County mandates Covid vaccine or weekly testing for its employees
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved a plan to require all of 2,400 County employees to either take the Covid-19 vaccine or submit to weekly testing.
Employees who refuse both risk termination, or being put on leave without...
Black and gold relics| About Town
Tarmo Hannula: I was passing through the office at Watsonville High School the other day and spotted a collection of patches from over the years sitting on a counter. These moments are always a great surprise for me because they’re so packed full of...
A Message from John Skinner and CA Association of Realtors
Welcome to the first issue of our new weekly newsletter covering California’s experience with COVID-19, the novel strand of coronavirus currently sweeping the globe. This is a special edition of the newsletter; all subsequent issues will be sent on Tuesday mornings.To help you manage...
Watsonville markets offering senior shopping hours
WATSONVILLE—Several local supermarkets are offering senior-only shopping hours in light of COVID-19, which poses a particular risk to seniors and the medically vulnerable.
In Watsonville, Safeway is open to seniors and at-risk shoppers every Tuesday and Thursday from 7-9 a.m.; Target dedicates its first hour...
Organizers urge customers to avoid bulk buying WIC products
By Jazmin Juarez, special to the Pajaronian
WATSONVILLE—During the coronavirus outbreak, several people have gone shopping for food in large quantities without realizing the impact it can have on their neighbors.
Around 5,000 people in Watsonville rely on the Women, Infants and Children program (WIC), whose...
Former assistant fire chief Gene Friend dies
WATSONVILLE—Former Watsonville Fire Assistant Chief Gene Friend, a household name for many in the Pajaro Valley, died March 25 at Valley Convalescent in Watsonville.
Watsonville Fire Station 1 is emblazoned with his name in large letters as the namesake of the Chief Gene Friend Watsonville...
State parks slowly reopening
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The California Department of Parks and Recreation on May 15 began to loosen up restrictions at 27 state parks.
The agency previously closed parking lots at most of its locations, allowing visitors to walk in but encouraging them to stay close to their...
Watsonville faces grueling economic recovery from Covid-19 shutdown
WATSONVILLE—It took roughly a decade for Watsonville to fully recover from the Great Recession, and officials fear the Covid-19 pandemic’s mass closures could send the city into a similar financial quagmire.
As restaurants and shops have closed, and auto sales—Watsonville’s top sales tax generator—have slumped,...
Four Covid-19 ‘clusters’ found in Watsonville
EDITOR'S NOTE: This story was updated from a previous version first published on May 22.
WATSONVILLE—Four ‘clusters’ of Covid-19 cases have been identified in the Watsonville area, all of them associated with large family gatherings, according to Santa Cruz County officials.
There have been at least...
‘Spreading holiday cheer’: MacQuiddy students gifted new Vans
WATSONVILLE—A group of students at MacQuiddy Elementary School got a special holiday treat last week.
Thanks to the efforts of instructor Amy McGee and others, 15 kids—all members of Pajaro Valley Unified School District’s Safe Spots program—were handed an armload of gifts Friday, including a...
Truck plunges into creek in Watsonville
END OVER END Tow operators from Chaz Towing work on a plan to haul a GMC Sierra pickup out of Corralitos Creek on...