Local News

WATSONVILLE—A group of residents from Watsonville's senior neighborhoods gathered at the Pajaro Village Club House last week to hear a presentation on pesticide use, and on an upcoming pilot project to notify residents on nearby applications. Hosted by the Center for Farmworkers Families, Safe Ag...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Measure D–which was hailed by many as a way to get Santa Cruz County residents out of their vehicles, off the roads and onto a bike-pedestrian path that replaced the rail line–was dealt a crushing blow Tuesday when it went down in...

Hundreds of people, toting festive balloons and armloads of flowers, showed up for the commencement ceremony for Renaissance High School on June 2.  Led into the Mello Center by their principal, Deanna Young, the line of 61 seniors filled up the first three rows...

Measure D appeared to be failing soon after the polls closed Tuesday night, with 68% of voters opposing it. As of 8:20pm, 15,704 of the 22,966 votes counted were against the measure. Also called the “Santa Cruz County Greenway Initiative,” this measure would change the county’s...

Taking advantage of the sprawling athletic field of Landmark Elementary School that adjoins the tiny campus of New School, 25 graduates filed onto the lawn on the first day of June to fetch their high school diplomas. “It’s a good feeling, to realize all the...

SANTA CRUZ—A man who kidnapped, assaulted, robbed and shot his victim through the genitals last year was found guilty May 19 of aggravated mayhem, kidnapping, robbery and assault with a firearm, Santa Cruz County District Attorney Jeffrey Rosell announced. Tilden Ball, 37, is set to...

WATSONVILLE—After decades of efforts by local, state and federal officials, plans to rebuild the Pajaro River Levee can now move forward after voters in Watsonville approved an assessment on their annual property tax bills that will pay for the maintenance and operations costs. The Pajaro...

MOSS LANDING—Phil’s Fish Market & Eatery, the iconic harborside Moss Landing restaurant that has garnered international fame with its seafood dishes and laid-back California vibe, will close and relocate soon. The move is necessary because Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), which owns the property,...

Artist Bruce Harman continues work on a new mural in Watsonville Plaza on the exterior of the new self-cleaning pair of restrooms. The artwork includes depictions of graduates, St. Patrick's Church, the Tuttle Mansion, folklorico dancers, Mexican folk art and more. City officials are...

When local conservation pioneer and philanthropist Diane Porter Cooley died last March, members of Pajaro Valley Arts (PVA) knew they wanted to pay tribute to her in some way. Cooley was a founding board member of PVA and instrumental in its success over the years....