Tech Trek celebrates 20 years
Santa Cruz AAUW, American Association of University Women, celebrated the AAUW’s Tech Trek 20th anniversary at Seascape recently.
Local students, future explorers
One year after taking top honors in an engineering competition designed to train aspiring space explorers, the Cabrillo College Robotics Club is returning to the arena.
Holiday lights show opens at fairgrounds
For the past year, volunteers at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds have been working to build up the annual holiday lights show.
Now in its fifth year, the show—now called Sparky’s Holiday Lights—draws people from around the county to drive through the lighted fairgrounds.
It is...
Protest delays Spirit of Watsonville Parade
A group of protesters calling for the closure of detention centers at the U.S.-Mexico border delayed the start of the annual Spirit of Watsonville parade by roughly 25 minutes on Thursday.
Watsonville’s downtown streets getting facelift
WATSONVILLE—Rodriguez, Union and Brennan streets will soon undergo much-needed pedestrian safety improvements.
Those three sections of Watsonville’s downtown corridor were tabbed for the first phase of the City’s Downtown Complete Streets Plan, an extensive document that sets a roadmap for a slew of street improvement...
Man arrested in stolen vehicle after chase
A Watsonville man was arrested early Tuesday morning after a brief chase in a stolen car, which ended when he collided with a tree.
Watsonville City Council unanimously rejects propane facility
WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville City Council unanimously denied a special use permit for a proposed propane storage facility after a more than two-hour hearing in which several members of the public called the project an example of “environmental racism.”
Richard Kojak of Mountain Propane Service in Felton...
Gonzales city manager tabbed as Watsonville’s next chief executive
WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville City Council will consider appointing Rene Mendez, the current chief executive for the city of Gonzales, as Watsonville’s new city manager during its Tuesday evening meeting.
Mendez has three decades of experience in state, county and city government and has spent the last...
Improper use of public funds at center of lawsuit against city
WATSONVILLE—As the Watsonville City Council prepares to weigh increases to its utilities fees to fund several high-cost repairs to city of Watsonville facilities, a wrongful termination lawsuit from an ex-employee who claimed the city misappropriated public money from one of its utility funds looms.
In...
A call for peace
Close to 100 people march through downtown Watsonville Saturday in the 32nd annual Watsonville Peace and Unity March. Staged in Romo Park, the four-hour event featured speakers, information tables, traditional Aztec dances by the White Hawk Dancers, and altars for those lost to street...
Aptos girls soccer standout Alexa Castañeda commits to Fresno State
Aptos High senior Alexa Castañeda has left behind an everlasting legacy on campus after four phenomenal years on the pitch with the girls soccer...





















