Sunday Reads: Lookout’s endorsement for Santa Cruz mayor, Measure O op-eds & county fair upheaval

COMING MONDAY: The third in Lookout’s series of election forums is happening at 6 p.m. at Hotel Paradox in downtown Santa Cruz; Monday’s free session features Santa Cruz City Council candidates in District 4 and District 6, and the candidates for state Assembly District 28. Register here to attend in person or via Zoom.

A Lookout View: Vote Fred Keeley for Santa Cruz mayor

(Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz)

Lookout Endorsement: Fred Keeley can’t sweep in and fix all of Santa Cruz’s problems. However, given his deep experience and wide connections, he is well suited and well qualified to be the city’s first directly elected mayor in this time of great stress. Politics is about timing as much as policy, and Keeley matches this moment well. What we would expect from him over the next four years can be summed up in one word: leadership. Read the full endorsement here.

➤ MORE ON OUR ENDORSEMENTS: Founder Ken Doctor details the endorsement process and goals

After firing CEO, new Santa Cruz County Fair terminations add to disarray

(Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz)

After the surprising ouster of 11-year CEO Dave Kegebein earlier this month, the two board members who opposed the termination were told they themselves were being fired, via a brusque call from California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office. The well-established and well-loved Santa Cruz County Fair now finds itself in disorder, the man who is given credit for its good run gone. How did the state compliance audit of Kegebein lead to the chaos? Wallace Baine has the story.

➤ MORE FROM WALLACE: Read all of his columns here

Vote yes on O to renovate our library where it is and stop the city’s misguided project

(Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz)

Measure O allows us to fully renovate our library at our civic core and dedicate eight publicly owned lots in downtown Santa Cruz to affordable housing, members of Our Downtown, Our Future write. It also secures the best permanent home for the farmers market and prevents debt for a new, environmentally regressive parking garage data shows we don’t even need. Most important, they say it stops the City of Santa Cruz’s misguided plan to build a new library and parking garage downtown. Read their full op-ed here.

➤ LOOKOUT FORUM: Tracking what was said for and against Measure O (Lookout)

Measure O deserves a no; it’s deceptive and will destroy our best shot at a dynamic new library and housing downtown

(Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz)

Measure O is deceptive and its proponents have peddled in untruths to gain community support, write Janis O’Driscoll, Edward Estrada and Matt Farrell. They laud the City of Santa Cruz’s new library/housing project and insist Measure O, if passed, would torpedo the community’s chance to get a cutting-edge library and 124 affordable housing units in the heart of downtown. They unpack what they consider Measure O’s untruths here and explain why no is the best vote. Read their full op-ed here.

➤ MORE: Find all of Lookout’s Measure O coverage here (Lookout)