Thriving among the giants
APTOS—Sitting in the cab of a 25-ton Caterpillar excavator, Stephanie Siqueiros works the levers of the dinosaur-like beast to swivel the mechanical arm to reach across the pavement and attach a large scoop bucket. Nimbly, she attaches the bucket, its steel teeth facing skyward,...
Customers, businesses contend with escalating meat prices
Labor Day Weekend is fast approaching, and many are looking to stock up on foods for barbecues and other outdoor gatherings.
But this year is different, for both consumers and suppliers alike, and it has a lot to do with the current high price of...
Dog training club’s donation helps sick puppy
A sick puppy was treated back to health thanks to the Monterey Bay Dog Training Club’s “Gifts from the Heart” project.
Consent agenda: City sells lot to Ow family
WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville City Council on Tuesday sold the Resetar Parking Lot in downtown to the Ow family for $542,850.
The 40-space lot at 535 Main St., also known as Parking Lot No. 4, is used daily by multiple businesses in downtown, including county-wide nonprofit Community...
New business to come to old Kmart building in Watsonville
A little more than two years after the former Kmart store on Freedom Boulevard closed its doors, the space will soon have a new tenant.
Vallarta Supermarket, which has more than 50 locations throughout California—the most recent one in Salinas—will occupy half of the 100,000-square-foot...
Rancho Del Mar center continues to fill with shops
With final detail touches underway in the major overhaul of the Rancho Del Mar Shopping Center, several businesses are now open and others are on deck.
Watsonville Hospital sale finalized
WATSONVILLE—Watsonville Community Hospital has a new owner.
Halsen Healthcare announced Tuesday that the $30 million sale was finalized at midnight.
“This is the first day that Halsen actually owns Watsonville Community Hospital,” Chairman and CEO Dan Brothman said.
Halsen was holding a celebratory afternoon barbecue for its...
Planners OK drive-thru Starbucks on Freedom Boulevard
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...
Owners of La Perla in Watsonville living their ‘American dream’
WATSONVILLE—It has been three decades since Gabino Torres and Anna Martinez opened a small Mexican seafood restaurant on Main Street, a business they launched as a way to pair their love of their native cuisine with a drive to support their family.
La Perla del...
Street Scene prepares for move
Street Scene’s last day on Main Street is Feb. 1 before it moves to downtown, making way for a major retail project at one of the city’s busiest intersections.
How Are Watsonville’s Late-Night Businesses Adapting to Changing Entertainment Habits?
Published in cooperation between Cardplayer and Pajaronian
Evening routines in Watsonville look different than a decade ago. Where late nights once revolved around a narrow...






















