Morning Lookout: West Cliff erosion fallout, UCSC strike uncertainty and holiday events calendar

Greetings, Lookout fam! It is Wednesday, Nov. 30, and though we’ve got a mostly sunny day with highs in the 50s on tap for Santa Cruz County, rain is in the forecast overnight and likely to continue into the weekend.

If you’d rather trek solo through Lookout’s latest, by all means — have at it.
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If you’ve been along West Cliff Drive in the past week you’ll likely have noticed a section of collapsed sidewalk — and the continued erosion along the iconic Santa Cruz roadway has sparked more talk about plans to convert it to a one-way street, Max Chun reports.

Up the hill at UC Santa Cruz, uncertainty abounds for students and faculty as the academic workers strike drags on. With the quarter’s end in sight, Thomas Sawano reports, it’s complicated.

And with December right around the corner, that means holiday events are revving up around the county — and who better to give us the scoop than Wallace Baine?

We’re also still seeking nominations for our upcoming Unsung Santa Cruz series, so if you know someone who is working every day at a vital but overlooked job or undertaking with little to no appreciation, read on for how you can get them recognized. You can also revisit our 2021 series right here.

Wednesday’s headlines also include the latest local food and drink news from Lily Belli, so let’s dig in.

Will West Cliff sidewalk collapse, continued erosion eventually pave the way for a one-way street?

(Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz)

The collapse of a section of sidewalk along West Cliff Drive last week shows that eroding cliffs pose a danger to roads and walkways along the coastline. Though some projects within the West Cliff Drive Adaptation and Management Plan are set for an undertaking, one idea — converting West Cliff Drive to a one-way street — is still just a concept. Could the recent cave-in change that? Here’s what Max Chun found out.

➤ PREVIOUSLY: A one-way West Cliff Drive? Remove ice plant? Inside the plan to fix Santa Cruz’s iconic, eroding street (Lookout)

With finals looming, UCSC students face unknowns as academic worker strike likely to continue through quarter

(Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz)

Though a Tuesday deal for University of California academic researchers and postdoctoral scholars marks progress on the bargaining front, undergraduates and professors alike still feel the weight of the largest academic worker action in history as UC Santa Cruz heads into final exam season. Thomas Sawano has the details.

➤ FROM TUESDAY: UC strike: Postdoctoral scholars, researchers reach tentative deal but will honor pickets (Los Angeles Times)

A good start to this final day of November. There’s more coming from the Lookout content pipeline, of course, so I’d suggest you follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay current. We also offer breaking news alerts in addition to all of our newsletters, so click here to get those delivered right to you.

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Now get out there and make the most of this Wednesday!

Will McCahill
Lookout Santa Cruz