Good morning, all. It’s Monday, June 8, and the forecast sees something of a cooler day around Santa Cruz County – a mix of sun and clouds, temperatures in the 70s – ahead of a warmup that could find our toastier spots in triple digits by Thursday.
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Max Chun has his weekly look at our highways and byways in the form of Carmageddon, with the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission set to award a contract for managing a section of rail trail in Aptos and an update on the county’s annual roadwork.
Local institution Santa Cruz Guitar Company turns 50 this year, Mat Weir writes, and is celebrating not only with an exhibition at the Museum of Art & History and shows at Kuumbwa and the Rio, but also with a special guitar made with woods sourced from within city limits.
It’s wildfire season, and Kevin Painchaud paid a visit to Cal Fire’s Glenwood Fire Center in San Mateo County to see how the agency is preparing. The station was created in response to a growing need for firefighters trained in both wildfire suppression and vegetation management across Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties.
Kevin was out and about all weekend, so before the headlines, some glimpses through his lens:
Thousands packed downtown Santa Cruz on Sunday for the 51st annual Santa Cruz Pride Parade and Festival, celebrating the LGBTQ+ community with a colorful procession along Pacific Avenue. More than 70 parade contingents marched through downtown while thousands of spectators lined the street, cheering on participants waving rainbow flags, dancing to music and showcasing community pride.
On Saturday, 12 Lookout members started their day by joining Lily Belli on a tasting tour of the annual Vegfest event at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds. With Lookout providing ways for readers and members to be out in the community and connect with our correspondents, stay tuned for more events.
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Carmageddon: RTC to consider contract award for rail trail construction management services; annual roadwork underway
The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission on Thursday will consider awarding a contract for construction management services for Segment 12 of the Coastal Rail Trail. Meanwhile, the county’s annual road work is underway, with Mid-County projects set to wrap up this week. Here’s this week’s look at traffic and transit from Max Chun.
From Westside workshop to world stage: Santa Cruz Guitar Company celebrates 50 years
A half-century after Richard Hoover co-founded Santa Cruz Guitar Company, the internationally acclaimed guitar maker is celebrating its roots with a museum exhibit, concerts and a one-of-a-kind guitar crafted from Santa Cruz redwood and sycamore. Mat Weir has the story.
DAILY DIGEST
Before I go, a heads-up on Lookout events happening this week:
- Wednesday, June 10: Lookout Trivia Night returns to downtown Santa Cruz, with the retired-ish Wallace Baine as emcee. It’s free at Abbott Square, but please do RSVP here.
- Thursday, June 11: The Santa Cruz Area Chamber of Commerce will host a business after-hours event at Lookout’s office above Pacific Avenue. Attendees will get to tour the newsroom, meet staff members and learn more about Lookout. Details and registration here.
Keep up with all of Lookout’s coverage as we charge into another week by downloading the Lookout Santa Cruz app from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, and sign up here for breaking news alerts via email and for all of our other newsletters – all free. In the wilds of social media, follow Lookout on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram and/or Threads for your local news fix there.
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Have a good Monday, and thanks for reading.
Will McCahill