Business

PAJARO VALLEY—Long-standing realtor Renee Mello was recently named Realtor of the Year for 2021 by the Santa Cruz County Association of Realtors. A broker associate with Keller Williams, Mello, a third-generation Watsonville native, said she was stunned and “truly honored” to have been picked out...

The federal government is preparing to open two new industry-specific small-business relief programs, one of them months in the works, as its signature pandemic aid effort, the Paycheck Protection Program, nears its end. The Small Business Administration said it hopes to start taking applications by...

WATSONVILLE—A little more than a year ago, Perla Pineda said she had a thought in the back of her mind that would not let her get a good night’s rest. “I felt like something else was calling me,” she said. She remembers waking up in the...

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.

WATSONVILLE—Work continues on Laundry Day, the new Laundromat on the corner of Brennan Street and East Lake Avenue.  Situated in the former Union Bank (and Watsonville Federal Savings and Loan before that), the remodeling project, which has gone on for more than a year, is...

Arpana Parti, DDS, has recently opened a new dentist office, Healthy Smiles, in Watsonville at 1970 Main St. in Watsonville Square near Nob Hill Foods.

WATSONVILLE—Watsonville Community Hospital has a new chief executive officer.  Steven Salyer, who has 14 years of leadership experience in hospitals throughout the U.S., started the position on July 6. The hospital announced the move on July 14. Salyer previously served as chief operating officer at UP...

WATSONVILLE—The city of Watsonville is expected to resume negotiations with the Pajaro Valley Arts (PVA) Council for the sale of the Porter Building after no affordable housing developers showed serious interest in the historic landmark. Watsonville and PVA earlier this year had begun early discussions...

Located on a busy thoroughfare between Aptos and Watsonville, Bamboo Giant Nursery and Gardens (BGNG) could easily be driven past without a second glance.  But the nursery, tucked into the side of a hill in a rural, forested section of Freedom Boulevard, is actually one...