Renowned conductor to visit Cabrillo for fundraising event
Marin Alsop grew up dreaming of being a conductor.
From a young age, she aspired to lead a group of talented classical musicians, performing for audiences and spreading her love of music—despite the fact there were very few women in such a position.
Alsop is now...
Queen’s Shoes celebrates 15 years
In 2007 local fashion designer Sindy Hernandez opened Queen’s Shoes & More, a small boutique featuring a mix of her own and other designers’ clothing and accessories.
Hernandez gradually gained a loyal following of customers. And 15 years later, many of them remain, some becoming...
Family searches for answers after 18-year-old farmworker is gunned down
WATSONVILLE—About 15 people sat quietly in rows of chairs facing an altar of votive candles, flowers, photographs and memorabilia in a carport near downtown Watsonville on Sunday.
Just hours prior, an 18-year-old man who, family says, had moved to the U.S. from Oaxaca, Mexico a...
County Arts Council proposes performing arts center in downtown
WATSONVILLE—In 2020, Arts Council Santa Cruz County formed the Watsonville Stewardship Committee for the Arts to bring resources, build spaces and improve access to the arts for South County residents.
That group of artists, teachers, political leaders and city of Watsonville staff spearheaded the creation...
Watsonville woman dies in mass shooting in Mexico
MICHOACÁN, MEXICO—A Watsonville mother of four was killed—and her sister critically injured—in a mass shooting in Michoacán, Mexico on March 28.
Melissa Silva was 36. She leaves behind four children, 20, 17, 12 and 10, two of whom attend Calabasas Elementary School. Her 16-year-old sister...
State eviction protections extended through June
WATSONVILLE—Some California renters facing eviction at the end of March got a reprieve Thursday when Acting Governor Eleni Kounalakis signed legislation that extends statewide protections tied to a state-run rental assistance program.
Assembly Bill 2179 extends eviction protections through June 30 for Californians who signed...
Adult Ed’s new cosmetology program fills countywide need
WATSONVILLE—Since February, a small group of women has been hard at work, learning the detailed world of the beauty industry in Watsonville’s new—and Santa Cruz County’s only—cosmetology program.
The new program began with just six students, although Watsonville/Aptos/Santa Cruz Adult Education Director Nancy Bilicich expects...
Pajaro River levee project gets huge boost from feds
WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro River levee restoration is one of four projects nationwide receiving funding from the federal government, with $67 million from President Joe Biden’s administration coming to help with the long-awaited renovation.
Biden made the announcement on Tuesday. The funding is part of the Infrastructure...
Watsonville contributes to countywide plan to curb Covid-related evictions
WATSONVILLE—Since the state opened its Covid-related rental assistance program roughly a year ago, 889 Watsonville residents who have fallen behind on their monthly payments have submitted an application for help.
But only around half of those people have received funds, putting them in a precarious...
Annieglass founder named artist of the year
WATSONVILLE—Annie Morhauser, whose Watsonville-based studio, Annieglass, has become a cornerstone of the Santa Cruz County arts community, has been named the 2022 Artist of the Year by the Santa Cruz County Arts Commission.
She has been making her glassware in Santa Cruz County since 1983....
Casa de la Cultura hosts annual giveaway
Dozens of families lined up along Salinas Road in Pajaro Monday morning, children’s faces peering from backseat windows, as they waited their turn for...
