Formerly homeless grad part of historic Cabrillo College class
APTOS—Tomas Alejandrez was experiencing homeless and using drugs while living on the streets of Fresno when he was 39. Now 47, he is set to graduate from Cabrillo College today with three Associates degrees.
He is one of 1,240 that will participate in the college’s...
Aptos farm wins Best of Show at regional olive oil competition
Patrick and Teresa Royan were living in Los Gatos when they first discovered Pleasant Valley, a rural area in Aptos permeated with rolling hills, orchards, vineyards and pastures. The couple had been looking for a place to settle relatively close to the beach yet...
Cabrillo sees enrollment drop following fires, pandemic
APTOS—When Covid-19 began to sweep the U.S.—and brought with it an economic recession—Cabrillo College officials expected a jump in enrollment that typically comes with a battered economy.
But the college is now seeing a significant drop in those numbers, which it pins on the double...
State prioritizes farmworkers for Covid-19 vaccinations
CALIFORNIA—As California deals with a surge of Covid-19 cases, hope is in sight as the vaccine begins to be administered to healthcare workers and long-term care residents.
And on Jan. 13, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared that farmworkers would be included in the next tier.
The announcement...
Candidate calls for Councilwoman Parker to resign after probe into his profession
WATSONVILLE—A candidate for Watsonville City Council is calling for Councilwoman Ari Parker to resign for abuse of power after she challenged his standing as a teacher on his candidate statement, and asked City officials to scrub his designation. But Parker is saying that she...
Rocks Ranch property sold to Land Trust
A stretch of road alongside Highway 101 could soon be home to a tunnel complex turned wildlife crossing under the busy highway.
The Land Trust of Santa Cruz County announced Sept. 9 that it has agreed to purchase the 2,640-acre Rocks Ranch in Aromas at...
CHP: DUI suspect struck Capitola police officer
CAPITOLA—A Santa Cruz man was arrested Saturday for felony DUI after allegedly striking a police officer riding a motorcycle, California Highway Patrol Officer Sam Courtney said.
Kolton Matosich, 29, was charged with felony DUI. He was not in custody Monday morning, jail records showed.
According to...
County supervisors move to streamline rebuilding process
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday set the stage for a streamlined process for rebuilding the homes and other structures damaged in the CZU August Lightning Complex fire.
The item was part of the consent agenda and therefore garnered no...
Gilroy man accused of ‘Boogaloo’ affiliation
By Michael Moore, of the Morgan Hill Times
SANTA CLARA COUNTY—Gilroy resident Alan Viarengo, who taught math at Gavilan College for nearly 20 years, was arrested last week on suspicion of stalking and threatening Santa Clara County’s public health officer, and police say he has...
CZU Complex now state’s 9th-most destructive fire ever recorded
SCOTTS VALLEY—The CZU August Lightning Complex has destroyed 1,483 structures as of Tuesday morning, making it the ninth-most destructive fire ever recorded in the state.
The majority of those structures are single-family homes in the Santa Cruz mountain towns of Boulder Creek and Bonny Doon,...
