Morning Lookout: Cabrillo trustees targeted; inside the county fair + NY-style slices in Watsonville

Hello, hello, hello. It is Friday, Sept. 15, and it’s looking like more of the same weatherwise for Santa Cruz County through the weekend — sunny and 80s in the mountains, cooler and less sun/more marine layer the closer you get to the bay.

Friday brings plenty new to Lookout, if you’re the exploring type.
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The Cabrillo College name-change saga has added another chapter, with a pair of trustees telling Hillary Ojeda they have been the targets of transphobic and homophobic attacks. Adam Spickler, a queer transgender man, and Steve Trujillo, a gay man, described being harassed because of their identities and their support for changing the name of the school.

There are happier tidings from Watsonville, where the Santa Cruz County Fair is in full swing. Lookout’s Wallace Baine and Kevin Painchaud took it all in, so read on to find their video tour.

Lily Belli was in Watsonville, too, chowing down on the authentic New York-style pizza you can find at downtown’s Slice Project. That’s just a taste of her Eaters Digest newsletter, coming later Friday.

The weekend is in sight, so naturally Wallace has a roadmap for things to do all over Santa Cruz County — check out Weekender and more as we roll through the Friday headlines.

Cabrillo College trustees say they were targets of homophobic, transphobic attacks amid name-change debate

(Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz)

Adam Spickler says he was the subject of a transphobic petition. Steve Trujillo says he has been the target of homophobic emails, and that Watsonville Police Chief Jorge Zamora told him to carry pepper spray and had officers escort him home from dinner because of a tip that someone was following him. More here from Hillary Ojeda.

➤ MORE: Both sides of Cabrillo College name-change debate disappointed after board votes to delay renaming until 2028

The sights, the sounds and the smells: Wallace Baine takes you on a tour of the Santa Cruz County Fair

(Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz)

Racing pigs. Corndogs. Apple pie. Enormous produce. Carnival rides. All that and then some is happening through Sunday at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds, and Lookout was there to document it. Here’s what Wallace Baine and Kevin Painchaud saw.

➤ MORE THAN JUST THE FAIR: Cultural events take center stage in Watsonville’s big upcoming weekend

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

Here’s the part where I say that there’s more coming this Friday from Lookout ... and it’s true! You’re mere hours away from another serving of Lily Belli’s Eaters Digest, coming atcha in newsletter form. Sign up here for that and all of our other newsletters — the specially curated Sunday Reads, for example, or In the Public Interest, Christopher Neely’s Monday dispatch covering Santa Cruz County politics and policy. (And don’t forget our breaking news alerts, available via text and email.) Following Lookout on social media is also an excellent way to stay current — connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Threads.

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Enjoy whatever Friday sends your way, and cheers to a safe, relaxing weekend.

Will McCahill
Lookout Santa Cruz