Staff of Life closes for cleaning after employee contracts Covid-19
SANTA CRUZ—Staff of Life, a popular natural foods market in Santa Cruz for more than 50 years, announced Monday that an employee tested positive for Covid-19.
“We have made the decision to temporarily close after learning a member of our staff has been diagnosed with...
Local companies gift Second Harvest new parking lot
WATSONVILLE—Since the outbreak of Covid-19, Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County has been distributing almost twice as much food to local families than usual.
As such, the organization’s parking lot is now full of distribution and refrigeration trucks, forklifts and storage containers. Staff, volunteers...
Local nursery sees uptick in business during pandemic
With the pandemic outbreak, most of us heard this warning many times: Stay at home. But that could have been softened a little bit with: “Stay at home and in the garden.” Because, for many of us, that’s what happened: People started plowing deep...
Gottschalks building renovation going to Planning Commission
WATSONVILLE—A proposed redevelopment of the vacant Gottschalks building in the heart of downtown will come to the Watsonville Planning Commission during its Oct. 6 meeting.
Navigator Schools, the parent organization of local charter school Watsonville Prep, and the Hansen Family Trust are teaming up to...
Gov. Newsom announces assistance for Covid-impacted businesses
SACRAMENTO—Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday announced that the state will provide temporary tax relief for eligible businesses that have been impacted by Covid-19 restrictions.
Under the plan, taxpayers filing less than $1 million in sales tax receive an automatic three-month income tax extension. It also...
Creative masks still a hot item
WATSONVILLE—Battling the pandemic for nearly a year now has spurned a wealth of creative avenues to keep Covid-19 at bay. From crafty outdoor dining patios, equipped with heaters, sun umbrellas and all kinds of tents and landscaping, to attention-getting homemade signage, face shields and...
New ice cream shop to open in Aptos
APTOS—Sometime in the summer, Mid-County will have a new ice cream shop, a walk-up establishment near the heart of Aptos Village.
Bruster’s Real Ice Cream—headquartered in Pennsylvania with 200 locations throughout the U.S. and in South Korea—features 24 flavors that are hand-made on-site daily, says...
Watsonville City Council sets study session for food trucks
WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville City Council will hold a study session on food trucks near the end of its Tuesday evening virtual meeting.
The item was included in the meeting’s agenda released Thursday evening, but there was no staff report attached to it, causing confusion and worry...
Santa Cruz County Supervisors delay disposable cup fee
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on May 11 voted unanimously to delay a 25-cent fee for disposable cups at businesses in the unincorporated parts of the county until January 2022.
County officials crafted the ordinance to reduce the amount of disposable...
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...
Mariners ‘pour’ on the points for an upset win over Palo...
The quest for a sixth Central Coast Section title continues for Aptos following another stunning win this week in the Division III playoffs.
Senior running...