Morning Lookout: Dip in home sales, Native ‘star stories’ and taking pesticide regulators to task

Greetings and salutations, dear readers. It’s Thursday, Aug. 10, and a foggy morning around Santa Cruz County is forecast to give way to some sunshine and temps again varying from the 60s into the 80s.

Fancy a solo jaunt through Lookout’s latest? Onward.
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Max Chun leads off with an update on home sales around the area, which took a downward turn in July. A late-summer downturn is typical, one real estate agent tells him, and the market could be headed for a fall rebound.

From campus, Anna Marie Yanny brings us a Lookout Q&A with astrophysics Ph.D. candidate Madelyn Broome, who came to doubt her Native heritage as an undergrad but reclaimed it after a seminar at UC Santa Cruz’s American Indian Resource Center. Now, Broome is determined not to let others — particularly Indigenous youth — doubt themselves like she did.

Classes are back on Thursday at New Brighton Middle School, which was evacuated Wednesday after a bomb threat was left on the Capitola school’s voicemail, Hillary Ojeda reports. Law enforcement has given the all clear after a first day back from summer break that was anything but normal.

And in Lookout’s Community Voices opinion section, activist Yanely Martinez takes state regulators to task over pesticides being sprayed near Pajaro Valley schools, urging them to follow the science that sees proposed levels as dangerous.

We’ll get to those Thursday headlines and more, but first a look through the lens of Lookout photojournalist Kevin Painchaud.

PHOTO OF THE DAY

(Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz)

Students in Aptos board a bus headed to Monte Vista Christian School on Wednesday, the first day of classes for many Santa Cruz County districts. Santa Cruz City Schools start Thursday, and the Pajaro Valley Unified School District begins classes Tuesday.

Santa Cruz County home sales drop in July as real estate agents hope for a fall resurgence

(Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz)

Area home sales fell in July after a mild June surge, but the market could heat up again sooner rather than later. A late-summer lull before a fall surge is not uncommon, Santa Cruz County Association of Realtors president Jennifer Watson says, and people looking to buy should take advantage of the slower market. Get the details from Max Chun.

➤ FROM JUNE: Santa Cruz County homes for sale hit lowest level in more than 20 years

‘My story is a Native story’: Astrophysics grad student didn’t feel ‘Native enough’ until UCSC

(Via Madelyn Broome)

Growing up, Madelyn Broome believed two things: She was destined to become a scientist and her Native heritage belonged to her. But when she got to Princeton for college, she began to doubt both. She feared she wasn’t good enough at math to succeed and not “Native enough” to claim her heritage. That changed when she arrived in 2020 at UC Santa Cruz, where she is now getting a Ph.D. in astrophysics. She is also hosting astronomy events for Native youth and mentoring youth to help them see a future for themselves in STEM. Read her Q&A with Anna Marie Yanny.

➤ LOCAL NEWSMAKERS IN THEIR OWN WORDS: Check out all our Lookout Q&As here

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Upcoming events in Santa Cruz County

FRIDAY 9/22
Midtown Fridays @1111 Soquel Ave.
Embroidery Workshop @Wallflower Santa Cruz
Zayante Fire Fundraiser @Felton Music Hall
Stephen Marley @The Catalyst Club
Bodhi Mojo @Woodhouse Blending & Brewing
Frequency Festival @Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History

SATURDAY 9/23
Santa Cruz Elks Oktoberfest @Santa Cruz Elks Lodge
Foodie Fruity Wreath Making Extravaganza @Scotts Valley farmers market
Vegan Italian Cooking & Wine Pairing Class @Flipjack Ranch
Teen Kitchen Project Everett Farm Dinner @Everett Family Farm
Echos Of Empire @Civic Auditorium

SUNDAY 9/24
For the love of dogs @Chaminade Resort & Spa
41st Santa Cruz Triathlon @Depot Park
Music at the park @Skypark
Jean Dawson @The Catalyst

And with that, Thursday rides again. And yes, it’s that time when thoughts turn toward the weekend, and Lookout has just the thing coming later: Wallace Baine’s Weekender newsletter, a recommendation-filled look at Santa Cruz County’s arts and culture scene. That’s one of our many newsletters, which you can sign up for right here along with breaking news alerts via text and email. Don’t forget Lookout when you’re out there on social media — find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Threads.

Our content isn’t possible without community support, so if you’re not already, please consider becoming a Lookout member.

May your Thursday be a smooth one!

Will McCahill
Lookout Santa Cruz