65.3 F
Watsonville
August 18, 2026

Photo story: Open at last

Barricades were recently taken down where Atkinson Lane meets Freedom Boulevard during construction of the new Tabasas Gardens homes (shown here). The lane had been closed to allow for construction for more than a year.

Highlights from a trip to Petaluma

This is the third and final installment of travel writer Tarmo Hannula's account of his trip to Petaluma. Click here for part 1 and here for part 2. As we steered south from Cotati and rolled back through  Petaluma, my wife, Sarah, and I still...

From Our Archives: Fishing from the Cement Ship

A crowd gathers on the deck of the SS Palo Alto, colloquially known as the “Cement Ship,” on May 31, 1954.
A crowd gathers on the deck of the SS Palo Alto, colloquially known as the “Cement Ship,” on May 31, 1954. Built in 1919 as a 420-foot concrete tanker, it was eventually decommissioned and hauled to Seacliff Beach in 1929. By 1930, it was ...

Embracing a tradition

On Wednesday, Sept. 13 the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds will open its gates once again for five days of family-friendly fun.

Strawberry industry settles after hectic start to season

Strawberry season in the Pajaro Valley is in full swing, and experts are reporting that demand has steadily increased despite a difficult kickoff. As the Covid-19 pandemic hit the California region in mid-March, strawberry producers initially saw a spike in sales. But it was soon...

New exhibit at Aptos Library features animals to abstracts

Eighteen artworks by Watsonville artist Sefla Joseph are now on exhibit at the Aptos Public Library, along with a show by Aptos artist Diane Levin. Spread around the facility, Joseph’s works include abstract portraits done with charcoal, chalk, and ink and paintings in  acrylic/mixed media...

From our Archives: Groundbreaker

These folks gather for a groundbreaking ceremony on July 20, 1954, for the Westview Presbyterian Church in Watsonville.

Ag History Project steps up for county fair

As the Santa Cruz County Fair nears the folks at the Agricultural History Project have wheeled their featured showpiece into place.

Native American art exhibit at Aptos Library

In celebration of National Native American Heritage Month, a new art exhibit has gone up on the walls of  the Aptos Branch Library.Aptos artist Becky Olvera Schultz, who is part of the Kickapoo/Shawnee tribe, is sharing the exhibit with fellow artist Karen Whitaker. The...

Watsonville Public House taproom opens in Watsonville

The former Watsonville Meat Locker building — which later became Stevie G Meats — was a huge draw Thursday, but this time it was for something new: a pint of homemade beer inside a sparkling new brewery and taproom on Main Street. The Watsonville Public...
9,902FansLike
5,466FollowersFollow
2,895FollowersFollow

Victor E. Rugh III

Feb. 28, 1942 - July 28, 2026Watsonville, CAVictor E. Rugh III, age 84, of Elgin, Illinois, passed on to his eternal home on July...

Donna Gale Crane-Bailey

Suzanne Theriot-Large