The Chance Wheel is expected to replace the spinning Rock & Roll ride and give the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk its first Ferris wheel since 2017, when the previous 60-year-old wheel was retired following routine winter maintenance. A vote is expected Aug. 17 after being delayed Thursday.
Coast Life
Posted inCity Life
County’s new Spotlight Awards put shine on deserving local artists — including a Lookouter
Lookout photojournalist Kevin Painchaud joins writer and poet Nikia Chaney, muralist Augie Escobedo, mixed-media artist Heejin Lee and writer and poet Madeline Aliah as first recipients of the Santa Cruz County Arts Commission’s Spotlight Awards, and they’ll be honored at a First Friday reception.
Posted inCity Life
Santa Cruz Shakespeare shines as Bard’s buds compile ‘Book of Will’
Lauren Gunderson’s “The Book of Will,” the story of two actors and friends of Shakespeare who take it upon themselves to collect all of Shakespeare’s plays, is perfectly at home in the Grove at DeLaveaga it only seems as though it was written for Santa Cruz Shakespeare to perform.
Posted inCity Life
One last KPIG go-round for Sleepy John
Sunday from 9 a.m. to noon marks the last airing of “Please Stand By,” the KPIG-FM show “Sleepy” John Sandidge has hosted for more than 30 years, and with a who’s-who guest list, it promises to be a must-listen.
Posted inEnvironment
Global warming is making big(ger) waves off the California coast, scientists say
A hotter planet is generating more winter storms in the North Pacific Ocean, which in turn is producing taller waves, according to a new study. That could make coastal flooding and erosion even worse.
Posted inCoast Life
Selfies by the sea: Otter 841’s popularity renews concerns about humans encroaching on marine wildlife
The growing popularity of Santa Cruz’s Otter 841 is renewing concerns about the damaging ways that humans encroach on marine life. Researchers say ocean tourism, social media and portable cameras are enticing spectators to get closer to wild animals. Some are now raising the alarm that repeated human encounters are harming the animals’ predator-avoidance instincts.
Posted inFood & Drink
Eaters Digest: Birichino’s 2022 Pétillant malvasia bianca in a can
You can count on Birichino winemakers John Locke and Alex Krause to consistently create delicious and thoughtful wines, frequently bucking convention by using lesser-known varietals from unique vineyards with big personalities. Birichino’s growing list of pétillant naturel sparkling wine now includes 2022 pétillant malvasia bianca in a 250-mL can. Lily Belli has more on that, plus local foodie events and more.
Posted inCity Life
Last weekend to catch ‘Hunchback’ at Cabrillo Stage
With the final weekend coming up for “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” Cabrillo Stage blends the fresh energy of new artistic leadership with the steady hand of an experienced crew.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
I think my mother-in-law has discovered the Fountain of Youth
Juan Ponce de León never found the Fountain of Youth. In fact, he never even looked for it; that is just a weird rumor. But Lookout columnist Claudia Sternbach, who often writes about life in her 70s, believes her 93-year-old mother-in-law, Rozzy, holds the secret many of us crave — the recipe for longevity. Rozzy is coming to California next week and is still wave jumping and making airport runs and hard to tire out, even in her ninth decade. She is also making Sternbach rethink her attitude about aging.
Posted inEnvironment
‘We are in a new era’: A year after reopening, how far has Big Basin come — and how far does it still need to go?
Big Basin Redwoods State Park has made big strides since its reopening a year ago, with more trails and campgrounds reopened to the public now than over the last two years. However, the park in its current state is ‘almost unrecognizable’ from its pre-2020 iteration, parks officials say, even after nearly three years of intensive restoration work. Now, California State Parks is beginning the process of studying what kinds of new permanent facilities will be built in the park, and where.