Second Harvest kicks off holiday drive
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—A parking lot at Cabrillo College’s lower Aptos campus was abuzz with activity Thursday as Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County kicked off its 2021 Holiday Food & Fund Drive.
Community and educational leaders, elected officials, business owners and more attended the...
PVUSD facing bus driver shortage
WATSONVILLE—Every day in Pajaro Valley Unified School District, thousands of kids take the bus to school—about 25% of the district’s student population—along 59 routes. It is a ritual that plays out in communities around the globe for students who live too far from their...
RTC director recommends agency pass on unsolicited electric rail proposal
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission Director Guy Preston on Thursday recommended that the agency not pursue a partnership with a company hoping to provide electric passenger rail service from Capitola to Santa Cruz, citing the cost of fixing tracks and other...
Santa Cruz Veterans Alliance readies to open Watsonville dispensary
APTOS—A long line of U.S. military veterans was outside an Aptos cannabis dispensary Monday, waiting their turn for a free monthly package of marijuana.
Called the Veterans’ Compassion Program, the service is the overarching mission of the Santa Cruz Veterans Alliance (SCVA). Through it, people...
Backed by report, advocates ask for safe pesticide use
SALINAS—Nurses, teachers, labor leaders, elected officials and concerned residents held a news conference and rally with more than 50 supporters at the Monterey County Government Center on Oct. 26 to release a report revealing extensive use in the Monterey Bay area of 13 pesticides...
Watsonville will open search for new city manager
WATSONVILLE—Watsonville City Council at a special meeting on Tuesday evening directed staff to search for two companies that will spearhead the city’s efforts to find a new chief executive.
One company will be in charge of finding a permanent replacement for outgoing city manager Matt...
With final CDC recommendation, vaccines coming for 5- to 11-year-olds
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday voted to recommend the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine for children 5-11, a move that came four days after the Food and Drug Administration approved a smaller dose for young people.
The unanimous vote by the...
Two Watsonville men arrested in connection to double homicide
WATSONVILLE—Two Watsonville men were arrested early Tuesday morning on suspicion of fatally shooting a man and a woman in Gonzales on Oct. 23.
David Ireta-Reyes, 24, and William Garcia-Fuentes, 25, were arrested on $2 million warrants, the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office said.
On Oct. 23 gunfire...
Cabrillo theater arts presents: ‘Charley’s Aunt’
APTOS—Cabrillo College’s theater arts department is finally returning to in-person performances after three seasons of virtual shows.
“Charley’s Aunt” is a wacky farce chock full of love, deception, and confusion. Originally written by English playwright Brandon Thomas in 1862, Cabrillo’s production will be directed by...
Special meeting set to discuss Watsonville city manager appointment
WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville City Council will hold a special meeting on Wednesday regarding the city’s search for a new chief executive.
The meeting, scheduled for 5:30pm in the City Council Chambers, comes a few days after news broke that current city manager Matt Huffaker had been...
What Makes Watsonville Community Hospital—and America—Great
Thirty-three years ago, while my family was preparing for a birthday party, I decided to arrive early. My mother was shopping for a cake...
