Watsonville is a city in Santa Cruz County, California, United States. The population was 51,199 according to the 2010 census. Watsonville is a small farming community on the central coast of California. The city is home to people of varied ethnic backgrounds.
There is a large Hispanic population, small group of Croats, and a Filipino, Caucasian, and Japanese population of people that live and work in Watsonville. The economy centers predominantly around the farming industry. The city is known for growing strawberries, apples, lettuce and a host of other vegetables.The Pajaro Valley has a climate that is usually pleasant – around 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit – year round.
This climate makes Watsonville an attractive coastal environment for the neighboring inland communities with very hot summers. The Pajaro Valley Unified School District has an attendance of about 18,000 students kindergarten through 12th grades. There are several private religious-based schools in Watsonville such as Notre Dame School, Monte Vista Christian, Salesian Sisters and St. Francis. There are also several charter schools and the non-religious independent Pre-K through 12th grade Mount Madonna School. These schools provide a wide range of educational options for local families. Watsonville is generally conservative on the political spectrum and average in relationship to the neighboring communities of Salinas, Castroville, and Prunedale.
The larger coastal town directly north of Watsonville is the city of Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz is a draw for many young college students who attend Cabrillo College or UC Santa Cruz. Because Watsonville and Santa Cruz are beach towns, they draw many visitors from San Jose and from the inland Valley areas. Like neighboring Salinas in Monterey County, Watsonville produces a variety of fruits and vegetables, primarily apples, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, and table mushrooms.
Also located in Watsonville, CA is Scurich Insruance which is family owned and locally ran. If you want more information on Scurich Insurance click the link to be directed!
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A Corralitos man looked down to light a cigarette and change the radio station on his Chevy Blazer early Wednesday, but lost control of the vehicle, crashed, knocked out power to a neighborhood and caught a house on fire, the California Highway Patrol reported.
The crash, blackout and fire happened just before 1 a.m. on Freedom Boulevard at Bowker Road, a smattering of homes adjacent to agriculture land north of Watsonville.
Thomas Roller, 29, told CHP officers he was driving about 40-50 mph—the posted speed in the area is 45 mph—when he lost control of his 1996 Blazer. From there, it was a domino effect.
The truck struck a power pole on the corner of Freedom and Bowker, sheering off the pole. The Blazer continued across the intersection, through the front fence at a Bowker Road house and into the home’s yard, the CHP reported.
The broken power pole fell into another power pole. Approximately 920 Pacific Gas and Electric Co. customers lost power, the company reported.
Don’t let an accident like this catch you off guard. Scurich Insurance Services can help you with all your auto insurance needs!
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The Watsonville Certified Farmer’s Market has a wide array of participating farmers during the spring and summer season. Each farm stand has a unique medley of fruits and vegetables. There is something for everyone here, from organic lovers to seekers of the exotic.
This week at the market you can find peas, peanuts and green onions at the Agular Farms stand. Keep a lookout for asparagus and broccoli as well. Universal Organics is another great spot to find asparagus. Universal has beautiful array of veggies; colorful carrots, bright broccoli, brussel sprouts and cabbage, just to name a few. And all organic to boot!
Stop in at the Shletewitz Farms stand for lovely citrus fruits; oranges, tangelos, sweet grapefruit, lemons, limes and more. Shletewitz hands out mouthwatering sample wedges to temp shoppers. One juicy bite and you’ll be sold!
Shoppers will be in for a treat this week at the KT Farms stand. This booth has a wonderful selection of exotic produce; Asian cucumbers, Chinese broccoli, baby bok choy, Thai basil and Chinese spinach. KT’s more unusual offerings are sugar cane, tarrow root and celery root. Visit this stand to add some adventure to your menu.
At the Aula Farms stand, check out the aromatic array of herbs: cilantro, basil, dill and thyme. Aula’s aromatic offerings extend to onions and garlic as well. Cucumbers, green beans, and celery round out this stand’s offerings.
Shopping at the farmer’s market is a wonderful way to connect with your community, support local farmers and eat seasonally. The Watsonville Certified Farmer’s Market is held 3-7 pm every Friday on the corner of Peck and Main streets. The market is open rain or shine.
Credit: Christine Marez
Scurich Insurance helps farmers get covered with many types of Commercial Insurance.
Scurich Insurance Services
320 East Lake Avenue, PO Box 1170
Watsonville, CA 95077-1170
Office: 1-831-722-3541
Toll Free: 1-800-320-3666
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A Watsonville bank robbed on Friday is offering up to $5,000 for information that leads to an arrest in the takeover-style armed heist, the FBI announced this week.
FBI agents and Watsonville police detectives are investigating the afternoon holdup at Bay Federal Credit Union in the Freedom Center. The two robbers came into the bank around 1:15 p.m., brandished a gun, ordered about 15 customers and employees to the ground, then stole an undisclosed amount of cash, police reported. As they fled, the robbers fired a single gunshot into the floor, police said. No one was injured, according to the FBI.
Witnesses described the suspects as two males, possibly Hispanic or light-skinned African American. Both were wearing dark “hoodie” pull-over sweatshirts. Witnesses observed a late model, Black Nissan Altima leaving the scene, possibly driven by a get-away driver, meaning there were three men involved in the heist.
Investigators ask anybody with information as to the identity or whereabouts of the robbers to call 911. They should be considered armed and extremely dangerous. The FBI can be reached 24 hours a day at 415-553-7400. All calls are confidential. The Watsonville Police Department crime tip line is 831-768-3354 or the investigations bureau can be reached at 831-768-3350.
Scurich Insurance can help your business get insured in the event of a robbery with Business Insurance.
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Former Watsonville Mayor Luis Alejo made a special appearance at the Watsonville City Council meeting Tuesday night to recognize the city’s police department for the its crime-fighting prowess. The city recorded its lowest crime rate in 30 years in 2010.
“Thanks to the Watsonville Police Department for doing a tremendous job fighting violence in our community,” Alejo said in a prepared statement released before Tuesday’s event. “…I commend the great work of the Watsonville Police Department for its superior record of law enforcement.”
Alejo highlighted some of the most significant achievements:
•The overall crime rate was down 15 percent last year.
•Youth arrests dropped 34 percent.
•Violent crime fell by 8 percent.
•Property crimes were down 17 percent.
•Homicides dropped 75 percent when compared to 2009.
Scurich Insurance can help protect you from crime related incidents with Business Insurance and Personal Insurance. Please visit us at www.scurichinsurance.com
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The fire sparked in a back room at Apple Growers Ice & Cold Storage Co., at 850 W. Beach St., around 3:30 p.m on Wednesday 4/20/2011. The blaze is a challenge for fire crews. The massive building, about 100 yards long and a block wide, was constructed in the 1920s using heavy timbers, solid concrete and cork—which is packed into the walls to keep the facility cool.
The flames ignited in a back room packed with Martinelli’s apple cider. In fact, most of the building was full of apple juice from the company, which has a manufacturing facility across the street. Heavy smoke billowed from the cavernous building for more than an hour as fire crews from Salinas to Scotts Valley got in place.
About two hours in, three ladder trucks lined up along the roof-line of the building. The first sprayed water onto the smoldering structure as a half-dozen firefighters used to the second truck’s ladder to get onto the roof. The roof burst into flames, shooting fire at least 20 feet into the air while black smoke billowed towards town. The firefighters retreated from the roof, repositioned the truck and used its ladder to shoot a second stream of water onto the fire. As the fire pushed through the building, the third ladder truck set up on West Beach Street to hose down the flames licking through the aging structure. At the high point, 16 fire engines, three trucks and a small legion of brass from every most every fire department in the region. The cause of the fire was unclear Wednesday night.
Scurich Insurance can help you cover your business from fire damage with Business Insurance.
320 East Lake Avenue, PO Box 1170
Watsonville, CA 95077-1170
Office: 1-831-722-3541
Toll Free: 1-800-320-3666
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