Electric light rail demonstration draws crowds in Watsonville
WATSONVILLE—Residents flocked to the corner of Beach and Walker streets this weekend to experience an electric light rail streetcar that could one day be implemented in Santa Cruz County.
Coast Futura (CF), an alliance of people from various county organizations, scheduled the demonstration with Roaring...
Firefighters make headway on Estrada Fire; evacuations could lift today
Update (1pm, Oct. 16)
The Cal Fire San Mateo-Santa Cruz Unit (CZU) announced that the evacuation orders put in place Friday evening in response to the Estrada Fire have been changed to evacuation warnings.
It also announced that the fire was 25% contained.
ORIGINAL STORY
WATSONVILLE—Firefighters battling a...
Prescribed burn sparks Estrada Fire in rural South Santa Cruz County
WATSONVILLE—A prescribed burn that got out of hand near the southern border of Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties has scorched at least 150 acres as of late Friday, the Cal Fire San Mateo-Santa Cruz Unit (CZU) said.
Cal Fire CZU at 8:41pm said...
Photo: Fire levels outbuildings in Las Lomas
Flames engulf a log pile and several outbuildings on a hillside above the 100 block of Hudson Landing Road Friday in Las Lomas.
North Monterey County Fire Chief Joel Mendoza said the 1pm fire was about an acre in size. Flames raced across dray...
LGBTQ resolution stirs controversy in PVUSD meeting
WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro Valley Unified School District on Wednesday approved a resolution proclaiming October as LGBTQ+ History Month, a move that garnered unanimous approval from the board members in attendance and support from people at the meeting.
Trustee Jennifer Schacher, who worked to fly LGBTQ flags...
PVUSD elementary schools plagued by multiple power outages
WATSONVILLE—Calabasas and Bradley elementary schools have since the beginning of the school year been beset by at least six power outages—some lasting for hours—that disrupt students’ academic day and make technology-dependent lessons all but impossible.
Worse, the loss of power means that the ventilation systems...
Watsonville’s first cannabis dispensary opens Friday
WATSONVILLE—Watsonville’s first retail cannabis outlet, called The Hook, opens Friday. The 3,600-square-foot warehouse is located on a stretch of road on Hangar Way in a quickly growing part of the city that includes the Slough Brewing Collective and Santa Cruz Cider Co.
Co-owner Bryce Berryessa...
Murals honoring people with disabilities will be unveiled Saturday | News Briefs
New murals that celebrate people with disabilities will be unveiled to the public Saturday at Ramsay Park.
The murals will feature images of people with disabilities participating in athletic activities. The celebration comes as part of Disability Awareness Month.
Shared Adventures, a nonprofit dedicated to making outdoor...
Local pumpkin patch celebrates the harvest season
The harvest season is in full swing at Crystal Bay Farm, a family-run farm in Watsonville specializing in pumpkins, winter and heirloom squash, berries and more.
The annual pumpkin patch is currently covered in skeletons and skulls, ghouls and ghosts, spiderwebs and more for the...
County closes on purchase of West Marine building
WATSONVILLE—The County of Santa Cruz announced Wednesday it has closed escrow on the purchase of the former West Marine building at 500 Westridge Drive in Watsonville.Â
In a press release, the County called the purchase “a major step forward in improving the delivery of services...
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...
