45.4 F
Watsonville
February 23, 2026

Dragon archway honors former Santa Cruz Chinatown

San Lorenzo footbridge on Front Street in Santa Cruz
SANTA CRUZ—As a crane hoisted four sections of a large mosaic-covered water dragon into place Sunday atop a colorful concrete gateway at an entryway to San Lorenzo Park, new life was pumped into a forgotten chapter of Santa Cruz history. Renamed the Chinatown Bridge by...

Rider takes lead for PVWMA seat

pvwma
WATSONVILLE—Stephen Rider had a slight 53% lead over John Kegebein for the Division B seat of the Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency as of 9:50pm Tuesday. Rider works as Technology Implementation Regulatory Compliance Coordinator at his family’s company, H.A. Rider and Sons, a 72-year-old, Watsonville-based...

Hernandez maintains lead for Cabrillo Board seat

Cabrillo College
Editor's note: Updated results of this race can be found here. SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Felipe Hernandez, who has served as a member of the Watsonville City Council since 2012, including a stint as mayor, is maintaining a lead over incumbent Leticia Mendoza for Cabrillo College Governing...

Wall, Nichols, Acosta coming out ahead in COE races

Santa Cruz County Elections
Editor's note: Updated results of this race can be found here. SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Alyssa Wall has taken a large lead over opponent Brad Williams in the race for the seven-member Santa Cruz County Office of Education (COE) board Trustee Area 5. According to the votes...

Supervisorial challenger takes early lead

Santa Cruz county elections
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Returns late Tuesday night show Santa Cruz County Supervisorial candidate Manu Koenig far outpacing John Leopold for the First District seat. If Koenig’s lead holds, it will unseat four-term incumbent Leopold. He holds roughly 56% of the 28,064 votes that have been tallied...

Santa Cruz sees crowds on Halloween | About Town

No one came to our door Saturday night for Halloween. Typically we get dozens of kids in costumes, families roaming the streets, strangers greeting strangers at the doorstep. Not this year. Downtown Santa Cruz, however, came out in force with, what police said was...

Parks Commission recommends removal of Washington bust

George Washington Watsonville
WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville Parks and Recreation Commission at its Monday virtual meeting recommended the City Council remove the George Washington bust from the City Plaza. The recommendation, put forth by Commissioner Jessica Carrasco, deviates from that of Parks and Community Services staff, which proposed that the...

County distributes more than $600k in CARES Act grants

Santa cruz county cares funding
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Public Health Division announced Thursday that it has awarded $619,900 in health equity grants to 20 organizations to help address disparities among populations impacted by Covid-19. The funds come from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES)...

Parks Commission to weigh Washington statue’s future

Watsonville Washington bust
WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville Parks and Recreation Commission at its Monday virtual meeting is expected to make a recommendation to the City Council on the future of the George Washington bust in the City Plaza. City staff, according to the prepared staff report, is recommending the bust...

Starbucks constructed near new Hampton Inn | About Town

On Thursday I drove by the new Starbucks on Lee Road which is still under construction, as is the towering Hampton Inn & Suites behind it. The new Starbucks, with a drive-thru, will mark the fifth Starbucks in Watsonville. The coffee chain started in...
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Late heroics help ‘Catz boys squad edge Independence | CCS basketball...

Ahmi Martin has been the main ball distributor as a point guard for the Watsonville High boys’ basketball team throughout the 2025-26 winter season. The...