LOOKOUT PM: A guide to libraries, Fred Keeley’s potential next move, and Wallace’s Weekender

By Max Chun

Source: Lookout Santa Cruz

Happy Thursday, all,

The weekend’s right around the corner, and it’s shaping up to be a scorcher! The forecast currently shows temperatures in the mid-to-high 80s tomorrow and Saturday. Get to the beach before everyone else gets the same idea!

This afternoon we’re coming at you with a look at a possible early candidate for the potential four-year mayor position and a guide to the libraries opening their doors this year.

Let’s get going then...

When is your new library ready? A Lookout guide to the emerging branches

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

Brand new: Four redone Santa Cruz County library branches have reopened and four more will throw open their doors by the end of the year. We check in on the generational investment of $67 million county voters made in 2016. Read Grace’s guide here.

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

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Mayor Fred Keeley? The county’s most veteran politico is considering a run for Santa Cruz mayor — here’s why

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

The next election: Fred Keeley has been living and breathing politics since he wandered into the nation’s capital at age 22 a half-century ago. Might he be the person to help the city of Santa Cruz wade through a tricky time for local governance? His supporters hope and believe so. Check out Mark’s story.

➤ PREVIOUSLY: Fred Keeley remarks at Housing Santa Cruz County’s 1 year anniversary event

Weekender: Jazz aplenty, royal recognition, the sweetness of summer — and B9

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

Upcoming: Kuumbwa Jazz Center’s August events, the knighting of a UCSC professor, and a live performance at Streetlight Records are a few of the things in the latest Weekender. See Wallace’s new edition here.

➤ PREVIOUSLY: Time for a new ‘Ohio’: Where is the protest song we need in 2022?

COVID, mental health and security challenges: School superintendent Faris Sabbah reflects and looks ahead to next four years

Round two: Superintendent of Schools Faris Sabbah will get a second four-year term leading the Santa Cruz County Office of Education after winning an unopposed election Tuesday. COVID-19 threw him a curveball, and now school security and generational funding challenges mean anything but education business as usual. Read Hillary’s Q&A with Faris here.

➤ PREVIOUSLY: School superintendent Faris Sabbah says parents need to stop bullying teachers over mask mandates

CLICK HERE FOR STUDENT ACCESS

Ryan Coonerty: Who will be Santa Cruz’s George Washington and three other election hot takes

A sexual abuse victim points to the photos of Catholic priests accused of sexual misconduct

Early takeaways: Ryan Coonerty, outgoing District 3 Santa Cruz County supervisor, offers four insights on Tuesday’s election results, along with a bit of wry humor. From the defeat of Measure D to low voter turnout and a historic supervisor runoff, he walks us through the ups and downs of election season and even helps us understand why Santa Cruz today is like Philadelphia circa 1787. Read his op-ed here.

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