Morning Lookout: Pricey car in a pricey house, school district staffing improves, and Cavalletta sneak peek

Hey there, folks,

Max Chun here once again bringing you the latest from Lookout. It’s Wednesday, July 26, and we’re looking at a mostly sunny day with a very modest high of 75F. Summer might be breezing by before your eyes but there’s no end in sight for that Santa Cruz summer weather.

I’ll give you the rundown on today’s headlines, but feel free to skip over my spiel to the links below.

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A house on Auburn Avenue just down the road from West Cliff Drive sold for more than $2.5 million, but the real catch was the thing in the garage: A 1963 Ferrari Lusso. I spoke with a car broker from Carmel, who said only 350 of these cars were ever made and that he expects this one to sell for somewhere between $1.5 million and $1.6 million. That’s a lot of value on one lot.

Hillary Ojeda swung by the Santa Cruz City Schools job fair on Monday, where the district was seeking to fill 38 positions for support and administrative jobs. The good news is that several local public school districts say staffing heading into the new academic year is improved due to both lower turnover post-pandemic and new contracts with better teacher pay.

Meanwhile, Lily Belli went over to Trestles in Capitola for a pop-up that served as a sneak peek for Cavalletta, chef Nick Sherman’s forthcoming Aptos restaurant. When open, Cavalletta will serve dinner seven days a week.

On to the headlines ...

Santa Cruz County school staffing woes ease ahead of start of the academic year

(Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa )

After struggling to fill vacancies for the past few years, several Santa Cruz public school districts say staffing levels going into the new academic year are better thanks to a combination of lower turnover compared to the pandemic years and new contracts that have boosted pay for teachers in some districts. Still, officials say some positions that have traditionally been hard to fill, such as special education workers and bus drivers, continue to pose challenges. Read the full story from Hillary Ojeda here.

➤ MORE EDUCATION COVERAGE: As backlash over Cabrillo College name change grows, some donors weigh whether to keep giving

Santa Cruz home going for $2.5 million had a car in its garage worth an estimated $1.5 million

(Via Andy Grundy)

When real estate agents visited a multi-million dollar house just off West Cliff Drive being put up for sale by relatives of the deceased owner, they found something in the garage that was almost as valuable as the house itself: a 1963 Ferrari 250GT Lusso. A Carmel-based car broker said that only 350 of these cars were ever made and likely just half of those remain in existence today. The cars can sell for upwards of $1.5 million. See the whole story here.

➤ PREVIOUSLY: Housing market shifts to communities like Watsonville, Boulder Creek as Santa Cruz County home sales heat up

Trestles pop-up offers sneak peek of Cavalletta, chef Nick Sherman’s upcoming Aptos restaurant

Forthcoming Aptos restaurant Cavalletta held a pop-up at sister restaurant Trestles in Capitola on Monday night to showcase the new menu.

(Lookout Santa Cruz)

Lily Belli took in a pop-up event held on Monday night at Capitola’s Trestles, previewing the forthcoming restaurant Cavalletta. She sampled chef and owner Nick Sherman’s California-influenced Italian dishes, presented in a thoughtful and unfussy bistro style. Cavalletta — which means “grasshopper” in Italian — is co-owned by Sherman’s business partner, Shawn Ryberg, and is getting close to opening in the restaurant space formerly occupied by Restaurant Malik Williams on Soquel Drive. Read her full story here.

➤ LILY BELLI ON FOOD: Poet & Patriot’s new life, a Vietnamese pop-up, and a Michelin snub for Santa Cruz County

Upcoming events in Santa Cruz County

THURSDAY 9/28
“Ten” exhibition @Radius Gallery
Poetry Series @Boulder Creek Branch Library
Dylan Rose: Father & Son @Bargetto Winery
The Latin Dead @Felton Music Hall
Sofia Talvik @Ugly Mug Coffeehouse

FRIDAY 9/29
Midtown Fridays @1111 Soquel Ave.
Food Truck Friday @Skypark
Mountain Film on Tour Santa Cruz @Rio Theatre
Roosevelt @The Catalyst

SATURDAY 9/30
Out of The Darkness Santa Cruz County Walk @Skypark
Community Crafters-Basic Earring Making Workshop @Boulder Creek Branch Library
Farm Dinner @1481 San Miguel Canyon Rd.
Big Mountain @Moe’s Alley
MaMuse, WildChoir & The Feelings Parade @Rio Theatre

SUNDAY 10/1
Halloween Pop-up Event @Little Trends
Rail & Trail Festival @Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
David Luning @Kuumbwa Jazz Center
Marc E. Bassy @The Catalyst

Hopefully that gets your hump day off to a good start. Sign up here for all of our newsletters, plus breaking news alerts via email and text. Another great way to stay current on local happenings is via our social media accounts — follow Lookout on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Threads.

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Enjoy your day, and I’ll talk to you all soon.

Max Chun
Lookout Santa Cruz