As Cal Fire makes progress on Estrada Fire, questions linger about burn
WATSONVILLE—As firefighters continue to “mop up” a blaze in the Watsonville foothills sparked by a prescribed burn that went awry, some Santa Cruz County officials and residents are calling for the Cal Fire San Mateo-Santa Cruz Unit (CZU) to answer lingering questions surrounding the...
PV Quilt Show returns to fairgrounds Feb. 26-27
WATSONVILLE—Twice a month, a group of local quilt makers gathers inside the Codiga Center & Museum at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds to create quilts for the community.
The Apple Piecers, as they call themselves, are a nonprofit that makes up to 200 quilts per...
County mandates Covid vaccine or weekly testing for its employees
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved a plan to require all of 2,400 County employees to either take the Covid-19 vaccine or submit to weekly testing.
Employees who refuse both risk termination, or being put on leave without...
Potentially disease-carrying mosquitoes found near Watsonville
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Santa Cruz County officials this week announced that they have found in Watsonville a species of mosquito known to carry the diseases dengue, chikungunya, Zika and yellow fever.
Those diseases are not currently found in California, and none of the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes—found...
Watsonville High sends 522 into the world
Five hundred and twenty-two graduates of Watsonville High School filed across the stage at Geiser Field on the afternoon of June 6, putting to end the school year of 2024-25.
Prior to the ceremony — his second such year as principal — Joe Gergorio said,...
City seeking community’s input for Muzzio Park rebuild
WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville Parks and Community Services (PCS) Department recently received a large grant to help rebuild the Muzzio Park playground that was burned down in early June.
GameTime, a national commercial playground manufacturer, will provide $15,000-37,000 on top of the $25,000 the City received in...
Coffee and bites on the go
After being inspired by a business class at Cabrillo College, Watsonville native Salvador Murillo put his skills and knowledge to the test with a mobile coffee and food truck business he has named Cafécto.
Now in operation for a year, he serves his hot and...
‘McLaren’ of racing bikes manufacturing in Pajaro
PAJARO—In a factory centered in a rural stretch of Pajaro, a small team of workers and engineers was busy one Tuesday afternoon hand-building a new line of cross-country racing bicycles they hope one day will be used by Olympic athletes.
The work was happening in...
The guardian of Pinto Lake is gone
A pillar in the Watsonville community has died. Pat McQuade, the park concessionaire at Pinto Lake City Park, a highly visible, helpful and deeply caring person, died Sunday, according to people close to her at the park.
Man arrested in Capitola assault
A Capitola man was arrested after he allegedly assaulted two people with a metal pipe on Sept. 18.
Antwain Tiliman, 55, was charged with attempted...
