Quick Take:
In the first installment of this week’s column, Lookout wine expert Laurie Love relays what she saw and tasted at the...
New month, new horizons to conquer. It’s Wednesday, Nov. 1, and another sunny day is in the offing for Santa Cruz County, with mid-80s in the mountains and temps in the 70s elsewhere … but a change in the weather pattern is coming, bringing chances of rain as soon as Friday night.
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A packed slate, so let’s get right to it. Max Chun starts things off with an Otter 841 update: Now that Santa Cruz’s famous surfboard-stealing mammal has given birth, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials say the agency’s attempts to capture her are on pause. They also stress that it’s more important than ever to give mom and pup space.
Elsewhere on the water, the local fishing industry got more bad news: The Dungeness crab season, which normally opens Nov. 15, won’t start until at least December amid concerns over whale entanglements, Jessica M. Pasko reports. That comes after the state canceled the 2023 commercial salmon season on the heels of the delayed 2022-23 crab season. Read along for that story and Jessica’s weekly roundup of all things Santa Cruz County business.
Wednesday also brings the latest from Lookout wine expert Laurie Love, with Part 1 of this week’s column covering the Uncork Corralitos tasting, her impressions of Scotts Valley’s Saison Cellar & Wine Bar and a host of upcoming wine events. Check that out below, and tune in Friday for Part 2, including Laurie’s Wine of the Week.
And downtown Santa Cruz was in full party mode Tuesday night for Halloween, and Lookout photojournalist Kevin Painchaud was there to capture it all.
The headlines also include a local chef competing on the Food Network and coverage of a small fire that sparked early Tuesday in Aromas — let’s have a look, yeah?
Otter 841+1: Fish & Wildlife pauses efforts to capture surfboard-stealing otter after she gives birth to pup
Once U.S. Fish and Wildlife personnel confirmed that Santa Cruz’s famous marine mammal, Otter 841, recently gave birth to a pup, the agency halted capture efforts for the time being. Mark Woodward, the photographer who has spent months documenting the feisty otter, said seeing 841 and her pup was “almost an emotional moment.” More here from Max Chun.
➤ MORE OTTER 841: Check out Lookout’s continuing coverage here
Dungeness crab season delayed again this year, another blow to Santa Cruz fishing industry
Commercial Dungeness crab season had been set to open Nov. 15, but amid concerns about whale safety that have delayed the season in recent years, the California Department of Fish & Wildlife has pushed it back to at least Dec. 1. “For many fishermen, this means there’s no income right now,” one veteran says, “and they’re hanging by the threads.” Jessica M. Pasko reports.
➤ THIS WEEK IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY BUSINESS: Downtown restaurant boom, numbers to know and more
And with that, we are in November. Keep it tuned to Lookout — you never know what we might have up our sleeve — by following on social media, where we’re on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Threads. We also offer breaking news alerts via email and text, and a host of newsletters (Thursdays bring arts and culture from Wallace Baine in the form of Weekender, for example). How to get all that? I’m glad you asked! Just navigate over here and the Lookout world is your oyster.
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Keep it real — I’ll see you back here Thursday.
Will McCahill
Lookout Santa Cruz
Upcoming events in Santa Cruz County
SATURDAY 11/11
Apple-Palooza @Farm Discovery at Live Earth
Cloe Hubbard @Steel Bonnet Brewing Company
James Durbin: Unplugged @Veterans Village
Noah Gundersen @Felton Music Hall
Lowdown Brass Band @Moe’s Alley
SUNDAY 11/12
Sip & Stroll @Capitola Village
Fall Wine Walk @Downtown Santa Cruz
Grateful Sundays with Matt Hartle & Friends @Felton Music Hall
The Lacs @The Catalyst
Gene Luen Yang | “The Books Of Clash Volume 2″ @Bookshop Santa Cruz