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Watsonville
April 26, 2026

Fighting our culture of contempt

Memo from Pastor Rene Schlaepfer
One day my wife Laurie is on NextDoor, the social media site, and sees someone post, “Hey, just saw a coyote in my backyard, make sure your cat is safe indoors.” Almost instantly that seemingly innocuous text ignites into a full-fledged neighbor war, complete with...

Apartments taking shape on Miles Lane

miles lane apartments
With foundation work completed and now in its framing stage, 72 new affordable apartments by MidPen Housing are going skyward at 139-141 Miles Lane. The Watsonville City Council approved the development in 2020, a joint project between MidPen and Encompass Community Services, which is being...

Art in the open

Fifty-seven artists have been canvassing the Pajaro Valley recently, building an opus of paintings as part of the Plein Air: Our Bounty exhibit that will open at Pajaro Valley Arts Aug. 14.

Aptos Coffee Roasting Company to close

A little more than three decades after opening in Rancho Del Mar Shopping Center, Aptos Coffee Roasting Company will be closing.

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...

Watsonville City Council split over redistricting plan

Watsonville city council
WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville City Council at a special meeting on Jan. 20 narrowly advanced a new district map that would largely stick to the status quo, but make a significant change between the 2nd and 6th districts. The map, dubbed the Rivera Plan, would move areas...

Kitchen incubator celebrating five years

El Pajaro Community Development Corporation's Commercial Kitchen Incubator, 412 East Riverside Drive in Watsonville, will celebrate its fifth anniversary with Tacos and Tapas on Aug. 23 from 6-9 p.m.

Watsonville delegation visits sister city

Watsonville Mayor Lowell Hurst and Councilman Felipe Hernandez signed a sister city agreement between the City of Watsonville and the Municipality of Jocotepec during a visit to Jocotepec on Sept. 15, finalizing the sisterhood relationship.

Kids who were forced into therapy program return home

maya sebastian laing
In October, a Santa Cruz teen and her younger brother were violently taken from a relative’s house, driven to Los Angeles and forced into a family therapy program with their mother. They were then taken to Washington to live with her. Seven months later,...

WPD: woman stole thousands from Watsonville business

Julie brooks felony grand theft charges
WATSONVILLE—Watsonville Police on Thursday arrested a Salinas woman accused of embezzling more than $75,000 from a Watsonville business located on Hangar Way. Julie Brooks, 50, faces felony grand theft charges. She was booked into Santa Cruz County Jail on $100,000 bail, but was not in...
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Letters to the Editor, April 24-30

Keeping our eye on the Clock My father, an Air Force fighter pilot, and our family, were stationed in Yokohama Japan in 1947 as part...