Good morning! It’s Friday, Aug. 7, and after some patchy morning fog, it’s shaping up to be another nice one around Santa Cruz County, with highs in the 70s at the beach – where a coastal flood advisory goes into effect this evening amid higher-than-normal tides – and lower 90s in the mountains.
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Friday is the filing deadline for candidates for Watsonville City Council, and Tania Ortiz runs down what we know about how the races are shaping up. Four of the council’s seven seats will be on the Nov. 3 ballot.
The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission is aiming to issue up to $75 million in bonds, Max Chun reports, for Highway 1 expansion and the Coastal Rail Trail as both projects continue to see escalating costs. The bond issue would require the transit agency to pay them back with future Measure D sales tax revenues.
With July in the rearview mirror, Lily Belli looks back on her favorite local bites of the month. Puerto Rican fare in downtown Santa Cruz, a stellar BLT in Aptos and fried green tomatoes in Soquel are on her latest mouth-watering list.
Jana Marcus is back with another theater review, taking in August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning “Fences” at Santa Cruz Shakespeare. The moving new production trusts Wilson’s language and a remarkable cast, she writes, with director Susan Dalian allowing the play’s emotional power to emerge naturally, creating an evening that is both intimate and deeply affecting.
The Friday morning headlines also include a new name for a Watsonville middle school, a last chance to take advantage of the local lavender harvest and your cheat sheet to going out and eating well around Santa Cruz County this weekend. Giddyup.
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The best things I ate in Santa Cruz County in July
Peak summer flavors are on full display across Santa Cruz County, from Luna’s Borikén Bites’ vibrant Puerto Rican comfort food to a tomato-forward BLT at Other Brother Beer Co. and crispy fried green tomatoes at Pretty Good Advice. Check out Lily Belli’s picks here.
Who’s running for Watsonville City Council? Four district races begin to take shape
In Watsonville, there will be four seats up for grabs in the November election — including a seat that will determine next year’s mayor. Here’s a roundup of who’s running, which includes some familiar faces.
DAILY DIGEST
Plenty to sort through as we embark on this first Friday in August, so I’ll let you get to it. Download the Lookout Santa Cruz app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store to keep our award-winning local coverage close at hand right through the weekend, including via breaking news notifications. Sign up here for breaking news alerts via email and for all of our other newsletters – all free. Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram and Threads are where you can connect with Lookout on social media.
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Here’s to a smooth Friday all around, and a safe, relaxing weekend beyond. Thanks for reading.
Will McCahill