Pajaro Valley Pride, Fruition Brewing team up for drag show fundraiser
WATSONVILLE—On Sunday Pajaro Valley Pride (PVP), a local nonprofit aiming to support and advocate for South County’s LGBTQ+ community, will hold its first in-person fundraiser since the start of the pandemic.
“Raise a Pint to the Qmmunity” will feature a drag show, with local and...
Monterey Bay Caterers up for sale as owner rides into retirement
WATSONVILLE—Monterey Bay Caterers, a long-standing business in the Pajaro Valley which operated as a catering business and a restaurant, is for sale.
Owner Ken Schwan said a combination of things led to his decision. He’ll be 64 next month, and his recent motorcycle crash that...
Sustainable Productivity Solutions moves to Watsonville
Originally headquartered in Scotts Valley, Sustainable Productivity Solutions recently moved to Watsonville, and will hold an open house on Nov. 9 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at 275 Main St., Suite 450.
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...
Paycheck Protection Program again under scrutiny after list of recipients released
The half-trillion-dollar loan program advertised as a lifesaver for the country’s struggling small businesses is again under fire after the Small Business Administration on Monday released a list containing hundreds of recipients of the program, revealing that several private equity-backed chains owned by members...
Pajaro Valley Public Cemetery District running out of space
WATSONVILLE—Major work is underway at the Valley Public Cemetery to make way for hundreds of garden crypts.
The move is part of the Pajaro Valley Public Cemetery District’s needed expansion to create more land for burials, said Bob Tanner, Pajaro Valley Public Cemetery District Board...
City touting equity program as boon for small cannabis business owners
By Abigail Acosta, Special to the Pajaronian
WATSONVILLE—The City of Watsonville is hoping recent additions to its Cannabis Equity Program will spark a time of opportunity for the city’s minority cannabis business owners.
First approved by the City Council in 2019, the equity program was put...
Food service industry faces unprecedented labor shortage
Two weeks ago, Amelia Loftus, owner of Hidden Fortress Coffee Roasting, was on the brink of closing her cafe in Watsonville just shy of its five-year anniversary.
The shop, located at the end of a sleepy business complex on Hangar Way, had been struggling to...
El Frijolito expanding and remodeling
WATSONVILLE—For nearly four decades, El Frijolito restaurant has been serving traditional Mexican fare in its sit-down dining room at 11 Alexander St.
Now in its 38th year, the place is perhaps best known for its walk-up window on the 400 block of Union Street, which...
Kelly-Moore Paints shuts down all stores
Kelly-Moore Paints, a household word for the past 78 years in residential and commercial paint, has abruptly closed.
With a Watsonville, Aptos and Santa Cruz location, and 61 stores sprinkled around the San Francisco Bay Area, the paint giant officially announced last week that it...
Countryside arts festival starts up
A countywide celebration of visual and performing arts kicked off Thursday and will run through April 26.
The Ripple Effect Santa Cruz County Arts Festival...























