Briefs: County Fair seeks theme; Elks Lodge celebrates St. Patrick’s Day
County Fair seeks theme
The Santa Cruz County Fair announced the return of the annual fair theme contest.
The fair invites the community to submit theme ideas that would reflect the spirit of the County Fair in a few words. The theme should reflect the spirit...
Peace & Unity March commemorates those lost to violence
Nearly three decades ago, 9-year-old Jessica Cortez and her brother Jorge, 16, were gunned down by gang members as they walked to a nearby panaderia on Salinas Road for a treat.
Nobody has ever been arrested, and while police do not know why the gang...
Tom Broz named Farmer of the Year
Tom Broz was named the 2023 Farmer of Year by the Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau June 22 at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds.
In its 106th annual meeting, the Farm Bureau welcomed dozens of farmers, agricultural workers and others to the open-air event.
Broz and...
Latino Role Models Conference returns
The 13th annual Latino Role Models Conference will be held in-person on March 25 from 9am to 1pm at Cabrillo College Crocker Theater. This free conference is designed to inspire students in grades 6 through college to achieve their dreams for college and career.
Presentations...
Watsonville Hospital’s former owners ‘grossly negligent,’ face lawsuit
The former owners of Watsonville Community Hospital are facing a lawsuit alleging that they took more than $3.9 million for their own use, and that their mismanagement led the hospital to bankruptcy and to the brink of financial ruin.
Halsen Healthcare was removed from its...
PHOTO: Open Studios Art Tour kicks off
Watsonville artist Josefina Rocha (right) works on a new piece of art Saturday inside the Porter Building during the Arts Council Santa Cruz County’s 37th annual Open Studios Art Tour. This year features 322 artists that open their studios across Santa Cruz County to...
PVUSD board appoints Acosta as president, Soto as VP
The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees on Wednesday appointed Georgia Acosta as its new president, and Oscar Soto as vice president.
The annual organizational meeting was the board’s last of the year.
Acosta was appointed with a 5-2 vote, with trustees Kim De...
Gearing up for the Fourth of July
WATSONVILLE
With a theme of Stars, Stripes and Strawberries, the Spirit of Watsonville Fourth of July Parade is set to start at 12:30pm on Tuesday at St. Patrick's Church and roll along Main Street to the Watsonville Main Branch of the Post Office.
Jessica Beebe, Recreation...
Event focuses on farmworker safety
About 700 people packed the Mello Center in Watsonville Saturday afternoon for Harvesting Equity, an event where safety, living wage contracts, housing and immigration reform for farmworkers took center stage.
At the podium were Mireya Gómez-Contreras, Ann Lopez and civil rights activist Dolores Huerta.
To launch...
PV’s Lara-Alvarez named Santa Lucia’s top player | All-PCAL football
In 2024, Pajaro Valley senior Benito Lara-Alvarez was primarily on the defensive side of the ball for the Grizzlies.
Prior to the start of this...





















