The California Department of Pesticide Regulation is letting growers act like entitled neighbors, writes 18-year-old Rocio Ortiz, a rising first-year Cal State Monterey Bay student and founding member of Future Leaders of Change – Watsonville. Ortiz, whose parents picked strawberries for more than 20 years, believes the state should require growers to tell residents exactly when and where pesticides are being applied as part of its notification system. She calls for an “end to pesticide secrecy” and what she sees as racist policies against farmworkers and their families.
Watsonville / Pajaro
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Santa Cruz County 2024 elections: What we know at the filing deadline about who is running
The field is set for Santa Cruz County’s nonpartisan general election on Nov. 5. Scotts Valley Mayor Randy Johnson chose not to seek reelection after 28 years on the city council. In Watsonville, former Cabrillo College trustee Martha Vega is challenging Mayor Vanessa Quiroz-Carter for city council. And there are competitive races for offices ranging from county supervisor to local fire districts. But not all of the 108 seats up for election have attracted candidates, and most races will not be competitive.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Weekender: Remembering CZU, October comedy invasion, Cabrillo Fest finale and thinking of Tammi Brown
What’s happening around Santa Cruz County’s arts & entertainment scene? Wallace Baine knows.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Folklorico dance celebration arrives in Santa Cruz County, with classes and performances
Esperanza Del Valle and Cabrillo College join forces for an ambitious deep dive into folklorico dance with a 10-day conference featuring visiting performers from Veracruz, Mexico. The group will perform four shows over two weekends at two separate venues, teach lessons for beginners and advanced dancers, and be the headliners at a big community bash Aug. 23 in downtown Watsonville.
Posted inLatest News
Watsonville woman had stab wounds; death being investigated as homicide
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office has determined that Lizbeth Arceo Sedano, the Watsonville woman whose body was found along a hiking trail in the Rattlesnake Gulch area on Sunday, died from multiple stab wounds to her torso. It is investigating the death as a homicide while it continues to hold the father of her 3-year-old daughter.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
This week in Santa Cruz County business: Driscoll’s climate change-resistant berries, proposed settlement in Plantronics suit, housing forum takeaways
Jessica M. Pasko gets a look at what Driscoll’s is working on from new CEO Soren Bjorn to lead this week’s local business roundup. She also has an update on a class action brought by investors in former Santa Cruz company Plantronics and other news, notes and numbers.
Posted inFood & Drink
Coming to Santa Cruz County school cafeterias: More meals made from scratch
Last week, staff members from kitchens at five different local school districts participated in a weeklong training on how to incorporate more from-scratch foods into their menus. Since California’s Universal Meals Program launched during the pandemic, local schools have seen a surge in students getting at least one meal per day on campus. New funding is making it easier for schools to pursue more healthy options for kids, but school representatives say their biggest challenges are logistical, including time for training and preparation, and having adequate staff.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
Driscoll’s new CEO is on a quest for berries that can resist climate change
Eight months into his new role, Driscoll’s CEO Soren Bjorn is helping lead the company’s technological advancement as it seeks to create sturdier berries amid a changing climate. The $3 billion Watsonville-based corporation now operates in more than 20 countries globally.
Posted inLatest News
Watsonville woman found dead in Corralitos day after police reported her missing
The body of 25-year-old Lizbeth Arceo Sedano was found in Corralitos on Sunday morning, just about 12 hours after the father of her child was shot by police in an altercation near the Watsonville police station. The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office is investigating Sedano’s death as “suspicious.”
Posted inFood & Drink
Best of Santa Cruz County food & drink events, Aug. 2-8
Lookout food & drink correspondent Lily Belli highlights top events happening around Santa Cruz County in the coming week, plus more listings from Lookout’s BOLO events calendar.