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...
Kitchen incubator celebrating five years
El Pajaro Community Development Corporation's Commercial Kitchen Incubator, 412 East Riverside Drive in Watsonville, will celebrate its fifth anniversary with Tacos and Tapas on Aug. 23 from 6-9 p.m.
Monsbey College: Preparing students for careers
Founded in 2008, Monsbey College specializes in affordable training in healthcare careers, such as Certified Nursing Assistant, Home Health Aide, Pharmacy Technician, Clinical Medical Assistant, EKG Technician, NCLEX Exam preparation and CPR and First Aid.
County still weeks away from opening restaurants for dine-in service
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Though some rural counties are allowing restaurants to open for dine-in service, Santa Cruz County officials are still several days away from giving their restaurateurs the green light.
That’s according to county spokesman Jason Hoppin, who on Tuesday said testing and contact tracing...
Tight market, recent disasters put strain on local home buyers
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—For the past few years, local real estate agents have seen a drastic dip in inventory of homes in Santa Cruz County. And with the ongoing pandemic and recent wildfires that destroyed close to 1,000 homes in the Santa Cruz Mountains, the...
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.
East Lake Village hosts annual car show benefit
The sound of engines roared across East Lake Village’s parking lot Sunday morning as classic cars and trucks arrived in droves.
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...
Regional Women’s Business Center launches in Watsonville
WATSONVILLE—California Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel Valley) has announced the launch of a new business center in Watsonville for women entrepreneurs.
El Pájaro Women’s Business Center (WBC) will be formed through El Pájaro Community Development Corporation (CDC), a local nonprofit organization aiming to promote equal access...
Proposition 50 starts strong, with 64% of the statewide vote
This story has been updated with new results and with a statement from the Santa Cruz County Republican party chair.
Statewide voting results Wednesday morning...



















