Local News

Various Bay Area health officers are asking communities to keep their Halloween and Dia de Los Muertos celebrations small to help slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. Traditional trick-or-treating and attending large parties are both considered high-risk activities, according to health officials, because it...

WATSONVILLE—The City of Watsonville celebrated two reopenings Friday, hosting a socially-distanced ribbon-cutting ceremony for the rebuilt Muzzio Park playground and removing some Covid-19 restrictions from its 26 parks. A handful of community members joined City staff and Watsonville City Councilman Felipe Hernandez at Muzzio Park...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Seventy-two members of the California National Guard got a warm thank you Sunday for their efforts with food distributions, staffing evacuation centers and more during the coronavirus pandemic and the CZU August Lighting Complex fires. On top of gift bags stuffed with Santa...

WATSONVILLE—Author Lisa Algee says that she has always considered herself a logical, “left-brain” thinker. After growing up in Southern California, Algee moved up the coast, attending Cal Poly University to major in biology before landing in Santa Cruz. She eventually received a doctorate in science...

Two women pick up their free ice cream from Older Adults Services Supervisor Katie Nuñez at the Watsonville Senior Center during the first-ever Drive-Thru Ice Cream Social on Saturday. Roughly 90 older adults cruised through E. 5th Street center to claim their free treat. 

A group of volunteers has painted a large Black Lives Matter mural on a stretch of Center Street in downtown Santa Cruz in front of City Hall. The project was spearheaded by Santa Cruz artist Abi Mustapha, with help from Arts Commission Vice-Chair Sean...

Editor’s note: This is the fourth entry in a series of interviews with candidates running for office in the upcoming local elections. Interviewees will include candidates for the Watsonville City Council, the Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees, the Pajaro Valley Water Management...

WATSONVILLE—The second phase of “Watsonville Brillante,” a five-year community art project spearheaded by local organization Community Arts Empowerment, kicked off this week. Another 1,200-square-foot mosaic featuring the artwork of Watsonville-born artist Juan Fuentes is being situated on the six-story garage adjoining the Watsonville Civic Plaza....

WATSONVILLE—Pajaro Valley Arts’ gallery at 37 Sudden St. has once again open its doors after six months of being shuttered due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The State of California is now allowing most counties to reopen museums, aquariums and galleries at a limited capacity, after...

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