LOOKOUT PM: California’s COVID hotspot, downtown SC library troubles, and being married to a parenting expert

By Max Chun

Source: Lookout Santa Cruz

Welcome to a new week, friends,

Hopefully you all had a nice weekend and Mother’s Day, even if it did end up raining a little bit yesterday.

The weird weather continued today with wind and scattered clouds that intermittently obscured the sun all day long. We’re looking at sunny — but chilly — weather all week long, with warmer temperatures coming back just in time for the weekend.

Before we jump into the news, another week means another reminder about our North County Candidates Forum.

We will be hosting and moderating two panel conversations: one with 3rd District County Supervisor candidates and another with California 28th Assembly District candidates. Attendees can hear from the candidates as they speak about their top priorities and the community’s most pertinent issues. Click the banner to register!

And now, for the headlines ...

COVID Dashboard: Bay Area is California’s hotspot; state’s per capita death rate among the nation’s lowest

College Ten students Cheru Robinson and Ray Diaz start the John R. Lewis dedication ceremony at the Quarry Amphitheater

The numbers: Though California boasts the country’s 11th-lowest per capita death rate, the Bay Area is now California’s hotspot with several counties in the yellow tier, including Santa Cruz. See the latest dashboard update here.

➤ A guide to help you keep up with the Omicron subvariants

CLICK HERE TO BECOME A MEMBER

I accidentally married a parenting expert: What my special education-teacher husband taught me about being a mom

A visiting nurse prepares a syringe to be used for the vaccine.

Always learning: He was fun, silly, smart, musical and in possession of a particular expertise in children, and that has made all the difference in learning how to tame tantrums and go positive in correcting undesirable childhood behaviors. Liza Monroy writes about learning how to be a mom here.

➤Nine fun places for kids’ — in person! — group classes around Santa Cruz County

CLICK HERE FOR STUDENT ACCESS

A new challenge to Santa Cruz’s downtown mixed-use library building

Aptos resident Kelly Spellman at the Blossom's Farmstore & Coffeeshop.

Future in flux: The downtown mixed-use library project has been in motion for development since 2016, with construction of the new library planned to begin as early as next summer. Opponents — forming the group Our Downtown, Our Future — now aim to put a ballot measure before city voters this fall to block it. Lookout tackles the questions voters will likely consider. Grace has the story.

➤ Lookout Update: Santa Cruz will provide more design details on the new downtown library

John Hall on downtown library initiative: ‘We are not about blocking things’

Library opponents: As the Our Downtown, Our Future group waits for approval for a voter measure for November to challenge the current new downtown library proposal, one of its leaders explains its opposition. Read the whole Q&A here.

➤ Housing numbers 101: Santa Cruz County has been told it must build 12,979 more units by 2031. Is that even possible?

Everyone has an idea for solving homelessness. What if we listened to the unhoused?

Meeting of minds: This conversation between activist Theo Henderson and scholar Ananya Roy foregrounds the endeavors and collaborations that seek to challenge such erasure. Read their conversation from the L.A. Times here.

➤ Unhoused Santa Cruz