Morning Lookout: Red Flag Warning in place for parts of county; where you need to mask up in SCC

By Tulsi Kamath

Source: Lookout Santa Cruz

Good Morning! It’s Monday, October 11 and it will be a sunny day with a high of 64 and high wind gusts around the area. There is a Red Flag Warning that went into effect last night and will stay in place through Tuesday night for the Santa Cruz Mountains and much of our surrounding areas.

Since the indoor mask mandate was recently lifted, it’s been up to
local business owners to determine whether they want patrons to mask up or not. To simply it all for you, our team created a helpful map. And in national news, the Associated Press reports drugmaker Merck asked U.S. regulators today to authorize its pill against COVID-19.

Let’s get to it:

MAPPED: To mask or not to mask? Local businesses vary on policies following end of mandate

After county health officials lifted the mask mandate late last month, businesses have had to decide whether to continue to require them for their customers. While most continue to recommend them, a survey of retail shops, grocery stores and other shops show a variety of approaches. Here’s a look at the mask policies at grocery stores, gyms, shops and more throughout Santa Cruz County.

California will require large retailers to provide gender-neutral toy sections

Siena David, 3, reaches toward the shelf of merchandise from Disney's movie Frozen

California became the first state in the nation Saturday to adopt a law requiring large retail stores to provide gender-neutral toy sections under a bill signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom. The new law says that retail stores with 500 or more employees must sell some toys and child-care products outside of areas specifically labeled by gender. Read more about the law and when it will go into effect here.

‘Overjoyed at this fruit’: A year after being devastated by heat, smoke, this harvest has winemakers smiling

What a difference a year has made for local grapes.

Compared to the 2020 harvest, one vintner calls this year’s harvest “a blessing.” “It’s black and white. With the smoke last year, it was pretty much a 100-percent loss for most clients. The fact that there’s no smoke this year makes it 100 percent better. Last year, some clients actually paid me to not pick.” Read more from our Food Correspondent Lily Belli here.

Higher ed

An aerial view of Cabrillo College's Aptos campus.

WALLACE BAINE: Is it time to jettison the name ‘Cabrillo’? Or, in fact, time to double-down on it? In his new column published yesterday, our Wallace Baine takes a cue from the original Wally who is credited for the naming of Cabrillo College way back in the day. You’ve got to wait for it, but our Wally provides a pretty compelling alternative. Check out his take here and tell us what you think.

The Solitary Garden Project replicates a cell at San Quentin State Prison — but with views of Monterey Bay

UCSC prison abolition initiative sees ‘powerful statement’ in $1.97M grant: UCSC’s Visualizing Abolition project — made up of graduate students and faculty aiming to further the discussion on mass incarceration and policing in the U.S. through art — was awarded a $1.977 million grant this week by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The initiative has produced two art exhibitions and a speaker series that has reached thousands across the country. Read more from Lookout contributor Haneen Zain here.

Students at Piner High School in Santa Rosa listen to their instructor.

Ethnic studies becomes graduation requirement for California students: After a yearslong battle reignited in recent months by controversies over misunderstandings of critical race theory, California students will now be required to take ethnic studies to graduate high school. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law a requirement that California high school students to take ethnic studies to graduate, but it won’t be starting for a while. Read more here.

Around the county...

Bank holds up husband’s account after death (Santa Cruz Sentinel)

Photo: Man throws rocks at officers, flees into slough, police say (The Pajaronian)

Organizations join to provide services to farmworker families (KION-TV)

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
Lookout Santa Cruz