Morning Lookout: Remembering those we lost in 2025, Watsonville teen to be honored at Rose Parade, and a local biz roundup

Good morning and Happy New Year’s Eve, everyone,

I hope you have something either fun or relaxing planned for this evening as you usher in the new year. It’s going to be rainy throughout the day, with highs in the high-50s.

Quick reminder that we will be pausing all of our newsletters tomorrow and on Friday, Jan. 2. We will return to our normal schedule on Monday.

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Wallace Baine looks back on a handful of the notable Santa Cruz County figures that passed away this year, including former mayors, activists, musicians, and academics.

Tania Ortiz catches up with Watsonville’s Christian Gomez, who will be honored by the nonprofit Donor Network West at the 2026 Rose Parade in Pasadena on Thursday. Gomez was born with a chronic liver disease and received a transplant in May, after waiting for almost a year on the national waitlist.

Jessica Pasko is back with her weekly business roundup, which also includes a look back at the year that was, highlighting some of the businesses that opened, expanded, and relocated throughout 2025.

Let’s get to the headlines…

Newsmakers 2025: Those we lost

Santa Cruz County lost a number of prominent people in 2025, including activists, journalists, artists and academics.

Watsonville resident who received liver transplant to participate in Rose Parade

A Watsonville teen will be one of seven organ transplant recipients to be honored in the Rose Parade in Pasadena on New Year’s Day by an organ procurement nonprofit, Donor Network West.