Harvest season continues | About Town
I passed through miles of Watsonville’s agricultural fields today under gray, overcast skies. The strawberry harvest seemed to be going full blast, with loaded up flatbed trucks packing the fruit off to warehouses. Scores of workers dotted the fields on either side of San...
Tension, infighting at PVUSD board meeting
WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees has convened Friday afternoon for a special meeting to discuss appointing an interim superintendent.
The board is meeting tonight to select a replacement for Michelle Rodriguez, who was abruptly fired Wednesday.
But the board has broken into...
Honoring cannery workers on 40th anniversary of strike
Four decades ago, a group of stalwart cannery workers—mostly women—staged a 18-month strike against two companies they believed were exploiting them.
In doing so, they cemented their place in history as having led the largest strike in U.S. history, a successful David-and-Goliath standoff that is...
Bruce W. Woolpert Algebra Academy makes first full return since pandemic
Michael Rozen said Aug. 1 he would rather be playing sports with his friends than attending the weeklong Bruce W. Woolpert Algebra Academy offered by Graniterock.
While Michael stopped short of admitting an affinity for math, the 13-year-old admits the experience will prepare him for...
South County projects included in RTC plans
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) Board of Directors on Thursday approved a spending plan for $11.2 million in state and federal funding, which will be allocated over a wide range of transportation-related projects countywide.
The funding includes $4.5 million from...
Exploring directions for Watsonville’s homeless population
A special joint council meeting Saturday brought together Watsonville City Council, City Manager Rene Mendez, other city and county leaders and the public for a discussion of the swelling homeless problem.
In 2023, compared to 2022, homelessness overall rose by 15% in Watsonville while there...
No contest plea in Watsonville involuntary manslaughter case
SANTA CRUZ—A 19-year-old Watsonville man pleaded no contest to charges of involuntary manslaughter Wednesday for allegedly firing a gun that killed his reported friend on S. Green Valley Road Jan. 7.
Santa Cruz County Assistant District Attorney Ilia McKinney said that Ricardo Jesus Garcia could...
Turley, Flynn tapped as PVUSD President and Vice-President
The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees on Thursday appointed Carol Turley as board President, and Joy Flynn as vice-president.
The 6–1 vote...
