Local News

WATSONVILLE—On Saturday the Watsonville Buddhist Temple will host a special benefit concert featuring Otonowa, a jazz-fusion ensemble led by world-renowned percussionist Akira Tana. In 2012 Otonowa, which translates to “sound circle,” began playing shows to raise money for survivors of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami...

The staff at the Santa Cruz County Clerk's office were busy late last night and early today hauling in the ballots from Tuesday’s voting across the county. Evelyn Jones, who has been Clerk III since 1990, said she enjoys the work and recalls, in...

APTOS—Results that continued to trickle in Wednesday showed Measure R falling short of the 55 percent it needs to pass. The $274 million bond measure was created to fund maintenance, construction and infrastructure projects at Cabrillo College’s Aptos and Watsonville campuses. If it manages to...

WATSONVILLE—Watsonville’s voters have spoken. And their message was clear: keep our police and fire departments strong. Measure Y, the renewal of the half-cent public safety sales tax, passed with a little more than 76 percent of the votes from Tuesday night’s primary election. The measure will take...

APTOS—Second District Santa Cruz County Supervisor Zach Friend remained far ahead of challenger Becky Steinbruner Wednesday, with just over 67 percent of the vote. In a packed party in Cantine Winepub in Aptos, Friend gave a short victory speech, which was led off by his...

Tarmo Hannula: On Sunday there will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Laundry Day Laundromat, 35 East Lake Ave. in Watsonville. The ceremony is from noon to 2 p.m. • Are you ready for a new cell tower embedded in a towering fake tree on...

SANTA CRUZ—A graduate teaching assistant who worked at UC Santa Cruz until she was fired on Friday says that a protest for higher wages has grown since it started in December to include several more UC schools. Brenda Arjona, who is in her third-year seeking...

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville Parks and Recreation Commission further solidified the final look of “Watsonville Brillante” at its Monday night meeting in the City Council Chambers. The commissioners voted unanimously to approve the next two large vertical images for the 12,500-square-foot mosaic that over the next five...

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville Planning Commission on Tuesday will make a decision on a proposed 75-foot cell tower on the 1400 block of Freedom Boulevard. New Cingular Wireless PCS, LLC (AT&T Wireless) under the proposal would rent space at Extra Space Storage, 1478 Freedom Blvd., to construct...

Tarmo Hannula: Watsonville Police officer Javier Ayala introduced his K9, Axel, to the kindergarten class of Mara Valadez at Freedom Elementary School Monday as part of the annual Read Across America Program. Many people in the U.S., including students, parents and teachers, take part...