Greetings, friends and neighbors. It is Tuesday, June 16, and it’ll be another foggy morning giving way to sunshine around Santa Cruz County, with high temperatures from around 70 at the bay to upper 80s in the mountains.
I WANT TO … Become a Lookout member | Download the Lookout app | Browse latest news | Get other Lookout newsletters | Solve a puzzle | Find local events | Advertise
The Sunday death of Santa Cruz musician Oliver Tree in a helicopter crash in Brazil has sent shock waves through the local creative community and beyond, and Mat Weir, who knew the singular force of nature for 13 years, has a remembrance. “He left an impact on anyone he met and carved out space in the hearts of his friends and loved ones,” Weir writes of Oliver Tree Nickell, who was 32. “You knew that whatever he came out with, that’s what he wanted to do, and that spoke to so many of us who are trying to make it in this world.”
With the World Cup underway across the U.S., Canada and Mexico, a group of 11 Freedom Elementary School students will be in Santa Clara on Tuesday night to walk onto the pitch with players from Austria and Jordan ahead of their match, Hillary Ojeda reports. “I was shocked,” 10-year-old soccer superfan Isai Guerrero said of getting the news. “I didn’t have any words, I was just excited.”
In the wake of last month’s no-confidence vote by faculty members in Pajaro Middle School’s principal, teachers union president Brandon Diniz calls on Pajaro Valley Unified School District to address those concerns in a Community Voices opinion piece. With teachers citing safety concerns, poor communication and inadequate responses to serious incidents, Diniz writes, district leaders can no longer dismiss the concerns as a labor dispute and must address the serious issues the school faces.
The Tuesday headlines also include the surprise announcement that Big Brothers Big Sisters of Monterey Bay will halt its mentoring services after more than four decades – read along.
Were you forwarded this newsletter? Sign up here to receive Morning Lookout in your inbox every weekday.
You’re missing out on full access to Lookout
As a reader of Lookout’s newsletters, you get access to a limited number of free articles per month — but there’s much more! Members of Lookout Santa Cruz get full access to every article published by our team of on-the-ground correspondents. Join now to go beyond the headlines and dive deep into Lookout’s local coverage.
From Harbor High to global icon: Remembering the genius of Oliver Tree
Santa Cruz-based journalist Mat Weir, who has known Oliver Tree for 13 years, shares his thoughts on his tragic death and the legacy he leaves behind in his home city. Read more here.
Freedom Elementary School students to escort World Cup players onto the field Tuesday night
Freedom Elementary School fourth grader Isai Guerrero and 10 classmates will escort players onto the field before Tuesday night’s World Cup match between Austria and Jordan at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. Hillary Ojeda has the story.
DAILY DIGEST
We’ve got plenty more cooking at Lookout as Tuesday reveals itself, including Lily Belli on Food, a weekly dispatch from Santa Cruz County’s culinary scene – one of many other free newsletters and breaking news alerts you can sign up for here. Breaking news notifications are also available with the Lookout Santa Cruz app, which you can download from both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. And you’ll of course find our mix of local news and views on social media – give Lookout a follow on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram and/or Threads.
Our content isn’t possible without community support, so if you’re not already, please consider becoming a Lookout member.
Have a super Tuesday, and thanks for reading.
Will McCahill