Good morning! It is Monday, Nov. 10, and Santa Cruz County is looking at a mix of sun and clouds and highs in the 70s and 80s to start the workweek, with a cooldown coming and rain in the forecast for the back half of the week.
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With supervisors set to take up a county ordinance regulating battery storage facilities next week, members of the Watsonville City Council are pushing for more input, Tania Ortiz reports. With such a facility proposed for just beyond city limits, residents have concerns, councilmembers say, and the city’s first responders would be called should a fire break out.
With voters in the city of Santa Cruz having passed an affordable housing ballot initiative that was a key part of his 2022 election campaign, Mayor Fred Keeley talked to Hillary Ojeda about the strategy behind Measure C’s success, what it means for the city and what implementation will look like.
On the Westside of Santa Cruz, the former Izakaya West End spot will soon be home to an expanded Manresa Bread, Lily Belli reports. Co-founder Avery Ruzicka – who lives just blocks away – plans not only a flagship on-site bakery but also a bar-bistro that to start will serve dinner five nights a week and brunch on the weekends.
Food & drink is also the focus with the latest installment of the Lookout List, with readers voting for their top happy hours, spectacular views, sweet treats and favorite spots for special celebrations.
One Monday programming note: Max Chun’s Carmageddon column is on hiatus this week as Max enjoys some extremely well-deserved time off.
The day’s headlines also include Wallace Baine on a local writer’s new book examining the spiritual underpinnings of punk rock – here we go.
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Watsonville City Council wants more say in county’s battery storage ordinance
As Santa Cruz County officials work on battery storage facility regulations, members of the Watsonville City Council say they want their concerns to be heard. In a letter to county supervisors ahead of a Nov. 18 hearing on a proposed ordinance, councilmembers outlined “significant and unresolved concerns” on the part of constituents. Read more from Tania Ortiz.
Fresh-baked dreams: Avery Ruzicka to open Manresa Bread and bistro in former Izakaya West End
Manresa Bread is expanding its Santa Cruz footprint with a new flagship bakery on the Westside, just blocks from co-founder Avery Ruzicka’s home. The 4,000-square-foot space will feature on-site baking for the first time and a separate bar-bistro serving French-inspired dishes made with local ingredients. Lily Belli has a preview.
DAILY DIGEST
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Have an excellent Monday!
Will McCahill