Aptos High & Junior High choirs to present concert
APTOS—For the first time in two years, the Aptos High School and Aptos Junior High School choirs will perform in front of a live audience for their annual winter concert this Saturday.
“Rise Up Singing!” will present a variety of songs, which choral director and...
WPD welcomes 2 new officers
WATSONVILLE—Two new police officers will officially hit the streets this weekend in Watsonville to begin their 20-week field training phase.
Michaela Barnett and Juan Castillo wrapped up their in-house training on Jan. 3, and will now work in tandem with a field training officer for...
Fighting our culture of contempt
One day my wife Laurie is on NextDoor, the social media site, and sees someone post, “Hey, just saw a coyote in my backyard, make sure your cat is safe indoors.”
Almost instantly that seemingly innocuous text ignites into a full-fledged neighbor war, complete with...
Large apartment complex in Watsonville clears county hurdle
WATSONVILLE—A proposed 80-unit affordable apartment complex between Atkinson Lane and Brewington Avenue received a unanimous recommendation for approval from the Santa Cruz County Planning Commission on Wednesday morning.
In the works since 2013, the project is an extension of the 46-unit Pippin Orchards apartment complex...
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...
Evening With the Mayor aims to raise money for holiday lights display
WATSONVILLE—Watsonville Mayor Jimmy Dutra says he clearly remembers the light displays that once lined downtown every holiday season.
As a kid, Dutra would see the sparkling candy canes, snowflakes and more that adorned the street lights, poles and storefronts as he and his family walked...
Photos: Hundreds attend Watsonville’s first-ever mini comic-con event
Roughly 800 people showed up to the inaugural Nerdville, a comic-con-style event organized by Friends of Watsonville Parks and Community Services, on Sunday at the Gene Hoularis and Waldo Rodriguez Youth Center in downtown Watsonville. Organizers said they are already planning the second installment—tentatively...
PVUSD Trustees place officers back on high school campuses
WATSONVILLE—Pajaro Valley Unified School District will return School Resource Officers (SROs) to Watsonville and Aptos high school campuses, and pair them with mental health workers.
The district’s Board of Trustees approved the plan after a late-night special meeting with hours of impassioned public testimony inside...
Hollister man, woman die in motorcycle crash
WATSONVILLE—A man and a woman from Hollister died in a crash involving their motorcycle Saturday afternoon on Hecker Pass Road.
They were identified Tuesday as Timothy Chisholm, 43, and Casey Lea Stephens, 41, by Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Ashley Keehn.
California Highway Patrol spokesperson...
Skillicorn BBQ returns to fundraise for local boy scouts
WATSONVILLE—The annual Skillicorn BBQ, a fundraiser to support Boy Scouts of America programming in South County, will return to the Corralitos Padres Hall on Sept. 8.
The event has been held for decades. Last year it was canceled due to the pandemic, though it still...
New leadership, shared priorities: Investing in the future of public safety
As we begin a new year, I want to reflect on the direction of public safety in Watsonville and the leadership helping guide that...
