The Feurtados getting ready to bake a batch of edibles.

Morning Lookout: Baking up some 4/20 treats; local singer’s Dead Nettle act

By Will McCahill

Source: Lookout Santa Cruz

Good morning, Santa Cruz County! It’s Wednesday, April 20, and this is Will, home again from my brief sojourn to parts north. I’ve arranged for some rain to follow me back, and after a mix of sun and clouds and highs in the low to mid-60s, much-needed precip should arrive in the p.m. hours and continue tomorrow and Friday.

Before that, though, we’d be remiss if we didn’t note that today is cannabis-feting 4/20, and Lookout’s Max Chun checks in with Big Pete’s Treats, a company that’s grown from a small operation on the Westside to become a giant in the California edibles market.

Meanwhile, Wallace Baine has the scoop on Dead Nettle, the stage name under which Santa Cruz singer-songwriter Lindsey Wall is set to release her first album, which she’ll celebrate with an upcoming show in Felton.

And our already-heated local rail-trail debate has turned things up another notch with charges of vandalism and dirty tricks, so let’s jump into those headlines and more.

A passion for baking

Pete 'Big Pete' Feurtado (left) with his daughter Katie (middle) and son Pete Jr. (right) and some of their cookies.

Santa Cruz-based company Big Pete’s Treats has come a long way from Pete Feurtado’s kitchen on the Westside. Along with the help of son Pete Jr. and daughter Katie, the family business has managed to produce the No. 1 cookie edible in California. Read Pete Jr.'s Q&A with Max Chun here.

➤ MORE LOCAL BUSINESS: ‘Nature is like a slow-cooked meal’: Regenerative farming brings cannabis, food crops into soil harmony (Lookout)

Meet Dead Nettle

Santa Cruz singer-songwriter Lindsey Wall releases her debut album under a stage name that speaks to her love of plants and her image of herself as a tough-minded artist capable of surprising her audience. Wallace Baine tells her story.

➤ WANT MORE? Sign up here to get story alerts from Wallace delivered straight to your phone

YES Greenway files police report for defaced campaign signs; opposition calls it a desperation move

Pictures of defaced signs that YES Greenway has filed a police report about.

The contentious debate between the two groups — one for a pedestrian greenway, with the other for rail and trail — became more heated on Tuesday, with YES Greenway accusing its opponents of vandalism. No Way Greenway says there is no proof and that it’s the group’s latest “dirty trick.” Grace Stetson sorts through the latest.

➤ EXPLAINER: What’s railbanking, and why are Santa Cruz transit experts discussing it? (Lookout)

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Salmon season preview, Goodles at Target and bulk up for Earth Day

Workers unload fresh salmon at the Santa Cruz Harbor.

Different state regulations could make for an interesting salmon season around Monterey Bay, locals tell Lily Belli — and that’s just one of the stories from Santa Cruz’s food and drink scene you’ll find in her latest newsletter. Get it here.

➤ MORE FROM LILY: All of Lookout’s food and drink coverage in one place

Debt-free college?

Sather Gate on the campus of UC Berkeley

Roughly 360,000 UC and Cal State students could receive $1,000 to $3,000 to fund their educations this fall as part of a $632 million California effort to make college debt-free. Our partners at CalMatters explain.

➤ MORE FROM CAMPUS: All of Lookout’s higher education coverage in one place

Puzzle your way over the hump

Sharpen that brain with a mini-crossword, sudoku and more — all in our new Santa Cruz Puzzle Center.

➤ GOT AN IDEA FOR A SANTA CRUZ-THEMED PUZZLE? Drop us a line at membership@lookoutlocal.com

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Marketing & Communications Director at Community Health Trust of Pajaro Valley
Accounting Specialist at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
Senior Visitor Services Aide - Pajaro Coast Central at Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks
Software Developer III - Application Development at Central California Alliance for Health

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Around the county ...

➤ Santa Cruz METRO eases face mask restrictions (Santa Cruz Sentinel)
➤ Mother’s Day Run moves to Pinto Lake in return to in-person format (The Pajaronian)
➤ Santa Cruz now requires public gathering permits (Good Times)
➤ Authorities say man set San Jose Home Depot fire as diversion for tool theft (San Jose Mercury News)

And that’s what I know this Wednesday morning. There’s more in the Lookout pipeline, so I’d suggest that you bookmark our website and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep tabs. You can also get breaking news alerts and all of our other newsletters delivered right to you via our Lookout Newsletter & Text Center.

And if you’re not already, please consider becoming a Lookout member. Our content isn’t possible without community support.

Have an excellent day, and if you’re celebrating, celebrate responsibly. I’ll see you back here tomorrow.

Will McCahill
Lookout Santa Cruz