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...
Hampton Inn opens in Watsonville
WATSONVILLE—A project seven years in the making, the 112-room Hampton Inn & Suites opened its doors Monday morning on Lee Road in Watsonville.
The four-story hotel flanks a new Starbucks coffee house and a newly opened Arco gas station and AM/PM mini market, all under...
Giant local beer distributor has small beginnings
George Couch was an ambitious 25-year-old when he came to Watsonville in 1973 and negotiated a deal to purchase a small Anheuser-Busch distributorship. It would not stay small for long.
His company Couch Distributing, which he runs with his brother Geoff, has since 1973 delivered...
Stay loyal, stay local: Gift ideas from around the Pajaro Valley
Looking for places to shop for loved ones this holiday season? You don’t have to rely on Amazon or other large retailers—instead, look into small, locally-owned stores right here in the Pajaro Valley. Contact the stores directly, follow on social media and check out...
Second Harvest hosts annual awards dinner
On March 7, Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County hosted one of the organization’s most popular events of the year.
California Pajarosa navigates a changing industry
Business at California Pajarosa Floral, one of Watsonville’s last remaining large flower growers, has altered drastically since the outbreak of Covid-19 last year.
Already dealing with an evolving industry before the pandemic due to growth in offshore production, things came to a sudden halt at...
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...
Toadal Fitness opens in Watsonville
A long-standing fitness center—Toadal Fitness—has opened a new location at 25 Penny Lane in Watsonville. With other locations sprinkled around the county including downtown Santa Cruz, Live Oak, Westside Santa Cruz and Scotts Valley, the Watsonville location threw a soft opening Monday.
“While the previous...
Corralitos winery navigates pandemic, heatwave
Winemaker Alex Prikazsky says it had always been a dream of her father, Bob Prikazsky, to open a winery someday.
“My folks would go tasting on the weekends,” she said. “We’d go to wine auctions together. There was always this idea in the back of...
Seaside man arrested after entering girls’ bedroom, removing his pants
A Seaside man was arrested in Pajaro on Saturday after he reportedly entered the open door of a residence, walked into a bedroom occupied...






















