Good morning! It is Monday, Oct. 20, and the pleasant weather stretch continues for Santa Cruz County, with the forecast calling for plentiful sunshine and high temperatures in the 70s and 80s.
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Hillary Ojeda has the latest in our series on the CZU fire, five years later. Many in the Santa Cruz Mountains who’ve been forced to turn to the California FAIR Plan as a last resort for fire insurance – already costly – are facing another round of steep rate hikes that has some worried they might not be able to afford to stay in the area.
From campus, meanwhile, Hillary reports that UC Santa Cruz reported a $95 million deficit for the 2025 fiscal year, exceeding spring estimates by $14 million but falling below initial projections.
Max Chun has the latest edition of his traffic-and-transit-focused Carmageddon, this week leading off with Capitola’s crumbling Grand Avenue pathway, with the city council to consider next steps – some of which could be pricey – at its Thursday meeting. He’s also got updates about projects along Highway 1 on the North Coast and Highway 9 in Ben Lomond.
More than five years after the Nickelodeon Theatre closed in downtown Santa Cruz, Wallace Baine examines questions not only about the viability of independent film, but also whether the once-robust subculture of arthouse cinema in Santa Cruz will ever come back.
The Monday headlines also include Lookout’s coverage of the weekend’s “No Kings” rallies across Santa Cruz County – let’s check it all out.
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After CZU destroyed their home, their insurance soared more than 600%. A new proposal could push it even higher
Santa Cruz Mountain residents still recovering from the CZU wildfires face a new looming crisis as the FAIR Plan — California’s fire insurer of last resort — proposes rate increases as high as 50% for homeowners in some fire-prone areas. That has left many residents fearing they can no longer afford to stay. Here’s the story from Hillary Ojeda.
➤ CZU FIRE, FIVE YEARS LATER: Read Lookout’s series here
Carmageddon: Capitola’s Grand Avenue pathway; Caltrans projects on Highways 1 and 9
Lasting repairs to preserve Capitola’s Grand Avenue Pathway could get expensive, according to the engineering report that the city council is scheduled to discuss Thursday. Meanwhile, Caltrans pushes ahead on an erosion prevention project up the coast on Highway 1 and accessibility improvements along Highway 9. Max Chun covers all that and this week’s traffic trouble spots around Santa Cruz County.
DAILY DIGEST
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Thanks for reading, and have an excellent Monday.
Will McCahill