Morning Lookout: Turkey shortage, Measures K and L, downtown library comparison & election dollars

Happy Halloween, friends! It’s Monday, Oct. 31, and the forecast calls for a mostly cloudy day around Santa Cruz County, with highs in the 50s and 60s — and some rain on the way for Tuesday.

Wanting to head right into the latest from Lookout? By all means, get after it.
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Yes, Halloween is front and center, but Lily Belli is already looking ahead to Thanksgiving — and specifically the fowl that’s the centerpiece of the holiday meal for so many. After a devastating avian flu outbreak this summer, the turkey picture is a little unsettled.

Meanwhile, with Election Day just over a week off, we’re talking education. Hillary Ojeda takes a look at Measures K and L, which are on the ballot for many around Santa Cruz County, while from Scotts Valley we bring responses to a questionnaire we sent candidates for school board about what they see as top priorities in the Scotts Valley Unified School District.

Fungus is the focus for Blaire Hobbs, who’s got a profile of Sumano’s Organic Mushrooms, whose products you’re apt to see not just on shelves at New Leaf but also at a number of our local farmers markets (be sure to check out our definitive guide to the scene here).

And in case you missed it, Wallace Baine explores what Santa Cruz would get with either a renovated downtown library or a brand-new one, depending on what happens with Measure O, and we crunched the numbers on campaign financing as part of our Election 2022 coverage.

Lots to get to as we kick off a new workweek, so on with the show.

Turkey fowl: How will a national turkey shortage affect your Thanksgiving?

(Via Tim Sackton)

A summer hit of avian flu killed nearly 50 million turkeys nationwide, posing challenges for customers this Thanksgiving. Santa Cruz County grocers say they have plenty of turkeys, but customers might need to be flexible on size — and expect higher prices. Lily Belli reports.

➤ MORE FROM LILY: EATERS DIGEST: Hanloh’s electrifying Thai cuisine at Bad Animal and triple-gold chili

Measures K and L: $371 million in bonds to Santa Cruz City Schools for repairs, building workforce housing

(Hillary Ojeda / Lookout Santa Cruz)

Voters in the Santa Cruz City Schools high school and elementary school districts will be casting ballots in the November election to decide if the district should issue $371 million in bonds to fund renovating the schools and building workforce housing. If the measures pass, property owners will pay between the equivalent of four cups of coffee per month or one pizza per month, depending on where they live and which of the measures applies to them. Hillary Ojeda breaks it down.

➤ ELECTION 2022: From candidates to the ballot propositions, find all our coverage in one spot

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No tricks, just treats this last day of October. There’s plenty more coming from Lookout, election coverage and otherwise, so keep tabs on it all by following us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. We also offer breaking news alerts and a number of other newsletters, about which you can find out more and sign up right here.

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Have a fun, safe Halloween — see you on the flip side.

Will McCahill
Lookout Santa Cruz