Voting underway for Pajaro River levee assessment
WATSONVILLE—Ballots have now been mailed out to roughly 3,000 people who own property in the Pajaro River floodplain, and the fate of a $400 million levee restoration project is in their hands.
They must decide whether they support a property tax assessment that will pay...
PVHS teachers make push for 7-period day
WATSONVILLE—During the summer, Pajaro Valley Unified School District officials plan to meet at the bargaining table with the district’s teachers union in hopes of hammering out an agreement that would create a 7-period day at Pajaro Valley High School.
A majority of teachers at the...
Nature walks open to older adults
WATSONVILLE—Thanks to a partnership between the Watsonville Senior Center and the Watsonville Nature Center, 22 older adults got a close-up view of Struve Slough, and its birds and plants Monday during the Senior Nature Walk, a program that launched in November.
Led up by Nancy...
Run raises funds for fallen officers
APTOS—Around 120 people from various Santa Cruz County law enforcement and first responder sectors ran through The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park in the sixth annual Never Forget Memorial Relay on Sunday.
Numerous employees from local fire and police agencies and the probation, sheriff’s...
Aptos High athletic field to be named after Bobby Salazar
WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees on Wednesday voted unanimously to name Aptos High School’s lower athletic field after Bobby Salazar, who spent four decades as school custodian and who was so involved in the community he was known as the...
Council approves Watsonville Police’s military weapons policy
WATSONVILLE—Watsonville Police Department has several military-grade weapons that it says it only uses in extraordinary circumstances.
That armory includes nearly two dozen high-powered rifles, a few shotguns, thousands of rounds of ammunition and dozens of less-lethal and “crowd control” weapons such as flashbangs, rubber grenades...
NEST Flight returns May 4-5
WATSONVILLE—Since 2018, Watsonville-based nonprofit Digital NEST has hosted NEST Flight, a career development conference aiming to inspire young professionals and propel their careers.
The event features speakers, workshops, panel discussions, networking opportunities and more for people ages 17-24. During the conference, attendees have the opportunity...
Farm, biotech company secures more grants for education programs
In 2021, biotech company Blume Industries (BI) and Whiskey Hill Farms (WHF) became recipients of The Farmer Rancher Grant, a major grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Western Division of Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE).
The grant aims to support farmers and...
Tiny 1900s buggy restored by Agricultural History Project
WATSONVILLE—A small 1900s wooden wagon has been given new life thanks to volunteers from the Agricultural History Project at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds.
History Project CEO John Kegebein said the 6-foot-long wagon, with the words FIRE PATROL written on the side, was originally donated...
Grey Bears director announces retirement
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—After 12 years at the helm of Grey Bears, executive director Tim Brattan has announced that he will be retiring from his position by the end of 2022.
Grey Bears is a nonprofit aiming to improve the health and well-being of seniors and...
Nourishing Today, Building Tomorrow: The Next Chapter of Our Food Bank
For more than 50 years, our community has demonstrated what’s possible when neighbors care for one another.
Through floods, emergencies, economic downturns and a global...
