Morning Lookout: Capitola Wharf repair timeline, Senate hopeful Schiff, Metro’s safeguards
Top of the morning to you, Santa Cruz County. It is Thursday, Aug. 24, and the marine layer should make for a cooler day around here, with highs from the 70s near the water to around 90 in the hills.
Is it Lookout’s latest links you seek? You’ll find them by heading this way.
JUMP TO ... Latest News | Opinion | Events | Guides | Puzzles
Max Chun is up first, reporting on the timeline for repairs to the Capitola Wharf after it battered by last winter’s storms. A late-summer 2024 reopening is the goal, but the project manager says an uncertain forecast for the coming winter could make that a moving target.
From Santa Cruz, Christopher Neely has the scene at Tuesday’s visit by Rep. Adam Schiff, the second candidate for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Dianne Feinstein to come through the area this week. “The central challenge to our democracy,” Schiff told the crowd, “is to make the economy work for people.”
And in Lookout’s Community Voices opinion section, a veteran Santa Cruz Metro bus driver responds to a recent op-ed by Lookout intern Izabella León on harassment during her commute from Santa Cruz to Watsonville. Rhiannon Axton describes the safety protocols the agency has in place, her experiences with the “creep problem” and opportunities for outreach.
To the headlines ...
Capitola Wharf repairs to begin in September, with plans to reopen next summer
The Capitola Wharf has been inaccessible since the first week of the year, when raging swells from the winter storms damaged wharf infrastructure and split the deck. With a project to repair and strengthen the wharf set to begin next month, project leads hope to avoid further winter weather delays. Details here from Max Chun.
➤ STORMS 2023: Find Lookout’s coverage of the winter storms and ongoing recovery efforts here
In Santa Cruz, Adam Schiff tries to separate himself from rival Senate candidates
Santa Cruz County received its second visit of the week from a major U.S. Senate candidate Tuesday as Rep. Adam Schiff arrived in town for a Democratic fundraiser, only days after Rep. Katie Porter stopped to make her own appeal to local voters. Rep. Barbara Lee, the other major Democratic candidate in the race to replace Dianne Feinstein, is expected to make an appearance later this year. Christopher Neely reports.
➤ IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST: Sign up here for Christopher Neely’s Monday newsletter covering Santa Cruz County politics and policy
DAILY DIGEST
-
Quick Take
Rhiannon Axton, who has been driving buses for Santa Cruz Metro since 2005, responds to a recent op-ed by a Lookout...
-
Quick Take
Officials said three victims and the gunman were dead at the scene of Wednesday’s Orange County shooting. The shooter,...
-
Quick Take
The human-built world keeps getting in the way of the rising sea. But this current story of our coast does not have to...
-
Quick Take
Share your thoughts by sending a letter to the editor. Email us at letters@lookoutlocal.com.
-
Quick Take
Cal Fire is the first fire agency to use artificial intelligence to look for signs of wildfires and directly alert...
Upcoming events in Santa Cruz County
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
That’s the lay of the land this penultimate Thursday of August. You’re certainly allowed a peek ahead at this point in the week, and Wallace Baine has you covered — he’ll be along later with his latest Weekender, scoping out Santa Cruz County’s arts and culture scene and delivering recommendations for things to do all over. Sign up here for that and all of Lookout’s other newsletters, plus breaking news alerts via email and text. Lookout is also on social media, of course — give us a follow on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Threads to keep up with local goings-on.
Our content isn’t possible without community support, so if you’re not already, please consider becoming a Lookout member.
Once more into the fray!
Will McCahill
Lookout Santa Cruz
FOR THE RECORD: An item in Wednesday’s Morning Lookout about Senate candidate Rep. Adam Schiff’s visit to Santa Cruz misidentified Gail Michaelis-Ow’s name. Lookout regrets the error.
