Go inside Santa Cruz County politics & policy with Lookout correspondent Christopher Neely.
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Posted inLatest News
Morning Lookout: Political shifts in 2025, school budget cuts, a rail trail update and Bookshop’s cookbook maven
Santa Cruz County headlines from Lookout for the morning of Monday, Dec. 23.
Posted inK-12 Education
As federal pandemic aid ends, Santa Cruz County school districts prepare for budget cuts, layoffs
Facing millions in budget shortfalls, Pajaro Valley and Live Oak school districts expect to make deep spending cuts as pandemic-relief funding expires and they confront the effects of declining enrollment. For PVUSD, that is likely to mean slashing expenses for mental health staff and programs.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Santa Cruz County braces for political change: new alliances, new sheriff, downtown revivals – all in the shadow of a second Trump presidency
As 2025 dawns, election results — not campaigns — promise to shape Santa Cruz County’s future. From Donald Trump’s White House return to transformative local projects, shifting political alliances, and new leadership challenges, the year ahead could redefine our communities.
Posted inFood & Drink
Bookshop cookbook buyer Stefanie Berntson shares 30 years of wisdom, and her favorite books
For the past 32 years, the cookbook section at Bookshop Santa Cruz has been curated by one woman. New Orleans native Stefanie Berntson joined the team in 1990, and over those decades, she has kept the shelves stocked with Santa Cruz bestsellers on vegetarian cooking and weeknight dinners, while bringing in more representation from other cultures. Despite the rise of free online recipes, she believes cookbooks are still relevant and vital.
Posted inLatest News
Carmageddon: After multiple delays, one rail trail segment set for summer completion, two others push forward
A stretch of the Coastal Rail Trail on Santa Cruz’s Westside nears completion after weather delays. Santa Cruz Metro is suspending some routes and continuing with its existing schedule because of problems with its aging bus fleet. Meanwhile, Highway 1’s Bay Avenue on-ramp remains closed until Sunday, with additional closures north of Santa Cruz, and Highway 9’s disruptive paving work has wrapped up.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Santa Cruz’s celebrated Batish family to ring in the new year
Sitar master Ashwin Batish, long a fixture in Santa Cruz music, returns to the stage New Year’s Eve to headline The 418 Project’s “Gathering in Gratitude” celebration – and he’ll have his son, daughters and sister with him in a “family thing” echo of downtown First Night performances with his late father.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Why it’s worth it to get out of bed and join the holiday fun, even when you don’t feel like it
Lookout columnist Claudia Sternbach had to gather all her strength to attend a holiday party last week. The party fell on the first anniversary of her husband Michael’s cancer diagnosis and close to 10 months since his death at 65. The warmth and kindness she encountered lifted her spirits and reminded her of the joy of new life and the holiness of living.
Posted inLatest News
UCSC among campuses revamping discrimination policies after federal probe into Gaza protests
The UC system will overhaul its discrimination policies after federal investigators found it failed to address antisemitic and anti-Muslim harassment during Gaza protests at five campuses, including UC Santa Cruz.
Posted inLatest News
In Photos: At Santa Cruz homeless memorial, empty chairs mark lives lost on the streets this year
Santa Cruz homelessness advocates, officials and residents gathered Friday to memorialize members of the unhoused community who died over the past year.