Carmageddon: Highway 1 closed for 24 hours
The California Highway Patrol closed north and southbound lanes of Highway 1 in Soquel Saturday at 7pm to make way for Granite Construction crews to demolish the 1948 Capitola Avenue bridge above the highway.
The closure and carefully crafted detour between Bay/Porter and Park Avenue...
Honoring community service
On March 28, local artist Judy Stabile was among seven people who were honored for community service during the annual Cesar Chavez Awards ceremony.
Stabile, who volunteers with Pajaro Valley Arts, said she was honored to receive the award.
“The awardees were nominated for community service,”...
Cactus and Succulent Show coming to Watsonville
The Monterey Bay Cactus and Succulent Society will hold its annual Spring Show and Sale April 12-14 in Watsonville.
Attendees can learn from seasoned plant experts and view hundreds of cacti and succulents, as well as pottery and supplies at the three-day event.
Also on board...
Salvation Army shutters its shelter
On Saturday morning, 48-year-old Gerardo Gutierrez was one of about a dozen men sitting in the day room at Salvation Army’s Watsonville location, quietly watching an old Vicente Fernández film playing silently on a television mounted to the ceiling.
The men—most of them homeless—had stayed...
Photo and video story: truck into hydrant causes ‘geyser’
Water surges through the asphalt along the 300-block of Ford Street Monday afternoon where a man reportedly ran into a fire hydrant with his Chevy Silverado pickup.
Watsonville Police said the man struck the hydrant just after 5pm, triggering a water main break beneath...
Photo Story: Aviation Education
Fourth grade students from Mar Vista Elementary School get an up-close view of a Robinson 22 helicopter Tuesday during a tour of the Watsonville Municipal Airport.
Now in its third year, the community outreach program by the Municipal Airport exposed kids to various aspects...
PVUSD trustees approve new superintendent contract
The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees on Wednesday unanimously approved a three-year contract for its new superintendent.
Heather Contreras’ contract shows her start date of May 1. Her base pay will be $242,000 per year, with a 2% raise after one year,...
Opinion: Watsonville City Council wrong on runway decision
As a pilot based at Watsonville since 1980, I am shocked at the Watsonville council’s decision to close the crosswind runway. The dissenting four council members (Montesino, Salcido, Quiroz-Carter and Orozco) voted against a compromise that would have retained the cross wind runway AND...
A “jewel in the community:” Ramsay Park project moves forward
In a little more than a year, Ramsay Park in Watsonville will boast a new dog park, a new multi-use synthetic sports field, a new state-of-the-art nature center and new lights for its pathways, parking lots and athletic fields.
Plans also include an all-inclusive playground,...
Pajaro Valley Health Care Board Chair John Friel Dies
Pajaro Valley Health Care District Board (PVHCD) Chair and former Watsonville Community Hospital CEO John Friel, who took the lead of the fledgling agency at its outset in 2022, died March 21 after battling an undisclosed illness.
Friel resigned from his position on March 19,...
Female Athlete of the Year: Aptos’ Izzy Graff brought excellence to...
Aptos graduate Izzy Graff was on the verge of joining the cross country team going into her junior year in 2023 so she could...