Artist’s ‘gift to the community’ resumes after month-long dispute
WATSONVILLE—Watsonville artist Augie WK for two years has dreamt of bringing a humpback whale to life at the Marinovich Community Center.
It was 2019 when the upstart muralist was approached by Watsonville Environmental Science Workshop coordinator Darren Gertler and asked if he’d be interested in...
Vintage houseware store opens downtown
WATSONVILLE—The historic Derpich Building in downtown Watsonville is coming alive once again after being acquired by two sisters with a big vision.
Jennifer Santillana and Tabitha Stroup found the property for rent when strolling down Main Street. Stroup, owner of Friend in Cheeses Jam Co....
Watsonville police arrest three over 10 days for child sex crimes
WATSONVILLE—Watsonville police arrested three people over a 10-day period on suspicion of committing sex crimes against children.
Daniel Alanis, 39, was arrested Dec. 2 in Salinas and charged with committing lewd and lascivious acts against a child under 14. He was booked into Santa Cruz...
CalFresh’s community impacts
While food banks act as the safety net against hunger, CalFresh (formerly Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP) is the first line of defense. CalFresh’s goal is to improve the health and well-being of people who qualify for the program in every community. It...
Restaurant owner, airport management in dispute over transition plan
WATSONVILLE—Ella’s at the Airport opened at Watsonville Municipal Airport in 2015, and since then has garnered a large following of customers.
Owner Ella King, who at the time also owned the popular Cafe Ella, took the building—closed for one year after the previous restaurant was...
Redistricting committee advances two maps to final public meeting
WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville Community Redistricting Advisory Committee at its penultimate meeting on Tuesday advanced two proposed redistricting plans to its final meeting later this month.
Both would keep the current seven districts mostly intact, a key goal of the committee because of a possible undercount in...
Watsonville historian Lou Arbanas dies
WATSONVILLE—Watsonville native Lou Arbanas was considered by many to be a living encyclopedia for his knowledge of the history of the Pajaro Valley. A longtime fixture at the Pajaro Valley Historical Association, Arbanas died Nov. 14 after a brief illness. He was 78.
“He was...
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...
Watsonville author’s first work, ‘Gordo,’ widely praised
WATSONVILLE—Local author Jaime Cortez always had nicknames, and now one of them has become his first book. “Gordo,” a paperback collection of stories, is quickly gathering praise after its release by a national publisher in August.
And while “Gordo” is Cortez’s first widely distributed work,...
New County Health Services director has local roots
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Mónica Morales was 2 years old when her family immigrated from Mexico to Watsonville. She grew up attending local elementary schools, graduating from Watsonville High School while her mother worked in nearby agriculture fields and canneries.
This background, she said, is sure to...
Police: Man threatened mass shooting at a PVUSD graduation
A 21-year-old Watsonville man was arrested early Wednesday on suspicion of threatening a mass shooting at an unspecified Pajaro Valley Unified School District graduation...
