Business

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,...

WATSONVILLE—Opening a new business during a global pandemic might at first seem like a risky move. But for Christian Diaz, it was also an opportunity. With most fitness centers throughout the state remaining closed to stop the spread of Covid-19, people have been looking for...

MOSS LANDING—As commercial crab fishermen prepare for the season to begin on Nov. 1, they are also grappling with a strict set of new regulations that start the same day, which some say could severely curtail their livelihood. The new rules, created by the California...

CAPITOLA—A new branch of Outdoor Supply Hardware (OSH) is slated for a Jan. 6 opening in the former Orchard Supply Hardware store on 41st Avenue. Ryan Odell, store manager at the Napa OSH branch, said the company will run a soft opening in the first...

Final touches are underway at the Olive Garden Italian Kitchen restaurant, the first such location for the chain business in Santa Cruz County.

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...

Michael Rozen said Aug. 1 he would rather be playing sports with his friends than attending the weeklong Bruce W. Woolpert Algebra Academy offered by Graniterock.  While Michael stopped short of admitting an affinity for math, the 13-year-old admits the experience will prepare him for...

Every year Sindy Hernandez, local fashion designer and owner of Queen’s Shoes, heads up two fundraisers to support local nonprofits. Dubbed Fashion Cares, the fundraisers have amassed money for Jacob’s Heart, CASA, Monarch Services and more. “It’s my way of giving back to my community,” Hernandez...

If specialty meats will be on your table during the upcoming holidays, now is the time to get your order in at two local meat businesses, Freedom Meat Lockers and Corralitos Market & Sausage Co.