Hello there! It’s Tuesday, Sept. 2, and the Santa Cruz County forecast is for a bit of a cooldown after the toasty holiday weekend – upper 60s at the beach, around 90 in the mountains under mostly sunny skies.
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After reporting last week on UC Santa Cruz’s move to acquire 200 acres adjacent to its coastal campus, Hillary Ojeda has the story of a stable on that land that’s now facing an uncertain future. Horse owners at Coast Ranch Stables are scrambling to find alternatives for their animals, many of which are elderly or medically fragile.
In his weekly Carmageddon column, Max Chun reports on the hurdles facing Santa Cruz’s plan to help businesses hurt by the Murray Street Bridge closure. Proposed traffic solutions are still expected to take many months, city officials say – and there’s no guarantee they’ll significantly ease congestion.
Labor Day brought news that more local coffeehouse workers are moving to unionize, with Lily Belli reporting that employees at three Verve Coffee Roasters cafés, including two in Santa Cruz, notified their managers that they intend to unionize.
Jana Marcus is back with her latest local theater review, taking in All About Theatre’s production of the provocative teen musical “Spring Awakening.” It’s messy, moving and alive, she writes – a reminder of why supporting local theater matters.
And in Lookout’s Community Voices opinion section, Jacob Sandobal, a Watsonville native who’s interning in the U.S. Senate, reflects on the stark contrast between militarized Washington, D.C., and the community-driven civic life he experienced in Santa Cruz County.
The Tuesday headlines also include your chance to spotlight the people, places and businesses that make this community thrive – let’s check it all out.
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Historic horse stable, home to rescue animals, faces eviction as UCSC moves to acquire coastal property
After five decades serving local horse owners and rescue animals, Coast Road Stables faces displacement as UC Santa Cruz and The Conservation Fund move forward with plans to purchase the 200-acre coastal property just north of city limits. With leases set to end by June 2026, boarders say they’ve been left in the dark — and are now scrambling to find alternatives for their animals, many of which are elderly or medically fragile. Here’s more from Hillary Ojeda.
Carmageddon: City council’s Murray Street Bridge rescue plan could take years, with uncertain benefits
The Santa Cruz City Council’s plans to fix problems caused by the lengthy Murray Street Bridge closure could face a long, costly road ahead, city officials say, with no guarantee they will significantly ease congestion. Max Chun has the latest.
DAILY DIGEST
There’s lots more coming from Lookout as we launch into the abbreviated workweek, including a pair of newsletters – Christopher Neely’s In the Public Interest, covering Santa Cruz County politics & policy, and Lily Belli on Food, with the latest dish on our food & drink scene. Sign up here to get those delivered right to you, along with breaking news alerts. Download the Lookout Santa Cruz app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store to take our award-winning local coverage wherever your Tuesday goes, and keep up via social media by following Lookout on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Threads and Bluesky.
Nominations are happening now for The Lookout List. Cast your vote today!
BEFORE I GO … 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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Thanks for reading!
Will McCahill