Photos: New self-cleaning restrooms open at Plaza
New public self-cleaning restrooms—featuring two stalls—opened last week in the Watsonville City Plaza. The overall cost of the project was $450,000.
METRO offers employment incentives to address staffing ‘crisis’
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District (METRO) has introduced a number of new incentives aimed at attracting qualified bus operators to address an “unprecedented crisis in staffing levels” in public transportation.
Thanks to a recent contract extension between METRO and the three unions...
Watsonville’s downtown plan includes ‘road diet,’ around 4,000 new homes
WATSONVILLE—The addition of around 4,000 new housing units over the course of 25 years. Two-way traffic on Lake and Beach streets. A completely reimagined industrial district on Walker Street. A network of pedestrian “paseos” that provides safe walking paths. The reduction of one lane...
PHOTO: Lincoln Street fire displaces 11
Watsonville firefighters tear into a wall at the rear of a home on the 600 block of Lincoln Street Tuesday where a fire broke out.
Division Chief Corey Schaefer said the fire erupted just past noon inside the wood walls of an older single-story...
Photos: Local Independence Day parades return
The Spirit of Watsonville Fourth of July Parade and the Aptos Parade, also known as the World's Shortest Parade, returned this year.
PHOTO: Watsonville business park takes shape
Work continues on a new business complex on the 1000 block of Main Street under the direction of the Santa Cruz Seaside Co. Construction is expected to wrap up by the end of the year, with businesses Chipotle, The Habit Burger Grill, Charter Spectrum,...
PVA to host art and history conference
WATSONVILLE—Pajaro Valley Arts (PVA) will host a one-day conference on July 9 centered around the figure Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Attendees will explore the historic and cultural impact of the figure through readings, discussions and workshops.
Speakers include Seattle University professor Jeanette Rodriguez, who will discuss...
Fireworks sales begin today in Watsonville
WATSONVILLE—Santa Cruz County’s Fourth of July celebration frequently features fireworks, and sales begin today at 20 locations throughout the City of Watsonville for the “safe-and-sane” variety.
These are allowed to be used only in the cities of Capitola and Watsonville.
The problem, law enforcement and fire...
Council split on city’s deal for Measure U extension, asks for own measure
WATSONVILLE—In a special meeting as unpredictable as it was tense, Watsonville City Council could not come to a consensus on a deal that would have made a minor alteration to a critical ballot measure for the Nov. 8 election.
The elected leaders on Thursday neither...
Thousands attend No Kings rallies
Thousands of people crowded into Watsonville Plaza and surrounding streets Saturday as part of the nationwide No Kings protest against President Trump, his administration...
