News

WATSONVILLE—A group of neighbors is again fighting the construction of a hotel in the heart of downtown, this time claiming the City of Watsonville has for years worked with a company that is currently suspended by two state agencies. AARAV Hospitality, LLC was penalized and...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—One week after firefighters contained the CZU Lightning Complex Fire, which scorched 86,509 acres and destroyed 1,565 structures in the Santa Cruz Mountains, county officials had a dire prediction for the coming winter months. Heavy rainfall unable to soak into the fire-damaged soil...

WATSONVILLE—Watsonville Wetlands Watch’s (WWW) Climate Corps Leadership Institute recently scored a $300,000 Youth Community Access grant from the California Natural Resources Agency. Climate Corps Leadership Institute (CCLI), formed in 2020, grew out of WWW’s Green Careers Institute. It works to increase youth access to the...

The Watsonville High School Foundation on May 12 honored this year’s inductees into the school’s Hall of Fame. The awards ceremony was launched in 1986 as a way to showcase the achievements of Wildcatz alumni. This year’s honorees are Charles Johnston, who graduated in 1961, and...

JAPANESE CULTURE A group performs a traditional dance from Okinawa Saturday at the annual Japanese Cultural Fair at Mission Plaza Park in Santa Cruz Saturday.  Since its founding in 1986, the fair has opened a window for the community to deepen their awareness and understanding...

A few days ago I rode my bike through downtown Santa Cruz and out by the wharf and the Beach Boardwalk. It was empty. Almost lifeless. Our mostly blue sky was sure a welcome sight Monday. So was the cooler air that drifted in from...

Bright green bike lanes continue to be painted on streets around Watsonville as an effort to further ensure safety for bicyclists in and around motor traffic. • Governor Gavin Newsom issued a proclamation today declaring July 2020 “California for All Small Business Month,” as the Governor’s...

WATSONVILLE—Breaking from the usual modus operandi of allowing her colleagues to ask their questions and voice their concerns first, Watsonville Mayor Ari Parker started the city council’s questioning of a $25 million reimaging of downtown Watsonville’s street landscape. The people she’s talked to, the...