Good morning, one and all. It is Friday, Aug. 22, and the heat advisory continues until 10 p.m. for the Santa Cruz Mountains, with temperatures nearing 100, and the rest of the county topping out around 80 under mostly sunny skies.
JUMP TO … Neighborhood Roundup | Latest News | Opinion | Briefs | Event Calendar | Job Board | Puzzles
Max Chun starts us off with the latest on the Santa Cruz County housing market, reporting that inventory and sales both continued an upward trend in July, with one real estate agent calling it “an ‘almost buyer’s market.'”
Hillary Ojeda has a pair of stories from the local education scene. After a tumultuous six years on the job, UC Santa Cruz Chancellor Cynthia Larive is set to undergo a regular, if overdue, five-year University of California review, a process that involves the UC president and both the UC-wide and UCSC academic senates.
Hillary also introduces us to Aptos High School’s new principal, who arrives after decades of experience as an administrator in Alaska. “I’m not coming here trying to make massive changes,” Lisa Lansdale says. “What I’m adding to the mix is joyful excitement.”
The day’s headlines also include a double shot of Wallace Baine. Not only will you find his roadmap to the weekend, but he also previews the Festival of Dreams, coming to the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History in October – a weekend-long conference of thinkers and researchers on the subject of dreams and their links to creativity, mental health and spirituality.
Without further ado, to the headlines.
Were you forwarded this newsletter? Sign up here to receive Morning Lookout in your inbox every weekday.
Santa Cruz County housing picture ‘almost a buyer’s market’ as inventory, sales continue rising
Inventory and sales were up in both July over the previous month and over July 2024 as the busy summer for Santa Cruz County’s housing market continues. Real estate professionals say the market is shifting more in favor of buyers, even if it hasn’t quite gotten there yet. Max Chun has the update.
Seeking adventure, new Aptos High principal trades Alaska’s dark winters for California sun
After about five decades in Alaska, educator Lisa Lansdale has relocated to California to become the new principal of Aptos High School. As she steps into a leadership role at a school still recovering from recent turmoil, Lansdale aims to foster safety and joy. More here from Hillary Ojeda.
DAILY DIGEST
We’ve got more cooking this Friday and into the weekend at Lookout, including another bite of Santa Cruz County food & drink from Lily Belli in the form of Eaters Digest – one of the many newsletters and breaking news alerts you should get signed up for here. Another great way to keep up with our award-winning local coverage is to download the Lookout Santa Cruz app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, and you can find us in your social media feeds, too, by connecting with Lookout on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Threads and Bluesky.
Our content isn’t possible without community support, so if you’re not already, please consider becoming a Lookout member.
Thanks very much for reading – may your Friday be a smooth one, and here’s to a safe, relaxing weekend beyond.
Will McCahill