Complaints about homelessness mount in Watsonville
WATSONVILLE—On many days, when groups of school kids crowd into Conchita’s Ice Cream in Plaza Vigil for an afternoon treat, handfuls of people experiencing homelessness show up, some pushing shopping carts loaded with their possessions through the store and others demanding free items.
The people,...
Schools beset by teacher shortage
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Education leaders across Santa Cruz County—and the rest of the state—are struggling to fill classroom teaching positions and find substitute teachers, a problem that has left some classes without educators and required administrators at some schools to occasionally take over classes.
According to...
Watsonville’s first comic-con event set for Sunday
WATSONVILLE—Starting an event centered around comics, art, fantasy and the collectibles that those realms inspire was something Francisco “Paco” Estrada had first dreamed up when he was elected into the Watsonville City Council in 2018.
The idea was, Estrada says, to give kids—and adults—a safe...
Watsonville Wetlands Watch celebrates 30th anniversary
The extensive slough system that runs through the heart of the Pajaro Valley has become a cornerstone for local recreation, wildlife viewing, education and research.
These wetlands are home to various species of animals and plants, many rare and endangered. They help replenish groundwater, buffer...
Candidates set for Watsonville City Council special election
WATSONVILLE—Two relative newcomers to Watsonville politics will face off for the vacant District 2 seat in a special election slated for Dec. 7.
Francisco “Frank” Barba and Vanessa Quiroz-Carter turned in the paperwork required to run for office just before the deadline on Monday evening....
Man in mid-30s is Santa Cruz County’s 212th Covid-related death
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—A man in his mid-30s died of Covid-19-related complications on Sept. 14, Santa Cruz County Public Health announced Tuesday.
The man, County spokesperson Jason Hoppin said in a press release, was the 212th Covid-related death in the county. He was not vaccinated against...
2021 County Fair was best one yet, manager says
WATSONVILLE—Although Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds Manager Dave Kegebein had not yet sat down and pored over the attendance numbers from the weekend’s County Fair, he was confident in saying Tuesday that this year’s event was “absolutely the best Fair ever.”
“Everything went really smoothly and...
Watsonville Airport business files complaint against city to federal agency
WATSONVILLE—An attorney for a business that has operated at Watsonville Municipal Airport for 56 years has filed a complaint with the Federal Aviation Administration against the city of Watsonville and the airport.
In the filing, attorney Glynn Falcon says that the airport has not fully...
Artist, public schools team up to install interactive murals
Two years ago Amy Thomas, principal at Watsonville Charter School of the Arts, noticed that her students were getting a bit restless during and in between classes. She and staff began searching for something both educational and physical to engage the kids during the...
Woman faces criminal charges after car plunges off cliff with children inside
LIVE OAK—A Live Oak woman who reportedly drove her car off a cliff into the sea with her two children on Sept. 17 is now facing attempted homicide and child endangerment charges, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office said.
The 38-year-old woman, who has not...
PVUSD Trustees to revisit teacher layoff vote
A little more than one week after voting to eliminate roughly 80 teacher positions, the Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees will...
