By LOWELL HURST, Watsonville Mayor
Wine, Beer and Art Walk: Join us for the first annual Wine, Beer and Art Walk on Saturday, May 12 in downtown Watsonville. This inaugural event is organized by the City of Watsonville and the Pajaro Valley Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture. We will offer special tastings from many different local wineries, craft beers, hard cider and​ non-alcoholic beverages. ​Don’t miss the amazing artwork displayed and available for sale by local artists and the remarkably talented local musicians performing along the walk. Tickets are available for sale on Eventbrite: www.eventbrite.com/e/wine-beer-and-art-walk-tickets-44646550033?aff=es2. For information, visit our website or call 768-3010.
Community Development Block Grant — Public Input Meeting: We invite you to join us for a public meeting on Monday, April 16 at 5:30 p.m., in the former Council Chambers located at 250 Main St., to review, discuss and provide input on the city’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Draft Action Plan for 2018. The plan proposes activities that will provide low and moderate-income residents with low-interest housing rehabilitation loans, expand youth recreation opportunities, improve city streets, provide job training, and enhance economic development efforts. You can view the draft action plan on our website at www.cityofwatsonville.org. We look forward to seeing you there! For information, please call 768-3080.
Volunteers Needed for the Fourth of July Parade: For 150 years, in one shape or another, the Spirit of Watsonville Fourth of July Parade has been part of our community. The parade displays thousands of participants — businesses, nonprofits, youth groups, other associations — and draws thousands of spectators lining Main Street. As we prepare to celebrate this year, we need community members to join forces with our Parks and Community Services Department to continue this tradition. We invite you to become a volunteer parade marshal. We need volunteers from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. For information, you can call Tony Roman at 768-3266 or Customer Service at 768-3240.
16th Annual Earth Day/Day of the Child: Join us on Sunday, April 22 from noon to 4 p.m. at the Historic Watsonville City Plaza for the 16th Annual Earth Day/Day of the Child event. Various organizations will offer free, fun activities for the whole family, games, prizes and bilingual information about the variety of services available in Watsonville. Local children will perform music and dance live on stage; and high school students will educate residents on what we can all do to protect our environment. This event is possible thanks to the generous donations of local businesses. For information, call 768-1622 or visit our website.
Downtown Watsonville Complete Streets Plan: The City of Watsonville is looking to a complete streets plan for the downtown area to enable safe access for all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, transit riders and motorists of all ages and abilities. The city will be hosting community workshops over the next year to obtain feedback from the community on desired improvements. The city invites residents to give input at one or all of the outreach venues. Visit Public Works’ website at cityofwatsonville.org/590/Public-Works-Utilities to learn more about the Watsonville Complete Streets Plan and to keep current on the project.
City Council Strategic Plan — We Want to Hear from You! The City Council is currently in the process of creating its next Strategic Plan goals for 2018-2020 and we want to hear from you. This plan will help the city determine where to spend time and resources, which will increase productivity and move the development of the city in a purposeful manner. Please take our online survey at www.surveymonkey.com/r/18-20sp. Your opinions and perceptions are important to us!
Internship Program — The City of Watsonville is excited to announce the launch of the “Summer in the City” Internship Program. This program is a partnership between the City of Watsonville and the Pajaro Valley Unified School District to provide incoming high school seniors and juniors an opportunity to gain career readiness skills, foster interest in leadership and civic matters, and create a voice for youth to address real city issues. We will select seven students from each local high school for a total of 21 students to participate in the program. Students must be enrolled at Watsonville High School, Aptos High School or Pajaro Valley High School to participate. The program will run from July 9–July 27. The deadline to apply is Friday, May 11. Please visit our website at www.cityofwatsonville.org to apply or call 768-3010 for more information.
New Utility Billing Hours: Mondays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Tuesday-Friday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. and 2-5 p.m. Please note they’re closed from 1-2 p.m.
I love to hear from our community, so please feel free to email me directly at [email protected].
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Lowell Hurst is the mayor of Watsonville. His opinions are his own and not necessarily those of the Pajaronian.
