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California road trips to the desert, the State Capitol, the San Joaquin Valley, the Bay Area or the Sierra foothills have been turning up a  bounty of rewards for my wife, Sarah, and me.  This was proven on our recent drive from Watsonville to Sacramento...

Hundreds of women—many attired in wide-brimmed hats festooned with flowers—gathered at Driscoll’s Driscoll’s Rancho Corralitos Thursday afternoon for the annual Down to Earth Women Luncheon. The luncheon is held to raise funds for Agri-Culture’s Focus Agriculture program, as well as the Jimmie Cox Memorial Scholarship...

A big rig carrying 40,000 pounds of printer paper toppled into a ravine on Highway 152 (Hecker Pass) just after 9am Monday. The California Highway Patrol said the male driver, who suffered only minor injuries, was traveling from LA to Watsonville for the PTS,...

Dozens of people gathered Friday to celebrate the opening of a 53-unit housing complex, the latest in Watsonville’s drive to provide housing for all income levels. The complex at 1482 Freedom Blvd., called Tabasa Gardens, was built by Hayward-based Eden Housing. A unique feature of the...

A portion of the Coastal Rail Trail project running through the middle part of the county will now move forward after the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved it. The supervisors also voted to withdraw an earlier vote that stalled the project, and...

Fiestas Patrias will host its annual Cinco de Mayo Festival in downtown Watsonville Sunday with live music, food, folkloric dance, food booths, information tables and arts and crafts. Held at Watsonville Plaza and surrounding streets, the free event in the plaza and surrounding streets will...

Aptos resident Laura Dover-Smith was walking on a trail in Watsonville’s sloughs on her lunch break one sunny Wednesday, an activity she tries to do daily. She says the walk affords her views of wildlife, but also gives her a peaceful respite from the bustling...

Longtime school board member, coach, mentor and businessman in the Pajaro Valley Willie Yahiro was remembered by close to 250 people Saturday at the Henry J. Mello Center. The event included prayer and homily by Rev. Dan Hoffman, scripture read by  Brooke Uchida, opening hymn...

The Pajaro Valley Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture has announced its annual awardees, including the man and woman of the year. Nita Gizdich was on her ranch Tuesday morning, and as usual she was working.  Although sweeping the driveway leading to her iconic pie shop was...

The Circus has come to town, this time at Ramsay Park on Main Street in Watsonville.  Circus Royal Spectacular—out of Las Vegas—rolled into town Tuesday, and crews quickly began driving giant tent stakes into the softball diamond  to set up their mammoth bigtop tent. Circus spokesperson...