Good morning! It’s Monday, Jan. 5, and the rainy stretch continues around Santa Cruz County, with showers and some gusty winds forecast through Monday night and high temperatures Monday in the upper 50s.
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In the latest installment of our Newsmakers 2025 series, Lily Belli touched base with business owners in Santa Cruz’s Seabright neighborhood and around the harbor, where the Murray Street Bridge retrofit project has wreaked havoc. More than one criticized the city for poor planning and lack of support – while also citing crucial community support as they enter an uncertain 2026.
Lily also has a review of the new Aptos Village taproom for Seaside-based Other Brother Beer Co., finding that the compact space is turning out sandwiches and pub fare that pares well with Other Brother’s beer offerings and will keep locals coming back as the newcomers build out Santa Cruz County connections.
Max Chun delivers his traffic-and-transit-focused Carmageddon column, this week reporting that the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission is seeking input on a coastal resiliency project along Highway 1 on the county’s north coast, including a workshop set for the end of January.
Books about women dominated Santa Cruz Public Libraries’ most checked-out titles in 2025, Hillary Ojeda reports, led by Kristin Hannah’s “The Women” in adult fiction and Britney Spears’ memoir “The Woman in Me” in nonfiction.
The day’s headlines also include Wallace Baine’s look ahead to big-ticket arts and entertainment events coming our way this year – let’s get after it.
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Newsmakers 2025: Seabright, harbor business owners reflect on challenging year, community support and their fears for 2026
Business owners Michael Spadafora and Patrice Boyle reflect on a tumultuous year for their businesses as the Murray Street Bridge closure slashed summer traffic, left them struggling to survive and exposed what they describe as a lack of communication and meaningful help from the city. While their activism hasn’t gained much traction with officials, community support from customers and local organizations has helped them hold on through a precarious year. Lily Belli reports.
➤ NEWSMAKERS 2025: Find more in the series here
Seaside’s Other Brother opens cozy taproom in Aptos with award-winning beer, standout sandwiches
Other Brother Beer Co. opened its first satellite taproom, in Aptos Village, at the end of December, with 22 taps of its Seaside-brewed beers and a compact, food-forward menu designed for the smaller space. Chef Josie Lewis focuses on fresh, hearty sandwiches and shareable plates as the team works to build community connections in Santa Cruz County. Here’s Lily Belli’s review.
DAILY DIGEST
We’re chugging right along this first full week of 2026, so make sure you’re keeping up with Lookout’s award-winning Santa Cruz County coverage. Download the Lookout Santa Cruz app from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store for the latest news and views, breaking news notifications, games and more; sign up here for breaking news alerts via email and for all of our other newsletters; and if you’re the social media type, keep up there by following Lookout on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Threads and Bluesky.
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Here’s to a smooth Monday for one and all – thanks for reading!
Will McCahill