Ahoy, friends and neighbors. Thursday, May 29, is here, bringing mostly sunny skies and temperatures from the low 70s to the low 80s. Friday is forecast to bring a blast of heat for inland areas, with the Santa Cruz Mountains under a heat advisory from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
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If “heat advisory” makes you think wildfire risk, you’re not alone – as Max Chun reports, local fire agencies are gearing up for summer’s elevated challenges, even as fire season has evolved into more of a year-round worry.
Christopher Neely continues his reporting on Santa Cruz County’s budget crunch, spotlighting the Mental Health Client Action Network, a peer-run day center that, despite having been a beacon of hope for years, is on the chopping block.
The Trump administration’s onslaught against academia continues to ripple through UC Santa Cruz, where a number of astronomy doctoral graduates tell Hillary Ojeda their next move is likely going aboard as the prospects for doing research and getting a job dim here in the United States.
A resident of one of the Live Oak mobile home parks at odds with the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission has the floor in Lookout’s Community Voices opinion section, with Cami Corvin taking issue with RTC statements regarding alleged encroachments along the rail corridor and urging a more open dialogue.
To the headlines …
For Santa Cruz’s most vulnerable, this peer-run clubhouse is a lifeline. Now the county could take it away.
The Mental Health Client Action Network has, for decades, helped people reclaim their lives through a peer-run, clubhouse-style service center. Now, MHCAN might not make it through summer as a tight budget has the Santa Cruz County government threatening to pull funding, a decision that would permanently shutter the organization. Christopher Neely reports.
Santa Cruz County firefighters gear up for an active ‘fire year’
Fire departments throughout Santa Cruz County are prepared for a dry, hot summer as they grapple with fire season starting earlier and lasting longer than it ever has. Area fire professionals agree that focusing on defensible space around one’s home is the most important thing to mitigate risk. Details here from Max Chun.
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Lots more to come from Lookout, and among what you’ll want to stay tuned for is Weekender, Wallace Baine’s recommendation-packed look ahead to what’s happening around Santa Cruz County arts & entertainment. Sign up here to get that and all of Lookout’s other newsletters delivered right to you, along with breaking news alerts. You can also opt into breaking news notifications on the Lookout Santa Cruz app, available for download from both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. And if your daily scroll includes social media, connect with Lookout on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Threads and Bluesky to keep up with our award-winning local coverage there.
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A pleasant Thursday, one and all – thank you for reading.
Will McCahill