Good morning. It’s Wednesday, Nov. 11 – Veterans Day – and looking like a last day of full sunshine around Santa Cruz County, with temperatures in the 70s and low 80s, before clouds start rolling in tomorrow ahead of a forecast rainy stretch. A beach hazards statement – meaning possible sneaker waves and rip currents – goes into effect at 6 p.m. today for the local shoreline and runs into Friday, with the National Weather Service following that with a high surf warning to run from Friday evening to Sunday morning.
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
Kevin Painchaud was on the cliffs above Panther State Beach, north of Santa Cruz, on Tuesday afternoon as family and friends of Senah Park gathered near where she was swept into the ocean on Sunday. After the Coast Guard called off its search earlier Tuesday, father Kwanghyon Park is asking for the public’s help. “Anyone who’s hiking or in the area, please keep your eyes open for our beloved Senah,” Park pleaded. “Just pray for us.”
With the calendar now firmly in November, Lily Belli looks back at her favorite Santa Cruz County bites of last month. The common thread in cuisines ranging from Japanese and Thai to American, she writes, is the passion that goes into them.
Jessica M. Pasko delivers her weekly look at local business, including the acquisition of Unnatural Products, a Santa Cruz-headquartered company focused on developing new treatments for certain types of rare cancers and diseases, in a deal that could be worth upward of $1 billion.
We got another update on the county’s Election 2026 vote totals Tuesday afternoon, with many races nearing their conclusion. Ryan Coonerty maintained a nearly 7% lead over Ami Chen Mills in the contest for Santa Cruz mayor, while Watsonville, Capitola and Scotts Valley are also closer to new city councilmembers. The next update is set for Friday afternoon, and you’ll find all of Lookout’s free coverage on our Election Central page.
Before the headlines, a sure-to-be-popular new entry from the Lookout List:
⭐ Wine tastings. Little treats. Breweries to visit with your friends (and/or dogs). Your favorite spots for Lookout List’s Food & Drink Experiences in Santa Cruz County offer a guide to any sort of food and drink experience you’re looking for.
➡️ Explore the winners in our Food & Drink Experiences here and keep an eye out as we announce our winners through this week and next.
Were you forwarded this newsletter? Sign up here to receive Morning Lookout in your inbox every weekday.
You’re missing out on full access to Lookout
As a reader of Lookout’s newsletters, you get access to a limited number of free articles per month — but there’s much more! Members of Lookout Santa Cruz get full access to every article published by our team of on-the-ground correspondents. Join now to go beyond the headlines and dive deep into Lookout’s local coverage.
Father pleads for help finding daughter swept out to sea at Panther State Beach
The father of a 24-year-old woman swept out to sea at Panther State Beach on Santa Cruz County’s North Coast is asking the public to help find her after the Coast Guard suspended its search Tuesday. Family members and friends are combing more than 10 miles of coastline, hoping to find Senah Park. Here’s more from Kevin Painchaud.
The best things I ate and drank in Santa Cruz County in October
October’s standout dishes in Santa Cruz County included bara chirashi sushi on the Westside of Santa Cruz, smoky St. Louis pork ribs in Live Oak, a spicy fried chicken sandwich in downtown Watsonville and roasted duck larb in Capitola. Though spanning Japanese, American and Thai cuisines, each dish showcases the care, skill and passion that make eating out special. Get a taste from Lily Belli.
DAILY DIGEST
Download the Lookout Santa Cruz app from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store for all of our award-winning local coverage, games and more, and don’t forget to opt into breaking news notifications while you’re at it. We also offer breaking news notifications via email, along with a variety of other newsletters, all free when you sign up here. Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram and Threads are where you can connect with Lookout on social media.
Our content isn’t possible without community support, so if you’re not already, please consider becoming a Lookout member.
Please take a moment today to reflect on all our veterans and their service; I’ll be remembering my namesake grandfather, a decorated World War II veteran who’s buried at Arlington.
Will McCahill