Church cans community garden’s lease after reports of ‘suspicious activity’
WATSONVILLE—For more than a decade, dozens of families have grown their own produce on a one-acre community garden located on the property of All Saints Episcopal Church in Watsonville.
The 50 or so crops include corn, peppers, tomatoes and tomatillos, in addition to several fruit...
Pesticide notification pilot program launches in Watsonville
WATSONVILLE—Residents of Watsonville’s older adult communities can now get advanced notice when dangerous agricultural chemicals will be applied to fields near their residences.
Santa Cruz is one of four counties taking part in a pilot notification program in conjunction with the California Department of Pesticide...
Cabrillo robotics team takes home top prize
APTOS—Cabrillo College’s Robotics Club won first place in the 20th annual MATE ROV underwater robotics competition, which took place in Long Beach from June 23-25.
The team took the top prize after facing off in the competition’s Pioneer Division against Pasadena City College, Savannah Technical...
Elliot-McCrea reflects on decades of service with Second Harvest
WATSONVILLE—Willy Elliott-McCrea has been with Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County since 1978.
During that time, he worked as a truck driver and a warehouse manager before becoming director in 1988. He saw the organization through a number of crises that increased the need...
New brewery on tap for downtown Watsonville
WATSONVILLE—Watsonville Presbyterian minister Robby Olson came to Watsonville with his wife a decade ago and has since built his life and career out of building a coterie of friends and cultivating the community he has grown to love.
He also has an affinity for brewing...
Chamber Awards Dinner returns for 60th iteration
WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro Valley Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture will host its 60th Annual Awards Dinner on July 30, with a return to the Crocetti Hall at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds.
The event, which returned last year in an outdoor setting at the Fairgrounds, aims...
Police nab suspected purse snatcher
WATSONVILLE—Thanks to an alert citizen, a suspect is now in custody less than 24 hours after he reportedly snatched a woman’s purse.
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office said deputies were dispatched to a reported robbery on the 100 block of Seacliff Drive around 4:15pm...
Harkins Slough Road gets makeover
WATSONVILLE—Work is now complete on a pedestrian, bike and traffic safety project on Harkins Slough Road.
The job, which is part of a city-wide project to address transportation safety issues, runs between South Green Valley Road and Ford Street and includes a swath of Walker...
Family of Aptos High student killed in campus stabbing sues PVUSD
APTOS—The family of the Aptos High School student who died last year after he was stabbed during an on-campus attack has sued Pajaro Valley Unified School District, claiming that the district failed in its duty to protect its students.
The lawsuit, filed July 7 by...
City council places competing initiative against Measure U renewal
WATSONVILLE—When Watsonville voters head to the polls in November they will choose between two critical ballot measures concerning the future of the city.
Should they extend outward growth restrictions determined 20 years ago through 2040, or determine a new, 30-year growth plan for the city...
Students learn the power of the vote at Civics Summit
On Friday, about 150 high school juniors from across Santa Cruz County cast their first ballots on three issues that, if passed, would dramatically...
