Last-day rain dampens fair attendance
WATSONVILLE—This year’s Santa Cruz County Fair began with a bang, attracting thousands of people to the five-day bacchanalia of food, agriculture and art, and was on track to match last year’s blockbuster attendance.
That changed on Sunday, when a rare late-summer rainstorm doused the region,...
Man who reportedly shot at family on Highway 1 arrested
A Hayward man has been arrested for taking multiple shots at a vehicle on Highway 1 in May, injuring a 3-year-old child and the male driver.
Raphael Abduh-Salam, 33, is in custody in Contra Costa Jail. He will soon be transferred to Santa Cruz County...
PVUSD Trustees mull religious observance
WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees on Wednesday heard the first reading of a new district policy which, if adopted on second reading on Sept. 28, would add several religious holidays during which district officials and teachers would not schedule events.
PVUSD...
Obon Festival draws hundreds
The annual Obon Festival unfolded at the Watsonville Buddhist Temple Sunday. Hundreds of people enjoyed dance and Taiko drumming performances, traditional Japanese food, arts, crafts, a raffle and more.
For Buddhists, the Obon Festival is a time to honor deceased ancestors by inviting them back...
Annual Veterans Day ceremony scheduled for Nov. 11
Every Veterans Day, a group of former military service members gathers at St. Patrick’s Church, and then marches along Main Street through downtown Watsonville.
The march is relatively short; it is just under a mile to the Henry J. Mello Center, where the annual Veterans...
Santa Cruz County nets $30M ‘mega grant’ for Highway 1, rail trail work
APTOS—A $30 million “mega grant” from the federal government will go toward adding auxiliary lanes in one of the most congested areas of Highway 1 in Aptos, while building the next segment of the rail trail as well as bicycle and pedestrian overcrossings.
Rep. Jimmy...
Watsonville Hospital board may pursue bond measure
The board that oversees operations at Watsonville Community Hospital could pursue a bond measure next year that, if passed by voters, would allow it to purchase the property and upgrade the aging facilities.
The Pajaro Valley Health Care District Board of Directors heard about its...
Donation caps off Aptos library rebuild
The Aptos branch of the Santa Cruz County Public Library system—which is nearing the end of a complete rebuild—is set to reopen by the end of the year.
On Tuesday, the popular library got a boost when the Board of Supervisors accepted a $394,000 check...
Peace & Unity March commemorates those lost to violence
Nearly three decades ago, 9-year-old Jessica Cortez and her brother Jorge, 16, were gunned down by gang members as they walked to a nearby panaderia on Salinas Road for a treat.
Nobody has ever been arrested, and while police do not know why the gang...
A “place of healing”—Tiny home village unveiled
With a small handful of finishing touches still left to complete on a tiny home village in Westview Presbyterian Church’s parking lot in Watsonville,...
