Sunday Reads: One teen’s pregnancy scare; will cremations doom cemeteries?

I’m 17 and had a pregnancy scare; here’s my take on Roe

(Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz)

Autumn Gafforio is entering her senior year this week at Santa Cruz High School, has a serious boyfriend, uses contraceptives and in June worried she might be pregnant. She missed her period just as the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. The timing and the way her life suddenly mirrored a national issue stunned her and made her realize the strong feelings she has about abortion. She feels compelled to tell her story. Read her op-ed here.

Graveyards are our thing: As resting places fade into history, how can we pay our respects?

(Wallace Baine / Lookout Santa Cruz)

There is deep solace and even joy to be found in cemeteries, and they’re one of the few spots that are so far largely immune to the hordes that make visiting so many other public places such a trial. But trends in cremation, pressures in the real-estate market, and other factors have made cemeteries less sacred than they once were. Wallace Baine shares his thoughts in his Sunday column.