One East Lake Avenue crash victim identified

The Pajaronian - Tue, 06/16/2026 - 23:05

One of the teen victims killed in a two-car crash just outside Watsonville Sunday night has been identified as Carlos Angeles from Soquel. His passenger, a 17-year-old girl, also died at the scene.

The crash occurred around 8:45pm  at the intersection of East Lake Avenue and Casserly Road between a white Infiniti sedan and a gray Toyota sedan, California Highway Patrol officer Israel Murillo said.

A GoFundMe campaign created for Angeles describes him as a self-taught guitarist who was preparing to start a new job with Frito-Lay the morning after the crash. Organizers wrote that Angeles was excited about the opportunity and hoped it would allow him to better support his father, Martin.

He attended Soquel High School, those that knew him said.

CHP Officer Israel Murillo said a 19-year-old Watsonville man was driving a white Infiniti westbound on East Lake Avenue east of Casserly Road when it collided with a 2026 Toyota Camry driven by Angeles, who was traveling east through the intersection. Authorities have not determined either vehicle’s speed.

The Camry came to rest beneath a billboard on the dirt shoulder after sustaining catastrophic damage. Two occupants of the Infiniti suffered major injuries. One was airlifted by CALSTAR from a landing zone at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds, while the other was transported by ambulance to an out-of-county trauma center.

Fire crews spent nearly an hour cutting into the Infiniti to reach trapped occupants. One injured passenger appeared conscious and was able to answer questions as rescuers removed him from the heavily damaged vehicle.

Investigators are still working to determine the cause of the collision. CHP is examining whether alcohol or drugs played a role. The Infiniti driver was arrested, but authorities have not released his identity.

Debris from both vehicles littered the intersection, including bumpers, license plates, shattered glass and engine components. Rescuers removed the roofs of both vehicles to access those trapped inside.

East Lake Avenue (Highway 152) remained closed in both directions for several hours, forcing motorists bound for Gilroy and Morgan Hill to detour via Highway 129.

Cal Fire led the rescue effort with assistance from Watsonville Fire, while multiple CHP officers remained on scene during the investigation.

Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact CHP dispatch at 831.796.2160.

Election update: Nuñez maintains lead, close to clinching seat

The Pajaronian - Tue, 06/16/2026 - 21:57

Election results posted Tuesday show that Tony Nuñez has maintained his sizable lead in the race for the District 4 seat on the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors.

Nuñez has received 3,930 votes, or 50.1% of the total, while incumbent Felipe Hernandez has received 2,417 votes, or 30.79%.

Challenger Elias Gonzalez has received 1,443 votes, or 18.35%.

A total of 54 votes were cast for write-in candidates.

Nuñez said he remains “cautiously optimistic” about his single-digit margin.

If that falls below the 50% simple majority, it will mean a runoff election against Hernandez in November.

“It’s not over until it’s over,” he said. “You run through the finish line, you run through the tape.”

He also credited voters and campaign supporters.

“More than anything right now, I’m just grateful for the support that we’ve received up until this moment,” he said. “Grateful for all of the conversations that I’ve had so far on the campaign trail.”

Nuñez said he hopes to begin preparing for office as soon as possible.

“Right now, I would love to be able to get to work immediately and start to plan out and meet with people and get a lay of the land for District 4 in a way that will really get me ready to get started in January 2027,” he said.

Those percentages have changed little since election night, when Nuñez took a commanding 49% of the vote, just shy of the simple majority needed to win the election outright.

There are an estimated 365 ballots left to count, according to the Santa Cruz County Clerk’s Office.

The next batch of results was scheduled to be released June 18, with final results expected June 26, County Clerk Tricia Webber said.

Webber predicted that more than 50% of the county’s registered voters cast ballots, which she said would be the highest turnout for a primary election since 2002.

District 4 encompasses much of South Santa Cruz County, including a large portion of Watsonville.

District 3 Supervisor Justin Cummings ran unopposed.

In Santa Cruz, Ryan Coonerty opened election night with more than 50% of the vote in his bid for mayor. However, his share has since fallen below that threshold, placing him on track for a November runoff against second-place finisher Ami Chen Mills.

As of Tuesday, Coonerty had 9,251 votes, or 47.89%, while Chen Mills had 20.44%.

Street Talk

Good Times Santa Cruz - Tue, 06/16/2026 - 20:53
What’s your most exciting sports experience?

Healthy Way to Eat

Good Times Santa Cruz - Tue, 06/16/2026 - 20:47

Healthy Way to Eat

The Healthy Way marks 40 years of helping Santa Cruz County residents pursue sustainable health, nutrition and lifestyle changes with a June 27 anniversary party and health fair.

Pudding Proof

Good Times Santa Cruz - Tue, 06/16/2026 - 20:44

Pudding Proof

Frank Family Vineyards’ 2025 Carneros Rosé of Pinot Noir brings peach, wild strawberry, white nectarine and citrus notes just in time for summer celebrations.

Coonerty, Chen Mills head to November run-off for Santa Cruz mayor

Lookout Santa Cruz - Tue, 06/16/2026 - 17:07

Tuesday, 4:20 p.m. – Ryan Coonerty and Ami Chen Mills will face each other in a run-off in November for Santa Cruz mayor after the county clerk’s office added 490 ballots to the county’s total on Tuesday afternoon. 

Coonerty earned 47.9% of the ballots counted, or 9,251 of the 20,719 votes cast. In second, Chen Mills has 20.4% of the votes cast, or 3,948.

After Coonerty and Chen Mills, Joy Schendledecker has 12.5% (2,410 ballots), Gillian Greensite has 11.1% (2,149 ballots) and Chris Krohn has 7.6% (1,459 ballots).

There are still about 365 ballots countywide left to tally, according to Santa Cruz County’s elections department. The next results will be posted at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday.

Watching the results from home with his family on Election Night, June 2, Coonerty said he was feeling good, and tired from campaigning on the UC Santa Cruz campus from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

“I’m grateful to have strong support,” he said. “But I still think there’s lots of votes to count.” 

Election Day June 2Santa Cruz mayoral candidate Ryan Coonerty on campus at UC Santa Cruz on Election Day. Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

Meanwhile on Election Night, a mix of more than 40 supporters for the four other progressive candidates gathered at Rosie McCann’s Irish Pub in downtown Santa Cruz. The group crowded into the bar’s back room watching national and state election results and eating small plates of appetizers and sliders. The space had two televisions broadcasting live election results, and the candidates each donned their campaign merchandise as they spoke about their days full of phone calls and door knocks.

Sean Dougherty, running against incumbent U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta in California’s 19th District, organized the watch party which, in addition to mayoral candidates Chen Mills, Krohn and Schendledecker, also attracted city council candidates Hector Marin and Gabriella Noack. Greensite held a private watch party, and at 10 p.m. told Lookout it was too early to comment on the results. Chen Mills said she was exhausted from knocking on doors all day and wasn’t sure she would be able to stay up to see the final vote update. 

At the watch party, each of the candidates took a turn at a microphone and spoke about their campaigns and the early results. During her speech, Schendledecker thanked Krohn, Chen Mills and Greensite for all the ways they helped each other during the season and said she appreciated the collaborative spirit that marked their race. She did not say anything about Coonerty. 

She – along with the four other candidates – worked throughout the election season to present themselves as anti-establishment alternatives to Coonerty.  

“I really, really appreciate Chris and Ami and Gillian,” said Schendledecker. “We were in it together.”

Krohn told Lookout he was happy with his campaign, and that he felt it provided voters with another perspective other than Coonerty’s.  

“I think that the campaign was successful, just in itself,” he said. “Because we went up against the contender, the main candidate.”

The next to lead the city will have their hands full as Santa Cruz grapples with a range of challenges from affordability, a declining population and shrinking budgets.

Incumbent Fred Keeley chose not to seek reelection after serving one four-year term.

Over the past two decades, Coonerty served as a Santa Cruz city councilmember, mayor and county supervisor. Recently, he’s worked as an advisor to San Jose mayor and California gubernatorial candidate Matt Mahan

Greensite worked as head of rape prevention education at UC Santa Cruz for 30 years, and is a longtime environmentalist who has pushed back against the city on numerous occasions. For example, she was involved in a lawsuit against the city when it tried to change its heritage tree ordinance. 

Krohn has served two separate terms on the Santa Cruz City Council, with his first stint running from 1998 to 2002. During his second term, Krohn was recalled along with fellow councilmember Drew Glover in March 2020. He was also an educator in UCSC’s environmental studies program. 

Chen Mills is a community advocate and writer and ran for District 3 county supervisor in 2022. She’s also been a leader in the anti-Flock Safety camera movement. 

Schendledecker is an operations manager for local homeless shelter programs and has also had several unsuccessful campaigns for local offices. In 2022, she ran for mayor, losing to Keeley. In 2024, she ran for the District 3 seat on the Santa Cruz City Council, losing to incumbent Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson. 

Caly Plowman contributed to this story.

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The post Coonerty, Chen Mills head to November run-off for Santa Cruz mayor appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.

Santa Cruz City Council: Newsome, Golder secure second terms

Lookout Santa Cruz - Tue, 06/16/2026 - 16:55

Tuesday, 4:20 p.m. – Incumbents Scott Newsome and Renee Golder have each secured a second term on the Santa Cruz City Council, defeating challengers Hector Marin and Gabriella Noack, respectively.

After a Tuesday update, Newsome had received 52.3% of the vote in District 4 (1,469 of 3,262 votes cast), maintaining his lead over Marin, who had received 47% of the vote (1,319 of 3,262 votes cast). Golder remained far ahead of Noack. She had received 63.8% of the vote in District 6 (1,962 of 3,262 votes cast) while Noack had received 35.6% of the vote (1,096 of 3,262 votes cast). The next update from the Santa Cruz County elections office is expected around 4:30 p.m. Thursday, with only an estimated 365 votes left countywide.

“We’re happy to be here. We look forward to the community response,” Marin’s campaign manager, Dave Tannaci, told Lookout on June 2 at an Election Night watch party at Rosie McCann’s on Pacific Avenue. Newsome and Noack did not immediately return Lookout’s request for comment.

Golder told Lookout last week that she has not checked the results. In fact, she never does until 30 days after the election when it is certified.

“It’s out of my control,” she said, adding that she didn’t have a watch party or do any last-minute promotions on Election Day. “I did everything I could from January through yesterday. It’s out of my hands and it’s up to the voters now.”

Newsome is a UC Santa Cruz lecturer and has served one term on the council following his 2022 election victory. He had prevailed over Marin and another challenger, Greg Hyver, to represent District 4, covering downtown and part of the Westside bounded by High Street to the north and Bay Street to the west.

Marin is an English language development and special education classroom aide at Santa Cruz’s Harbor High School. He is running for city council for the third time in the past three election cycles.

Newsome has pointed to successes in building affordable housing throughout the district, protecting residents of the St. George Residences in downtown Santa Cruz from major rent hikes, securing more than $13 million in relief and recovery funding following the 2024 winter storms that damaged and partially collapsed the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf, and various transportation improvements as some of the main reasons voters should support him for a second term.

Marin has focused his campaign on the high cost of living, and strives to bring transparency and inclusivity to the dais. He wants to work directly with residents to address the city’s most pressing issues, ease requirements for fully affordable housing projects, reduce red tape and push for rent stabilization.

Challenger Gabriella Noack speaks during Lookout’s May 7 candidate forum as District 6 incumbent Renee Golder listens. Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

Golder is the principal of the Westside’s Bay View Elementary School and the incumbent in District 6, which covers the lower Westside, the westernmost part of the upper Westside and part of the UC Santa Cruz campus. She is the Monterey Bay representative of the board of directors of the League of California Cities, where she has pushed state lawmakers to stop changes to building codes, and has also advocated for more workforce housing.

Noack is a graduating UC Santa Cruz senior, and has worked as a volunteer peer tutor, a volunteer teacher at the Watsonville jail and co-facilitating a technology program at local nonprofit Barrios Unidos that aims to teach vocational technology skills to people who were previously incarcerated. 

——

FOR THE RECORD: This story has been updated with comments from Santa Cruz City Council District 6 incumbent Renee Golder.

——

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The post Santa Cruz City Council: Newsome, Golder secure second terms appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.

Santa Cruz County 2026 primary election results in charts: Races hold steady following small Tuesday update

Lookout Santa Cruz - Tue, 06/16/2026 - 16:50
Santa Cruz County elections workers tabulating ballots Tuesday

Tuesday, 4:20 p.m. — Welcome to Lookout’s 2026 primary election results page. Here, we’ll give you real-time updates on how each race in Santa Cruz County is shaking out as the vote is counted, reflected in charts. Scroll to the bottom of this story for a link to the California Secretary of State website to view the results of statewide races.

The Santa Cruz County Clerk’s office added 490 ballots to the tally on Tuesday, bringing the total number of ballots counted to 86,928.

According to the Santa Cruz Elections Department website, there are still about 365 votes left to tally. There are 70 same-day registration ballots, 75 provisional ballots and 25 damaged ballots, and 195 vote-by-mail ballots that need voter action to cure their signature left to be counted. That means that roughly 99% of the ballots cast have been tallied.

Here is how the races stand as of 4 p.m. on Tuesday. The next update is expected around 4:30 p.m. on Thursday.

Santa Cruz County supervisor results

A candidate needs a simple majority (50% of votes cast +1) in order to win an election. If no candidate reaches that threshold, the top two vote-getters head to a run-off election in November. 

District 3 incumbent Justin Cummings is running unopposed.

Santa Cruz County Superior Court judge Santa Cruz mayor

A candidate needs a simple majority (50% of votes cast +1) in order to win an election. If no candidate reaches that threshold, the top two vote-getters head to a run-off election in November.

Santa Cruz City Council State races

Click here for the California Secretary of State office’s website, where you can view the results for the statewide contests including races for governor, congressional districts and state Assembly.

Have something to say? Lookout welcomes letters to the editor, within our policies, from readers. Guidelines here.

The post Santa Cruz County 2026 primary election results in charts: Races hold steady following small Tuesday update appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.

Santa Cruz County Superior Court: Immigration attorney Alisa Thomas secures open seat in judge race

Lookout Santa Cruz - Tue, 06/16/2026 - 16:32
the Santa Cruz County courthouse

Tuesday, 4 p.m. Immigration attorney Alisa Thomas has secured the open seat on the Santa Cruz County Superior Court over criminal defense attorney Bryan Hackett. 

Thomas had earned 54.8% of the votes (38,393 of 86,924 votes cast) while Hackett had earned 44.6% (31,280) as of Tuesday afternoon. Thomas has held a nearly 10% lead over Hackett since Election Day.

The Santa Cruz County Clerk’s office added 490 ballots to the tally on Tuesday, bringing the total number of ballots counted to 86,438. The next results will be posted around 4:30 p.m. on Thursday.

Thomas told Lookout last week that “Santa Cruz County wins” no matter who is elected in this race, and added she’s cautiously optimistic as votes continue to be tallied.

“I’ll reserve my reaction until there’s a more significant number of votes counted,” Hackett told Lookout on Election Day. “Fingers crossed for the next batch of results that they go my way.”

The winner will succeed Superior Court Judge Stephen Siegel, who’s retiring after first being appointed by former governor Jerry Brown in 2012. The candidate who wins Siegel’s seat will face reelection in 2032. 

Five other Santa Cruz County judges also have expiring terms this year, but because they’re running unopposed, they will not appear on the ballot. 

Criminal defense attorney Bryan Hackett trailed immigration attorney Alisa Thomas in the race to replace Judge Stephen Siegel on the Santa Cruz County Superior Court. Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

Hackett has worked in the Santa Cruz court system for 15 years, defending clients and interacting with the local criminal justice system, such as the county’s district attorney’s office, local judges and the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office. 

He previously told Lookout his background in criminal defense allows hims to see both sides of a case — the defense side and the public safety side. Hackett added he is both an advocate for his clients and is “pro public safety.” 

Thomas has worked in the San Francisco Immigration Court for the past 25 years, focusing on assisting her clients — many of whom are farmworkers — with seeking work permits, residency and sometimes, asylum cases.  

She told Lookout in May that her judicial philosophy necessitates thoroughly understanding the case: “And the main thing is to be impartial and to be fair and to hold people accountable.” 

Have something to say? Lookout welcomes letters to the editor, within our policies, from readers. Guidelines here.

The post Santa Cruz County Superior Court: Immigration attorney Alisa Thomas secures open seat in judge race appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.

Second Yellow Bank Beach drowning victim dies; women identified as friends from Bay Area

Lookout Santa Cruz - Tue, 06/16/2026 - 15:05

Two young women from the San Francisco Bay Area have died after they drowned during dangerous ocean conditions last week at a beach in northern Santa Cruz County.  

Fremont residents Harshita Nair, 21, and Mahial Sran, 20, died Thursday and Saturday, respectively, after being swept into the water near Yellow Bank Beach last Wednesday, according to the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office. 

Last week, Santa Cruz County Volunteer Fire Captain Kyle Breton said on X, formerly Twitter, that the two women were likely swept out into the ocean by a rising tide. He said eight rescue swimmers assisted in the search and were able to get the women out and transported to local hospitals. 

Breton said the area’s quick rising tide often “catches people unaware” and warned the public to be cautious when visiting the beaches. 

Sheriff’s office spokesperson Ashley Keehn told Lookout the coroner hasn’t yet officially determined the cause and manner of death. 

Nair and Sran both graduated from Washington High School in Fremont in 2023, according to their LinkedIn profiles. Sran was studying public health at San Jose State University, while Nair was a legal studies major at UC Berkeley; both were scheduled to graduate in 2027. 

Have news that should be in Lookout Briefs? Send your news releases, including contact information, to news@lookoutlocal.com.

MORE LOCAL COVERAGE

The post Second Yellow Bank Beach drowning victim dies; women identified as friends from Bay Area appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.

Free Will Astrology

Good Times Santa Cruz - Tue, 06/16/2026 - 14:58

Free Will Astrology

This week’s Free Will Astrology finds liberation in minimalism, guidance in inherited wisdom, healing in unexpected places and beauty in life’s strategic irregularities.

New commission takes aim at California’s broken public defense system

Lookout Santa Cruz - Tue, 06/16/2026 - 14:38

This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for its newsletters.

A new commission made up of legislators, public defenders, academics and advocates seeks to push California — one of just two states that don’t pay for basic public defense — to begin providing resources and enforcing minimum standards for county public defender systems. 

The California Independent Commission on Public Defense includes three assemblymembers and two senators — among them Jesse Arreguín and Nick Schultz, chairs of the Senate and Assembly Public Safety Committees — as well as chief public defenders from several counties, retired judges, the directors of criminal justice nonprofits and the heads of organizations representing thousands of defense attorneys in the state.

“We have discussed the problem of our public defense system for years,” said Schultz, a Democrat from Burbank and former prosecutor who has sponsored legislation to improve public defense.

The goal is to “move past discussion and study, and come up with an actionable road map of what we need to do to really build out the robust public defense infrastructure that Californians are rightfully entitled to,” he said.

The commissioners plan to develop a five-year plan to phase in state funding, along with enforceable standards like caseload limits and access to defense investigators.

A CalMatters investigation last year found that criminal defendants across the state are routinely convicted without anyone investigating the charges against them, significantly increasing the likelihood of wrongful convictions. Many California counties do not employ a single defense investigator who can interview witnesses, review police reports, visit crime scenes and retrieve video surveillance footage. CalMatters also found that lawyers in some rural counties are handling caseloads that far exceed even the most permissive standards, making them less likely than other defense attorneys to challenge the prosecution’s evidence in legal motions and take their cases to trial. 

But the state has resisted stepping in. After a proposed bill that would have created an official state commission to address the issue was abandoned, two advocacy groups, the Wren Collective and UC Berkeley’s Criminal Law and Justice Center, decided to form an independent commission and began assembling participants who could develop and act on reforms. These types of commissions, which have facilitated significant improvements in other states’ public defender systems, are usually established by the governor. 

“It became clear that this was an issue that was not a high priority for Sacramento, especially during a budget crisis,” said Chesa Boudin, the Berkeley center’s founding director and a former San Francisco district attorney. It also became clear, Boudin said, that “there was a tremendous gap between what experts understood to be the crisis and the public perception of California government as a kind of progressive leader in the country.”

In the decades since the U.S. Supreme Court established the right to an attorney in state court criminal proceedings, California has saddled its counties with the responsibility of providing lawyers to poor people accused of crimes. Many of those counties have opted for the cheapest path: paying private lawyers and firms a flat fee to represent indigent defendants, regardless of how many cases they handle or how much time they spend on each case.

The Santa Cruz County Office of the Public Defender. Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

“You’ve got some offices that have an incredibly high caliber of representation that they can provide, and you have other offices that are doing these flat-fee contracts where the quality has been documented to be pretty bad,” said Eve Brensike Primus, a law professor at the University of Michigan.

Primus is the only member of the new commission from outside of California. She was asked to join because of her extensive research and writing about the structure of indigent defense. 

An indigent defense commission in Michigan, which was formed by the legislature in 2013, has led to significant reforms and a substantial influx in state funding. 

The California commission’s work, Primus said, can serve “as a catalyst for political actors to do the right thing and start to fund and improve indigent defense delivery, or as fodder for lawsuits that then can try to get the judiciary to push the political actors to do what is necessary to provide for effective representation.”

The commission is scheduled to hold its first in-person meeting, which will be open to the public, in Berkeley in October, with additional meetings planned for Los Angeles, the Central Valley and Northern California over the next 12 months. Commissioners say they will work in subcommittees in-between these quarterly sessions to develop a concrete fiscal plan for the state, draft legislative language, and establish minimum standards for how counties should structure their public defender offices, compensate their attorneys, provide access to experts, and report on their work.

Any recommendations would then need to be approved by the Legislature.

Have something to say? Lookout welcomes letters to the editor, within our policies, from readers. Guidelines here.

The post New commission takes aim at California’s broken public defense system appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.

A busy week of community connection at Lookout Santa Cruz

Lookout Santa Cruz - Tue, 06/16/2026 - 14:17
VegFest

Last week, Lookout brought readers, members, business leaders and community partners together through three unique events that showcased the many ways local journalism can connect and strengthen our community.

These community experiences are made possible by the support of Lookout members. If you’re not yet a member, we invite you to join us and help sustain independent local journalism while gaining access to exclusive events, experiences and opportunities to connect with the people and stories that make Santa Cruz County unique.

Five years strong — and just getting started.

Celebrate Lookout’s fifth anniversary by joining the community that powers trustworthy local journalism in Santa Cruz County. Your membership gives you unlimited access to every story on our website and app — and fuels the reporting that keeps our community informed, connected and moving forward.

BECOME A MEMBER TODAY » Private VegFest tasting tour with Lily Belli VegFest VegFest VegFest VegFest VegFest VegFest

On Saturday morning, June 6, 12 Lookout members got a taste of life as a food journalist, joining food and drink correspondent Lily Belli for an exclusive tasting tour at Santa Cruz VegFest at the county fairgrounds in Watsonville. More than just a food crawl, the experience offered behind-the-scenes conversations with local food makers and a deeper understanding of the stories, cultures and community connections behind each bite.

The group began at Samba Rock Açaí Café, where members enjoyed fresh açaí bowls while learning about the fruit’s roots in Brazil and the inspiration behind bringing authentic açaí culture to Santa Cruz. Next, they sampled vegan arepas from Areperia 831. The owner shared her commitment to creating food that is inclusive and accessible for everyone – often making dishes that are vegan, gluten-free and nut-free without sacrificing flavor. The verdict from the group: You would never guess the arepas were vegan.

The tour continued with vegan churro donuts from Hole Foods Donuts. Members learned how the owner balances a full-time career as a carpenter while building his donut business on the side, and got a look at some of his creative flavors, including blueberry and matcha. The morning wrapped up at Santa Cruz Cider Co., where participants sampled a classic dry cider, a pomegranate-apple blend and fresh apple juice, all made from apples grown right here in Santa Cruz County.

What makes these tasting tours so special is that they go far beyond simply tasting food. Participants get to hear directly from chefs, entrepreneurs and makers about their journeys, their craft and their connections to the community. It’s an opportunity to experience food through the lens of a journalist – discovering the stories behind the flavors and gaining a richer appreciation for the people who make our local food scene so vibrant.

Lookout Trivia Night at Abbott Square

On Wednesday evening, June 10, 65 community members gathered at Abbott Square for the kickoff of Lookout’s fifth annual summer trivia series. Hosted by longtime arts and entertainment writer Wallace Baine, the monthly event has become a beloved summer tradition in downtown Santa Cruz, drawing a mix of loyal regulars and first-time players eager to test their knowledge and enjoy a night out with friends.

Although Wallace retired from Lookout last December, he was so passionate about the trivia series that he couldn’t imagine letting it go. A devoted “Jeopardy!” fan, Wallace designs each round with the same spirit of curiosity and challenge – and participants quickly discover that these questions are no joke. With four rounds covering everything from pop culture and history to science and local knowledge, even the most seasoned trivia buffs find themselves stumped.

Fifteen teams competed throughout the evening while enjoying food and drinks from Abbott Square vendors. After a hard-fought final round, first-time Lookout trivia attendees the Scrambled Eggheads emerged victorious, taking home Pacific Cookie Company treats, Lookout swag and, perhaps most important, bragging rights until next month.

Business after hours with the Santa Cruz Area Chamber of Commerce Lookout Chamber event Lookout Chamber event Lookout Chamber event

On Thursday evening, June 11, more than 50 local business, nonprofit and community leaders gathered inside the Lookout newsroom for a business after hours event in partnership with the Santa Cruz Area Chamber of Commerce. Despite an unexpected air-conditioning outage on one of the warmer days of the year, the newsroom was full of energy, conversation and new connections.

For many attendees, the evening offered a rare behind-the-scenes look at how local journalism works. Guests learned more about Lookout’s mission to provide independent, nonpartisan reporting for Santa Cruz County and the role local news plays in keeping communities informed and connected. While much of the newsroom team was out doing what journalists do best – covering breaking stories and reporting in the field – the event provided an opportunity to showcase the people, partnerships and community engagement efforts that help support Lookout’s work.

The gathering also served as an introduction to Lookout’s new executive editor, Richard Martin, who recently joined the organization to lead the newsroom and help guide its next chapter. Attendees had the chance to meet Richard and learn more about Lookout’s continued investment in strong local journalism.

Beyond the newsroom itself, the evening highlighted the many ways businesses, nonprofits and community organizations can partner with Lookout. Guests enjoyed a spread from Busy Bees Catering, winner of the 2025 Lookout List award for Best Catering for a Dinner Party, alongside award-winning wines from Soquel Vineyards, another 2025 Lookout List honoree. The space was brightened by stunning floral arrangements from woman-owned Tulipa Florals, whose creative displays featured fresh strawberries woven into the bouquets – a detail that quickly became a conversation-starter among attendees. Together, these local businesses helped showcase the talent, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit that make Santa Cruz County such a special place. A special thank you to the Santa Cruz Area Chamber of Commerce and everyone who joined us for such a memorable evening.

Whether exploring Santa Cruz’s food scene with a journalist, gathering with friends for a night of trivia or connecting with local leaders in our newsroom, each of these events reflects the same goal: bringing people closer to the stories, businesses and neighbors that shape our community. That’s the power of local journalism – not just informing people about where they live, but helping them feel more connected to it.

The post A busy week of community connection at Lookout Santa Cruz appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.

MVC’s Zach Binder awarded Mission Division’s top offensive player | All-PCAL lacrosse

The Pajaronian - Tue, 06/16/2026 - 13:29

Monte Vista Christian senior Zach Binder was named the Offensive Player of the Year in the Pacific Coast Athletic League’s Mission Division for the 2026 boys lacrosse season.

The standout Mustang finished with a total of 82 points (64 goals and 18 assists) during the spring campaign, according to the Max Preps website.

Binder, along with teammates freshmen Everett Olmstead and Gabe Figliomeni each earned All-PCAL First Team honors.

Olmstead had 39 points (29 goals and 10 assists), while Figliomeni tallied 24 points (17 goals and seven assists).  

Aptos High senior Alex Sandoval earned All-PCAL First Team honors in the Gabilan Division. He finished with 76 points (47 goals and 29 assists).

On the girls side, Aptos senior Aryel Reyes-Mager earned All-PCAL First Team honors, tallying 40 goals and three assists this season.

MVC seniors Raina Covarrubias and Sophia Sheridan, along with junior Maya Moore each earned All-PCAL First Team honors.

Moore finished with a team-best 72 points (59 goals and 13 assists). Covarrubias had 45 points (31 goals and 14 assists), while Sheridan totaled 36 points (29 goals and seven assists) this season.

Below is a complete list of the 2026 All-PCAL boys and girls teams. 

Pacific Coast Athletic League 2026 all-league boys lacrosse teams Gabilan Division Individual Awards

Player of the Year: Zach Otoupol (Sr.), Los Gatos

Offensive Player of the Year: Ben Reilly (Sr.), Los Gatos

Defensive Player of the Year: Laird Welch (Sr.), Stevenson

First Team

Alex Sandoval (Sr.), Aptos

Matthew Ellis (So.), Carmel

Zach Otoupol (Sr.), Los Gatos

Ben Reilly (Sr.), Los Gatos

Zach Gouldrup (Sr.), Los Gatos

Justin Buran (So.), Los Gatos

Ryder Gamecho (Jr.), Pacific Grove

Cooper Dukes (So.), Palma

Eli Dukes (Jr.), Palma

Laird Welch (Sr.), Stevenson

Fin Mink (Sr.), Stevenson

Topher Moan (So.), Stevenson

Second Team

Sam Miller (Sr.), Aptos

Parker O’Hara (Jr.), Aptos

Daniel Bodensteiner (Jr.), Carmel

Ben Burtis (So.), Los Gatos

Asher Rooney (So.), Los Gatos

Liam Carlin (Sr.), Los Gatos

Tyce Bowen (Sr.), Los Gatos

Garrett Kusaka (Sr.), Pacific Grove

Chase Amaral (Jr.), Palma

Bryce Amaral (Jr.), Palma

Bradley Stade (Sr.), Pacific Grove

Grady Roth (Sr.), Stevenson

Tucker Green (Sr.), Stevenson

Richard Chamberlin All-Sportsmanship Team

Greyson Agnello (Sr.), Aptos

Connor Reilly (Sr.), Carmel

Nikolay Barkhatov (Sr.), Los  Gatos

Noah Murdock (Sr.), Pacific Grove

Conner Jimenez (Jr.), Palma

Andrew Vanoli (Sr.), Stevenson

Elgie Bellizio All-Sportsmanship team

Pacific Grove

Mission Division Individual Awards

Player of the Year: Jedidiah Del Favero (Jr.), Soquel

Offensive Player of the Year: Zack Binder (Sr.), Monte Vista Christian

Defensive Player of the Year: Ben Latham, Salinas

First Team

Vitto Forneris (Sr.), Hollister

Troy Cooper (Fr.), Hollister

Hedrix Coons (Sr.), Monterey

Everett Olmstead (Fr.), MVC

Gabe Figliomeni (Fr.), MVC

Zach Binder (Sr.), MVC

Caleb Nolan (Jr.), Salinas

Andrew Babcock (Sr.), Salinas

Stephen Yee (Jr.), Santa Cruz

Troy “TJ” Kusanovich (Fr.), Soquel

Bo Blackwood (Fr.), Soquel

Jedidiah Del Favero (Jr.), Soquel

Asher Kille (Jr.), Soquel

Second Team

Chase Chipley (So.), Hollister

Isiah Toscano (So.), Hollister

James Langford (Jr.), Monterey

Mason Binder (So.), MVC

Tyler Bennett (So.), MVC

Sean Cote (Jr.), MVC

Mason Black (Jr.), Salinas

Von Robinson Jr.), Salinas

Isaiah Maloney (Fr.), Santa Cruz

Xavier Rivas (Fr.), Soquel

George Staychock (So.), Soquel

Devin De La Rosa (So.), Soquel

Barry Lombardi (Fr.), Soquel

Richard Chamberlin All-Sportsmanship Team

Nicco Forneris (Sr.), Hollister

Tyler Mansfield (Sr.), Monterey

Everett Olmstead (Jr.), MVC

Max Casillas (Jr.), Salinas

Andrew Trowdridge (Sr.), Santa Cruz

Tanner Niizawa (Fr.), Soquel

Elgie Bellizio All-Sportsmanship team

Santa Cruz

Pacific Coast Athletic League 2026 all-league girls lacrosse teams Individual Awards

Player of the Year: Georgia Boifas (Sr.), Stevenson

Offensive Player of the Year: Lola Voss (Jr.), Carmel

Defensive Player of the Year: Zola Ducker (Jr.), Stevenson

First Team

Aryel Reyes-Mager (Sr.), Aptos

Leah Sibley (Sr.), Carmel

Lola Voss (Jr.), Carmel

Grace Zodiacal (Sr.), Carmel

Raina Covarrubias (Sr.), Monte Vista Christian

Maya Moore (Jr.), MVC

Sophia Sheridan (Sr.), MVC

Lily Mcafee (Fr.), Salinas

Addie Somerville (Sr.), Soquel

Georgia Boifas (Sr.), Stevenson

Brogan Dolata (Sr.), Stevenson

Zola Ducker (Jr.), Stevenson

Sydney Holland (Sr.), Stevenson

Tatum LeTowt (Jr.), Stevenson

Molly McAfee (Sr.), Stevenson

Second Team

Lucy Erikson (Sr.), Aptos

Claire Bonyange (Sr.), Carmel

Anna Rasmussen (Jr.), Carmel

Cameran Roxas (Jr.), Carmel

Kealani Sagin (So.), Carmel

Zoé Kantmann (So.), MVC

Bella Myers (Fr.), MVC

Katelyn Torres (Sr.), Monterey

Lilly Isabell (Jr.), Salinas

Natalie Lopez (So.), Salinas

Ashby Weeks (Jr.), Soquel

Caroline Bufkin (So.), Stevenson

Brennecke Daley (Jr.), Stevenson

Sam Rianhard (So.), Stevenson

Charlotte Schipper (Jr.), Stevenson

Richard Chamberlin All-Sportsmanship Team

Neci Hoeptner (Sr.), Aptos

Violet Frew (Sr.), Carmel

Ella Jackson (Sr.), MVC

Olivia Vasquez (Sr.), Santa Catalina

Tallulah Halterman (Fr.), Santa Cruz

Ale Sanchez (Jr.), Salinas

Ella Vicar (So.), Soquel

Anna Bates (Fr.), Stevenson

Elgie Bellizio All-Sportsmanship team

Santa Cruz

Ryan Coonerty, Ami Chen Mills aiming to reach more voters ahead of November mayoral run-off

Lookout Santa Cruz - Tue, 06/16/2026 - 11:27

There are still ballots to be tallied, but the Santa Cruz mayoral race is clear: There will be a run-off in November.

As of Monday, Ryan Coonerty and Ami Chen Mills have received 48.1% and 20.2% of the votes cast, respectively. That puts both of them comfortably ahead of the third-place candidate, Joy Schendledecker, who has received 12.4%, and guarantees them one more contest for the seat in November.

Current Mayor Fred Keeley chose not to seek reelection after serving one four-year term.

Coonerty told Lookout on Monday that he is grateful for the broad-based support he received across every precinct in the city. He said he’s taking a rest for the time being, but preparing for the march to November.

“I’m lucky I have a lot of supporters rallying and ready to help with all the different pieces,” he said. “One of the frustrating things about the primary was that there was, in my view, a concerted effort to muddy the water. This will be a really clear choice for the community.”

Coonerty said there are still plenty of prospective voters to reach between now and November, adding that many in the community likely focus on their personal responsibilities and national politics more than local races.

“I think the insiders sometimes overestimate how much people are paying attention to city politics. Most folks are just starting to engage with the mayoral election and other city issues,” he said. 

Aside from a District 3 county supervisor campaign in 2022 that saw her lose to both current Santa Cruz City Councilmember Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson and eventual winner Justin Cummings, this is Chen Mills’ only other campaign for a local elected seat. It’s been largely successful, forcing a run-off against a longtime politico and former city councilmember, mayor and county supervisor.

She, too, says she is grateful for the support thus far and for the team that worked on the campaign.

“You have someone who a lot of people thought would actually win the primary outright, and the fact that he hasn’t is the big news. I think what is surprising is how much people are looking for a change,” she said, pointing to the fact that the four candidates running against Coonerty received more votes in total than he did. “The community is looking for a change and I’m looking for a change.”

Chen Mills believes that “we have missed a huge voice in this community on the council,” and that she hopes to represent it as much as one person is able to.

Like Coonerty, Chen Mills is taking some time to rest, but says she’s looking forward to having more time for her campaign leading up to November, rather than the three rushed months before the primary election.

“Now we have time for a more expansive campaign,” she said. “We will need to build a strong coalition and a wide coalition in order to win in November.”

Coonerty said there’s plenty of work ahead over the next few months.

“November is a lifetime in politics these days, and it is going to require a full-blown campaign,” he said. “Not just by me, but by hundreds of friends and supporters who will be hopefully joining me to engage the community.”

Have something to say? Lookout welcomes letters to the editor, within our policies, from readers. Guidelines here.

The post Ryan Coonerty, Ami Chen Mills aiming to reach more voters ahead of November mayoral run-off appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.

Santa Cruz County business filings: Week of June 16

Lookout Santa Cruz - Tue, 06/16/2026 - 11:00
an "open" sign hanging from a chain inside a glass door to a business

Businesses operating in Santa Cruz County must register with the county clerk. Lookout Santa Cruz reviews the public filings from local businesses to report on new businesses starting in the area.

Here is what’s new in local business recently.

New businesses
  • PRETTY USEFUL ART was registered at 455 Hillview Dr., Felton, by Margaret Rochelle Vieira as an individual business on June 1.
  • CRITICAL HIT CONSULTING, HYPERTHREAD CONSULTING was registered at 86 Montebello Dr., Watsonville, by Box To Beautiful, LLC, as a limited liability company on June 1.
  • WESTMONT LIVING BUS FLEET was registered at 5630 Soquel Dr., Soquel, by Rsf Viii Soquel Opco, LLC, as a limited liability company on June 2.
  • RODRIGUEZ CLINICAL CONSULTING was registered at 711 Seabright Ave., Apt. 1, Santa Cruz, by Anthony Edward Rodriguez as an individual business on June 2.
  • TREJOS CARNITAS was registered at 370 E. Lake Ave., Watsonville, by Trejo-Arias Cristobal as an individual business on June 2.
  • CENTRAL COAST FLOORING LLC was registered at 416 Airport Blvd., Watsonville, by Central Coast Flooring LLC as a limited liability company on June 2.
  • RUIZ BOOKEEPING & TAX SERVICE was registered at 105 Jefferson St., #B, Watsonville, by Sofia Samano Ruiz as an individual business on June 2.
  • ARCADE FOUNDRY was registered at 339 Park Dr., Aptos, by David Pryor as an individual business on June 2.
  • J.M.4U INC. was registered at 223 Morrissey Blvd., Santa Cruz, by J.M.4U Inc. as a corporation on June 3.
  • LAUDEN INTEGRATIVE PHARMACY was registered at 1820-f 41st Ave., Capitola, by Lauden Pharmacy, Inc. as a corporation on June 3.
  • CARNE was registered at 21511 E. Cliff Dr., Santa Cruz, by Point Butcher Shop LLC as a limited liability company on June 3.
  • MONARCA BEAUTY GLAM was registered at 3230 Cunnision Lane, #A, Soquel, by Catalina Vargas Valdovinos as an individual business on June 3.
  • OPEN DOOR SPANISH was registered at 1730 15th Ave., Santa Cruz, by Kristen Lansdale as an individual business on June 4.
  • SIDEWALK STUDIO was registered at 4637 Scotts Valley Dr., Scotts Valley, by Patricia Pollock as an individual business on June 4.
  • TOM SHIELDS AQUATICS was registered at 184 Harbor Oaks Circle, Santa Cruz, by Dolphin Kick Lab LLC as a limited liability company on June 4.
  • SONNE was registered at 1316 30th Ave., Santa Cruz, by Jessica Yuchin Hebestreit as an individual business on June 4.
  • ANXIETY TREATMENT SERVICES was registered at 5905 Soquel Dr., Suite 400, Soquel, by Amoreena Juarez as an individual business on June 4.
  • GUZMAN TAX PRO was registered at 416 Center St., Watsonville, by Luis A. Guzman as a co-partnership on June 4.
  • SIGNATUREPLUS was registered at 2627 Mattison Lane, Spc. 11, Santa Cruz, by Daisy A. Montesinos as an individual business on June 5.
  • PRISM N HUES was registered at 134 Blaine St., #C, Santa Cruz, by Stephanie P. Silviera Barrientos as an individual business on June 5.
  • BLUE MOON ESTATE SALES SAN MATEO AND SAN JOSE was registered at 137 Margaret Dr., Boulder Creek, by Servicesmith Estate Sales as a corporation on June 5.
  • A.M. MANAGING & CONSULTING was registered at 138 Victoria Lane, Aptos, by Angela Renee Manson as an individual business on June 8.
  • DREW’S USED TOOLS was registered at 5000 Scotts Valley Dr., Suite 4, Scotts Valley, by Te Woo Kim as an individual business on June 8.
  • COAST2COAST FIREPLACE SERVICE was registered at 20 Laurel St., Watsonville, by Juan Daniel Morales Aguirre as an individual business on June 8.
  • EUCASEA was registered at 142 Baldwin St., Santa Cruz, by Christy Natsumi LLC as a limited liability company on June 8.
  • CASTRO PRODUCTIONS was registered at 824 Encino Dr., Aptos, by Jacob Jean Glenn as an individual business on June 8.
  • MERIDIAN COFFEE AND ELIXIR BAR was registered at 2910 Leotar Circle, Santa Cruz, by Santa Cruz Ski Lodge LLC as a limited liability company on June 9.
  • ROOTED MEDICINALS LLC was registered at 66 San Tomas Way, Watsonville, by Rooted Medicinals LLC as a limited liability company on June 9.
  • FOR HOP’S SAKE BREWING was registered at 317 Oak Creek Blvd., Scotts Valley, by James G. Johnson as an individual business on June 9.
  • SC MOBILE MARINE AND AUTOMOTIVE was registered at 1870 Wharf Rd., Capitola, by Michael Devon Aylsworth as an individual business on June 9.
  • CAPITOLA HOTEL was registered at 210 Esplanade, Capitola, by Capitola Inn, LLC as a limited liability company on June 9.
  • PLEASURE POINT DESIGN was registered at 2825 S. Rodeo Gulch Rd., Suite 10, Soquel, by PPD Multimedia LLC as a limited liability company on June 10.
  • GOPHERS LIMITED was registered at 317 Las Lomas Dr., Royal Oaks, by Neil Benjamin Evans as an individual business on June 10.
  • EL BUEN TACO was registered at 101 Civic Center Dr. #314, Scotts Valley, by Gerardo Velasco Morales as an individual business on June 11.
  • SIDEWALK was registered at 4637 Scotts Valley Dr., Scotts Valley, by Patricia Pollock as an individual business on June 11.
  • DEMARK STUDIO was registered at 3611 Portola Dr., Santa Cruz, by Davis Maddry Architecture Studio as a corporation on June 12.
  • VILLALOBA ESTATE was registered at 2570 Freedom Blvd., Watsonville, by Jose Villanueva Martinez as an individual business on June 12.

Have news that should be in Lookout Briefs? Send your news releases, including contact information, to news@lookoutlocal.com.

MORE LOCAL COVERAGE

The post Santa Cruz County business filings: Week of June 16 appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.

Tuesday morning traffic: Highway 17, 9 and 1 lane closures; hit-and-run in Felton

Lookout Santa Cruz - Tue, 06/16/2026 - 08:07

Here’s what’s happening on Santa Cruz County roads this morning…

Map of A map showing the locations of road incidents from today's newsletter

▼︎ new incidents   ▼︎ long-term incidents

Road incidents as of 8 a.m. on June 16
  • A hit-and-run happened at 1015 Fern Ave. in Felton on Monday at 5:26 p.m. A vehicle hit power lines, causing a power outage in the area. The driver left the scene in a silver Honda. No injuries were reported.
     
  • North Highway 17 at Pasatiempo Drive north of Santa Cruz is facing closures for asphalt paving. The closure is expected to end at 6:01 a.m. on June 22.
     
  • Highway 9 at Cascade Avenue in Brookdale has one-way traffic due to ongoing work. This closure is expected to last until Aug. 31.
     
  • There will be alternating lane closures on Highway 9 at Pool Drive in Boulder Creek because of bridge work. This is scheduled to continue until April 30, 2027.
     
  • There is one-way traffic on Highway 236 at Heartwood Hill in Boulder Creek because of drainage cleaning. This is expected to end at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
     
  • The California Highway Patrol helped with construction at the intersection of Highway 9 and Bear Creek Road in Boulder Creek today.
     
  • CHP helped with construction at the intersection of Highway 1 south and Buena Vista Drive in Watsonville today.
     
Long-term projects

These have been going on for a while, but are still worth keeping in mind.

  • A single lane will be closed on Mount Hermon Road between Lockhart Gulch Road and Covenant Lane in Scotts Valley today from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. while county crews trim trees and remove hazardous trees leaning over the road.
     
  • On Wednesday, county crews will close one lane on East Zayante Road between Woodwardia Avenue and West Zayante Road in Felton from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for tree trimming and removal of hazardous trees over the road.
     
  • Branciforte Drive between DeLaveaga Park and Glen Canyon Road will have lane closures while county crews remove trees.
     

The post Tuesday morning traffic: Highway 17, 9 and 1 lane closures; hit-and-run in Felton appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.

PV’s De La Torre, SF’s Padilla awarded Santa Lucia’s top honors | All-PCAL softball

The Pajaronian - Tue, 06/16/2026 - 07:30

Pajaro Valley High junior Hemeria De La Torre and St. Francis High junior Nevaeh Padilla each received some of the highest honors in the Pacific Coast Athletic League for their stellar play on the field during the 2026 softball season.

De La Torre was named the Santa Lucia Division’s Offensive Player of the Year, while Padilla was recognized as Defensive Player of the Year in the same division.

According to the Max Preps website, De La Torre finished batting a .679 average (38 for 56) with 14 doubles, three home runs, a pair of triples, 37 runs batted in, 31 runs scored and 14 stolen bases.

“Her numbers were just through the roof,” Pajaro Valley head coach Daisy Ortiz said. “It came down to one coach, and said he picked her because every time their defense faces her, they have to move back, and they’re scared of the hard hit balls.”

Padilla took pride in herself on her foot and glove work as a short stop for St. Francis this past spring campaign.

“Just the all-around game,” St. Francis head coach Luis Padilla said. “She really works hard at it all the time. Always asking for more grounders, always working on the little things.”

Luis Padilla mentioned the coaches within the Santa Lucia Division were quick to acknowledge his daughter’s throwing range inside the diamond, and quick jump on a pop fly in the shallow outfield. 

“It can be a bang-bang play, we just gotta dive, get up and make that throw,” Luis Padilla said. “Understanding the defensive side of the ball.”

De La Torre, along with teammates senior Olivia Contreras and freshman Anabell Ybarra, each earned All-PCAL First Team honors in the Cypress Division. St. Francis junior Sophia Madrigal, freshman Valerie Ballesteros and Padilla also earned all-league first team honors. 

Below is a complete list of this year’s All-PCAL softball teams. 

Pacific Coast Athletic League 2026 all-league softball teams Gabilan Division Individual Awards

Most Valuable Player: Denae Lee (Sr.), Monterey

Co-Pitchers of the Year: Kiersent Jara (Sr.), Palma; Sidney Esparza (Fr.), Hollister

First Team

Kiersten Jara (Sr.), Palma

Bella Machuca (Jr.), Salinas

Sidney Esparzara (Fr.), Hollister

Denae Lee (Sr.), Monterey

Mulan Hunkin (Fr.), Palma

Gigi Rossi (Sr.), Salinas

Ashlee Io (Sr.), Hollister

Reese Amaral (So.), Palma

Brianna Hernandez (Sr.), Palma

Madalyn Rodriguez (Sr.), Hollister

Anaiyah Brown (Sr.), Monterey

De’zeyer Fa’agai (Sr.), Hollister

Isabella Hernandez (So.), Salinas

Second Team

Avery Chavez (Sr.), Hollister

Nicole Seal (Jr.), Monterey

Kai Manglona (Fr.), Monterey

Jenna Deese (Jr.), Monterey

Alex Giammanco (Sr.), Pacific Grove

Izzy Turner (So.), Pacific Grove

Jasmine Booker (Sr.), Pacific Grove

Analysia Rocha (So.), Palma

Brynn Baxter (Fr.), Palma

Michaela Singh (Jr.), Palma

Mia Espinoza (Sr.), Watsonville

Esperanza Sigala (Jr.), Watsonville

Isabella Ruiz (So.), Watsonville

Richard Chamberlin All-Sportsmanship Team

Abby Butler (Jr.), Hollister

Keira Parakash (Sr.), Monterey

Destiny Buckels (So.), Pacific Grove

Ashlyn Urmanita (So.), Palma

Yareli Alcaraz (Sr.), Salinas

Layla Romero (So.), Watsonville

Elgie Bellizio All-Sportsmanship teams

Hollister, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Palma, Salinas and Watsonville

Mission Division Individual Awards

Offensive Player of the Year: Micah Smith (Jr.), Alisal

Defensive Player of the Year: Aubrey Jones (Jr.), Alisal

Pitcher of the Year: Abigail Walker (Fr.), Alisal

First Team

Aubrey Jones (Jr.), Alisal

Micah Smith (Jr.), Alisal

Aubrey Jones (Jr.), Alisal

Abigail Walker (Fr.), Alisal

Amaris Perez (Jr.), Alvarez

Lily Beals (So.), Carmel

Stella Becker (Fr.), Carmel

Annabella Schroeder (Fr.), Carmel

Olivia Tringali (Fr.), Carmel

Iliana Perez (Sr.), North Salinas

Irie Williams (Sr.), North Salinas

Alizah Carrillo (Jr.), King City

Avery Munoz (Jr.), King City

Second Team

Chloe Rubulcalva (Fr.), Alisal

Aaliyah Ruiz (Jr.), Aisal

Brooklyn Smith (Fr.), Alisal

Alexia Meza (Sr.), Alvarez

Makayla Delrosario (Fr.), Alvarez

Delilah Herro (Fr.), Carmel

Avery Houston (So.), Carmel

Taelyn Munoz (Fr.), King City

Crystal Paramo (Sr.), King City 

Clarissa Corona (Sr.), North Salinas

Audri Palmer (Sr.), North Salinas

Andria Leyba (Jr.), Soledad

Delylah Ocamop (Jr.), Soledad

Richard Chamberlin All-Sportsmanship Team

Ciara Manu (Fr.), Alisal

Lizbeth Ramirez (Jr.), Alvarez

Lily Beals (So.), Carmel

Kaylin Arvizu (Sr.), King City

Jazmyn Montevilla (Fr.), North Salinas

Cayden Lopez (Sr.), Soledad

Elgie Bellizio All-Sportsmanship team

Carmel

Cypress Division Individual Awards

Offensive Player of the Year: Samantha Scharton (Sr.), North Monterey County

Defensive Player of the Year: Maira Hall (So.), Stevenson

Pitcher of the Year: Chloe Zavala (Jr.), Greenfield

First Team

Arianna Jimenez (Sr.), NMC

Ariana Makela (So.), NMC

Samantha Scharton (Sr.), NMC

Nya Ascenscion (Fr.), NMC

Sophia Felix (Sr.), Rancho San Juan

Bella Garcia (Sr.), RSJ

Delylah Magadaleno (Sr.), RSJ

Maria Hall (So.), Stevenson

Nadia Patel (Sr.), Stevenson

Maddy Dalhamer (Fr.), Stevenson

Chloe Zavala (Jr.), Greenfield

Marianna Camarena (Sr.), Gonzales

Addison Boles (So.), Monte Vista Christian

Second Team

Sophia Oritez (So.), NMC

Baliegh Messerli (Jr.), NMC

Chelsey Misner (So.), RSJ

Sophia Tate (Fr.), RSJ

Audriana Zapata (Fr.), RSJ

Ava Alvarado (Jr.), MVC

Addison Silva (Fr.), MVC

Juliana Lopez (Sr.), MVC

Ashley Dalhamer (Jr.), Stevenson

Kobie Crutcher (Sr.), Stevenson

Kaylie Villarreal (So.), Stevenson

Hana Camarena (Fr.), Gonzales

Camila Lara (Fr.), Greenfield

Richard Chamberlin All-Sportsmanship Team

Kamora Winfield (Fr.), Stevenson

Lexy Tamayo (Jr.), Greenfield

Sofia Calomeni (Sr.), MVC

Bello Soto (Sr.), RSJ

Alitzel Mauro (Jr.), Gonzales

Marley Watson (Jr.), NMC

Elgie Bellizio All-Sportsmanship team

Greenfield

Santa Lucia Division Individual Awards

Offensive Player of the Year: Hemeria De La Torre (Jr.), Pajaro Valley

Defensive Player of the Year: Neveah Padilla (Jr.), St. Francis

Pitcher of the Year: Kalia Bates (Fr.), Marina

First Team

Kalia Bates (Fr.), Marina

Lanae Rodriguez (Fr.), Marina

Jaz Rodriguez (Sr.), Marina

Bailey Hostetter (Jr.), Marina

Anaiya Barreto (So.), Marina

Sophia Madrigal (Jr.), St. Francis

Neveah Padilla (Jr.), St. Francis

Valerie Ballesteros (Fr.), St. Francis

Olivia Contreras (Sr.), Pajaro Valley

Hemeria De La Torre (Jr.), Pajaro Valley

Anabell Ybarra (Fr.), Pajaro Valley

Adele Ramirez (So.), Santa Catalina 

Hope Yoshiyama (Jr.), Santa Catalina

Second Team

Lyla Manglona (Jr.), Marina

Maya Gallo (Sr.), Marina

Maya Chavez (Fr.), Marina

Isabel Quenga (Sr.), Marina

Virginia Escobar (Sr.), Pajaro Valley

Myah Diggs (Fr.), Pajaro Valley

Nadia Renteria (So.), Pajaro Valley

Alexia Duron (Fr.), Pajaro Valley

Talia Moakler (Jr.), St. Francis

Alyssa Padilla (Fr.), St. Francis

Bella Vargas (Jr.), St. Francis

Chloe Wigdahl (So.), Santa Catalina

Isabella Jodlowski (Fr.), Santa Catalina

Richard Chamberlin All-Sportsmanship Team

Anaiya Barreto, Marina

Olivia Contreras, Pajaro Valley

Lydia Ostos, Santa Catalina

Sofia Villanueva, Seaside

Talia Moakler, St. Francis

Elgie Bellizio All-Sportsmanship team

Pajaro Valley

From Harbor High to global icon: Remembering the genius of Oliver Tree

Lookout Santa Cruz - Tue, 06/16/2026 - 04:00

Santa Cruz-based journalist Mat Weir, who has known Oliver Tree for 13 years, shares his thoughts on his tragic death and the legacy he leaves behind in his home city.

Freedom Elementary School students to escort World Cup players onto the field Tuesday night

Lookout Santa Cruz - Tue, 06/16/2026 - 03:45

Freedom Elementary School fourth grader Isai Guerrero and 10 classmates will escort players onto the field before Tuesday night’s World Cup match between Austria and Jordan at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.

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