Morning Lookout: Strike looms; COVID sidelines Cummings; Collective Santa Cruz’s good vibes

Hello, friends. It is Monday, Oct. 17, and the forecast is a mostly sunny one around Santa Cruz County, with highs from the 60s to the 80s. (As always, your marine-layer mileage may vary.)

Not quite ready to join a crowd as the new week dawns? Feel free to hit Lookout solo.
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We’re following a planned strike by union-represented City of Santa Cruz workers set to begin Monday morning; a previous work stoppage was called off Oct. 2 after the sides reached a tentative deal — only to see union members reject that agreement. With picket lines planned for spots including Santa Cruz City Hall and the municipal wharf, Max Chun has details.

One person who won’t be out on the picket lines is county supervisor candidate Justin Cummings, who’s fighting COVID-19. He’ll be supporting the strikers from the sidelines, he told Mark Conley in an update for our On the Campaign Trail feature.

Halloween isn’t far off, and Collective Santa Cruz has a big shindig planned, building on previous successes that have the events company on an upward trajectory. Lily Belli checks in with the good vibes.

In case you missed it, Lily also reported late Friday that, as expected, Santa Cruz Community Farmers’ Markets entered into a formal agreement with the City of Santa Cruz to establish a permanent home for the downtown market.

The downtown farmers market’s current site, Lot 4, is at the center of the debate around Measure O, which along with Measure N — both propositions are on the ballot for voters in the city of Santa Cruz — will be covered in the latest Lookout forum, set for 6 p.m. Monday at the Hotel Paradox. The event is free and you can reserve your spot here; you can also attend virtually via this Zoom link.

Now, to the Monday headlines ...

On the Campaign Trail: COVID puts Cummings on sideline

(Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz)

“Sadly, this means I won’t be out in public and am reaching out to scheduled events and forums to see if they can potentially postpone,” Cummings told Lookout’s Mark Conley. “It also means I won’t be able to join SEIU workers who are going on strike at City Hall tomorrow morning, but will be providing a statement of support.” More from Election 2022 around Santa Cruz County, including an endorsement for Cummings, here.

➤ MORE ON THE SUPERVISORS RACE: District 3 dividing lines: Homelessness response is one place Cummings, Kalantari-Johnson show differences (Lookout)

Collective Santa Cruz nails the vibe with new series of market-style events

(Via Colby Stevens)

With their market events, Collective Santa Cruz duo Jalen Horne and Kendall Denike mix and match local vendors and themes to produce just the right atmosphere. Next up: a Halloween gathering at Moe’s. Lily Belli is on it.

➤ EATERS DIGEST: Closures startle Aptos, SLV; Uncie Ro’s opens in Watsonville; a PSL for the haters (Lookout)

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And that’s what I know this Monday, a day when we also mark the 33rd anniversary of the Loma Prieta earthquake. We’ll have more coming on the planned strike by Santa Cruz city workers, among other things, so follow Lookout on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay current. We also offer breaking news alerts and a host of other newsletters, which you can sign up for here.

None of this content is possible without community support — so if you’re not already, please consider becoming a Lookout member.

Have a good Monday!

Will McCahill
Lookout Santa Cruz