Morning Lookout: More on deputy-involved shooting in Aptos, Mentone’s rebirth & more

By Tulsi Kamath

Source: Lookout Santa Cruz

Good Morning and May the Fourth be with you! Another lovely day ahead of us with sunny skies and a high of 76, though other parts of the area might see much hotter temperatures today, according to the National Weather Service.

Two UC Santa Cruz scientists are gearing up to help NASA and the Korean government with a lunar orbiting project. Before their mission, our Max Chun caught up with one of them to talk about the mission’s goals, the new equipment and more. Meanwhile, for the students here on earth, getting admitted to UC Santa Cruz from a waitlist might be an impossible feat this year as the pandemic has thrown off the school’s tried and true prediction models about who would enroll.

And after a dramatic and rough economic year, an Aptos restaurant is going to be celebrating both its first anniversary and its much-awaited, pandemic-punted grand opening soon. Contributor Amber Turpin talked with the team of Mentone ahead of the celebrations. And later this evening, you can join Amber and my colleague, Mark Conley, at an event crafted specifically for food lovers itching to get back to sit-down dining.

We also have a cool story from our partners in LA about a photographer who has been capturing incredible drone footage of Great White Sharks getting very close to surfers and swimmers off the California coast.

First, let’s follow up on a story from a few weeks back:

Experts on policing, including one from Chauvin trial, weigh in on video of deputy-involved shooting in Aptos

A screenshot of body camera footage released by the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office

Amid national scrutiny on police shootings, Lookout asked experts to analyze bodycam footage of the April 6 shooting of 40-year-old Eli Burry by a Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputy during an incident in which officials say Burry fired a weapon before advancing toward police. Two law enforcement experts weighed in — including one who testified at the trial of Derek Chauvin last month — and they disagree on the level of clarity about whether the shooting was justified. Read more from our Patrick Riley here.

Higher education

‘I do expect something unexpected’: Two UCSC scientists set to join NASA mission in Korea: Two UCSC-based planetary scientists are preparing for a project studying an astronomical object closer to home than usual: the moon. Associate researcher Mikhail Kreslavsky and professor Ian Garrick-Bethell have been selected as two of nine scientists to join the upcoming Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO) mission. Ahead of the exciting opportunity for our two local researchers, one answered Lookout’s curiosities about the project, talking new equipment and more. Read more from Max Chun here.

Here’s what UC says about the chances of being plucked from massive waitlists at UCSC, systemwide: Tens of thousands of UC applicants are wait-listed this year amid record applications, and admissions chiefs say forecasting chances of being selected is as uncertain as ever. At UC Santa Cruz, admissions director Michelle Whittingham says she wouldn’t even use waitlists if she didn’t have to. But enrollment prediction — a discipline that aims to meld the science of data analysis with the guesswork of anticipating teenage whims — can be dicey. Read more from our partners at the LA Times here.

Food and drink

Mentone atonement: A year after long-awaited Kinch debut in Aptos was due, the real deal finally draws near: It took forever to get David Kinch’s latest creation, his hometown creation, to the starting line. Then a pandemic hit. Takeout and outdoor’s ‘Little Beach’ provided a stop gap. Now, one year later, the grand debut of Mentone’s properly curated indoor experience lies only a few short weeks ahead. Read more from our contributor Amber Turpin here.

JOIN US TODAY: Top chefs to chop it up with Lookout — Join us for ‘Santa Cruz Eats!’ Enough with those carry-out containers! With a full reopening on the horizon in June, Lookout has assembled a trio of top chefs to discuss their survival skills amid the pandemic and, more importantly, their plans for serving people who are hungry for social interaction, ambiance, and, of course, good food and drink. Join us tonight at 6 p.m. for this free, virtual event. Read more about the panelists here and register for the event here.

Environmental beat

Drones show California’s great white sharks are closer — and more common — than you think: A Malibu photographer is capturing images of great white sharks along the Southern California coast, many just feet from unknowing swimmers and surfers. Great whites were thought to be somewhat rare, wandering now and then from the wilder coast up north. Most surfers considered it supremely improbable that one of these apex predators was hunting for food at their break. The advent of drone photography has devoured that notion. Read more from the LA Times and see the photographer’s incredible footage here.

Surprising tsunami triggers may lurk off California’s coast, scientists say: Although California’s most dangerous tsunamis come from thousands of miles away, scientists say they’ve pinpointed a wave trigger that’s much closer to home. Earthquakes along strike-slip faults can cause potentially dangerous waves in certain contexts, a new model shows — and such faults do exist right off parts of the Golden State’s shores. If confirmed, the findings could affect future local tsunami risk assessments for coastlines along California and beyond. Read more from the LA Times here.

A sampling of the work of award-winning photographer and CZU fire survivor Devi Pride that will be on display in Felton.

‘Hike to Heal’ outdoor art exhibit in Felton to spotlight photography of CZU Lightning Complex fires: An outdoor art exhibit featuring photos of the CZU Lightning Complex fires is set to open this weekend in Felton. Starting May 8, the “Art Outdoors Hike To Heal” display will feature work by fire survivor and local photographer Devi Pride. Read more from our Isabella Cueto here.

And we’d like to take a moment and say thank you to all our wildland firefighters who help keep us safe on International Firefighters Day.

Around the area …

Santa Cruz County’s 205th COVID-19 victim reported as a Latino man in his 30s (Santa Cruz Sentinel)

Rare California Condor egg hatches at Pinnacles National Park (KSBW-TV)

Watsonville downtown plan lists five sites as catalysts (The Pajaronian)

That’s it for today. If you’re enjoying our coverage, please tell your family and friends about our Lookout Newsletter & Text Center, where they can sign up for all the newsletters and alerts we offer. You can also keep tabs on everything we’re publishing through the day by bookmarking our website and following us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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Have a great day!

Tulsi Kamath
Managing Editor