News

Nancy Russell’s “art house” in Moss Landing stands a chance of being one of the most outlandish stops on the upcoming 29th Annual Monterey County Artists Studio Tour.  “I’m looking forward to the tour this year,” Russell said at the front door of her home,...

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...

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...

WATSONVILLE—Calabasas and Bradley elementary schools have since the beginning of the school year been beset by at least six power outages—some lasting for hours—that disrupt students’ academic day and make technology-dependent lessons all but impossible. Worse, the loss of power means that the ventilation systems...

The County of Santa Cruz has named multi-media artist Guillermo “Yermo” Aranda as the 2021 Artist of the Year. Every year the Arts Commission presents the award to a local artist for their achievements in performing, visual or literary arts, as well as their contributions...

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...

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...

Give your input on the design for Watsonville’s largest community park and recreational space at an upcoming meeting.  The city of Watsonville is working to design various elements of Ramsay Park, a project that has been underway since 2019. The city was awarded $7 million...

WATSONVILLE—Hundreds of Watsonville voters in District 2 received a ballot at their home this week, officially kicking off the home stretch of the Dec. 7 special election that will determine who will fill the vacant Watsonville City Council seat. Residents in that district will have...

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...