a proposed Capitola Road apartment complex led by local developer Workbench are appealing the Santa Cruz County planning commission’s approval of the project, arguing the builder can’t take advantage of state laws to override local control. Tania Ortiz has the latest.
Santa Cruz County loses ‘a warrior’ with the passing of activist Rose Filicetti
Capitola resident Rose Filicetti was a “force to be reckoned with” in the world of local nonprofits. The activist and volunteer community leader died Monday at the age of 73 from complications after heart surgery. A community remembers her tireless contributions. More here from Wallace Baine.
DAILY DIGEST
That’s what I know as we hit Wednesday morning, and with more on the way from Lookout, please do make sure you’re plugged in. Download the Lookout Santa Cruz app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store to take full advantage of our local coverage, including breaking news notifications, games and more. Sign up here for breaking news alerts via email and for all of our other free newsletters (coming Thursday, for example, is Wallace Baine’s arts & entertainment-focused Weekender); Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Threads and Bluesky are where you’ll find Lookout on social media.
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Thanks for reading, and take it easy out on our roads once the rain arrives.
Will McCahill