Business

APTOS—As a young man, Bapcha Murty moved from his native Chennai, India to attend UC Los Angeles and become an engineer. He went on to a career in the Silicon Valley tech industry that spanned more than two decades in several companies. But when Murty...

WATSONVILLE—More than 100 people gathered in front of the newly rebuilt McDonald’s restaurant on Freedom Boulevard Tuesday for a grand reopening celebration. The business, located at 1598 Freedom Blvd., replaces the one originally built in 1974, which had remained at the same location until demolition...

During the pandemic, a white-haired man pulled up to Taqueria Mi Tierra 2 on Freedom Boulevard and began to honk his horn, believing that a carhop would come out to take his order.  The man was remembering the days when the building was still the...

ROYAL OAKS—Last year, Church Christmas Tree Farms celebrated its 60th year. The family-owned business, now run by Glenn Church and his two sons, has become a local destination for families to come and cut down their own tree during the holidays. And the Covid-19 pandemic...

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville Planning Commission will review plans for two proposed cannabis dispensaries at its July 13 meeting. Bryce Berryessa of Berryessa Holdings, LLC, and Jason Sweatt of Santa Cruz Veterans Alliance, Inc. are both expected to present to the commission at its monthly virtual meeting. Berryessa...

On March 7, Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County hosted one of the organization’s most popular events of the year.

WATSONVILLE—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved a plan to purchase properties on Westridge Drive in Watsonville, and to relocate several county services there. The move, which will consolidate five separate departments into a building at 500 Westridge Drive, is expected...

WATSONVILLE—Three organic Pajaro Valley farms will be featured in the 2020 EcoFarm Conference bus tour Wednesday—and a handful of seats are still available. Participants will visit Lakeside Organic Gardens, JSM Organics and Coastal Sun Cannabis/Moon Berry Farm during the tour, which kicks off the...

WATSONVILLE—The County of Santa Cruz announced Wednesday it has closed escrow on the purchase of the former West Marine building at 500 Westridge Drive in Watsonville.  In a press release, the County called the purchase “a major step forward in  improving the delivery of services...

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...