Good morning, one and all. It’s Thursday, July 3, and the clouds-to-sun, 60s-to-80s weather pattern is set to continue for Santa Cruz County right through the Independence Day long weekend.
JUMP TO … Neighborhood Roundup | Latest News | Opinion | Briefs | Event Calendar | Job Board | Puzzles
News of a class ring lost then found 28 years later on a local beach struck a familiar note for UC Santa Cruz ocean expert Gary Griggs, Hillary Ojeda reports. Griggs has used the story of a class ring that turned up on Main Beach some 44 years after it disappeared as an entry point to lessons on sand movement along our coastline.
A downtown Santa Cruz breakfast/brunch institution is on the menu for Pleasure Point, with Lily Belli reporting that Mad Yolks will open next week in the 41st Avenue spot that was most recently home to Flashbird.
A pilot program aimed at boosting the adoption of electric vehicles is coming to Watsonville, Tania Ortiz reports, in the form of a low-cost and bilingual electric car-sharing service. San Joaquin Valley-based nonprofit Míocar plans to provide eight Hyundai Ioniq 5s across three charging sites.
UC Santa Cruz’s belt-tightening measures come in for criticism from a recent graduate in Lookout’s Community Voices opinion section, with Brock Hrehor writing that the school should be trimming administrative jobs rather than gutting essential courses like language instruction taught by lecturers.
Before the Thursday headlines, a snapshot from this month’s Lookout Trivia Night:
Did you know that Virginia Woolf once wrote a biography of a dog belonging to Elizabeth Barrett Browning? At Wednesday night’s Lookout Trivia Night, the team known as Beer Wolves did indeed know that, and that answer netted the Wolves a win against four other teams in the final round. (Congratulation to Dave, Autumn, Jim, Chris, Pat and Susan.) Host Wallace Baine welcomed guest co-host Shmuel Thaler for a round of dueling trivia about the 1969 New York Mets and the cult film “The Big Lebowski.” About 100 people came out to the free event at Abbott Square to learn, among other things, that Dear Abby was born on the Fourth of July and that “colossal” is the largest size of olives. The next Lookout Trivia Night comes to Abbott Square on Aug. 6.
Were you forwarded this newsletter? Sign up here to receive Morning Lookout in your inbox every weekday.
How did these class rings stay put for decades? Santa Cruz County beach mystery delights ocean expert
UC Santa Cruz coastal scientist Gary Griggs sees a scientific mystery in two lost-and-found class rings — including one buried for 44 years at Main Beach. Griggs says the stories challenge assumptions about coastal sand movement, raising new questions about how objects can remain so close to where they were lost despite decades of shifting shorelines. Here’s what he told Hillary Ojeda.
Santa Cruz’s Mad Yolks cracks open new location in Pleasure Point
Mad Yolks, the egg-themed brunch hotspot known for its loaded brioche sandwiches and playful vibe, is opening a second location in Pleasure Point next week. The new location on 41st Avenue brings the same indulgent menu with a few new twists — and a cozy, community-focused feel that invites guests to linger. Go inside with Lily Belli.
DAILY DIGEST
The long weekend is nearly upon us, and among what’s still coming from Lookout is Wallace Baine’s compendium of recommendations for things to do, news and notes from around the world of Santa Cruz County arts & entertainment. Sign up here to get Weekender and all of our other newsletters (plus breaking news alerts) sent right to you. Find Lookout’s award-winning coverage on social media by connecting with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Threads and Bluesky, and download the Lookout Santa Cruz app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
Our content isn’t possible without community support, so if you’re not already, please consider becoming a Lookout member.
Have a good Thursday, and may your Fourth of July long weekend be a safe, relaxing one. I’ll see you Monday.
Will McCahill