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Japanese director Makoto Shinkai made a name for himself when he released “Your Name” in 2016. The fantasy-drama about two teenagers who swap bodies achieved global critical acclaim and became the highest-grossing Japanese animated film of all time. Shinkai followed this success with “Weathering With...

"Try This" is a weekly column that celebrates local businesses — especially eateries, watering holes, coffee shops and the like. • Tarmo Hannula Drink: Hotel Paradox cocktails Seeds of Time is a cocktail served at Hotel Paradox, 611 Ocean St., in Santa Cruz. The drink includes Maker’s Mark...

WATSONVILLE—The City of Watsonville is staring at more than $100 million of much-needed improvements and additions to its water system over the next 10 years. That’s according to the Water System Master Plan, a first-of-its-kind project the Watsonville City Council approved in April 2019 and...

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Steve DuFour does not consider himself a very lucky man. Against his better judgment, he decided to not renew his San Francisco 49ers season tickets heading into last fall. He had been a season ticket holder since 1981. “And then they have a season like this—you can’t...

SANTA CRUZ—A group of community members is offering a $200,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the case of a man who was kidnapped from his Pleasure Point home and murdered on Oct. 1. The reward is the largest of its kind in...

APTOS—Cardboard is a material that nearly everyone has at their disposal. Often used in packaging and shipping, it is usually broken down to recycle or saved to reuse. But cardboard can also be full of possibilities for artists. This is apparent at “Extraordinary Ordinary,” Cabrillo...

SANTA CRUZ—Young spellers from across the county descended upon UC Santa Cruz Jan. 25 to participate in this year’s county-wide spelling bee, organized by the Santa Cruz County Office of Education (SCCOE). Students grades 4-9 took part in the competition in two separate divisions. Overseeing...

Charles Lafferty, the suspect in the bizarre projectile case in Prunedale that since February has left dozens of vehicles with shattered windows and damaged paint, was back in court Monday. The 52-year-old, who was arrested Jan. 22, is now facing 79 charges, 74 of...

WATSONVILLE—Watsonville Police bade farewell to Master Officer Angel Calderon last week, capping his two-and-a-half decades of service. At an informal upbeat going-away ceremony, scores of officers, staff and retirees offered plenty of words of praise and thanks—laced with a few quips about ‘where did that...