Hi there! It’s Tuesday, Oct. 20, and a partly sunny day lies ahead for Santa Cruz County, with temperatures in the 60s and low 70s; more clouds are forecast to move in overnight, bringing chances of showers into Thursday.
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Lily Belli dives into the playful, flavor-packed world of the Mexican snacks known as antojitos, which translates to “little cravings.” “The term encompasses a huge array of Latin American street foods, from tortas to fruit cocktails dusted with Tajin,” she writes. “The name might be diminutive, but the flavors and presentations are anything but” – and she’s got an array of local spots to tempt those taste buds.
In something of a surprise turn, the corpse flower at the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum is set to bloom again, just four years after its most recent rotting-flesh-scented blossoming. “Every four years is kind of early as we understand it,” the arboretum’s director tells Hillary Ojeda. “When the large petal-like structure does actually open, it’s only going to be open for a day. All those things combined make it a super special plant experience to see.”
It’s a Scotts Valley-centric day in Lookout’s Community Voices opinion section. In an op-ed, Santa Cruz County Hotel & Lodging Association President Bijal Patel writes about Measure G, a ballot initiative that would raise the city’s hotel tax from 11% to a county-high 13% – a measure, Patel writes, “that moved forward without the level of dialogue, analysis or transparency our community should expect.” You can also hear from the three candidates competing for two seats on the Scotts Valley City Council – Danny Reber, incumbent Greg Wimp and Michael Zeller – in their own words via short videos. It’s all part of Lookout’s free Election 2026 coverage.
To the headlines …
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Where to find antojitos in Santa Cruz County: Six spots for Mexican snacks and sweets
Antojitos, the colorful, indulgent Mexican snacks that range from loaded chips and fresh fruit to elaborate ice cream creations, are gaining popularity in Santa Cruz County, with family-run shops bringing a taste of home to new communities. From a concha ice cream sandwich in Ben Lomond to Tostilocos and candy-stuffed watermelon in Watsonville, Lily Belli highlights six local spots to explore the playful world of antojitos.
UCSC corpse flower set to bloom just in time for Halloween — and it stinks
A corpse flower at UC Santa Cruz is getting ready to bloom for only the second time since it arrived in 2012, and it could open right around Halloween. The bloom is short-lived and smells terrible, and it could pull in big crowds again. In 2022, thousands of people came to see (and smell) it. Hillary Ojeda is on the corpse flower beat.
DAILY DIGEST
There’s much more in store from Lookout as Tuesday trundles along, not least of which will be more from Santa Cruz County’s culinary frontiers via Lily Belli on Food, one of the many newsletters and breaking news alerts – all free! – that you can sign up for here. Breaking news notifications are just one perk of the Lookout Santa Cruz app, available for download from both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. And if you’re on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram and/or Threads, follow Lookout to stay current with our mix of local news and views there.
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Have a super Tuesday – thank you for reading.
Will McCahill