The rich and storied history of Hecker Pass
The original road between Watsonville and Gilroy was a narrow, windy turnpike, dating back to 1860.
The roadway mostly still exists, and is now named Mt. Madonna Road.
But over the years, it was known at different times as Bodfish Canyon Road, the Watsonville Road and...
Thriving among the giants
APTOS—Sitting in the cab of a 25-ton Caterpillar excavator, Stephanie Siqueiros works the levers of the dinosaur-like beast to swivel the mechanical arm to reach across the pavement and attach a large scoop bucket. Nimbly, she attaches the bucket, its steel teeth facing skyward,...
Critics decry pesticide rule as too lenient: ‘Why use it?’
The Department of Pesticide Regulation’s (DPR) held a public hearing Jan. 16 at the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas to address a new draft regulation for Telone, a pesticide also known by the chemical name 1,3-dichloropropene.
Protesters say the regulations proposed by the DPR allow...
Man who stole wheelchair ramp arrested
WATSONVILLE — Watsonville police on Oct. 18 arrested a man suspected of stealing a wheelchair ramp used by a young girl to enter and exit her home.
The Santa Cruz County Auto Theft Reductions and Enforcement Task Force (S.C.A.R.E.) arrested Pedro Villanueva, 27. He has been...
Homeless advocates plan to sue Santa Cruz
A group of homeless advocates plan to sue the City of Santa Cruz after a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit stemming from the May 3 closure of the Ross Camp.
Photo story: One injured in 3-vehicle crash
Watsonville Police respond to a three-vehicle crash Wednesday on Green Valley Road at Freedom Boulevard. Watsonville Police said that around 2:50pm a man driving a Honda Accord (right) southbound on Green Valley Road appeared to have lost control of his sedan and plowed into...
Friday night at the races
Steven Allee of Santa Cruz rolled onto the staging area at Ocean Speedway in Watsonville one Friday afternoon, ready to roar around the dirt track in his stock car against several other racers.
While the April 12 race marked the fifth year he has taken...
Panetta tells businesses he’ll fight offshore oil drilling
Since November, local business leaders have grown concerned about the impacts that offshore oil drilling may have on the region’s economy, after the Trump administration released a plan proposing two sites off California’s central coast.
In reaction, advocates of local industries that rely on a...
PHOTO: 15th annual Down to Earth Women Luncheon
Lynn Drummond (from left), Jaedyn Kett and Leisa Kett wear fancy hats to the 15th annual Down to Earth Women Luncheon Thursday at Driscoll’s Rancho Corralitos. The two-hour event, under pleasant sunny skies, is for women who are involved in, or support local agriculture...
Community leaders host rally for Measure E
Dozens of community members and local leaders gathered at a rally Friday at Watsonville Community Hospital in support of Measure E, the temporary half-cent...
