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Watsonville
January 19, 2026

PHOTO: Know your local businesses

People pour into the Seascape Golf Club Wednesday afternoon for the 33rd annual Business Showcase put on by the Aptos and Capitola-Soquel Chambers of Commerce.

Rolling Hills garden comes to life

WATSONVILLE—A long-neglected garden at Rolling Hills Middle School was brought back to life Thursday thanks to the volunteer efforts of the Watsonville company K&D Landscaping.  Armed with a host of tools and dozens of starter plants, the crew tore into the hard-packed soil as part...

Staff of Life market to open in East Lake Village

Staff of Life, a Santa Cruz-based natural foods store that launched nearly a half-century ago, will move into the space occupied by Super Max Discount Foods.

Head of local farmers market takes over Pinto Lake City Park

Jesus Madrigal Pinto Lake City Park
WATSONVILLE—A familiar face has stepped in as the new operator of Pinto Lake City Park. Jesus Madrigal, the president of the Watsonville Farmers Market, was recently named concessionaire for the city’s share of Pinto Lake. His company’s vision for the 78-acre park—70 of which are...

City readies for renewed negotiations with PV Arts for Porter Building

Porter Building
WATSONVILLE—The city of Watsonville is expected to resume negotiations with the Pajaro Valley Arts (PVA) Council for the sale of the Porter Building after no affordable housing developers showed serious interest in the historic landmark. Watsonville and PVA earlier this year had begun early discussions...

County closes on purchase of West Marine building

West Marine building
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...

Christmas tree sellers optimistic despite national shortage

In the weeks leading up to Christmas, tree farms across the nation are thrust into the spotlight and sellers start their busiest time of year. This year, the industry is holding steady, despite a nationwide shortage that is pushing up prices. Heatwaves and fires that...

New ice cream shop to open in Aptos

Bruster's aptos ice cream
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...

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...

Envision Fitness & Nutrition launches youth program

Envision Fitness & Nutrition Jóvenes Sanos
WATSONVILLE—A new program has launched at Envision Fitness & Nutrition in downtown Watsonville, aiming to support youth by teaching them about health, wellness, stress management and more. Envision opened in 2020, during the height of the pandemic. They began with virtual health and fitness classes,...
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Bag containing gun, ammo found at Aptos High

Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputies and Pajaro Valley Unified School District officials are investigating after a bag containing a firearm and ammunition was found...