Business

WATSONVILLE—The makeup kit is out at the 1917 Watsonville Woman’s Club.  Thanks to a $15,000 grant from the Borina Foundation and a generous bid from Prunedale’s Masters Painting, the entire building at 12 Brennan St. is getting a fresh coat of paint. The work, which started...

WATSONVILLE—For many, the New Year feels like a fresh start. Resolutions are written and promises made to make big changes for the future. And most of these decisions—whether it’s traveling more or starting a membership at a local gym—have one thing in common: they all...

WATSONVILLE—The family that owns Chevrolet Watsonville has purchased two new neighboring dealerships, giving it the lion’s share of the sales on Auto Center Drive. The Cooper family closed the deal on Wednesday for Monterey Bay Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram and Mid Bay Ford Lincoln. The family...

WATSONVILLE—The historic Mansion House in downtown Watsonville is searching for a new, hip tenant. The New China Buffet permanently closed its doors at the end of 2019 and the Tufo family is looking to fill the 3,800-square-foot space at 420 Main St. with a new...

WATSONVILLE—A popular local barbershop will soon move to downtown Watsonville. The Chop Shop is planning to relocate from the city’s outskirts on Freedom Boulevard to the corner of Main Street and East Lake Avenue, according to owner Gabino Varela. The 471 Main St. location currently houses...

CORRALITOS—Late Monday morning the Five Mile House in Corralitos was bustling with activity for the first time in 12 years. Blossom’s Farmstore & Coffee Shop now occupies the landmark Spanish-style building on the corner of Freedom Boulevard and Corralitos Road, which has housed various businesses...

Local trainer celebrates 15 years, dishes tips for New Year’s resolutions Most of Brian Orozco’s clients are in constant pain before they walk through the doors of his Main Street business, Functional Fitness Training Center. Tasks as simple as bending over to play with their...

CAPITOLA—A new branch of Outdoor Supply Hardware (OSH) is slated for a Jan. 6 opening in the former Orchard Supply Hardware store on 41st Avenue. Ryan Odell, store manager at the Napa OSH branch, said the company will run a soft opening in the first...

WATSONVILLE—The Land Trust of Santa Cruz County, together with the Martinelli and Silliman families, have protected the Silliman Ranch on Highway 129 from development.  Under the agreement signed the week before Thanksgiving, the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County purchased the development rights to the...

WATSONVILLE—Watsonville’s newest charter school now has a permanent home, and a long-vacant building on the Main Street corridor will soon have a new tenant. Watsonville Prep School, which opened in August with 180 kindergarteners, first- and second-grade students, plans to occupy the second floor of...