Morning Lookout: Storms’ impact on transit projects, Eaters Digest and Trump vs. Tom Lehrer

Hello, hello, hello. It is Friday, Feb. 3, and it will be a wet morning around Santa Cruz County, with rain tapering off as we head toward afternoon and temps in the 50s. More precip is expected through the weekend, so keep those umbrellas handy.

Much to dig into on Lookout this first February Friday, so dive in if my guided tour isn’t in your plans.
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Max Chun looks into how January’s storms affected local transit and transportation projects, and not surprisingly, delays abound. Among the projects pushed back: a Santa Cruz segment of the Coastal Rail Trail and work along Highway 1 to add auxiliary lanes and to build a bike/pedestrian bridge over the freeway. Get up to speed on that and more in our Storms 2023: Road to Recovery section.

Friday at Lookout means another scoop of local food and drink news from Lily Belli, and I, for one, am ready to celebrate Ice Cream for Breakfast Day on Saturday. Read on to find out where, and for how you can help with Lily’s quest for a certain movie-style burger.

Also new is an opinion piece from Los Angeles Times columnist Nicholas Goldberg on intellectual property, Donald Trump and songwriter/satirist/Santa Cruzan Tom Lehrer, and with the weekend in sight, Friday’s headlines wouldn’t be complete without Weekender, Wallace Baine’s recommendation-packed stroll through our local arts and entertainment scene. Let’s go!

Road, transit projects face delays and millions in storm damage, but rail trail avoids major impact

(Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz)

January’s storms have delayed work on Highway 1 and the Coastal Rail Trail, while roads, walkways, bridges and more Santa Cruz County infrastructure got hit hard. It could cost nearly $60 million in total, the Regional Transportation Commission estimates. Max Chun reports.

➤ MORE ON THE AFTERMATH: Storms 2023: Road to Recovery

Ice cream for breakfast, winter citrus and seeking out the cheeseburger from ‘The Menu’

(Via The Penny Ice Creamery)

As we enter the first week of February, stave off winter colds with a citrus smorgasbord, enjoy Ice Cream for Breakfast Day at the Penny Ice Creamery, and Lily Belli looks for a local take on an iconic burger. Dig into her latest Eaters Digest.

➤ MORE FROM LILY: New Santa Cruz Riverwalk could open up 10 new restaurant spaces — four on the river

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That’s Friday morning in a nutshell, but trust me, Lookout has more good stuff up our sleeve. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay current, and click here to sign up for breaking news alerts and and all of our other newsletters, including the specially curated Sunday Reads.

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Give yourself a little extra time on those slippery roads Friday and into the weekend, and may it be a safe, relaxing one.

Will McCahill
Lookout Santa Cruz