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Watsonville
October 23, 2025

PHOTO: Corralitos decorates tree in annual tradition

corralitos tree decorating
People gather in Corralitos Tuesday to decorate a live tree. Jerry Bonnema said he has headed up the effort for about 30 years. "The first year we did this, it was off the back of a tractor," he said. "I've always enjoyed doing community...

PHOTOS: Watsonville celebrates Mexican Independence Day

mexican independence day watsonville plaza
Live music and folkloric dance performances unfolded in Watsonville Plaza Friday evening thanks to the Watsonville Film Festival and Cabrillo College’s Hispanic Serving Institution Week. Mexican Fiesta was a two-hour free family event that featured Mariachi Juvenil Corazón Jaliscience from Hollister and Laura Rebolloso,...

Briefs: East Beach Street work; handball tournament

east beach street road work caldrons
​​Handball Tournament is this weekend The Watsonville Handball Tournament will be held Saturday and Sunday at Emmett Court, 37 Sudden St., behind the PV Arts gallery. Singles take place on Saturday, with doubles on Sunday. Matches start at 10am. The grand prize is $900. The player entry fee...

Grant awarded to program for women and children

women infants and children program community bridges
María Olvide Lozano’s 2-year-old daughter stomps around as her mother sits in the lobby of the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program at Community Bridges in Watsonville. It's 5pm on a Tuesday and the pair are the only clients here as staff wraps up...

More candidates seek Santa Cruz County’s Second District seat

bruce jaffe david schwartz district 2
A total of six people have so far announced their intentions to run for the Second District seat on the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors, which opened when Zach Friend announced he would not seek a fourth term. Previous stories covered Kim De Serpa,...

Community Foundation Santa Cruz County announces $320K in grants

rise together community foundation santa cruz county
Community Foundation Santa Cruz County announced $320,000 in grants issued by the Rise Together Fund for Racial Equity. Over the course of three granting cycles, the foundation has now awarded $1.1 million to the coalition. Founded in 2020, Rise Together is a coalition of Black,...

Addressing the underlying causes of food insecurity

The causes of food insecurity are complex, but research suggests that health, housing and employment are key factors.  Feeding America—the country’s largest hunger relief organization—reports that annual healthcare costs for food-insecure adults are on average $1,834 higher than food-secure adults. Food insecurity, as defined by...

Biden administration establishes AI guidelines, following county’s lead

santa cruz county seal logo
President Joe Biden on Oct. 30 issued an Executive Order—a new framework of safety, security and privacy standards governing artificial intelligence (AI) designed to manage the fledgling technology. The executive order came after Santa Cruz County in September became one of the first jurisdictions in...

Briefs: Pancreatic cancer support concert

Raising voices for pancreatic cancer An inaugural pancreatic cancer support concert has been set for Nov. 19 at Bargetto Winery in Soquel. The one-night event features Uma Dobia, a popular Australian singer who will perform opera and show tunes.  Marina Thomas, a Watsonville pianist, will be...

PHOTOS: Santa Claus lands in Watsonville

santa claus ramsay park
Melissa Arana, 3, pays visit to Santa Monday at Ramsay Park in Watsonville after Santa and one of his helpers landed in a helicopter. More than 100 people lined up to watch the landing in a soccer field and then stepped up to greet...
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Santa Cruz County gets a new County Executive Officer

The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously named Nicole Coburn as its County Executive Officer, making official the unanimous Oct. 8...