Good morning. It’s Tuesday, Aug. 4, and after a hazy start, the Santa Cruz County forecast calls for mostly sunny skies and a range of temperatures from mid-90s in the mountains to around 70 at our beaches.
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The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk was evacuated Monday night amid reports of gunfire, Caly Luna Plowman and Max Chun report. No one was struck by gunfire, there were no reported injuries and there was no active threat to the public, a police spokesperson said; the investigation is continuing.
The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors is holding a special meeting Tuesday to consider not only putting a half-cent sales tax increase on the November ballot, Tania Ortiz reports, but also to weigh a resolution declaring a state of fiscal distress as a result of “federal funding reductions, a structural general fund imbalance and threats to the long-term sustainability of essential county services.”
Renegade Theater Company throws one unforgettable party with “The Rocky Horror Show,” Jana Marcus writes in her latest review, delivering a wildly entertaining production filled with fearless performances, a terrific live band and the kind of audience participation that reminds us why live theater is unlike anything else.
In Lookout’s Community Voices opinion section, Santa Cruz Feminist Society co-founder Angela Lipanovich writes about living with the misogyny that’s the hallmark of the present-day manosphere long before it had that name. The manosphere didn’t invent misogyny — it monetized it, Lipanovich writes as she reflects on the childhood abuse that shaped her understanding of power, class and gender, arguing that feminism is ultimately a conversation about economic dependence.
To the Tuesday headlines …
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Santa Cruz County considers half-cent sales tax increase, fiscal distress declaration as federal cuts mount
At a Tuesday meeting, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors will weigh whether to put a half-cent sales tax increase on the November ballot to help weather ongoing financial challenges. Tania Ortiz previews the proceedings.
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk evacuated following reports of gunfire; no injuries reported, police say
Around 9 p.m. on Monday, police responded to reports of shots fired in the parking lot near the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. No one was struck by gunfire, a police spokesperson said. Details here from Caly Luna Plowman and Max Chun.
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Have a good Tuesday – thanks for reading.
Will McCahill