Santa Cruz high school students Talia and Kaia Gurdak turned their backyard into a laboratory, collecting water droplets in mesh nets to study whether fog can be a sustainable source of water. Now the sisters are preparing to present their findings this week to a gathering of 25,000 scientists at the prestigious American Geophysical Union conference in Washington, D.C.
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Posted inSan Lorenzo Valley
In a town once scorched by wildfire, Albert the white peacock became a symbol of resilience — and loss
When the CZU wildfire devastated Boulder Creek in 2020, a white peacock named Albert became a beacon of hope, strutting through smoky streets and uniting a grieving community. On Nov. 23, Albert met his end after he was killed by a mountain lion.
Posted inEducation
Five new faces and a fresh start: How controversy over ethnic studies helped reshape Pajaro Valley Unified School District
Three incumbents on the Pajaro Valley Unified School District governing board lost their seats to three newcomers in the November election. District community members talked to Lookout about how they think that happened.
Posted inLatest News
Carmageddon: Soquel Drive overhaul on track to wrap up in spring 2025 — earlier than initial estimates
One of the largest multimodal improvement projects in Santa Cruz County is headed to a spring completion, several months earlier than originally planned. Crews will finish the final steps improvements to Soquel Drive in the spring, to avoid weather impacts as much as possible.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
What ‘A Christmas Carol’ can teach us about 2024
It’s been a trying year for many, with more ahead come January. But this December, Wallace Baine writes, you could do worse than leaning into the commonality of “A Christmas Carol” – on stage now in a Santa Cruz Shakespeare production – as “a compact dramatization of the journey to be more fully human.”
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
West Cliff’s future depends on unity – surfers have a place in the discussion
Surfers have always been an important partner in the City of Santa Cruz’s climate resiliency planning and have helped shape priorities for West Cliff Drive’s future, writes City Manager Matt Huffaker. He refutes a recent Community Voices piece by surfing community members and warns about the spread of false information that confuses the public and makes it difficult to implement needed change. The city has extensive planning efforts underway, all open to feedback from the community, and he says it’s a great time for the public to get engaged on this important work.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Stay or go as a widow? Majority of readers advised me to remain in Santa Cruz – here’s what I heard
Lookout columnist Claudia Sternbach, a widow since February after her husband’s sudden cancer diagnosis and death, is trying to decide if she should stay in the house they created together over 40 years or move somewhere else to start fresh. She has been considering Los Angeles, where her daughter and grandson live. Two weeks ago, she asked for advice from readers and close to 200 responded. She unpacks that advice here.
Posted inWatsonville / Pajaro
Watsonville hospital network outage caused by cyberattack
A network outage shutting down Watsonville Community Hospital’s internet connection and its electronic systems was caused by a cyberattack, hospital spokesperson Nancy Gere said Friday. The network outage occurred last week, and is expected to last several more days as an investigation is ongoing.
Posted inFood & Drink
Dungeness crab season delayed in California until at least Dec. 31
The Dungeness crab season will remain closed in California through the end of December. Whale entanglements in fishing gear are at a six-year high, and nonprofit group Oceana calls for “stronger measures” to protect wildlife. A few Santa Cruz County markets plan to bring in crab from Oregon or Washington, where the season is open, for the holidays, while others say they’ll wait for the season to open locally.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Years in the making, The Neighbor’s gives LGBTQ+ community a long-awaited bar to belly up to
Thursday night’s very well attended soft opening of The Neighbor’s pub downtown was the culmination of seven years of work by owner Frankie Farr to give Santa Cruz’s LGBTQ+ community a primary gathering spot.
