The organizers of a drag story time event in Watsonville say they are disappointed that a local newspaper published a transphobic anonymous letter suggesting the event harmed children. Good Times published an apology Tuesday, saying it would establish more stringent review processes and reach out to the LGBTQIA+ community. The letter comes as drag story time events are coming under increasing attack across the country.
Watsonville
Posted inFood & Drink
Lily Belli on Food: Prize-winning vodka, new efforts to save salmon & spring strawberries
Hello eaters! Jessica M. Pasko here. While Lily is out on maternity leave, I’m pitching in on the latest local food news. A little about me — I’m a writer and a native of upstate New York, living in Santa Cruz for over a decade. Our rich food culture is just one of the many […]
Posted inLatest News
Monterey County shelter at Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds to close Monday
As of Friday, 17 people remained at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds shelter that opened to accommodate residents displaced by the devastating flooding in nearby Pajaro, down from a peak of 435 on March 21. A spokesperson said all 17 would have emergency housing provided before the shelter closes Monday.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
I’m a health care worker in Watsonville with four kids to feed: We need a $25/hour minimum wage
Nathaly Rodriguez is a lactation consultant in Watsonville and is tired of seeing her colleagues leave for better jobs and higher pay. People in our community need more services, she says. The answer is simple: higher wages. She advocates for the passage of state Senate Bill 525.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Santa Cruz County Fair’s interim CEO seeking calmer waters after months of turmoil
Two weeks into his duties as interim CEO, Ken Alstott says things are on track for “a very good fair this year” even after last fall’s firing of longtime CEO Dave Kegebein and the resignation of both Alstott’s immediate predecessor and the chair of the fair’s board of directors. There’s no fixed timeline to name a permanent CEO, though having one in place for this year’s Santa Cruz County fair, set for Sept. 13-17, is a goal.
Posted inEducation
Lookout Update: Cabrillo College down to 85 suggested new names for school
A task force of Santa Cruz County community members has narrowed a list of 350 new names for Cabrillo College to 85, with three meetings left before it announces its top three to five choices to the public this summer.
Posted inLatest News
Piecemeal approach to Pajaro aid leaves farmworkers, community straining to move forward
More aid to the residents of Pajaro is being patched together, but the gaps in help and communication are complicating post-flood recovery efforts. More than 100 people remain at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds shelter as Pajaro evacuees have scattered throughout the area, seeking temporary housing. Meanwhile, many farmworkers’ jobs are in limbo as the flooded fields prevent work and have caused almost $50 million in farm loss, says Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau president Dennis Webb.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Undocumented families in Pajaro need support: FEMA should not operate like an insurance company
Watsonville resident Takashi Mizuno is worried about his neighbors in Pajaro, many of whom lost everything to the storms and flooding. He doesn’t speak Spanish, but has been bringing his neighbors lemons from his tree as a gesture of goodwill and solidarity. “Lemons are my way of connecting,” he says. He also is trying to deliver an important message to undocumented Pajaro families with a child born in the U.S.: Apply for FEMA help. Apply again if you get rejected. And FEMA, he insists, is “mistreating” people by not handling applications fairly.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Amid management turmoil and acting as haven for Pajaro evacuees, county fair turns to another interim director
The debate over Santa Cruz County Fairs present and future continued vociferously Tuesday evening as the fair’s board of directors announced a new interim CEO.
Posted inWatsonville / Pajaro
Watsonville City Council supports organic conversion from pesticides near area schools
“I’ll be a supportive voice wherever you might need,” council member Maria Orozco told a crowd supporting the conversion of school-adjacent farms from pesticide use to organic methods Tuesday evening. By one estimate, only 18 of the 67 farms within a quarter-mile of schools in the Pajaro Valley Unified School District use organic farming.