What’s up, Lookout friends? Thursday, Nov. 6, is here, bringing with it mostly sunny skies (eventually) around Santa Cruz County, with temperatures in the 60s to lower 70s. If you’re planning to be near the water, note that there are both a beach hazards statement and a coastal flood advisory in effect into Saturday.
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Tania Ortiz starts us off with a pair of stories. From Watsonville, she reports that the city council voted Wednesday night to ditch its longstanding agreement with trade unions for city construction jobs and go back to the negotiating table after failing to come to a deal on how to handle water and sewer projects.
She’s also got news on what a settlement in a federal class action lawsuit means for the Brookdale Scotts Valley assisted living facility – it will renovate housing units to accommodate residents with disabilities and update its operations and emergency policies.
Longtime local journalist Peggy Townsend has a new mystery novel coming out, with Wallace Baine writing that “The Botanist’s Assistant” is inspired by the unsung work and deep devotion of scientists. Townsend will talk about the book in an upcoming appearance at Bookshop Santa Cruz.
We’ve got another installment of the Lookout List, unveiling readers’ favorites in the Family & Pets category.
In Lookout’s Community Voices opinion section, mental health advocate Kevin Norton writes that despite everything that makes Santa Cruz County an idyllic spot to live, the area leads the Bay Area in rates of serious psychological distress and need for mental health or substance-use services. Unaffordable housing costs are behind it all, he contends.
Thursday’s 10 pounds of headlines in a 5-pound bag also includes a strike-averting deal between Santa Cruz and city workers and surfers rescued at The Hook – read on.
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Watsonville City Council moves to scrap project labor agreement, despite pushback from trades council
The Watsonville City Council voted Wednesday to scrap its project labor agreement, which sets standards for wages, benefits and working hours on city projects. Following the vote, city staff and the local trades council will go back to the drawing board to create a new set of rules. Tania Ortiz has the latest.
Scotts Valley assisted living facility to renovate units for disabled residents free of charge as part of class action settlement
Brookdale Scotts Valley, an assisted living facility, has agreed to renovate housing units to accommodate residents with mobility issues and update policies to settle a federal class action lawsuit. More details here.
DAILY DIGEST
A healthy start, to be sure, and there’s more on the way Thursday from Lookout – including recommendations for things to do around Santa Cruz County arts & entertainment in the form of Weekender from Wallace Baine. That’s one of the many free newsletters and breaking news alerts you can sign up for here, and you can also stay current on our award-winning local coverage via social media by following Lookout on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Threads and Bluesky. There’s an app for all that, of course, so download the Lookout Santa Cruz app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store to take it all along with you right on your smartphone.
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Thanks for reading – enjoy what’s looking like a nice Thursday out there.
Will McCahill