Senator Laird speaks at Watsonville Rotary
WATSONVILLE—Watsonville Rotary welcomed a special guest to its regular meeting Wednesday: John Laird, state senator for California’s District 17.
Laird, who was sworn in December 2020, was previously elected for the 27th District in 2002-06. He has served as California Secretary for Natural Resources, as...
New Watsonville city manager meets community
WATSONVILLE—Dozens of City of Watsonville employees, Watsonville residents, community organizers, elected leaders and nonprofit chiefs cycled through the Community Room at the Civic Plaza to welcome new city manager Rene Mendez on Wednesday evening.
Mendez, who took over as the city’s chief executive on July...
Watsonville Center for the Arts is the culmination of years of work
WATSONVILLE—A new arts and culture hub will soon open in downtown Watsonville, acting as a home base for a number of longstanding organizations, education programs and more.
Watsonville Center for the Arts, 375 Main St., is the culmination of decades of work by local groups...
Guy George selected as Farmer of the Year
WATSONVILLE—Guy George has been selected as the 2022 Farmer of the Year by the Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau.
The annual award is presented to farmer(s) who have contributed “beyond their normal farming duties to help the community,” according to SCFB.
George has been farming in...
Suspect arrested after ramming CHP vehicle
WATSONVILLE—A man was arrested Tuesday for an array of charges after, officers say, he drove recklessly through multiple counties and rammed into a California Highway Patrol vehicle during a pursuit.
CHP officer Alyssa Gutierrez said Hugo Alberto Cedillos Garcia, 28, is now in custody on...
County Fair Board plans to remove aging barns
WATSONVILLE—When thousands of attendees file into the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds in September for the annual county fair, they can expect the east end of the grounds to look much different than years prior.
If all goes according to plan—and government agencies work at hyper-speed...
Saturday in Park brings live music to downtown Watsonville
WATSONVILLE—This Saturday, Watsonville’s Arte del Corazon and Turtle Heart Events & Productions will bring a lineup of local and nationally-known Chicano and Latin musicians to perform at Romo Park in downtown Watsonville.
The lineup includes Momotombo SF, featuring former members of Malo and Santana;...
Third-grader’s invention takes him to worldwide competition
WATSONVILLE—The spark for Kristopher Neil Bayog’s award-winning invention occurred when his grandmother—who suffered from dementia—got briefly separated from the family at a crowded graduation ceremony.
The Bradley Elementary School third-grader’s idea was cemented when he saw his father locate his car using the remote key...
Monthly Watsonville artisan market continues growth
WATSONVILLE—A week after Frida Kahlo’s birthday on July 6, Watsonville’s art community came together on July 16 for a festival to celebrate the artist’s life, work and legacy.
“Frida Por Vida” Frida Kahlo Festival was organized by Arte del Corazon, an organization that has been...
Two arrested in construction equipment theft scheme
Monterey County sheriff’s detectives arrested two men and recovered more than $300,000 in stolen construction equipment tied to an organized theft ring targeting local...
