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Watsonville
July 2, 2025

Vote YES on 15 for a better community

felipe hernandez watsonville
By Felipe Hernandez, Watsonville City Councilman This election, we have the opportunity to reclaim millions for the future of Watsonville—without raising taxes on residents or small businesses. That’s why I’m a strong supporter of Proposition 15, the ballot measure that will make big corporations pay...

Open Farm Tours returns this weekend

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The annual Open Farm Tours will return this weekend—albeit in a different capacity. Pre-registration is now required for small, socially-distanced outdoor tours at the following farms: Thomas Farm and Luz Del Valle Farm in Aptos, and GroundSwell Farm in Santa Cruz. Additional participating...

Letters to the Editor, Oct. 2

Vote for Gomez Tony Gomez has been actively involved in supporting youth in the community of Watsonville for many years.  He has volunteered his time and resources in support of the Boy Scouts of America in many capacities. He has been an adult leader for Troop...

Life’s doors

Rev. Robin Mathews-Johnson
Memo from Rev. Mathews-Johnson: Doors. We use them every day. We open them. We close them. We lock them. We knock on them. We stand outside them. We stand inside them. They lock us in. They lock us out. They keep us safe. They keep...

Letters to the Editor, Sept. 25

George Washington in our City Plaza I found it interesting to read Greg Caput’s recent column about the current debate that our community is having about whether to remove the sculpture of George Washington from our City Plaza. This debate of removal appears to be...

Setting unreachable standards

By Greg Caput, County Supervisor To what standards are we held or judged by? If the standard is perfection, then everyone fails. A symbol of George Washington is under scrutiny at the Watsonville City Plaza. He was a victorious hero of the revolution 245 years...

Rivas named Assembly Ag Committee Chair

CALIFORNIA—Assemblymember Robert Rivas (D-Hollister) has been named Chair of the Assembly Agriculture Committee by Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood). Raised in farmworker housing, Rivas represents the 30th Assembly District, which includes the agriculture-rich Salinas and Pajaro valleys on the Central Coast.  “My district is known as...

CCOF offers grants to farmers affected by fires

Santa Cruz County covid-19 latinx
The California Certified Organic Farmers Foundation is poised to help organic farmers recover from the unprecedented wildfires burning across the West Coast, including CCOF’s hometown of Santa Cruz.  The Bricmont Hardship Assistance Fund gives grants to organic business owners affected by hardships of all kinds,...

County agriculture copes with heat, fires

The worst wildfires in California’s history have burned more than 3 million acres, about 3 percent of the state’s total acreage, and included Santa Cruz County vineyards, orchards and tree farms. The fires scorched fields, destroyed barns, melted irrigation lines and disrupted power, water...

Understanding housing | Mayor’s Update

Rebecca Garcia
By Rebecca J. Garcia, Watsonville Mayor Soon after I was elected to the Watsonville City Council I had the opportunity to visit several farmworkers’ housing conditions. What I found was five adults and four children living in a 2-bedroom duplex, eight adults living in a...
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Homicide suspect arrested in Switzerland

A Santa Cruz man was arrested recently in Switzerland in connection with the death of his father, 90-year-old Robert Smallwood.