PG&E plans to increase undergrounding efforts
CALIFORNIA—In recent years, residents of the Golden State have been hit with another unwelcome event: repetitive power outages. The outages that once occasionally darkened our homes have become almost routine year-round occurrences, and Californians have been clamoring for Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E)...
Drive-thru Crab Feed returns March 5
WATSONVILLE—The 18th Annual Fairgrounds Foundation Crab Feed will return March 5, and once again it will be a drive-thru event.
The annual feed is one of the foundation’s biggest fundraisers of the year. All profits of the event will go directly back to the fairgrounds...
Supervisors mull post-employment lobbying rule
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a new ordinance which, if given final approval on March 8, will impose a one-year “cooling off” period during which former County employees would be prohibited from engaging in lobbying activities for...
Deputy Sheriffs’ Association makes record donation for memorial park
SOQUEL—The Santa Cruz County Deputy Sheriffs' Association (DSA) has offered a $100,000 “challenge” grant to help fund a memorial for Sheriff’s Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller, who was killed on duty on June 6, 2020.
The grant is the largest donation in the organization’s history.
The DSA now...
Dientes celebrates 18th annual Give Kids A Smile Day
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Feb. 12 marked a day of free smiles for 48 low-income children in Santa Cruz County thanks to Dientes’ celebration of Give Kids A Smile Day.
This annual day of free care, which has grown to serve more than 300,000 children each year...
Photo: City Plaza’s new self-cleaning restrooms arrive
A crew from Watsonville Public Works & Utilities installs new self-cleaning restrooms on the Union Street side of the City Plaza Wednesday.
The long-awaited restrooms were delivered Tuesday morning. They will feature two stalls and are expected to be completed and open to the...
Advocates question whether pilot pesticide alert program will provide transparency
Santa Cruz is one of four counties in the state to try out pesticide notification pilot projects. For a certain class of pesticides known as California Restricted Materials, growers must submit notices of intent to the county agricultural commissioner’s office 24 hours before application.
The...
Change to single-use cup fee, hotel tax increase heads to voters in June
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved two items for the June ballot which, if approved by voters, will increase taxes on hotels and vacation rentals, and change the way fees on single-use disposable cups are used.
The supervisors also...
PV Quilt Show returns to fairgrounds Feb. 26-27
WATSONVILLE—Twice a month, a group of local quilt makers gathers inside the Codiga Center & Museum at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds to create quilts for the community.
The Apple Piecers, as they call themselves, are a nonprofit that makes up to 200 quilts per...
Housing identified as key for new vision of Watsonville’s downtown
WATSONVILLE—As the three dozen or so people attending a Feb. 10 virtual meeting about the future of Watsonville’s downtown gave their final comments, one speaker’s remarks invoked some smiles and produced nodding heads from the rows of attendees displayed in their windows.
“We’re talking to...
Thousands march for Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Thousands of people amassed in the streets of downtown Santa Cruz on Monday morning for the annual People’s March for the Dream, an event...
