Obon Festival draws hundreds
The annual Obon Festival unfolded at the Watsonville Buddhist Temple Sunday. Hundreds of people enjoyed dance and Taiko drumming performances, traditional Japanese food, arts, crafts, a raffle and more.
For Buddhists, the Obon Festival is a time to honor deceased ancestors by inviting them back...
Workers celebrate Labor Day bill signing
WATSONVILLE—Labor, fair wages, equality at the workplace and health care for workers came into sharp focus Monday—Labor Day—for the annual Labor Day Picnic at Romo Park in downtown Watsonville. The event is put on by the Monterey Bay Central Labor Council, which consists of...
Parker, Bilicich deadlocked for Watsonville City Council seat
WATSONVILLE—The race for the District 7 seat on the Watsonville City Council has been the tightest contest in all of Santa Cruz County this general election.
Current District 7 representative Ari Parker and former Watsonville mayor Nancy Bilicich are separated by a mere 10 votes,...
New mural welcomed at Ramsay Park
A large mural recently painted on the exterior wall of the Family Center at Ramsay Park was celebrated Friday.
City officials, student artists and others were on hand for the ribbon cutting for the 65-by-15-foot work, titled "The Bigger Picture.” It was created by 11...
Santa Cruz County Supervisor District 2 race continued
This is the second installment highlighting the candidates running for the Second District seat on the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors.
Tony Crane is an Aptos mortgage broker who is battling against what he sees as county corruption for decisions on a residential mental...
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk plans new Ferris wheel
The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk plans on bringing back an iconic attraction, but it first must seek approval from the city’s planning commission.
Five years after the park removed its Ferris wheel due to age, plans are in the works to construct a new, 68-foot...
DUI suspect strikes vehicles and home in Watsonville
A 53-year-old Castroville man was arrested Tuesday afternoon after he was involved in multiple separate crashes on Green Valley Road.
California Highway Patrol officer Israel Murillo said the CHP learned that Francisco Romo Rojas was driving a red 2000 Chevrolet Silverado just before 5pm on...
Capitola Wharf repair underway
State and city officials joined around 100 people recently to kick off repairs of the storm-damaged Capitola Wharf.
Attendees spoke about a multi-year journey that led to the groundbreaking ceremony.
“This wharf for 130 years has been an essential part of this community,” said Congressman Jimmy...
A “jewel in the community:” Ramsay Park project moves forward
In a little more than a year, Ramsay Park in Watsonville will boast a new dog park, a new multi-use synthetic sports field, a new state-of-the-art nature center and new lights for its pathways, parking lots and athletic fields.
Plans also include an all-inclusive playground,...
Mastering the perfect slice of ‘za
A lot comes to mind in the art of mastering the perfect slice of pizza.
For starters, portions are important because nobody wants to have too much sauce or too much cheese below a mountain full of toppings that prevents the dough from fully baking.
Slice...
Padilla, Schiff secure $54M for Pajaro River Levee
U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla announced Tuesday that he and Sen. Adam Schiff secured $54 million in federal funding for the Pajaro River Flood Risk...






















