🌱 Expanded Broadband Access + Rail Issue On June Ballot?

Morning, Santa Cruz! It's Friday, so let's get you started with everything you need to know going on around town today.

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First, today's weather:

Plenty of sun. High: 64 Low: 41.

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Here are the top stories today in Santa Cruz:

1. Santa Cruz County Approves $500K Grant To Broaden Internet Access (Santa Cruz Patch)
2. Rail Issue Likely on June Ballot (Good Times Weekly)
3. BOLO Best Bets: First Friday, a Prankster and tunes to disperse the Omicron mists (Lookout Santa Cruz)
4. Santa Cruz avenges loss to Aptos, remains in driver's seat in SCCAL title race | Girls basketball (Santa Cruz Sentinel)
5. Here we take 'Eat Local' seriously: 13 products made in Santa Cruz County you can grab at the store (Lookout Santa Cruz)
6. Appeals court orders pause on the placement of a sexually violent predator in Santa Cruz County (Lookout Santa Cruz)

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Today's Santa Cruz Daily is brought to you in part by our friends at Verizon. They're building the fastest 5G network in the country. To learn how 5G is going to change life for you and your community — and to get access to this amazing technology — click here. And thank you Verizon for sponsoring this community resource in Santa Cruz!

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Today in Santa Cruz:

• Concrete Ship History Walk (11:00 AM)
• Street Smarts 'Be Safe Be Seen' - Santa Cruz City (4:30 PM)
• Our Community Reads - Talk: Good Night and Good Luck (7:00 PM)
• Viewpoints: Good Night and Good Luck (7:00 PM)

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From my notebook:

• Visit Santa Cruz County: "Breakfast out in Santa Cruz County: where do you go and what do you order? 🥞🍳🥓🧇🍩🥯🥐🌯 Photo 📷 | @wheresthedonut #visitsantacruz #santacruz #santacruzcounty #breakfast #breakfasts #santacruzeats #goodmorning" (Instagram)
• Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office: "UPDATE: FOUND SAFE!! Thanks to an alert citizen who spotted Mr. Hedgpeth, he has been found safe and is being brought home. PREVIOUS: Missing Person At Risk Please be on the lookout for 80-year-old Edwin Hedgpeth. He was last seen at the..." (Facebook)
• Santa Cruz Warriors: "The #SeaDubs and Chase have teamed up to address food insecurity in Santa Cruz. Through the Home Court Assist program, 1,000 meals were delivered to Housing Matters courtesy of La Cabaña Taqueria!" (Facebook)
• Santa Cruz Warriors: "What's your favorite Drake song? 🎶 #SeaDubs Front Row || Ticketmaster" (Facebook)
• Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks: "⭐Volunteer to become a Wilder Ranch State Park docent! ⭐ Docents play a key role in special events, school programs, natural and cultural history tours, and visitor center operations. Join the docent training course that starts in March ..." (Facebook)
• Santa Cruz City Government: "Good progress is being made on the project to replace three concrete tanks critical to providing finished, treated drinking water. Demolition is complete on the first tank. This is a 3 yr project at a cost of $46.M" (Facebook)
• City of Santa Cruz Public Works: "Our City Parks & Rec Department is grateful for a U.S. Fish and Wildlife grant to help its mission to save the endangered Santa Cruz tarplant -- new plantings at Arana Gulch are happening today! Read more: www.cityofsantacruz.com/Home/Co..." (Facebook)
• Friends of the Santa Cruz Public Libraries: "Update from Friends of the Scotts Valley Library: renovations continue, with estimated re-opening in June 2022." (Facebook)
• Santa Cruz Warriors: "👀 Check out the games we got this weekend! We'll see you at 📍Kaiser Permanente Arena #SeaDubs 🎟️ on.nba.com/3aataa8" (Facebook)
• Santa Cruz Public Libraries: "The Santa Cruz Public Libraries is partnering with Your Future is Our Business to bring an exciting panel of three professions to talk about their jobs. Thus, we are looking for teen input! The teen must be in between 12 to 18 years old...." (Facebook)
• City of Santa Cruz Parks and Recreation: "Calling all Chowder Chefs!!🥣 Early Bird Registration for the Santa Cruz Clam Chowder Cook-Off ends tomorrow, February 4th! Early Bird Registration includes 2 Rides Wristbands and 2 team T-shirts😀🎠 Don't clam up! Register at www.cityof..." (Facebook)
• Santa Cruz City Government: "✨ What's going on this weekend in Santa Cruz? ✨ Friday, February 4, 12pm-5:30pm 🚌 Transit Equality Day 2022 will be celebrated with a march along the Rail Trail, Bay Street, and West Cliff Pathway ending with a rally at Lighthouse Point..." (Facebook)
• UCSC Libraries: "Here is a very picturesque photo of Cowell's dining hall! I particularly enjoy the ocean visible in the background. I got lunch there recently, it was very tranquil. Definitely would recommend it. To see more, go to: http://ow.ly/UbTy50H..." (Facebook)
• Santa Cruz County Parks Department: "We are seeking part-time Park Services Officer for event-based work throughout the year. Host events, weddings, birthday parties and more with County Parks. Seeking applicants who are friendly and comfortable communicating guidelines wit..." (Facebook)
• Santa Cruz Public Libraries: "It's Black History Month! Check out our website to see a collection of book suggestions, events, and more! https://www.santacruzpl.org/ne... How are you celebrating?" (Facebook)

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Thanks for following along and staying informed! See you all tomorrow morning for your next update.

— Michael Wittner

About me: I am excited to be returning to Patch as a Roving Editor, a job that will allow me to find out what's going on in communities all over the country. I worked as a Patch Field Editor from April 2020 to June 2021, covering Agoura Hills, Beverly Hills, Calabasas, Malibu, and Northridge-Chatsworth. Before then I was the Associate Editor of the Jewish Journal, a biweekly paper covering the Jewish community north of Boston. I grew up in Marblehead, Massachusetts, a small, seaside town north of Boston, and graduated from Bard College in New York, and then got my masters in teaching from New York University. Feel free to send any story ideas to michael.wittner@patch.com.