In the first installment of this week’s column, Lookout wine expert Laurie Love finds Santa Cruz County winemakers waxing poetic as they put the finishing touches on the 2023 harvest, recounts what she saw and tasted at the recent Wine & Roses fundraiser and previews upcoming events you shouldn’t miss.
Coast Life
Posted inBusiness & Technology
New Visit Santa Cruz County CEO sets sights on international markets, expanded business travel, countywide efforts
Settling in as head of the private, nonprofit corporation focused on enhancing tourism and the local economy, Terence Concannon sees “a sense of optimism” post-pandemic, and is not only aiming to bring in visitors from emerging markets like Mexico and Brazil but also to help build South County’s tourism infrastructure — all without alienating county residents in the process.
Posted inRecreation & Sports
Cold Water Classic returns to Steamer Lane on Wednesday
Despite a rainy weather forecast, some of the country’s top professional surfers are gearing up for the return of the O’Neill Cold Water Classic at Steamer Lane starting Wednesday and running through Sunday. The World Surf League qualifying event promises fierce competition in the iconic amphitheater off of West Cliff Drive as more than 100 surfers, including Santa Cruzans like Nat Young, John Mel, Maddie Storrer and Autumn Hays, compete for $10,000 in prize money.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
The Shapers: Ceil Cirillo’s get-it-done talents and people skills helped form much of the post-earthquake Santa Cruz we know today
In the debut of Lookout’s series The Shapers, profiles of the people who have shaped and continue to shape Santa Cruz County’s unique culture and spirit, Wallace Baine focuses on Ceil Cirillo, who not only was a driving force behind rebuilding downtown Santa Cruz but also threw her weight behind the landmark Tannery Arts Center.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Who are the ‘Shapers’ of life as we know it in Santa Cruz County?
Wallace Baine introduces a new Lookout series on highly influential and consequential people who have made an outsized impact in Santa Cruz County. Come back Sunday for the first installment of “The Shapers,” and send us your nominees.
Posted inCoast Life
Judi Oyama’s moment: A local skateboarding legend is still competing strong … at 64
A fixture on the Santa Cruz County skating scene since the 1970s, Judi Oyama hasn’t slowed down, and next up is the 2024 World Skate Games in Rome. Between that milestone and a new documentary about the lasting influence of Northern California’s pioneering skateboarders, Oyama is finally in the spotlight that has shined elsewhere for years.
Posted inGuides
A driver’s guide to Santa Cruz County road delays to come
Major road work is coming in 2024, and three major east-west arteries — Murray Street, Highway 1 and Soquel Drive — will all see delays and potential closures over the next few years, which could make an already crowded commute even more time-consuming. Now, Carmageddon keeps you updated weekly on the projects that might slow your drive.
Posted inHousing & Development
‘Midtown’ vs. ‘Eastside’: Local readers have their say
After Wallace Baine went looking for whether the part of Santa Cruz east of downtown should be called “Midtown” or “Eastside,” we polled Lookout readers for their opinions. Many weighed in, and though one option was the clear favorite, it definitely wasn’t a debate-ending landslide.
Posted inLatest News
Ms. Blue is coming down — what happened to Seymour Center’s iconic whale skeleton and what’s next
After taking a beating from the elements at UC Santa Cruz’s coastal campus, the structure supporting the blue whale skeleton affectionately known as Ms. Blue has been deemed unsafe. But fear not, says Seymour Marine Discovery Center director Jonathan Hicken — the bones are staying, and the center wants input on the next chapter of the whale’s legacy.
Posted inCoast Life
Otter 841+1: Fish & Wildlife pauses efforts to capture surfboard-stealing otter after she gives birth to pup
Once U.S. Fish and Wildlife personnel confirmed that Santa Cruz’s famous marine mammal, Otter 841, recently gave birth to a pup, the agency halted capture efforts for the time being. Mark Woodward, the photographer who has spent months documenting the feisty otter, said seeing 841 and her pup was “almost an emotional moment.”