Close up | Photo Gallery
Do you have a recent photo you’d like to share? Send it to us for consideration by emailing it to [email protected] or mailing it to 21 Brennan St., Suite 14, Watsonville, CA 95076. Please include a brief description of the photo as well as the...
Seacliff stair climb honors those lost in 9/11 attacks
Scores of emergency workers from around the Central Coast trudged up and down a lengthy staircase at Seacliff State Beach Monday during the annual 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb. The event is designed to pay tribute to those who died or were hurt in the...
Community briefs: Drag show fundraiser, history talk this week
Fruition Brewing to host drag show fundraiser
Pajaro Valley Pride (PVP), a local organization dedicated to supporting and celebrating South County’s LGBTQ+ community, will host a drag show fundraiser Saturday at Fruition Brewing in Watsonville.
“aQUEERious Winter Ball!” will feature a number of performers and a...
Lutheran pastor to retire after 18 years in Watsonville
WATSONVILLE—After 18 years at the helm of the Lutheran Community Church of Watsonville, and 40 years total as an ordained minister, Rev. Susan Birkelo will soon retire.
Born in Minnesota, Birkelo’s family moved to San Diego when she was still in kindergarten. After school, she...
Trial to begin for suspect in Watsonville shooting
Nearly five years after Michael Escobar allegedly gunned down a man at a Watsonville hotel — and struck and killed a 4-year-old girl sitting inside a nearby restaurant — prosecutors are preparing for his jury trial.
Freedom VFW post facing closure
WATSONVILLE—Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1716, which has served the local community of veterans since its inception in 1929, is facing closure after members failed to elect officers at a meeting in July.
Member Paul Szemenciak says that, out of 116 members, just eight showed...
Watsonville Library not shelved during Covid-19 outbreak
WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville Public Library continues to maintain a host of services, from online classes and movie streaming, to book checkouts during the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic.
Though the Freedom Branch is closed, its inventory is still obtainable, either online or through curbside pickup at the...
Santa Cruz County streamlines permits
County supervisors will work toward in-person help, a smoother online platform, and an efficient process, especially for smaller projects.
Watsonville events, camps and more to return this summer
WATSONVILLE—After two summers of canceled, postponed and altered activities, the City of Watsonville will be bringing back its seasonal offerings in full force this year.
From annual events such as the Watsonville Strawberry Festival and the Spirit of Watsonville Fourth of July Parade, to new...
Santa Cruz to host MLK celebrations
On Monday, the City of Santa Cruz will hold its Martin Luther King march, an event co-hosted by the city’s NAACP chapter and its police department.
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...























