The path underneath the Murray Street Bridge.

Morning Lookout: ‘Painful’ Murray Street Bridge project; bidding India Joze adieu

By Will McCahill

Source: Lookout Santa Cruz

Good morning, Lookout fam! It’s Monday, Jan. 10, and looks like we’ve got a mostly sunny day ahead of us, with highs nearing 70.

Also ahead for Santa Cruz County is an overhaul of the Murray Street Bridge, a project that will take more than two years and likely send traffic headaches rippling in every direction.

Meanwhile, this past weekend marked last call for India Joze, and Lookout’s Wallace Baine bids adieu to a restaurant that reflected Santa Cruz back to itself for 50 years.

As local students embark upon another week of school — or head back to the classroom, as with the Pajaro Valley Unified School District — leaders are sharing early report cards on how they’ve been dealing with the Omicron surge.

We’ve got that and plenty more for you this morning, so let’s get to the headlines:

Coming soon: 30-month construction project on Murray Street Bridge

A view of the Murray Street Bridge in January 2022.

The overhaul includes seismic upgrades and widening and, officials say, is a safety issue. But construction on the bridge that spans the harbor and connects Twin Lakes and beyond to downtown Santa Cruz is sure to be a headache. Lookout contributors Matthew Renda and Jake Pierce map out what’s ahead.

➤ MORE ON LOCAL ROADWAYS: Bikes, cars & safe cohabitation: Santa Cruz is among the most dangerous cycling counties in the state (Lookout)

Goodbye to India Joze

Jozseph Schultze working his kitchen alchemy at India Joze.

India Joze, Santa Cruz’s eclectic culinary cultural exchange, reflected our community back to itself for 50 years. Lookout’s Wallace Baine has an appreciation here.

➤ RELATED: Checking in on India Joze in its final days (Lookout)

Santa Cruz County schools and Omicron

Don Lundy picks up his kindergarten grandkids from Gault Elementary School in Santa Cruz last month.

Leaders share early report cards on the latest “survival mode” for local students, parents and educators. Read more here from Lookout’s Hillary Ojeda.

➤ MORE FROM AREA SCHOOLS: Fifth- and sixth-graders make crepes, pozole from scratch daily in one-school town of Davenport (EdSource)

Bad news, good news in latest COVID surge

CVS has been selling out of rapid tests within the hour of receiving a shipment.

COVID cases spike and tests are hard to find ... but there have been fewer serious illnesses with the Omicron variant. Lookout’s Max Chun has the details.

➤ MORE: Why are rapid tests for COVID-19 in such short supply? (Los Angeles Times)

A shocked Hollywood reacts to the death of Bob Saget

Actor/comedians-turned-novelists Bob Saget and John Leguizamo

“Full House” co-star John Stamos was among the many actors and comedians to pay tribute to Saget after news of his death broke on Sunday. Read more here from our partners at the Los Angeles Times.

➤ FROM FRIDAY: Sidney Poitier, trailblazing star who helped break down Hollywood color barriers, dies at 94 (Los Angeles Times)

ICYMI: Santa Cruz’s Warming Center providing a basic, essential need during a cold winter

The rain-soaked Benchlands in San Lorenzo Park.

Brent Adams opened the Warming Center at Footbridge Services to help the unhoused during recent inclement weather. Now he’s assessing how he can best prepare for the remainder of the winter months while also contemplating budgetary constraints. Lookout’s Grace Stetson examines the situation.

➤ MORE ON HOMELESSNESS: Checking in on Santa Cruz’s ‘oversized vehicle ordinance’ 30 days later (Lookout)

Around the county ...

➤ Santa Cruz on cusp of relaxing water restrictions (Santa Cruz Sentinel)
➤ Business owners to get info on Scotts Valley’s grant program (The Press Banner)
➤ PGE’s Wood Debris Removal Program has Wednesday meeting, Jan. 31 deadline (San Lorenzo Valley Post)

That’ll top off your tank as we head into Monday. Keep tabs throughout the day by bookmarking our website and following us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram — and you can get our other newsletters plus text and email alerts by visiting our Lookout Newsletter & Text Center.

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Now get out there and seize the day!

Will McCahill
Lookout Santa Cruz