Watsonville Post Office hours extended in December
WATSONVILLE — The Watsonville Main Post Office, 225 Main St., will be open for retail service from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Dec. 22.
Nearly three billion pieces of mail, including 200 million packages, are expected to be processed and delivered during the week of Dec. 17-23. Traditionally, what used to be the busiest day of the year has morphed into the “busiest week,” largely driven by an increase in online shopping.
“During the busiest time of the year, people get frazzled with all they have to do,” said Bay-Valley District Manager Robert Reynosa. “Providing a convenience to our customers by giving them an extra day to give us their shipments is just one less thing they have to worry about.”
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Parenting seminar focuses on raising resilient children
WATSONVILLE — Triple P will hold a seminar titled “Raising Resilient Children” on Monday from 6-7:30 p.m. at La Manzana Community Resources, 18 West Lake Ave., Suite E, in Watsonville.
The seminar will provide tips for helping children develop important social-emotional skills, such as: recognizing and expressing emotions in healthy ways; developing positive ways to think about themselves and the world around them; and coping with difficult emotions and stressful situations.
This Triple P seminar is free and open to the public. Free child care is available with advance registration. Light snacks will be provided for children and adults.
It will be presented in English by Gladys Gómez of Community Bridges – La Manzana Community Resources.
To register, contact Gómez at 724-2997, extension 220 or gl*****@cb******.org or register online at first5scc.org/calendar/parent-trainings.
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Congressman’s staff to hold office hours
WATSONVILLE — Congressman Jimmy Panetta’s (CA-20) staff will hold mobile office hours on Dec. 19 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Watsonville Public Library, 275 Main St., Suite 100.
Staff members will assist with issues concerning Social Security, Medicare, federal employee retirement, immigration services, veterans’ services, passports, searching for military records, and any other federal matters.
To schedule a meeting, call Panetta’s Salinas office at 424-2229.
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PVUSD offering free bus driver training classes
WATSONVILLE — Pajaro Valley Unified School District is offering free bus driving training classes that can lead to work in the Transportation Department.
Instructors will provide training to qualify for a commercial driver’s license and school bus driving certificate. These classes have a value of more than $5,000.
Classes are scheduled Dec. 21-23, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 196 Grimmer Road in Watsonville.
Once classes are complete, part of the certification process includes behind the wheel training. PVUSD is offering a stipend for qualifying individuals to complete this portion of the test.
For information on these classes, contact Hector Perez Jr. in the Transportation Department at 728-6400.
Those who complete the bus driver certification classes and process are invited to apply for a bus driver position. To apply, visit www.pvusd.net/pvusdedjoin.
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Applications sought for Focus Agriculture program
WATSONVILLE — Applications are currently being accepted for Class 30 of Focus Agriculture.
A “first-in-the-nation” program, designed for selected community leaders to learn about agriculture in Santa Cruz County and the Pajaro Valley, consists of once-a-month, daylong seminars, held over a period of nine months. Speakers, ranging from elected officials to representatives from environmental groups, address the class.
The sessions cover such topics as:
• Environment and technology
• Ethnic groups in agriculture
• Regional diversity of commodities produced
• Many farm tours and hands-on experiences.
Twenty-one people will be selected for Class 30.
“Many people who are involved in the community are interested in agriculture,” Agri-Culture President Steve Bontadelli said. “Focus Agriculture was created to allow community leaders an opportunity to learn, through discussions and hands-on experiences, about local agriculture. We are proud that the program received both state and national awards.”
Seminars will be held one full day per month beginning March 8 and ending Oct. 18.
Applications, due by Jan. 16, are available by visiting www.agri-culture.us, at the Agri-Culture office, 141 Monte Vista Ave. in Watsonville, or by calling 722-6622.
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NMC school district honored
MOSS LANDING — North Monterey County Unified School District is one of 373 school districts in the U.S. and Canada being honored by the College Board with placement on the Ninth Annual AP District Honor Roll.
To be included on the Honor Roll, North Monterey County Unified School District had to, since 2016, increase the number of students participating in Advance Placement courses while also increasing or maintaining the percentage of students earning AP Exam scores of three or higher.
“Our students are amazing, capable, resilient and steadfast in their desire to be educated and prepared for college and their future career,” said Superintendent Kari Yeater. “Encouraging them to enroll and experience an Advanced Placement college level course in high school better prepares them for success in college. North Monterey County High School has worked hard to offer a variety of AP courses with supports for students who want to challenge themselves and is establishing a school-wide focus on college and readiness. We are so pleased to be among two districts in Monterey County and of 25 districts in California who have received this recognition.”
For information, visit apcentral.collegeboard.org/about-ap/awards/district-honor-roll.
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Animal shelter offering half-price adoptions
SANTA CRUZ — To encourage more animal adoptions, the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter is reducing the adoption price for all dogs, puppies, cats, kittens and rabbits by half through December.
Shelter animal fees include spay/neuter, microchip (including registration), age appropriate vaccinations, routine treatment for fleas/worms, and a free pet wellness exam with local participating veterinarians.
For information and to view adoptable animals, visit the shelter at 1001 Rodriguez St. in Santa Cruz or www.scanimalshelter.org.
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County health agency receives grants
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY — The Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency (HSA) was recently awarded California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) grants totaling $167,000 to implement programs that emphasize education to improve safety on area roads.
Bicycle and pedestrian deaths account for 29 percent of all roadway deaths in California, and the number of people killed on foot or on a bicycle is growing. Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows 1,014 bicyclists and pedestrians across the state were killed in 2016, a nearly 30 percent increase from 2012. This equates to nearly three bicycle and pedestrian deaths in California every day.
Some grant activities by the Health Services Agency for the upcoming year include:
• Hands-on bicycle and pedestrian safety skills training for elementary-aged youth.
• Distribution and proper fitting of bicycle helmets.
• Child safety seat checkup events.
• Distribution of no-cost car seats to families in need.
“Understanding the rules of the road behind the wheel, on foot or on two wheels helps all roadway users get where they need to go safely,” OTS Director Rhonda Craft said.
