Those who see it up close talk to Lookout about what they view as the biggest challenges to fixing the problems that ail so many kids growing up in Watsonville. But they are far from easy, and many rooted deeply in the systems that govern an area with a disproportionate population living below the poverty line.
Watsonville
Posted inCity Life
The pandemic in metal: Pajaro Valley Arts exhibits ‘memories of a time like no other’
In the ongoing “Reflections” exhibition at the Watsonville gallery, members of the Monterey Bay Metal Arts Guild answered the call for works about their journey through COVID-19 and other upheavals of recent years.
Posted inEvents, K-12 Education
‘A proactive, preventative approach’: PVUSD’s leader explains why new campus safety plan is the answer
In an exclusive one-on-one with Lookout, Pajaro Valley Unified School District Superintendent Michelle Rodriguez calls the pairing of a school resource officer with a mental health clinician on the Aptos and Watsonville High campuses a “win-win.”
Posted inUncategorized
With the return of the county fair comes a return to some normalcy in this world of ours gone mad
It’s too easy to dismiss the fair as corny or cheesy, Wallace Baine writes in welcoming it back from its pandemic layoff. Sure enough, there’s plenty of corn and cheese, literal and figurative, to be found here. But that’s not a bug. That’s a feature.
Posted inK-12 Education
PVUSD board votes to return SROs to campuses but with twist: Officers to pair with mental health clinicians
Pajaro Valley Unified School District Superintendent Michelle Rodriguez says this pilot program is among other new safety measures that will be implemented. An emotional, divided crowd of more than 100 turned out at the Henry J. Mello Center in Watsonville on Wednesday night.
Posted inK-12 Education
Lookout Exclusive: Sheriff confirms previous incident involving murder suspect in Aptos High stabbing
A previous incident involving one of the suspects in the Aptos High murder case has been confirmed by the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office. The Pajaro Valley Unified School District has not disclosed any information about that incident to the public — nor did it to the sheriff’s office prior to the killing of a 17-year-old student on Aug. 31.
Posted inK-12 Education
PHOTOS: Vigil held in Watsonville to honor Aptos High stabbing victim
New Leaf Community Markets brand manager Lindsay Gizdich said the store is moving from Pacific Avenue in order to have…
Posted inUncategorized
Watsonville Film Fest celebrates Mexican music, honors farmworkers with free live show at the Plaza
The Watsonville Film Festival will hold a free concert in honor of local farmworkers later this month and the lineup includes North Bay headliners “Los Cenzontles,” who also have a special connection to a film being screened at the festival.
Posted inK-12 Education
‘I couldn’t not be there’: Aptos High parents, community bring the love as students return to school
Parents and others with close ties to the Aptos community turned out to support students and deal with their own grieving process Friday morning along Freedom Boulevard. Said one: “It hurt my heart. It’s tragic and unfathomable … and there’s gonna be trauma.”
Posted inK-12 Education
Aptos High tragedy: Campus police program back on table; sheriff says suspects have gang affiliation
On Tuesday afternoon, Aptos High School was locked down for nearly three hours after a student was fatally stabbed and two others were taken into custody in an attack officials said was gang-related. County and school leaders convened in a virtual community meeting Thursday to discuss safety measures for the school moving forward.
