Cabrillo College’s Watsonville Center has seen enrollment jump 71% and course pass rates climb from 70% to 84% since fall 2022, a surge that Watsonville Center Dean Eduardo Cervantes credits to dual-enrollment growth, pandemic-recovery outreach and new programs tailored to local students’ interests.
Watsonville / Pajaro
Posted inEducation
Pajaro Valley students return Wednesday as teachers, district remain at impasse
Pajaro Valley Unified School District students return Wednesday with their teachers and district still at an impasse over a new contract. Negotiations have now moved into fact-finding, bringing the sides closer to a potential strike vote if they remain unable to reach a deal.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
Can steam replace chemical fumigants? Watsonville berry growers will put it to the test
The Santa Cruz County Agricultural Commission is testing out a high-temperature steam alternative to chemical fumigants on five berry fields in Watsonville beginning in September as part of a three-month pilot program.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
¿Puede el vapor reemplazar a los fumigantes químicos? Los productores de berries de Watsonville lo pondrán a prueba
La Oficina del Comisionado de Agricultura del Condado de Santa Cruz probará una alternativa a los fumigantes químicos en cinco campos de berries en Watsonville a partir de septiembre, como parte de un programa piloto de tres meses.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
After Santa Cruz banned Flock cameras, activists push to expand fight against license plate readers
Local grassroots group Get the Flock Out was chosen to kick off the National Week of Action Against Automated License Plate Readers in the Bay Area with a rally this Sunday. It’s meant to celebrate the City of Santa Cruz canceling its Flock Safety camera contract earlier this year, and to call attention to the nearly 50 cameras still active in Capitola and Watsonville, the group said.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Why is a chemical once used in war still sprayed in Santa Cruz County?
For more than 25 years, parents, physicians, researchers and farmworker advocates have warned about pesticide exposure in the Pajaro Valley. So why haven’t Santa Cruz County’s healthcare institutions taken a stand? Local activist Kevin Norton asks why major hospitals and healthcare organizations have remained largely silent on an issue affecting many of their patients — and argues that preventing disease should begin long before someone enters an exam room.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Who’s running for Watsonville City Council? Four district races begin to take shape
In Watsonville, there will be four seats up for grabs in the November election — including a seat that will determine next year’s mayor. Here’s a roundup of who’s running, which includes some familiar faces.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
¿Quiénes se postulan para el Concejo Municipal de Watsonville? Cuatro contiendas distritales comienzan a tomar forma
En Watsonville habrá cuatro puestos del Concejo Municipal en juego en las elecciones de noviembre, incluido uno que determinará quién será el alcalde el próximo año. Aquí presentamos un resumen de los candidatos, entre los que figuran algunos rostros conocidos.
Posted inEducation
PVUSD board votes to rename Cesar Chavez Middle School to Central Coast Middle School
Following abuse allegations against farmworker and civil rights activist Cesar Chávez, Pajaro Valley Unified School District’s governing board voted to rename his namesake Watsonville middle school Central Coast Middle School — a move that preserves its CCMS acronym and keeps rebranding costs under $25,000.
Posted inEducation
Starting Wednesday, many Santa Cruz County students are heading back to school
Soquel Union Elementary School District students are first among the county’s public school students to start the 2026-27 school year.
