PVUSD delays decision on school opening plan
WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees on Wednesday unanimously voted to delay a decision on how to resume classes in August, to give district officials time to investigate all of their options.
Still undetermined is which risk level the district will use...
Gov. Newsom announces assistance for Covid-impacted businesses
SACRAMENTO—Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday announced that the state will provide temporary tax relief for eligible businesses that have been impacted by Covid-19 restrictions.
Under the plan, taxpayers filing less than $1 million in sales tax receive an automatic three-month income tax extension. It also...
County’s younger residents avoiding vaccine
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Santa Cruz County health officials’ prediction that residents would be frustrated over not being able to find a Covid-19 vaccine after the state expanded its eligibility to most Californians earlier this month has not come true.
Instead, the demand for the inoculation has...
Realtors turn to the web to keep sales strong during COVID-19 crisis
WATSONVILLE—While Santa Cruz County’s shelter-in-place order has kept residents in their homes, real estate agents have had to rely on their technical prowess to move their customers into new ones.
Some realtors have turned to Facebook Live, a video feature that allows users to livestream...
Newsom’s budget focuses on Covid relief, allocates $90 billion to education
SACRAMENTO—California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday submitted his budget for the 2021-22 fiscal year to the State Legislature, a $227.2 billion package that prioritizes vaccines for all Californians, and gives $90 billion to K-14 education.
Newsom says that the state now has a $15 billion...
Newsom replaces watchlist with new tiered reopening system
SACRAMENTO—Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday revealed what he called a new, more “stringent” four-tiered reopening system that allows counties to open their economies depending on their Covid-19 case and test positivity rates.
The new system replaces the monitoring list and removes many of the old...
Cabrillo students wrestle with academic, economic uncertainty
By Jazmin Juarez, Special to the Pajaronian
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The coronavirus has brought many changes to people’s everyday lifestyle. Among them, the transition from in-person to online classes for students.
In Santa Cruz County, Cabrillo College switched to online courses on March 16. The school has...
Supervisors approve eviction moratorium, Labor Day beach restrictions
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved a temporary moratorium on evictions in the unincorporated parts of the county through Sept. 30.
The board also unanimously approved a plan to restrict beach access during the upcoming Labor Day weekend...
Former assistant fire chief Gene Friend dies
WATSONVILLE—Former Watsonville Fire Assistant Chief Gene Friend, a household name for many in the Pajaro Valley, died March 25 at Valley Convalescent in Watsonville.
Watsonville Fire Station 1 is emblazoned with his name in large letters as the namesake of the Chief Gene Friend Watsonville...
Older adults staying creative while at home
WATSONVILLE—When health officials on March 16 laid out new orders for all Santa Cruz County residents to stay at home as a precaution against the spread of the novel coronavirus, it was meant for everyone. For some Pajaro Valley seniors, the blanket 24/7 rule...
Grizzlies continue to improve on daily basis | High school softball
WATSONVILLE—Pajaro Valley High senior Emily Quezada tried out for the softball team last season after deciding she wanted to play the sport for the...