Hello there, readers. It is Thursday, Sept. 10, and while the forecast calls for a slightly cooler day around Santa Cruz County than yesterday, we remain under a heat advisory until 10 p.m., with temperatures expected to reach nearly triple digits in the mountains and close to 90 at our beaches.
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With tomorrow marking the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, local first responders will gather for their annual stair climb at Seacliff State Beach in Aptos, Max Chun reports. With some of those now joining emergency services not having been born yet on 9/11, it’s “transitioning from a lived memory to more of an institutional memory,” Santa Cruz’s fire chief said.
Mat Weir previews a celebratory solo performance for local music legend Rick Walker set for Saturday in Santa Cruz’s Seabright neighborhood. The three-hour event will honor his 25 years running the Y2K International Live Looping Festival, 30 years as a live looper in town, 50 years as a professional musician and an astounding 60 years as a professional drummer and percussionist.
In Lookout’s Community Voices opinion section, Aptos resident Gil Stein writes about a new California law this year that brings stronger protections against antisemitism – and new standards for what is taught – in Santa Cruz County classrooms. He raises the question: Is demanding accuracy and freedom from discriminatory bias really an attack on free speech?
Before we hit the Thursday headlines, a peek at the year’s penultimate Lookout Trivia Night:
More than 70 trivia fans came out to a toasty Abbott Square on Wednesday for a night of questions, competition and community with trivia master Wallace Baine. In the end, aptly named team Boiled Brains – made up of Janet Fine, Dylan Robbins Kelley, Leslie Bixel, Don Wright and David Robbins – came out on top, taking home the ultimate prize: Pacific Cookie Company cookies, some Lookout swag and bragging rights. Save the date for one more on Oct. 14.
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Santa Cruz County first responders set to memorialize 25th anniversary of 9/11 on Friday
Firefighters in Santa Cruz County are preparing for their annual stair climb on Friday to memorialize the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. While always a powerful event, those participating at Seacliff State Beach in Aptos this year think of the importance of passing down the remembrance to younger generations who are increasingly separated from the day of the attacks. Read more from Max Chun.
Four anniversaries, one night: Santa Cruz music fixture Rick Walker marks 60 years onstage
Local drumming legend and live-looping pioneer Rick Walker is celebrating four career milestones — 60 years as a percussionist, 50 as a pro musician, 30 as a live looper and 25 running the Y2K International Live Looping Festival — with a genre-hopping solo show at the Cayuga Stage this Saturday. Mat Weir previews the event.
DAILY DIGEST
This might be a short week, but I know you’re still looking forward to a well-deserved weekend – and Lookout has just the newsletter for you. Sign up here for Weekender, your cheat sheet to going out and eating well around Santa Cruz County – just one of the many newsletters and breaking news alerts you can subscribe to for free. Breaking news notifications are among the many features of the Lookout Santa Cruz app, available for download from both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, and we’ve also staked out social media spots on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram and Threads – do follow along there for the latest local news and views.
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Thank you for reading – keep it comfortable out there.
Will McCahill