Morning Lookout: Boulder Creek Mourns Albert the Peacock, Santa Cruz Teens on Big Adventure

Greetings! Today is Monday, December 9, and the weather in Santa Cruz County looks mostly sunny with temperatures in the 60s. It’s still early, but we might expect some rain towards the end of the work week. Let’s jump into the latest news in your neighborhood and beyond.

First up, we have the story of Albert the white peacock from Boulder Creek, who became a symbol of hope for the community after the CZU fire in 2020. Sadly, Albert passed away last month after being attacked by a mountain lion. The community is remembering him fondly, and Christopher Neely dives into Albert’s impact on the town.

In Pajaro Valley, the governing board of the Unified School District is seeing some new faces after the November elections. The controversy surrounding the district’s ethnic studies program played a role in reshaping the board, and Hillary Ojeda explores the changes.

On a brighter note, two Santa Cruz teens have been working on studying fog as a sustainable water source and will be presenting their findings to a gathering of scientists in Washington. Carly Kay caught up with Talia and Kaia Gurdak to learn more about their research.

And in traffic news, Max Chun has an update on the Soquel Drive overhaul, with good news that the project is ahead of schedule and set to wrap up in spring 2025.

As we head into the week, let’s also reflect on the relevance of “A Christmas Carol” in today’s world, explore the future of West Cliff and consider the input of surfers in Santa Cruz. Be sure to check out our social media channels for more updates and stories, and don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletters for the latest news.

Thank you for joining us today, and here’s to a smooth Monday ahead!