What’s good, Santa Cruz County? It’s Wednesday, Oct. 21, and cloudy skies look to be the order of the day, with chances of showers throughout and temperatures in the 60s and low 70s.
I WANT TO … Become a Lookout member | Download the Lookout app | Browse latest news | Community Voices opinion | Get other Lookout newsletters | Solve a puzzle | Find local events | Advertise
Up first is Jessica M. Pasko with her Wednesday suite of business coverage, leading with news that Cruz Foam, once a heralded innovator in sustainable packaging, has closed up shop after what one former exec says were struggles to solve the full range of problems its customers needed packaging to address. Her weekly look at local business also includes a years-in-the-making move to the Nasdaq Stock Market by West Coast Community Bancorp.
A master taxidermist is coming to the stage tomorrow at The 418 Project in downtown Santa Cruz, with her goal, as she tells Alia Yee Noll, to “turn a dead bird into a tool for creating empathy.” Allis Markham will give an illustrated lecture on how taxidermy can be used for conservation education.
Lookout’s free Election 2026 coverage rolls on in our Community Voices opinion section with a pair of offerings. In one, voters get a chance to hear from candidates for the Capitola City Council in their own words via short videos; in the other, the Lookout Editorial Board offers its endorsement of two candidates for the Scotts Valley City Council.
The Wednesday headlines also include a legal setback for a section of the Coastal Rail Trail through Aptos Village, a looming strike by state workers and the latest in local food & drink from Lily Belli – let’s go.
Were you forwarded this newsletter? Sign up here to receive Morning Lookout in your inbox every weekday.
Get your first year of Lookout for $99
Take advantage of our election season special and get your first year of Lookout for just $99. Keep reading past Election Day with full access to all Lookout’s coverage — local government, arts & culture, food & dining and more. Sign up now to stay informed year-round.
This week in Santa Cruz County business: Cruz Foam ceases operations; West Coast Community Bank celebrates Nasdaq listing
Santa Cruz-based Cruz Foam, which developed a biodegradable packaging made from shrimp shells and other natural materials, has closed and sold off its intellectual property, Jessica M. Pasko reports in her weekly look at local business. Meanwhile, Santa Cruz-based West Coast Community Bancorp has moved its stock listing to the Nasdaq Stock Market, a milestone executives say is more than two decades in the making. Read it all here.
Santa Cruz taxidermy lecture explores how preserving animals can inspire conservation
After nearly 20 years in taxidermy, Allis Markham says the point isn’t realism. It’s connection. The Los Angeles-based master taxidermist will talk Thursday at The 418 Project in Santa Cruz about how salvaged animals in museums and nature centers get people to care about wildlife and the threats it faces. Here’s Alia Yee Noll’s preview.
DAILY DIGEST
A busy morning, and Lookout’s radar is always on, so make sure you’re keeping up with our continuing Santa Cruz County coverage. Download the Lookout Santa Cruz app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store to take all of said coverage along on your trusty smartphone, including via breaking news notifications. Sign up here for breaking news alerts via email and for all of our other newsletters – all free. Lookout is on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram and Threads, so follow us on your social media platform(s) of choice, too.
Our content isn’t possible without community support, so if you’re not already, please consider becoming a Lookout member.
Thanks for reading – have an excellent Wednesday.
Will McCahill