Greetings, Lookout readers. It is Tuesday, Oct. 13, and another sunny, mild day is on tap around Santa Cruz County – mid- to upper 70s in the mountains and mid-60s to around 70 at the beach, where a coastal flood advisory remains in effect until Tuesday afternoon.
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The Santa Cruz Film Festival kicks off Wednesday, and Alia Yee Noll leads us off with a preview. Not only are there documentaries on AIDS activism, Holocaust history and local wine- and cidermaking, but audiences can also immerse themselves in films ranging from animated shorts to romcoms to psychological thrillers.
As Lookout’s free Election 2026 coverage continues, Hillary Ojeda introduces us to the candidates running for the Trustee Area 4 seat on Soquel Union Elementary School District’s governing board. Incumbent Ariel Gray is seeking reelection, while newcomer Andrea Locke says she wants greater transparency around classroom curriculum.
It’s all about the election in Lookout’s Community Voices opinion section, too, where the Lookout Editorial Board is out with its endorsements in the two contested races for the Watsonville City Council. You’ll also find an explanation of how the board goes about its endorsement process.
Let’s check out those Tuesday headlines.
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Santa Cruz Film Festival explores AIDS activism, Holocaust history and the power of art
The Santa Cruz Film Festival runs Wednesday through Sunday and features documentaries exploring AIDS activism, Holocaust history and cultural resistance, alongside comedies, thrillers and films celebrating local winemaking and cidermaking. More here from Alia Yee Noll.
Soquel Union Elementary school board race pits incumbent Ariel Gray against newcomer Andrea Locke
Incumbent Ariel Gray is seeking reelection against newcomer Andrea Locke for the Trustee Area 4 seat on the Soquel Union Elementary School District governing board. The district serves about 1,520 students in three elementary schools and one middle school across Capitola, Soquel and Santa Cruz. Read more from Hillary Ojeda.
➤ ELECTION 2026: Read more of Lookout’s free coverage here
DAILY DIGEST
We’ll have more on the Lookout menu as Tuesday unfurls around Santa Cruz County, and that includes that Tuesday culinary staple, Lily Belli on Food – just one of the many free newsletters and breaking news alerts you should sign up for here. You can also opt into breaking news notifications when you download the Lookout Santa Cruz app from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, a must for keeping all of our local coverage, games and more close at hand. And follow Lookout on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram and/or Threads to keep up with it all via social media.
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Thanks for reading – have a super Tuesday.
Will McCahill