Community briefs, Oct. 11, 2019
Hospice announces $50,000 grant
Hospice of Santa Cruz County has received a $50,000 grant from Kaiser Permanente Northern California Community Benefits Programs. The grant will help people living with serious illness get access to the resources they need.
The funds will be used by Hospice of Santa...
The quirky Fourth celebrations of Watsonville past that could return
The Fourth of July is a special day of celebration for every community around the nation. In celebrating Independence Day, we recognize everything and everyone that makes up the United States. That leaves plenty of room for interpretation. The definition of “American” is wholly...
Watsonville Strawberry Festival returns Aug. 4-6 to downtown
The community is gearing up for the Watsonville Strawberry Festival 2023, a beloved annual event that celebrates the region's rich agricultural heritage. This year’s festival promises to be a delightful extravaganza, with a special focus on showcasing local arts and crafts vendors, a Berry...
Santa Cruz County’s first inclusive park opens
LIVE OAK—Santa Cruz County’s first-ever inclusive playground officially opened Jan. 18 at Chanticleer Park in Live Oak.
LEO’s Haven, a playground designed to welcome children with disabilities such as blindness, mobility impairment and autism, is the centerpiece of the $4 million rebuild of the 4.5-acre...
New year, new laws: A look at legislation that begins in 2021
Every January, the new year brings with it dozens of new laws that impact day-to-day life in many different ways. Here we bring you a few we find notable, from criminal justice reform to animal welfare to workplace rules.
From inmate to firefighter
During the massive...
CDPH gives high school sports ‘blueprint’ to return to play
By Emanuel Lee, Hollister Free Lance Sports Editor
Calling it the “document we’ve been waiting for,” Central Coast Section Commissioner Dave Grissom said the California Department of Public Health’s (CDPH) recent release in regards to youth sports gives him and the other 10 section commissioners...
Watsonville native embraces his roots while diving into L.A. music scene
For rapper and singer Kabwasa, staying connected to his hometown of Watsonville is a priority—even as he makes waves in the music scene in Los Angeles.
Raised in a house just off Rodriguez Street, Kabwasa was surrounded by music from an early age. He attended...
PVUSD considering changes to art instruction
Since June, the Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees has been considering a plan to retool its Visual and Performing Arts program at its 16 elementary schools, a proposal that includes splitting art teachers between most schools.
The shift would be part of...
Events planned across Pajaro Valley for Fourth of July
As the city of Watsonville and the greater Pajaro Valley slowly reopen after a year of closures due to the pandemic, a series of events have been scheduled to celebrate the Fourth of July.
While the city’s annual Spirit of Watsonville Parade has once again...
More than 11,000 go without power in Watsonville
WATSONVILLE—Thousands of Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) customers throughout South Santa Cruz County and North Monterey County lost power Friday.
According to PG&E’s website 11,609 customers lost power at 12:54 p.m. for an unknown reason.
The utility said it restored power for most customers at...
Photo story: Fill the Fire Truck effort aids in toy drive
Watsonville’s interim Fire Chief, Corey Schaefer, shows a sampling of the new toys that locals donated first-ever Fill the Fire Truck Toy Drive Dec...
