By LOWELL HURST, Watsonville Mayor
Movie Night @ Callaghan Park: What better way to end the week than with a free movie under the stars? Bring your blanket or lawn chairs and join us as we watch a family movie Friday, July 20 and Friday, July 27 at Callaghan Park located at 225 Sudden St. Movies begin half hour before sunset.
Take the Plastic Cleanse: Summer is the time to reduce your single-use plastic intake and make a big impact to your environmental footprint.
Here are some tips:
• Bring Your Own (BYO) reusable water bottle, reusable bag, coffee mug, and pack some extra silverware in case you end up eating lunch on the go.
• Support local companies that are using less plastic in their packaging.
• Skip the straw in your drink when you dine out.
• Spread the word as often as possible!
Visit the City of Watsonville booth at the downtown Farmers Market to pick up your free, reusable produce bag and learn more tips about shrinking your waste. For more information, please call 768-3165.
Your Electric Service is About to Get a Lot Greener: Monterey Bay Community Power (MBCP) is your official electricity provider, bringing you carbon-free electricity at rates lower than PG&E. PG&E will continue to deliver the electricity from the grid to your home or business, maintain the power lines, read your meter, and send you a single, consolidated bill. The only change is an opportunity to choose between different energy options — for the first time ever — at rates that are competitive. If your home or business is in a MBCP service area, you will be automatically enrolled in the program. You can choose to opt out and return to PG&E “bundled service” at any time during the enrollment period by calling (888) 909-6227 or at mbcommunitypower.org/opt-out.
Terrific Tuesdays this Summer @ the Nature Center: Come out to the Nature every Tuesday now through Aug. 7 from 1-3 p.m. This program is free and no registration is required. The Nature Center is located at 30 Harkins Slough. For more information, call 768-1622.
Music in the Plaza: Join us all summer long in the Plaza for our Thursday night concert series from 6-8 p.m. We will feature a variety of bands to help you get your groove on. Grab a bite at our downtown restaurants and join us for the music.
• July 26: Latin Tropical/Salsa — Aktual Cumbia Tropical
• Aug. 9: Jazz Night/Rhythms and Blues — 7th Street Big Band
• Aug. 23: Back to the 70’s/Disco — Heart and Soul Band
24th Annual Watsonville Strawberry Festival: Join us Aug. 4-5 for our 24th annual Strawberry Festival that provides a safe, family-friendly experience in downtown Watsonville and recognizes the largest and most valuable crop in the Pajaro Valley.
National Night Out (NNO): Join us for National Night Out on Tuesday, Aug. 7. The goals of National Night Out are to increase crime and drug prevention awareness; strengthen neighborhood spirit and police community partnerships. About 20 neighborhoods throughout the city are expected to host this event. If you wish to hold a NNO event in your neighborhood, please contact Darío León at Neighborhood Services to receive more information on how to make your event a fun-filled day for your neighborhood. His contact number is 763-5678 or via email at
da********@ci***************.org
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I love to hear from our community, so please feel free to email me directly at:
lo**********@ci***************.org
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Lowell Hurst is the mayor of Watsonville. His opinions are his own and not necessarily those of the Pajaronian.
