Quick Take:
The attorney for one of the defendants, Stephen Lindsay, argued Wednesday that Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Office investigators...
Another day, another set of challenges and opportunities. It’s Thursday, Aug. 31, and it’ll be a much cooler one around Santa Cruz County, with coastal spots in the 60s and the mountains in the 80s, and some of the smoky haze we saw Wednesday lingering (about which more later).
You ain’t got no time for no stinkin’ tour? Well then, dissect Lookout’s latest as you like.
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Max Chun is carrying us to start the day, with a pair of stories. He listened in on a virtual town hall Wednesday evening at which officials discussed plans for around $26 million that’s coming to Santa Cruz County from a national settlement with the opioids industry. As Max reports, community feedback has focused the list and order of priorities.
Max was also in a Santa Cruz courtroom for the latest steps in the case of the 2019 murder of Pleasure Point entrepreneur Tushar Atre. Wednesday saw a judge deny a request by an attorney for one of the defendants to toss surveillance footage on grounds that investigators made misleading statements in obtaining a search warrant.
Wallace Baine is in the mix, too, speaking with former Museum of Art & History director Nina Simon about her new novel. “Mother-Daughter Murder Night” grew out of the time Simon has spent caring for her mother after a 2020 cancer diagnosis, and she’ll talk about it next week at Bookshop Santa Cruz.
Lookout’s Community Voices opinion section brings the debut of Aging in Santa Cruz, an occasional series from columnist Claudia Sternbach. Read on for her perspective on the seasoning that comes with growing older.
The headlines also include Hillary Ojeda on what’s behind the smoke we saw (and, as I can attest after some time outdoors, felt) around Santa Cruz County on Wednesday, plus a look at tech billionaires buying up land in Solano County to build a whole new city. Read on, won’t you?
Santa Cruz County readies to spend millions from opioid settlement funds starting next year
As Santa Cruz County awaits about $26 million in funds stemming from national lawsuits against pharmacies, drug manufacturers and distributors, residents say they want to see that money go toward treatment facilities and supporting vulnerable groups as the dollars roll in over the next decade. Details here from Max Chun.
➤ OPIOID CRISIS IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY: Find Lookout’s ongoing coverage here
Nina Simon’s new path: A daughter’s story of love, told in the form of a murder mystery
Nina Simon, former director of the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History, put her life and nonprofit leadership on pause in 2020 to care for her mother after a cancer diagnosis. What “started out completely like a fantasy or a distraction” evolved into “Mother-Daughter Murder Night,” a mystery novel she’ll discuss Tuesday at Bookshop Santa Cruz. Wallace Baine traces the journey.
➤ WEEKENDER: Sign up here for Wallace’s recommendation-packed newsletter, coming later Thursday
You should be just about ready to charge out into this final day of August, but before you go, a reminder that you should stay connected with Lookout so you don’t miss anything. There’s of course the social media way; follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Threads. We also offer breaking news alerts via text and email, not to mention all of our other newsletters — including Weekender, Wallace Baine’s weekly stroll through Santa Cruz County’s arts and entertainment scene, coming in mere hours. Click here to avail yourself of all that goodness.
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Enjoy the coolth, as I’ve seen this face of our local clime described — and when we meet again, it’ll be September.
Will McCahill
Lookout Santa Cruz
Upcoming events in Santa Cruz County
FRIDAY 10/20
The Mountain Affair @Ristorante Casa Nostra
Beers, Bikes and Bon Bons @Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing
Vine to View Dinner @Chaminade Resort & Spa
10 O’Clock Lunch Band @Mid-County Senior Center
“The Thin Place” by Lucas Hnath @Santa Cruz Actors’ Theatre
SATURDAY 10/21
Wonderland – The Gala @Hotel Paradox
Pickleball Tournament @Cabrillo College
20th Annual Bonny Doon Art, Wine & Brew Festival @Crest Ranch
The 7th Annual Floating Pumpkin Patch @Simpkins Family Swim Center
Pleasure Point Sip & Stroll @Pleasure Point
Symphony Concert: Operas Of Seville @Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium
Uncork Corralitos @Alladin Nursery
SUNDAY 10/22
Symphony Concert: Operas Of Seville @Henry J. Mello Center for the Performing Arts
Lydia Pense & Cold Blood @Moe’s Alley
Gaby Castro @Chaminade Resort & Spa
Solidarity Records: The Fully Baked Tour @Shanty Shack Brewing
An Evening With Patty Griffin & Todd Snider @Rio Theatre