Good morning, all. It’s Thursday, April 16, and another mostly sunny day is on tap for Santa Cruz County, with highs in the upper 60s and low 70s.
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The candidates for District 4 Santa Cruz County supervisor convened Wednesday evening at a Lookout forum in Watsonville, and Tania Ortiz has our coverage. Incumbent Felipe Hernandez and challengers Tony Nuñez and Elias Gonzales discussed hot-button issues such as battery storage, housing and affordability during the event.
Lily Belli brings word on a takeout-only outpost for longtime Watsonville favorite El Frijolito, reporting that Tacos El Frijolito opened in a shopping center at the corner of Green Valley Road and Main Street in early April with a menu that includes around 20 Mexican classics, including tacos, burritos, chilaquiles and sopes.
The downtown Santa Cruz building that was once home to Outdoor World is making way for affordable housing, Max Chun reports. The planned six-story building will include 50 affordable units and 1,000 square feet of commercial and retail space.
And in Lookout’s Community Voices opinion section, former chamber of commerce head Casey Beyer weighs in on the race to replace Gavin Newsom as California governor. With a crowded field, volatile race dynamics and many undecided voters, front-runners might not reflect Santa Cruz County priorities, he writes, contending that our focus should be on candidates who address housing, jobs, homelessness and climate resilience and pointing to Betty Yee and Matt Mahan as contenders who will be most aligned with the county’s needs, despite trailing in statewide polls.
To the headlines …
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District 4 county supervisor candidates make case to voters during Wednesday night forum
In a Lookout election forum Wednesday, candidates for the District 4 Santa Cruz County supervisor seat — incumbent Felipe Hernandez and challengers Tony Nuñez and Elias Gonzales — shared their visions to improve South County and their views on hot-button issues. Tania Ortiz reports.
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Watsonville’s El Frijolito adds takeout-only taco spot near Highway 1
Watsonville mainstay El Frijolito has opened a second location, Tacos El Frijolito, offering a takeout-only menu of Mexican staples near the Highway 1 corridor. The expansion builds on the family-run restaurant’s nearly 40-year history and recent remodel of its original downtown location. Here’s more from Lily Belli.
DAILY DIGEST
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Have an excellent Thursday, and thanks for reading.
Will McCahill