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In today's newsletter:
Also on today's calendar: Giacomo Puccini's Opera: The Girl of the Golden West and 4 more events.
Today's riddle: What is the 1 way to guarantee winning a small fortune at the casino? 🤔 (Answer below!)
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1. Multiple US municipalities terminate contracts with Flock over surveillance concerns (dig.watch) — Santa Cruz residents should know the City Council has already voted to terminate its contract with Flock Safety's license-plate reader cameras, halting use of the surveillance system. The decision, part of a broader national reevaluation of Flock, reflects local concerns about privacy, data sharing, and civil liberties, and directs staff to only consider alternatives with much stronger safeguards.
2. The Cliff at Steamer Lane Collapsed Into the Ocean…Again (theinertia.com) — Another cliff collapse at Steamer Lane has sent fresh rock into the water at Santa Cruz's iconic surf break, though no injuries were reported and wave quality seems mostly intact so far. Local surfers and the Santa Cruz World Surfing Reserve are tracking changes, while the city advances a broader shoreline adaptation plan for West Cliff that could reshape paths, roads, and coastal protections in coming years.
3. City Council makes plans for Stockton Avenue Bridge, Capitola Trestle (santacruzsentinel.com) — Capitola's City Council is delaying a major consultant contract while pursuing short-term maintenance on the aging Stockton Avenue Bridge, a key Santa Cruz County crossing over Soquel Creek that may need retrofit or replacement within a decade. The council also approved a cost-sharing agreement with the Regional Transportation Commission to study the Capitola Trestle's future, including whether it can be repaired, retrofitted, or repurposed without committing to a final project yet.
4. California's beaches are being eaten away. El Niño could redraw the coast as we know it (latimes.com subscription) — Santa Cruz's coastline, including West Cliff Drive and the Santa Cruz and Capitola wharves, has suffered millions in storm damage and faces even greater risks from a forecast strong El Niño and rising seas. The piece details how erosion is reshaping beaches statewide, why local infrastructure is increasingly vulnerable, and what coastal agencies are doing — and not doing — to prepare for more destructive winter storms.
5. Locals set for Super Girl Surf Festival in Virginia Beach (santacruzsentinel.com) — Santa Cruz-area athletes are making waves this week, from three Santa Cruz surfers heading to the Super Girl Surf Festival in Virginia Beach to Soquel's dominant Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League flag football opener in Aptos. Capitola's Ryder Walding impressed in the Catalina Classic paddleboard race, and Monte Vista Christian edged Scotts Valley in a five-set volleyball thriller, with more local matchups on tap this week.
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-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: By starting with a large fortune. (Thank you Kourtney Z. for sending it in!)
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