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Watsonville
August 1, 2026

Aztecas Youth Soccer Club unveils new clubhouse

Santa Cruz County District Attorney Jeff Rosell, left, joins Aztecas Youth Soccer Academy founder Gina Castañeda, Chief Probation Officer Sandra Mendez, 1440 Multiversity co-creator Joanie Kriens, Santa Cruz County Superintendent of Schools Faris Sabbah, Ramon Gomez from Santa Cruz County Supervisor Felipe Hernandez’s office and Watsonville Police Chief Brian Shab in a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Aztecas new clubhouse.
Christian Chavez was struggling with anxiety while attending Pajaro Valley High School and frequently refused to go. “I was just staying home,” he said. Christian, 15, was eventually placed at Sequoia High School, a smaller campus tailored for students struggling academically and emotionally. He also joined Aztecas...

Community briefs

Hed: Free STEM camp offered for Watsonville youth Children of the Fields, a local nonprofit focused on expanding educational opportunities for underserved youth, will host a free two-day STEM camp for children ages 6-12 on Aug. 3-4 at the Watsonville Community Center, 275 Main St. The...

Teens step in to summer art project

A new of the long-running “Moveable Mural Project” is in the works by Santa Cruz County high school students in the Teen Artes Summer Program. Under the umbrella of Pajaro Valley Arts, 18 students from eight schools started painting the large wood panels Monday...

Aztecas to celebrate clubhouse with community barbecue

The Aztecas Youth Soccer Club and Santa Cruz County Probation will celebrate the grand opening of the club’s new clubhouse with a community barbecue and open house on July 28 in Watsonville. The event will run from noon-1:30pm at 200 Prospect St. and is open...

Teen Kitchen Project looks to expand its recipe for community care

When Angela Farley founded Teen Kitchen Project more than a decade ago, the idea was born from one of the most difficult chapters of her life. As her 5-year-old son underwent chemotherapy, Farley found herself facing an everyday challenge familiar to countless caregivers: after spending...

Obon Festival draws hundreds

The annual Obon Festival unfolded at the Watsonville Buddhist Temple Sunday with hundreds of people delving into Japanese culture. The free event included entertainment, a vendor’s market, children’s games, an array of traditional foods, a Farmers Market, arts and crafts and a raffle. After a...

Wharf to Wharf returns Sunday; includes road closures

The 54th annual Wharf to Wharf Race returns Sunday, bringing thousands of runners and spectators to Santa Cruz County's coastline—and with them, significant traffic delays and road closures. The popular 6-mile race begins at 8am Sunday, July 26. For the second consecutive year, the start...

Kids come out for soccer clinic

Thirty-eight young people ramped up their soccer skills over the weekend thanks to a cast of volunteers in the Central Coast Soccer Clinic. Staged at the athletic field at E.A Hall MIddle School, Elementary through high school-aged kids ran through drills and games Saturday and...

Scouts BSA Troop 599 celebrates 100 years

When Assistant Scoutmaster Michael Baker talks about Troop 599, he doesn't start with camping trips or merit badges. He talks about leadership. “For me, scouting in and of itself is a leadership program,” Baker said. “And so the Scouts go from basically being led to being...

Construction paused at proposed Gilroy ICE center as lawsuit moves forward

Construction on a proposed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing facility in Gilroy has been temporarily paused while federal attorneys prepare their response to a lawsuit challenging the project, according to opponents of the facility. The pause comes after California Attorney General Rob Bonta and...
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Thousands fill Watsonville for Strawberry Festival

The annual Strawberry Festival drew scores of people Saturday, who browsed among merchandise sales booths, sampled from dozens of food vendors, rode rides, played...