Ahoy, Lookout friends. It is Thursday, Aug. 27, and the Santa Cruz County forecast calls for increasing clouds as the day goes on, with a shower possible and highs ranging from the upper 70s to lower 90s.
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The Watsonville City Council has rescinded the approval of a 21-unit townhome development across from the city’s airport, Tania Ortiz reports, following a court ruling that found the city had violated state airport safety and environmental laws.
Nearby, meanwhile, a pair of scientists is preparing to open Watsonville’s newest distillery, Lily Belli reports. Chad Kecy, senior electrical engineer for the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, and Elisha Wood-Charlson, a biologist for Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, are behind aquatic-themed Fathom Spirits, which will launch with four gins infused with Santa Cruz-inspired botanicals.
In Lookout’s Community Voices opinion section, economist Richard McGahey writes that Santa Cruz’s mayoral race is exposing a sharp contradiction: progressive politics and resistance to new housing. He argues that candidates Ryan Coonerty and Ami Chen Mills need a “Mamdani moment” on housing – and points to their opposition to a proposed Seabright project as a troubling example.
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Watsonville rescinds approval for 21-unit housing project after airport safety lawsuit
Watsonville officials have rescinded approval of a 21-unit townhome development across from the municipal airport after a judge ruled that the city violated state airport safety and environmental laws in approving the development. Details here from Tania Ortiz.
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Science, the sea and gin: Meet Fathom Spirits, Watsonville’s newest distillery
Two ocean scientists turned a pandemic-era gin hobby into Fathom Spirits, a Watsonville craft distillery making small-batch gins infused with Santa Cruz-inspired botanicals. Founders Elisha Wood-Charlson and Chad Kecy plan to open in September, with private Saturday tours and tastings while they work to get their experimental gins into local bars and restaurants. Lily Belli makes introductions.
DAILY DIGEST
Thursday continues apace at Lookout, and among what’s still coming is our cheat sheet to eating well and going out around Santa Cruz County, complete with recommendations from Lily Belli, in a little package we call Weekender. Sign up here for that and as many of our other free newsletters as you’d like, plus breaking news alerts via email. Download the Lookout Santa Cruz app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store to get all of our local coverage, with breaking news notifications, games and more, right on your smartphone. On social media? Connect with Lookout on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram and Threads to stay current that way.
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Be good, and I’ll see you on the flip side. Thanks for reading!
Will McCahill