PHOTO: D’la Colmena wins People’s Choice award
Rotary Club of Watsonville members John Kane IV (left), Francisco Estrada (second from right) and Murry Schekman recently presented D’ la Colmena owner Adrian Gonzales (second from left) with the winning plaque for the “Best Burrito on the Central Coast — People’s Choice” award, voted on by this year’s Burrito Bash participants.
Stay loyal, stay local: Gift ideas from around the Pajaro Valley
Looking for places to shop for loved ones this holiday season? You don’t have to rely on Amazon or other large retailers—instead, look into small, locally-owned stores right here in the Pajaro Valley. Contact the stores directly, follow on social media and check out...
Thriving among the giants
APTOS—Sitting in the cab of a 25-ton Caterpillar excavator, Stephanie Siqueiros works the levers of the dinosaur-like beast to swivel the mechanical arm to reach across the pavement and attach a large scoop bucket. Nimbly, she attaches the bucket, its steel teeth facing skyward,...
Supporting small businesses
For the first time, the East Lake Village Shopping Center will attempt to draw in shoppers for Small Business Saturday with a variety of deals and activities.
Toadal Fitness opens in Watsonville
A long-standing fitness center—Toadal Fitness—has opened a new location at 25 Penny Lane in Watsonville. With other locations sprinkled around the county including downtown Santa Cruz, Live Oak, Westside Santa Cruz and Scotts Valley, the Watsonville location threw a soft opening Monday.
“While the previous...
El Pájaro CDC partners with Staff of Life
El Pájaro Community Development Corporation (El Pájaro CDC) has entered into a partnership with Staff of Life, a natural foods market that recently opened its new store in the East Lake Shopping Center.
El Pájaro CDC, which aims to support small business entrepreneurs by...
Hidden Fortress opens second Watsonville shop
WATSONVILLE—Hidden Fortress Coffee Roasting has opened a new branch in the Cabrillo College Watsonville Center at 318 Union St.
They started roasting coffee in 2012 and have one location in Watsonville and another in Seaside. Their first store opened three years ago at 125 Hangar...
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,...
Drinking in the shopping season
As holiday shopping season ramps up, the employees at Elyxir Distributing have the solution for the beer lovers in the family.
Letters to the Editor, May1-7
Who Really Saved Watsonville Community Hospital
Tony Nunez’s claim that he “saved” Watsonville Community Hospital is simply not credible.
The hospital remains in a fragile financial...




















