Greetings, friends and neighbors. It is Tuesday, Feb. 10, and rain is in the forecast for Santa Cruz County, beginning in the afternoon and running into Thursday.

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Lily Belli starts us off by digging into what’s going on with Jeffery’s, the long-standing restaurant at the corner of Soquel Avenue and Capitola Road on Santa Cruz’s Eastside. It’s been closed since late January, and there are more questions than answers, with a staff member posting on social media that Jeffery’s has been sold, though there’s no public record of a sale and the owner had no comment.

Pajaro Valley Unified School District administrators are proposing eliminating the district’s 17 elementary school assistant principals starting next academic year, the teachers union president tells Hillary Ojeda. A PVUSD spokesperson had not answered Lookout’s questions about why the district decided to eliminate these jobs and if it was part of the district’s effort to address its budget deficit. 

In Lookout’s Community Voices opinion section, a trio of local business and fishing leaders is urging the public to speak out against Trump administration plans for oil drilling off our coast. Kristen Brown, Terrence Concannon and Melissa Mahoney warn that proposed offshore oil and gas leasing would endanger local tourism, fisheries and the region’s coastal identity. 

Let’s check out the Tuesday headlines.

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Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

Sudden ‘temporary’ closure at Jeffery’s sparks questions, hope about reopening longtime restaurant

Jeffery’s, the nearly 50-year-old diner at Capitola Road and Soquel Avenue, abruptly closed Jan. 28, leaving longtime customers searching for answers. A staff member suggested the restaurant has been sold and will reopen. The owner declined to comment. Public records say nothing about a sale. Here’s what Lily Belli learned.

Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

Pajaro Valley Unified to eliminate assistant principal positions in elementary schools

Pajaro Valley Unified School District administrators are proposing to eliminate 17 assistant principal positions at elementary schools next academic year, a move that has alarmed teachers already reeling from roughly 160 recent layoffs. Union leaders and educators say the cuts could strain school operations, jeopardize safety and place additional burdens on teachers and principals. Details here from Hillary Ojeda.

You’ll want to stay tuned as Tuesday unfolds around Santa Cruz County, since there’s plenty more coming from Lookout. Sign up here to get breaking news alerts via email and for all of our other newsletters, including the latest from our local culinary scene with Lily Belli on Food. Download the Lookout Santa Cruz app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for breaking news notifications, all of our local coverage, games and more right on your smartphone, and follow Lookout on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram and/or Threads to get it all in your social media feed.

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Have a good Tuesday – thanks for reading!

Will McCahill

A veteran jack-of-all-trades journalist who is Lookout’s copy editor, writes and compiles Morning Lookout newsletter and produces Lookout’s other editorial newsletters and helps run Lookout’s social...