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Watsonville
December 3, 2025

As business expo returns, locals share optimism for 2022

Pajaro valley Business Expo
WATSONVILLE—On April 7, businesses from across the region will come together for the first time in three years at the Pajaro Valley Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture’s annual Business Expo and Job Fair. This year’s theme is “Spring Fling,” celebrating the return of not only...

A taste of the Pajaro Valley | Brew Tour

The Pajaro Valley is best known for its agriculture but its craft brew scene is also starting to demand some attention. This short but strong list of breweries and taprooms around the Watsonville area are key stops on anyone’s tour through California’s bountiful brew...

Charter schools reap millions from public payroll program

paycheck protection program watsonville
WATSONVILLE—Two Watsonville area charter schools received funds through the federal Payroll Protection Program (PPP), the $660 billion initiative created to use taxpayer dollars to help keep small business and nonprofit organizations afloat. Watsonville Prep School, which received more than $1.7 million, and Ceiba College Preparatory...

Phil’s Fish Market reopens and thrives

CASTROVILLE—Six months after moving from its iconic Moss Landing location, Phil’s Fish Market reopened in its new location in the heart of Castroville. The restaurant has gained a large following of loyal customers and an international reputation for its seafood dishes, most notably the cioppino—a...

Santa Cruz METRO driver shares his ‘love’ for the job

Santa Cruz METRO
WATSONVILLE—In November Uriel Mendoza of Watsonville will mark 21 years of being a bus driver for Santa Cruz METRO. When asked what he liked about his job, he plainly responded, “My job.”  His preferred bus route? “I like all of them,” he said. He said his customers are...

Beer Mule opens in Watsonville

The owners of Beer Mule were hoping for an easy “soft opening” when they announced their first night via Instagram on Saturday.

Phil’s Fish Market relocating

Phil’s Fish Market
MOSS LANDING—Phil’s Fish Market & Eatery, the iconic harborside Moss Landing restaurant that has garnered international fame with its seafood dishes and laid-back California vibe, will close and relocate soon. The move is necessary because Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), which owns the property,...

Watsonville City Council sets study session for food trucks

watsonville 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...

Planners OK drive-thru Starbucks on Freedom Boulevard

taqueria mi tierra 2 freedom boulevard starbucks
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...

Large Watsonville housing development seeks extension

Hillcrest estates watsonville
WATSONVILLE—The developer behind a 150-unit housing project off Ohlone Parkway is asking the Watsonville City Council for a one-year extension on the project’s approval. First approved by the council in 2018 as Sunshine Vista, Hillcrest Estates was set to transform an 11-acre junkyard at 511...
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K9 officer helps find loaded handgun; man arrested

A man was arrested late last month on multiple felony charges after he ditched a loaded gun and ran from Capitola Police. The incident began...