California likes to brag about its robust environmental laws, writes local activist Woody Rehanek, but it rarely talks about the troubling pattern of pesticide use and public health. A September “People’s Tribunal on Pesticide Use and Civil Rights in California” helped illuminate disparities in exposure. It also highlights problems in our state’s decentralized regulatory system, which allows county agricultural commissioners to wield unchecked power. A proposed solution, Assembly Bill 652, aims to establish stronger rules to hold the Department of Pesticide Regulation accountable for these practices.
Watsonville
Posted inLatest News
News roundup: Coast Classic, Aptos Village project, student robotics, Scotts Valley library
New Leaf Community Markets brand manager Lindsay Gizdich said the store is moving from Pacific Avenue in order to have…
Posted inWatsonville / Pajaro
New CEO Gray says he plans to make Watsonville Community Hospital ‘one of the best in the country’
Watsonville Community Hospital’s new CEO, Stephen Gray, says he aims to transform the facility into one of the nation’s top health care institutions. Gray, who takes over Nov. 1, said Thursday that he plans to address the hospital’s financial struggles and prioritize the happiness of staff and patients. He believes the hospital has the potential to make a significant impact on the health outcomes of the surrounding communities, which rank among the least-healthy populations in the country.
Posted inLatest News
Watsonville Community Hospital board approves 4-year, $640,000 annual contract for new CEO Stephen Gray
Watsonville Community Hospital’s governing board approved a four-year contract Wednesday for its new CEO, Stephen Gray. The current Sutter Bay Medical Foundation top executive will take over Nov. 1. Gray’s contract includes a base pay of $475,000 along with multiple incentive bonuses if the CEO hits annual goals set by the board, a $35,000 signing bonus and a 12-month severance package.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Remembering the first (and last) concert the Grateful Dead ever played in Santa Cruz County — 40 years ago Sunday
Though Santa Cruz County certainly qualifies as Grateful Dead-friendly territory — and UCSC houses the Grateful Dead Archive — the legendary band played just one show here: Sept. 24, 1983, at the county fairgrounds outside Watsonville. While some locals who were involved with the concert have mixed reviews, the Dead will get their due Sunday night at a special anniversary edition of Felton Music Hall’s weekly Grateful Sundays.
Posted inFood & Drink
Pouring Hispanic culture into craft beer, Buena Vista Brewing booms
At Buena Vista Brewing Co., Chuck and Phil Ornelas channel their Hispanic heritage into their beers. Just four years ago, Buena Vista was a backyard hobby; now, the brothers are in the process of opening a new taproom and brewery in downtown Watsonville and recently purchased Watsonville’s three-year-old Slough Brewing Collective. Their success reflects the growth of brewery ownership by people of color in an otherwise stagnant industry.
Posted inWatsonville / Pajaro
Sutter executive Stephen Gray chosen as new CEO of Watsonville Community Hospital
Watsonville Community Hospital’s governing board is set to vote next Wednesday to appoint Stephen Gray as its next CEO. Gray is the current chief administrative officer and operations executive for Sutter Bay Medical Foundation – Santa Cruz Division.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Controversial parents’ rights group Moms for Liberty participated in an event in Watsonville this weekend. Who are they?
The Southern Poverty Law Center labeled Moms for Liberty an anti-government extremist group earlier this year. The group participated in a three-hour forum in Watsonville on Sunday that featured a number of speakers who attacked schools’ approach to sex education — particularly LGBTQ+ and transgender topics. Its latest targets are two California Assembly bills that recently made it to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk.
Posted inFood & Drink
Slice Project flies the flag for authentic New York-style pizza in downtown Watsonville
With huge pies gooey with cheese, a chewy crust and perfectly foldable, Watsonville natives Brando and Kristian Sencion are keeping it simple as Slice Project makes the case for New York-style pizza in Santa Cruz County.
Posted inCoast Life
The sights, the sounds and the smells: Wallace Baine takes you on a tour of the Santa Cruz County Fair
Go inside the 2023 Santa Cruz County Fair, running through Sunday at the fairgrounds in Watsonville, with Lookout’s Wallace Baine via video shot by Lookout photojournalist Kevin Painchaud.