News

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...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—In a 6-6 vote, the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) on Thursday narrowly rejected a business plan for the design, construction and operation of a passenger rail line along the 32-mile stretch from Davenport to Pajaro, which could mean, at...

APTOS—Plans are moving forward with the Aptos Branch Library project to raze the existing 8,000-square-foot building near the corner of State Park and Soquel drives, and build a 12,400-square-foot replacement. While the wrecking ball is not expected to swing loose until next summer, strides have...

Supervisor Caput elected Board Chair The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously elected Greg Caput as the Board Chair for 2020, and Supervisor Bruce McPherson as Vice-Chair.  “I’m honored by the trust placed in me by my colleagues on the Board,” Caput said. “As...

WATSONVILLE—Pajaro Valley Arts’ (PVA) gallery on Sudden Street came alive Wednesday as the organization’s 9th annual fundraising exhibit opened to the public. “Take Aways: Art to Go!” features a variety of work by 73 artists, most of them locals from Watsonville and surrounding areas. Everything...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Santa Cruz County Health Officer Gail Newel said she will revise her shelter-in-place order later this week, after Gov. Gavin Newsom releases information about slightly loosening statewide restrictions. Newsom is expected to launch Stage 2 of his “Reopening Roadmap,” which will allow retail...

SANTA CRUZ—A man was shot and killed as he sat in a car on the westside of Santa Cruz Tuesday afternoon. He has been identified as Juan Antonio Ruiz, 28, according to the Santa Cruz County Coroner’s Office.  The initial call to emergency dispatchers reported a...

Firefighters from multiple agencies were busy with a Wednesday evening blaze off of Melody Lane in the outskirts of Watsonville. https://www.facebook.com/pajaronian/videos/2423488927972071/?__xts__=68.ARCqCv3ijRLsmVTzW2QsNxWROAnyRMAmbhOb7fWZhXImJFRNQtgejTw4epGRlLSp3lfRX9bjTe0q0RMu9HlWImg__c6Jk0J1XFHESJYYLYbZ8F4AJequGJ9f3bTZxg6Bvnv0iWthJmP_78y4uxr4fJjLV8rjkj6JuTn0BJzA4cvdzd6XXj3GTLeRpwXz_nUEl2VcpA4Eqaho9PQTzur810M1BG54J4IKBtwN9TKDX0vgmHKwqd1VevXd5BZZaOfsQ8w_XClA72FWpaVBOMriU-LOGN0wRB6VmKbX6MGT0bASfdKKlE4jb8SP-a8SOG32s_ikNnOKhA55TSoFw1OyXuuG2q-pRd-OXTE&__tn__=-R Firefighters doused the flame just before 7 p.m., putting an end to the large column of black smoke that could be seen for miles. The...

Observations from around the Pajaro Valley.

A new art show has opened at Studio Judy G, 430 Main St., in downtown Watsonville. “Men in Nature/Taking Off” is a joint show of paintings by Judy Gittelsohn and photographs by her cousin, Danny Georges.  They grew up together in Portland, Ore., and spent...