Council approves parklet pilot program
WATSONVILLE—With the Covid-19 pandemic—and the restrictions on businesses that have come with it—sticking around for the foreseeable future, the City of Watsonville is hoping a new program will allow restaurants and shops to better handle the hurdles currently in front of them.
The Parklet Program...
Regulations could pinch crab fishermen
MOSS LANDING—As commercial crab fishermen prepare for the season to begin on Nov. 1, they are also grappling with a strict set of new regulations that start the same day, which some say could severely curtail their livelihood.
The new rules, created by the California...
Community voices support for PV Arts Porter Building pitch
WATSONVILLE—More than two dozen community members at Tuesday night’s Watsonville City Council meeting showed resounding support for the Pajaro Valley Arts Council’s planned rebuild of the historic Porter Building, a City of Watsonville-owned property at the gateway of downtown. And a competing proposal from...
Covid-19 restrictions loosen as Santa Cruz County sees fewer cases
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—California health officials on Tuesday moved Santa Cruz County into the less restrictive “Moderate” or Orange tier, meaning that several businesses can reopen and welcome in more customers.
The move means that the county is seeing 1-3.9 new cases per 100,00 in population....
City closes first period of cannabis applications
WATSONVILLE—A total of 18 cannabis license applications, spanning across all fields of the industry, have been submitted to the City of Watsonville in time for its Oct. 15 deadline.
Community Development Department Director Suzi Merriam said that the process went smoothly, and the amount of...
METRO pledges to improve safety
SANTA CRUZ—In an effort to meet public transit safety standards set during the Covid-19 pandemic, officials at Santa Cruz METRO at a Wednesday press conference showcased the safety and precautionary measures they have put in place.
Santa Cruz County Supervisor John Leopold and METRO Board...
Apple harvest wraps up at historic Corralitos orchard
It has not been an easy harvest season for California apples. When temperatures shot up into the 100s in August and September, sparking wildfires across the state and harming numerous agricultural commodities, apples were one of the hardest-hit crops. The fruit is susceptible to...
Beach Boardwalk surviving tough times
SANTA CRUZ—The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk has reshuffled its offerings in hopes of dealing with the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
While all of their rides have been shuttered since March, the Boardwalk has recently started holding drive-in movie nights on the corner of Beach and Third...
Small businesses holding steady through pandemic, local fires
WATSONVILLE—First came the coronavirus in March and then the fires and smoke in August. While the CZU August Lightning Complex fire in the Santa Cruz Mountains is 100% contained, the Covid-19 pandemic continues.
What have the dual disasters meant for Watsonville’s local businesses? So far,...
The Slough Brewing Collective opens for to-go orders
WATSONVILLE—For the owners of The Slough Brewing Collective in Watsonville, beer is much more than just a drink, or a lucrative business—it’s a community.
The brewery, formerly Elkhorn Slough Brewing Company, even reflects this in its motto: “Beer is people.”
“Beer is a way of bringing...
St. Francis, Watsonville to meet for PCAL season opener | High...
St. Francis is hosting Watsonville this weekend for the anticipated start of Pacific Coast Athletic League Mission Division-North play.
The crosstown rivals will square off...