The Pajaronian

Aptos High senior Ella Boyes finished with a pair of top-five finishes during the finals of the Central Coast Section Track and Field Championships at Gilroy High on May 23.

But perhaps none was more meaningful to her than the performance she put on to break a school record that stood for exactly two decades.

Boyes placed fifth in the 300-meter hurdles in 45.06 seconds — narrowly surpassing the previous mark of 45.07 set by Stephanie LeFever in 2006.

At first glance, Boyes knew she was somewhere near to the mark until she ultimately realized the feat was accomplished.

“I’m really happy,” she said. “Almost 20 years since the last [record] was set, so I’m very excited.”

Boyes placed fourth in the long jump with a leap of 18 feet, 1/2 inch. She partook in six total jumps, which is something she wasn’t accustomed to throughout the spring campaign.

She also mentioned the temperatures in Gilroy were a little above average than the coastal weather she’s used to training in Aptos.

“It was definitely hard for me because it was really hot during round three when I had to do the long jump,” Boyes said. “My legs were pretty tired coming into the 300 hurdles, but I’m lucky I got out fast.”

In the 300 hurdles, Boyes came storming out of the gate before clearing the first two sticks with ease. She kept up with the front of the pack until she began to fall back with just a little more than 150 meters remaining in the race.

Coming down the final stretch, Boyes hit the turbo boosters while sprinting full speed after vaulting over the last hurdle.

“I’ve been trying to get out faster out of the blocks,” Boyes said. “I’ve struggled with that all year, so definitely it came down to that. And just pushing more at the start. I always have a good kick, just trying to hold that at the end for the last 100 meters.”

Aptos senior Maya Schiro placed sixth in the girls 3200 in 10:53.12, while teammate junior Bella Briceno-Nicholson placed tied for fifth in the girls high jump with a hop of 5-2. Ellie Marta, a junior, placed 12th in the girls discus with a toss of 100-7.

Teammates sophomores Charlotte Gubser and Cynthia Chavez took second with throws of 21-2 and 15-6, respectively, in the girls shot put relay unified event.

The season came to a close for Boyes and her teammates after they failed to qualify for the California Interscholastic Federation Track and Field Championships at Buchanan High in Clovis. The top-three finishers from each event advanced.

It also meant the end of high school career for some athletes such as Boyes and Schiro. However, she will test her skills as a walk-on at the University of California–San Diego. 

Boyes said being part of this year’s group of CCS finalists meant a lot, especially coming off a series of injuries that derailed her 2025 season. 

“I was trying really hard this season to stay healthy,” she said.

Monte Vista Christian sophomore Anna Conca (5:03.62) placed seventh in the 1600, while teammate senior Nylie Joneson (9-2) was in a three-way tie for ninth in the pole vault.

“It was a great race,” said Monte Vista Christian head coach Erik Beckmen in a text message. “[Conca] was right there, but she’s only a sophomore. This was a great experience and run for her. I’m excited for the future with the team.” 

Aptos High senior Brady Bliesner (4:17.22) took fifth in the boys 1600, while teammates sophomores Josh Gonzalez (34-8 1/2) and Vincent Becceril (31-1 1/2) placed fourth in the boys shot put relay unified event.

Aptos sophomores Ivan Cortes (12.24) and Jonny Espinoza (12.30) teamed up to win the 100 dash relay unified race. Both runners are headed to the CIF State Championships ranked No. 5 in California. 

Teammates freshman Tucker Jenkins (12.94) and senior Kingston Mabuhay (15.15) teamed up to place fifth.

Watsonville High seniors Christopher Hernandez (38-8 1/2) and Leonel Jarquin (36-2) teamed up for a second place finish in the shot put relay unified event. Teammates junior Alejandro Riquelme (31-6) and senior Francisco Alanis (31-6) took sixth for a podium finish.

Watsonville senior Lisandro Pantoja had to miss the discus finals due to illness, putting a damper on what was a spectacular final season with the Wildcatz.

“Looking forward to next year with the younger kids,” said Watsonville head coach Rob Cornett, who is retiring from teaching but returning with the track and field program.

#tdi_1 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item1 { background: url(https://pajaronian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/PAJ2622-CCS-TF-Championships-WEB-2-80x60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; } #tdi_1 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item2 { background: url(https://pajaronian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/PAJ2622-CCS-TF-Championships-WEB-3-80x60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; } #tdi_1 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item3 { background: url(https://pajaronian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/PAJ2622-CCS-TF-Championships-WEB-4-80x60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; } #tdi_1 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item4 { background: url(https://pajaronian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/PAJ2622-CCS-TF-Championships-WEB-5-80x60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; } #tdi_1 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item5 { background: url(https://pajaronian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/PAJ2622-CCS-TF-Championships-WEB-6-80x60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; } #tdi_1 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item6 { background: url(https://pajaronian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/PAJ2622-CCS-TF-Championships-WEB-7-80x60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; } #tdi_1 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item7 { background: url(https://pajaronian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/PAJ2622-CCS-TF-Championships-WEB-1-80x60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; } 1 of 7 Aptos High junior Bella Briceno-Nicholson competes in the high jump event during the finals of the Central Coast Section Track and Field Championships at Gilroy High School on May 23. Briceno-Nicholson finished tied for fifth with a leap of 5 feet, 2 inches. (Raul Ebio/The Pajaronian) Aptos High junior Ellie Marta competes in the discus throw during the finals of the Central Coast Section Track and Field Championships at Gilroy High School on May 23. Marta placed 12th with a throw of 100 feet, 7 inches. (Raul Ebio/The Pajaronian) Monte Vista Christian sophomore Anna Conca stays ahead of Eliot Marsch of Saint Ignatius in the 1600-meter race during the finals of the Central Coast Section Track and Field Championships at Gilroy High School on May 23. Conca finished seventh with a time of 5 minutes, 03.62 seconds. (Raul Ebio/The Pajaronian) Monte Vista Christian senior Nylie Joneson competes in the pole vault during the finals of the Central Coast Section Track and Field Championships at Gilroy High School on May 23. Joneson finished ninth with a score of 9 feet, 2 inches. (Raul Ebio/The Pajaronian) Aptos High senior Ella Boyes competes in the long jump event during the finals of the Central Coast Section Track and Field Championships at Gilroy High School on May 23. Boyes placed fourth with a jump of 18 feet. (Raul Ebio/The Pajaronian) Aptos High senior Brady Bliesner competes in the 1600-meter race during the finals of the Central Coast Section Track and Field Championships at Gilroy High School on May 23. Bliesner finished fifth with a time of 4 minutes, 17.22 seconds. (Raul Ebio/The Pajaronian) Aptos High senior Ella Boyes competes in the 300-meter hurdles during the finals of the Central Coast Section Track and Field Championships at Gilroy High School on May 23. Boyes placed fifth in 45.06 seconds, which set a new school record. (Raul Ebio/The Pajaronian)

Work is moving forward on the Watsonville City Plaza revitalization project that will preserve the historic hub of downtown for years to come.

On Tuesday crews from Selden & Son were joined by city officials to get an in-depth view of what the job entails. Crumbling brick work that is over 100 years old, faltering columns, damaged ornamentations and unsafe areas of the bandstand are among other items on the city’s to-do list.

Since the job got underway May 7, workers have installed a massive wood crib to hold up the existing metal roof to allow for column replacements. They cut a slice out of the bandstand floor to gain access to the innards of the structure. Meanwhile, workers explored the basement of the bandstand to get a better picture of strengthening the building from the ground up.

LOWER DEPTHS Workers are also determining how to redo the basement of the bandstand which has been deemed unsafe. (Tarmo Hannula/The Pajaronian)

“The most important thing we’re doing is starting with the structural evaluation and repairs in order to preserve the historical elements of the building,” said project manager Hilda Peralta. “I was born and raised here so this is of great importance to me and our community.”

The project is expected to take about a year to complete in two phases, and includes repairs of the fountain and add new amenities such as a permanent stage, public art, seating areas and ADA-accessible pathways.

Phase 1 will focus on restoring the bandstand and fountain and upgrading electrical infrastructure and is expected to take five to six months. Phase 2 covers expanded seating and picnic areas, public art installations and other improvements designed to support the more than 20 annual events held at the plaza.

INSIDE VIEW Workers have cut a slice out of the bandstand floor to get a deeper understanding of needed repairs. (Tarmo Hannula/The Pajaronian)

Peralta mentioned that the project is being headed up by three women: Sissy Selden, project manager from Selden & Son, Brianna Cox, SSA Landscape Architect and prime consultant, and herself.

“You don’t see this a lot with other projects,” Peralta said

The project received $3.35 million through California’s Proposition 68 Statewide Park Program grant, along with local funding through Watsonville’s Measure R parks initiative, officials said.

On a recent one-day drive through San Jose, my wife, Sarah, and I took in a wealth of rich sites, from the red salty shore of Alviso Marina County Park, the splashy shops of Santana Row, and to the north, the calm and rolling hills of Coyote Valley Open Space Reserve. 

It’s an odd mix of stops, but we found it added up to a worthy day trip that wrapped up at one of our long-time favorite restaurants, Falafel’s Drive-In.

Alviso, resting on the southern tip of the San Francisco Bay, has proven to be a worthy goal for us, with its display of historic wood-and-tin buildings of the past, great birding trails along the marshes and the bizarre red waters of the salt-infused bay.

TRENDY SPOT Santana Row is a giant magnet for shoppers off of Stevens Creek Boulevard in San Jose. (Tarmo Hannula/The Pajaronian)

According to Visit San Jose,  “Alviso once served as San Jose’s port city and the now closed Bayside Canning Company (once the 3rd largest cannery in the U.S.), serves as a reminder of that history.”

The generous wide paths and boardwalks start from the County Park lot with ample parking spots, a restroom and benches. Since my mother was an experienced birder, she taught me to ask questions and see what other birders are up to, what is in their spotting scopes and claiming their attention. I did that once at Rio del Mar State Beach and the very excited group told me they were trailing a rare wagtail who had wandered off course to the shores of Santa Cruz County. And then the bird popped up right in front of us and I got some amazing photos of the bird wagging its long tail feathers.

OPEN SPACE Coyote Valley Open Space Reserve, in Santa Clara Valley, offers hiking, biking and horse riding trails. (Tarmo Hannula/The Pajaronian)

Santana Row, at Stevens Creek and Winchester boulevards, is a bustling residential and commercial district in west San Jose. Across the street from Westfield Valley Fair shopping mall, the open-air walking mall features a colorful mix of more than 50 shops, around 30 restaurants, and a lot more. But most of all, we’ve found over the years, is the great  body of folks mingling about. 

We’ve seen huge crowds of people with every kind of dog on earth walking by in some kind of dog club, outdoor yoga demonstrations, live music, hands-on art tables and on and on.

This visit treated us to an amazing musical duo who stunned us and everyone within listening distance. We learned they were a Colombo-American duet named IndiviDúo, made up of Tiffany Joy, a California singer/songwriter, and Maqui Reyes, a Colombian singer/musician and composer. Their vocal harmony, guitar playing and compositions amazed us and it was reflected across dozens of joyful faces of the crowd that gathered.

A short drive north took us to the Bailey exit and the Coyote Valley Open Space Reserve, in Santa Clara Valley. The sprawling wilderness is overseen by Open Space Authority who is in charge of preserving and stewardship of several spots in Santa Clara Valley. We had just met one of their members at Santa Row who said they invite the public to get involved as docents, trail patrols, community outreach and “trail masters.” (For information, visit openspaceauthority.org). Several trails stemmed off of a small parking lot at the Coyote Valley location where we noticed joggers and hikers, young and not so young. We spotted an osprey and red-tailed hawk, a black-head phoebe, colorful butterflies and numerous ground squirrels darting about. Though this visit was brief, we plan to return for a deeper plunge into its natural bounty that didn’t cost a dime to visit. 

I’ve written about it before but feel it’s worth the mention, the Falafel’s Drive-In, 2301 Stevens Creek Blvd. Opened in 1966, they’re still serving freshly prepared Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food. It once again proved to be a fine way to wrap up a rewarding day of tourism not too far from home.

Thanks to the efforts of the Pajaro Valley Arts and a cast of volunteers, the 20th annual “Sculpture IS: In the Garden” has been installed at the two-acre Sierra Azul Nursery demonstration gardens in Watsonville. 
“With twenty successful exhibitions behind us, we are excited to feature new and returning artists in this special anniversary show,” said exhibit coordinator Hedwig Heershop.
From metal, glass and ceramics to plastic, dangling metal mobiles and wood, the exhibit, which is free to the public, offers a huge range of what is going on to today’s free-sanding sculpture works. 

IN MOTION Jeff Owen of San Jose Stabile created this 12-foot high mobile made of steel and paint. (Tarmo Hannula/The Pajaronian)

The show, which is a mix of the long-standing permanent collections, and newly installed recent works, is curated by Jamie Abbott, Susana Arias and Jeff Rosendale.
Melanie Oldach was part of the initial installation group who entered her ceramic and metal sculpture titled “Garden Party.” 
“This is such a great venue and important show,” she said. “I am a big supporter. I love the works shown here; it includes the whole community. Hedwig, the Exhibit Coordinator, is such a great person to work with.”

PARTY TIME “Garden Party” is a ceramic and metal sculpture by Melanie Oldach (Tarmo Hannula/The Pajaronian)

Manuel Vasaure said he felt privileged to have the space to show three of his meta works, including “Ascending Sunrise” that features a woman made of metal soaring upwards into the sky.
Jeff Owen of San Jose brought a 12-foot metal mobile, similar to famed mobile artist, Alexander Calder.
“I love being here with my art,” he said. “This is a place art belongs; it’s the best area to show art.”
The show runs from June 1–Oct. 31 at 2660 East Lake Ave. in Watsonville.

The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees on May 20 approved a new deputy superintendent position responsible for overseeing the Curriculum and Instruction, Professional Development and Special Education departments.

Mark Herbst, most recently the associate superintendent of student support services for Modesto City Schools, also will serve as the district’s second-in-command and fill in when Superintendent Heather Contreras is unavailable. He will earn an annual salary of $228,000, plus a $6,270 stipend for holding a master’s degree, along with benefits. His contract runs through June 2029.

In separate 5-2 votes, the board approved both the job description for the new position and Herbst’s contract. Trustees Daniel Dodge Jr. and Gabe Medina voted no.

Immediately afterward, the trustees voted to eliminate roughly 100 full-time equivalent positions, including jobs in special education, mental health, teaching and academic and social-emotional counseling.

That number was reduced from nearly 160 preliminary cuts approved in December after about 75 teachers accepted offers through the district’s Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan, or SERP.

Medina and Dodge, Jr. also cast the only no-votes.

The timing of the two agenda items angered many people in the packed boardroom. Several speakers said Contreras’ decision to hire Herbst from Modesto, where she previously worked, amounted to cronyism.

“We need to say no, because the optics aren’t good,” teacher Bobby Marchessault said.

Pajaro Valley Federation of Teachers President Brandon Diniz said creating the position was “not fiscally sound” and would have “no meaningful impact” on student success.

Medina questioned why the district did not post the job publicly.

Contreras responded that it is common for superintendents to appoint members of their cabinet directly.

“This was a recruitment, and I think it would have been disingenuous to go through a process when I knew who I wanted to have in this position,” she said.

Contreras defended the hire, saying Herbst’s “unique set of skills matches what we have seen as needs in our district, particularly with special education.”

Reading intervention teacher Laura Azzaro challenged the idea that Herbst’s success in improving student achievement in Modesto could be replicated in PVUSD.

She said Modesto schools have assistant principals, counselors and reading intervention teachers — positions PVUSD has cut.

“Are you hearing what the missing equation is?” Azzaro said. “He can’t fix all that. All the people that I just looked up can. And we’ve either been fired or laid off.”

Marchessault agreed.

“The way you keep the achievement gap from growing is by investing in teachers,” he said.

Dodge said his opposition stemmed from his support for district employees.

“Many of the teachers, guidance counselors and classified employees affected are my neighbors, former classmates and friends who live in my trustee area,” he said. “I have to live in this community, and supporting this item would destroy my credibility in the neighborhoods that I represent.”

Tensions escalated when Contreras accused Medina of contributing to employee resignations during her tenure as superintendent.

“Because of what people watch in these board meetings, and your behavior and your hostility toward people, it is very difficult to get people to apply for these positions,” she said. “So I find it very fortunate that we would even be able to have Mr. Herbst be here.”

Referring to the upcoming November election, which could reshape the board, Medina repeated a threat he has made previously.

“I love this,” he said. “Contreras, come November, you are gone, baby. You are gone.”

After the vote, Herbst addressed the audience and acknowledged concerns about the timing of his hiring alongside the layoffs.

“But I will truly tell you confidently that I believe in a short amount of time you guys will see me as a value-add to Pajaro Valley,” he said. “My career will be based on going at and serving what I consider to be the historically marginalized student groups in this district.”

Mads Realmuto will be the first to say he prefers to stay out of the spotlight.

His career in international public affairs allowed him to do just that, staying behind the scenes as he helped others further the goals of the organizations and companies for which he worked.

But the Aptos resident is now running for the Trustee Area 7 seat on the Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees in the November election. 

With 35 schools, roughly 14,000 students and thousands of employees, it is arguably one of the most public-facing elected positions in Santa Cruz County, with often raucous meetings frequently drawing hundreds.

He says the move into the public arena was inspired by a battle to find appropriate education for his special-needs daughter.

After the 7-year-old had five different teachers at Bradley Elementary School within a year—some of whom were not credentialed for special education—Realmuto realized he needed to become more involved.

He and his husband, Nick, settled with Pajaro Valley Unified School District, which later agreed to provide his daughter with 10 weeks of summer camp over two years, as well as 45 hours per week with a behavior technician and 100 minutes of speech therapy each week.

It was during this process that Realmuto began attending PVUSD board meetings and voicing his concerns during public comment periods.

“Navigating the intricacies around special education is where I really started engaging the board because we were having so many difficulties getting the level of service and support that she needed,” he said.

He joined the Special Education Local Plan Area board and delved into the challenges the district faced in providing special education services.

Then the district proposed cutting special education teachers.

“I was looking at this system where they were already struggling to deliver and were having to settle with us because they couldn’t provide services required in her IEP,” he said, referring to the individualized education program special education students receive. 

It was during this period of advocacy that members of the community began encouraging Realmuto to run for the school board.

“That’s where I ultimately decided that I need to run because we need a different approach to how the school board is working right now,” he said.

Challenges

Realmuto sees a current board where interpersonal conflicts often supplant or delay policymaking.

“I’d really like to step in on the board and leverage some of my background in public affairs and international trade to bring down the temperature and de-escalate,” he said. “I think there are ways to engage people you disagree with in a respectful way.”

Realmuto also said he wants to work with Superintendent Heather Contreras as she seeks to improve student outcomes while encouraging a more thoughtful approach to implementing new policies and changes.

As an example, he pointed to the recent proposal to move students from Duncan-Holbert School—which provides special education services—to other locations and relocate Renaissance High School to that campus.

The board tabled the item to give staff time to find alternative locations.

While Realmuto said he understands the reasoning behind the proposal, he said the speed with which it was introduced caused unnecessary stress and work.

“You have to think this through a little bit more before we can move forward with that,” he said. “I want to ask challenging questions, and I want to be creative with them. I think a school board’s job is not to micromanage, but to bring a skill set and a line of questioning that says, ‘Have we considered these other options?’”

Realmuto also said he hopes to improve the way the district communicates with the public.

Over the course of two weeks, Realmuto said he received two messages through the system intended to relay information to parents that instead provided updates on ongoing negotiations with the Pajaro Valley Federation of Teachers, which he called a misuse of the district tool.

“They’re using it on a platform where really that should be about teachers communicating with parents, principals communicating with parents,” he said.

Paired with the roughly 25 messages parents receive from schools—many of them irrelevant—that causes parents either to ignore the messages or opt out entirely, he said.

“And then you don’t get engaged in school,” he said. “Honestly, I don’t know that any district communications should go to families. It should all be coming through teachers and principals speaking to their families.”

Experience counts

Realmuto said his experience in international trade relations has prepared him for the role.

“I have a lot of experience taking really complex issues and turning them into policy speak and things people can understand and relate to,” he said. “I think that’s exactly what is needed here: looking at some of those deeply technical issues, looking at data and trying to map that with where we want to take the district and how we leverage data to improve student outcomes.”

Realmuto also said he wants PVUSD to place a higher value on career technical education, both by bolstering those programs and honoring students who choose that path.

“Not every pathway is a four-year college,” he said. “I really want to see us shift our mindset around the whole career technical education piece.”

In addition, Realmuto said the district should rethink the move that began during the COVID-19 pandemic to incorporate computer screens into education.

“We need to get computers out of the classroom pretty significantly,” he said. “They need to be a tool for some of the things that we do, not a replacement for education.”

He also foresees a future with smaller class sizes, as well as more teacher support and training — goals he said could be accomplished by reevaluating the district budget.

“I don’t think we give them enough time to do that level of training, but we also don’t give them enough resources,” he said. “When we look at data, one of the big factors in school success is class size.”

Second Harvest Food Bank hosted a free pop-up diaper distribution for families in need Tuesday at Watsonville Community Hospital. 

According to the National Diaper Bank Network, nearly one in two U.S. households with young children endure “diaper insecurity,” Luisa Olivares of Second Harvest said. 

So far this fiscal year, Second Harvest has distributed more than 52,000 diaper packs and served over 22,000 children across Santa Cruz County.

Second Harvest CEO Erica Padilla-Chávez, who was on hand with the distribution with staff and a crew of volunteers, said that over 300 families showed up for the free packages about 45 minutes into the giveaway.

“We’re here today because we recognize that there are a lot of families that are struggling to meet every day requirement to stay healthy,” Padilla-Chávez, said. “We are all paying more money for food, gas, rent and on and on. Today we have diapers for 600 children. This means a little bit of relief for at least two to three weeks for these families. We’`re able to do this thanks to the State of California that contributed to making Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County a Diaper Bank. We are requesting that the legislature give us another round of funding for next year.”Second Harvest is the county’s only food bank and California’s first, founded in 1972 as the second in the nation. For information, visit thefoodbank.org.

The vacant 2.75-acre property on Airport Boulevard across from the Freedom Centre shopping plaza has long been the site of a homeless encampment that troubled residents and plagued city officials, who struggled to balance helping unhoused residents with protecting the land from the impacts of unsanctioned camping.

Now, after years of asking the property owner KDS Dhaliwal Investments Inc. to keep the property along Corralitos Creek clean—and paying thousands to clean it themselves—the city has taken ownership of the property, and has plans to develop it into a park.

On Tuesday, the Watsonville City Council accepted the donation of the land following negotiations over cleanup costs and ongoing encampment issues. 

The city previously spent about $145,760 clearing a homeless encampment from the site in 2024, and had threatened to place a special assessment lien on the property if those costs were not repaid.

Under the proposed agreement, the company will pay the city $60,000 toward past cleanup expenses, remove the current encampment and then transfer the property to the city.

City officials said the parcel would be accepted in “as-is” condition. The owner would also indemnify the city against claims arising from clearing the encampment.

While no funding has been identified to create a park on the property, Deputy City Manager Nick Calubaquib told the council that there may be funding from Proposition 4, a 2024 law that, among other things, invests in state and local parks.

The report states the city would not pay a purchase price and would only be responsible for its share of escrow-related costs.”

Additional details in the proposed land donation agreement show the property owner must meet several conditions before the transfer to the city of Watsonville can be completed.

The agreement requires KDS Dhaliwal Investments Inc. to remove the encampment and hazardous materials — including biohazard waste, chemical waste, human waste and used needles—before escrow can close.

The city would retain the right to inspect the site and require additional cleanup if necessary.

The owner also must comply with environmental laws and due process protections related to the removal of unhoused people and personal belongings from the property.

Escrow would be handled through First American Title Company in Soquel, with the transfer expected to close after June 1.

Councilman Jimmy Dutra worried that the residents will move back onto the property after it has been cleared.

“My concern is that it turns back into what it was, and the public does not want to see that,” he said. “The damage that it has put upon Safeway and that shopping center is something the public does not want to go back to.”

Calubaquib told the council that the Parks and Recreation department will manage the property.

“The goal is to create a safe space that doesn’t fall back to the encampment,” he said. 

Councilwoman Maria Orozco called the donation a “neat opportunity.”

“District 3 lacks parks, so I am excited for the potential,” she said, adding that long-term management should be shared between the city and Santa Cruz County, on whose boundaries the property lies.

“I think it has to be a mutual collaboration to make sure that we can more consistently address the issues that arise in that area,” Orozco said. 

•••

New utility rates approved

In separate action, the council approved a series of utility rate increases for water, wastewater and solid waste services that city officials say are necessary to maintain aging infrastructure, comply with new environmental regulations and pay for major capital projects.

The increase—the city’s first since 2021—will take effect July 1.

Residential water customers will be billed under a three-tier system based on usage levels.

Customers with fixed meters will see monthly charges rise from $29.93 to $32.16. 

Customers in the first tier using up to 6 hundred cubic feet of water per month would see rates increase from $4.11 to $4.32 per unit. Second-tier users consuming between 7 and 12 hunderd cubic feet would see rates rise from $5.38 to $5.50.

Customers who use more than 12 hundred cubic feet per month would initially see rates drop from $8.33 to $7.58 before gradually increasing over the following years to $9.21 by 2031.

City officials said the increases are needed to address inflation-driven operating costs, maintain reserve funds and debt obligations, and fund large infrastructure investments. Because the city’s utilities operate as enterprise funds, the services are paid for through customer rates rather than taxes or the city’s general fund.

According to the rate study presented to the council, the water system faces about $85 million in capital projects through 2031. Among the largest projects are a new Chromium-6 treatment plant and ongoing water main replacement programs.

Officials said new state drinking water regulations for Chromium-6, along with aging wells and pipelines and rising costs for labor, chemicals and utilities, are driving the need for higher water rates.

The study warned that without the increases, the city’s water enterprise fund would fall below reserve targets by 2029 and enter a negative cash position by 2031.

Wastewater projects account for some of the steepest proposed increases. The city plans roughly $86.6 million in wastewater capital spending through 2031, including a $40 million replacement of the wastewater treatment plant’s headworks and influent pump station.

Another major investment is a $20.4 million cogeneration and energy savings project that officials estimate could reduce Pacific Gas & Electric costs by more than $800,000 annually.

Both measures passed 6-0, with Vanessa Quiroz-Carter absent.

Boys on a Pee-Wee Softball team suit up for a game in Watsonville on Jan. 16, 1957. (Sam Vestal/ Pajaronian file)

This article was contributed by Review Grow

If you’ve been searching for the best sites to buy Google reviews safely in 2026, you already know how competitive local search has become. A business with 200 five-star reviews shows up in the Local 3-Pack. A business with 12 reviews barely shows up at all. 

Over the past several months, our team tested the five most talked-about providers in 2026, comparing them on safety, authenticity, delivery quality and long-term profile stability. After running real campaigns through each one, ReviewGrow consistently came out as the strongest overall option, and we’ll walk you through exactly why.

Best Sites to Buy Google Reviews Safely in 2026

Here’s a quick comparison of the top five services before we dive into the details:

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When we ran our test campaigns, ReviewGrow was the only provider that delivered reviews we genuinely couldn’t tell apart from organic ones. 

Every detail, from the writing style to the reviewer profiles to the delivery pacing, felt like it came from real customers. 

That’s what positions ReviewGrow as the industry leader for businesses that care about long-term local SEO growth rather than quick, risky boosts.

Between its advanced customization, natural delivery system and strategic focus on long-term credibility, ReviewGrow has earned its reputation as the best reputation management platform for local businesses in 2026. 

Authenticity and Safety

Every review delivered through ReviewGrow comes from a real verified account with established posting history. 

These aren’t accounts created last week. They have profile photos, prior reviews on other unrelated businesses and the kind of activity patterns that Google’s filters expect to see from genuine users.

Advanced Customization

This is where ReviewGrow genuinely separates itself from the rest of the field. The platform offers customization options that other providers simply don’t have:

• Gender targeting so the reviewer mix matches your typical customer base
• Geographic targeting to ensure reviews appear to come from your actual service area
• Industry-specific language that uses the right terminology for your niche
• Custom review requests where you can specify topics, services, or experiences to mention

This level of control means a law firm in Chicago doesn’t get the same generic reviews as a coffee shop in Austin. The reviews actually fit the business.

Local SEO Benefits

ReviewGrow has been designed from the ground up with local SEO in mind. The combination of geo-targeted reviewers, custom service mentions and steady review velocity directly supports:

• Local 3-Pack visibility for competitive search terms
• “Near me” ranking improvements
• Stronger trust signals for both Google and potential customers
• Higher click-through rates from search results
• Better Google Maps performance overall

For businesses competing in saturated markets, the difference between sitting in position 7 and breaking into the top 3 often comes down to review quality and velocity. ReviewGrow is built specifically to push that needle.

Subscription Model

One of the smartest things ReviewGrow offers is a subscription model. 

Instead of buying a one-time batch of reviews and then going silent for months, businesses can opt for ongoing monthly review growth. 

Industries Served

ReviewGrow works across virtually every local industry, including:

• Salons and spas
• HVAC contractors
• Cafes and restaurants
• Law firms
• Accounting firms
• Home services
• Medical clinics
• Auto repair shops
• Real estate agencies

The platform adapts the language, tone and review focus to fit each niche, which is something most competitors simply don’t bother to do.

Pros

• Most customizable provider on the market
• Natural drip-feed delivery that mimics real customer behavior
• Location-targeted reviewers
• Realistic, custom-written reviews
• Subscription plans for ongoing growth
• Strong focus on local SEO performance
• High retention and permanence rates
• Supports virtually every niche

Best For

• Local businesses serious about long-term growth
• Agencies managing multiple client profiles
• New business profiles building from scratch
• Highly competitive local markets
• Businesses recovering from poor ratings or review drops

If you’re looking for the safest, most professional and most strategically built Google review service in 2026, ReviewGrow is the clear top recommendation.

2. TrustlyR

TrustlyR is a decent mid-tier option that works well for smaller campaigns or businesses dipping their toe into review acquisition for the first time. The service is straightforward, the pricing is accessible and delivery is generally reliable.

That said, TrustlyR doesn’t offer the same level of customization or strategic depth that ReviewGrow provides. 

Pros

• Affordable pricing
• Simple ordering process
• Reasonable for small-scale campaigns

Cons

• Limited customization
• Fewer advanced targeting options
• Less reputation-management depth
• Generic review writing in some cases

3. BoostMe

BoostMe leans heavily into fast delivery. If you need reviews quickly, this is one of the providers that consistently delivers in a hurry. That speed can be useful for short-term visibility boosts or campaigns where timing matters.

The downside is that fast delivery often comes at the cost of natural pacing. Reviews delivered too quickly raise red flags with Google’s filters, and BoostMe’s default pacing tends to be more aggressive than what most local businesses actually need. 

Pros

• Quick turnaround times
• Good for short-term visibility pushes
• Simple, no-frills service

Cons

• Less natural delivery pacing
• Limited long-term strategy
• Higher risk of review filtering due to fast delivery
• Minimal customization

4. ReputationPlug

ReputationPlug markets itself as a reputation-oriented service, which sounds great in theory. In practice, the service is acceptable for basic campaigns but doesn’t deliver the kind of sophisticated reputation management you’d expect from a premium provider.

For a business that just needs some baseline reviews and isn’t focused on long-term local SEO strategy, it can work. For anything more ambitious, it’s not the right fit.

Pros

• Reasonable for basic needs
• Functional reputation focus
• Available for most common industries

Cons

• Less personalization
• Fewer advanced features
• Less sophisticated delivery structure
• Limited customization compared to top-tier providers

5. SocialReviews

SocialReviews is the budget-oriented option in this lineup. It’s beginner-friendly, easy to use and priced lower than most alternatives. 

For very small businesses or those just experimenting with review services, it offers an entry point without a major financial commitment.

Pros

• Affordable pricing
• Easy for beginners
• Functional for small projects

Cons

• Simpler campaigns only
• Fewer premium features
• Limited customization
• Less suitable for competitive markets

ProviderBest ForDelivery StyleCustomizationLocal SEO FocusOverall ScoreReviewGrowLong-term growthDrip-fed, naturalAdvancedExcellent⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐TrustlyRSmall campaignsStandardLimitedModerate⭐⭐⭐BoostMeQuick visibilityFast deliveryBasicModerate⭐⭐⭐ReputationPlugBasic reputationStandardLimitedAverage⭐⭐SocialReviewsBudget projectsSimpleMinimalBasic⭐ Why Businesses Buy Google Reviews

The decision to buy Google reviews isn’t really about cheating the system. It’s about competing in a market where competitors already have hundreds of reviews and new businesses can’t realistically wait years to organically catch up.

Here are the main reasons businesses turn to review services:

Local competition. In most metros, the top three local results have dozens or hundreds of reviews. Showing up with five reviews against a competitor with 400 is a losing battle, regardless of how good the actual service is.

Trust building. Customers don’t just look at star ratings. They look at review count. A business with 4.9 stars and 12 reviews looks less established than one with 4.7 stars and 380 reviews.

New business challenges. Brand new businesses often face an impossible cold start. Without reviews, they don’t rank. Without ranking, they don’t get customers. Without customers, they don’t get reviews. Buying authentic reviews breaks that cycle.

These are real business problems, and buying reviews from a reputable provider like ReviewGrow is one of the most efficient ways to solve them.

What Makes a Google Review Service Safe?

Before getting into the providers themselves, it helps to understand what separates a safe review service from a risky one. Google’s algorithms have become significantly better at detecting unnatural review patterns over the last two years, and the consequences for getting it wrong include review removal, profile suspension and sometimes permanent damage to a business listing.

Here’s what actually matters when evaluating a review provider:

• Real verified accounts with established posting history, profile photos and a track record of activity on other businesses
• Gradual drip-fed delivery that spaces reviews out over days or weeks instead of dumping them all at once
• Local relevance so reviewers appear to come from your service area rather than randomly across the country
• Custom-written reviews that mention specific services, products, or experiences rather than recycled templates
• Account history quality including reviews left for other unrelated businesses to maintain a believable profile

Google increasingly detects low-quality spam patterns through both algorithmic filtering and manual review. 

Final Verdict

After putting all five providers through real-world testing, our recommendation is clear. For businesses looking for the safest, most authentic and most customizable Google review service in 2026, ReviewGrow stands out as the strongest overall option. The combination of real verified accounts, drip-fed delivery, advanced customization, geo-targeting and a subscription model built for sustained growth puts it in a category of its own.

Here’s how the other providers stack up:

• TrustlyR works fine for small, simple campaigns but lacks the depth needed for competitive markets.
• BoostMe is fast but sacrifices natural pacing, which raises retention risks.
• ReputationPlug handles basic reputation needs but doesn’t offer the advanced features serious businesses need.
• SocialReviews is the budget pick, suitable for beginners but limited overall.

If your business is competing in a real local market and you want reviews that actually stick, support your local SEO and feel genuinely authentic to anyone reading them, ReviewGrow is the clear choice.

Frequently Asked Questions Can reviews improve local SEO?

Yes. Review count, velocity, content and average rating all factor into how Google ranks local businesses. Consistent, high-quality reviews directly support better Local 3-Pack visibility and Google Maps performance.

How long does delivery take?

It depends on the provider and package. Drip-fed delivery typically spans days or weeks to mimic natural review patterns. Faster delivery is possible but increases the risk of review filtering.

What are drip-fed reviews?

Drip-fed reviews are delivered gradually over time rather than all at once. This pacing matches what natural customer behavior looks like and significantly improves review retention.

Can I target specific locations?

With premium providers like ReviewGrow, yes. Geographic targeting ensures reviewers appear to come from your actual service area, which strengthens local SEO signals.

Can I choose reviewer demographics?

ReviewGrow offers gender targeting and other demographic customization options, allowing you to match the reviewer profile to your typical customer base. Most other providers don’t offer this level of control.

Do reviews stay permanently?

High-quality providers focus on retention. When reviews come from real accounts with established history and are delivered naturally, they tend to stay live long-term. ReviewGrow is specifically optimized for permanence.

Are subscription plans worth it?

For most local businesses, yes. Ongoing review growth keeps profiles active, signals continued business success to Google and produces compounding visibility benefits over time. A subscription approach typically outperforms one-time review purchases by a wide margin.

Can negative reviews be pushed down with new positive reviews?

Yes. Consistently adding authentic positive reviews can dilute the visibility and impact of older negative feedback. Businesses with active review growth often maintain stronger overall ratings and higher customer trust.

What types of businesses benefit most from Google reviews?

Local service businesses, restaurants, dentists, law firms, med spas, contractors, hotels and eCommerce brands with local presence typically see the biggest impact. Strong review profiles increase click-through rates, trust and conversion rates across nearly every industry.

Will buying reviews help increase conversions?

In many cases, yes. Customers heavily rely on social proof before making purchasing decisions. Businesses with higher ratings and more recent reviews usually generate more calls, bookings and website clicks than competitors with weak review profiles.

What makes a high-quality Google review look natural?

Natural reviews usually contain unique wording, realistic detail, varied review lengths and gradual posting activity. Reviews that mention specific services, staff experiences, or locations tend to appear more authentic and perform better for both trust and SEO.

Disclaimer: Using third-party services to increase Google reviews carries risk, especially when they rely on purchased followers, fake accounts, bots or tactics that violate Google’s policies. Low-quality providers may harm your profile by weakening engagement quality, reducing account credibility, affecting visibility or increasing the risk of issues such as follower drops, limited reach, account restrictions, bans or even account closure.

To reduce these risks, it’s important to choose reliable providers that use safe, policy-conscious growth methods. The services mentioned here do not rely on fake followers or artificial engagement. Instead, they focus on targeted promotion, profile optimization and strategic marketing to help your account reach real users, attract genuine followers and support organic growth while staying aligned with Google’s guidelines.

The editorial staff of The Pajaronian was not involved in the creation of this content. The content is for general information and does not constitute the financial, medical or professional advice of this publication. Readers should consult qualified professionals regarding their individual circumstances. The Pajaronian disclaims any liability for loss or damage resulting from reliance on this content.

A 21-year-old Watsonville man was arrested early Wednesday on suspicion of threatening a mass shooting at an unspecified Pajaro Valley Unified School District graduation ceremony.

Moises Resendiz was charged with making criminal threats, a felony. He was booked into Santa Cruz County Jail and was being held without bail, according to jail records.

Detectives and the Santa Cruz County Anti-Crime Team served a search warrant in the 700 block of Rodriguez Street, where Resendiz was arrested. No firearms were found, and no guns are registered to him, Watsonville Police spokeswoman Erika Vazquez said.

“We want to assure the community that there are no active threats at this moment, and school safety remains a top priority for us,” Vazquez said.

In a prepared statement, PVUSD Superintendent Heather Contreras said “safety is our absolute priority, especially during this season of celebration.”

“We are grateful to the alert citizen who reported this post,” she said. “Threats against our schools are never a joke; they are crimes that we and our law enforcement partners will always take seriously.”

Contreras added that the district will maintain a heightened security presence at all graduation events.

Police said Resendiz admitted posting the threatening social media comment to “rage-bait” the community, a term used to describe content intended to provoke anger.

A citizen reported the threat to Watsonville police on May 9. Detectives launched an investigation that day and gathered information and evidence to obtain the search warrant, which was served Wednesday.

“We needed to wait in order to make sure we didn’t interfere with the investigation and wouldn’t be releasing premature information,” Vazquez told the Pajaronian.

She added that police take all threats made on social media seriously and that such threats will be fully investigated “without exception.”

Members of VFW Post 1716 were out early on Memorial Day to line a section of Freedom Boulevard with flags, which has become an annual tradition. Members set out dozens of flags between the VFW Hall and Martinelli Street. Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the U.S. for mourning its military personnel who died during the service in armed forces. 

Monterey County sheriff’s detectives arrested two men and recovered more than $300,000 in stolen construction equipment tied to an organized theft ring targeting local businesses, authorities said Thursday.

Jaime Sanchez Valdez, 50, of Salinas, was booked into Monterey County Jail on suspicion of theft by false pretenses.

The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office Agricultural Crimes Unit said the investigation focused on fraudulent rentals and thefts of construction equipment across the county. Detectives learned May 18 that a local business was being targeted by a suspect allegedly using a false identity and fraudulent credit card to rent a mini excavator valued at about $37,000.

Investigators arranged an undercover meeting near Corral de Tierra Road and Highway 68 in Salinas, where Valdez was arrested after allegedly identifying himself with a false alias. 

On May 21, detectives served a search warrant at a property on Blackie Road in Prunedale, where they recovered a stolen skid steer, forklift and luxury restroom trailer. The equipment had an estimated value of about $300,000, according to the sheriff’s office.

Authorities also arrested Hazael Corona Andrade, 44, during the search. He faces multiple charges, including possession of stolen property, grand theft and conspiracy.

May 12

• A man was arrested on the 400 block of Airport Boulevard at 7:20pm for vandalizing the 7-Eleven store.
• A 38-year-old man was arrested on the 1500 block of Main Street at 12:25pm for trespassing.

May 13

• A 24-year-old man was seen nodding off and nearly falling over while holding drug paraphernalia on the 100 block of Main Street at 8:12am.

• A woman stole a $20 bill off the counter of a liquor store on the 1100 block of Freedom Boulevard. The owner of the money—a 73-year-old woman—declined to press charges and got her money back.

• Police contacted a juvenile on the 200 block of Sudden Street at 11:19pm for being out after curfew. He was in possession of a concealed dagger.

May 14

• A 26-year-old man was arrested on the 400 block of Rodriguez Street at 12:37am for public intoxication, lying about his identity, and a felony parole violation.

• A 60-year-old man was arrested for DUI on the 300 block of Clifford Avenue at 3:03pm.

May 15

• Someone stole an electric scooter from a shopping center on the 1400 block of Main Street at 1:36pm.

May 17

• A 22-year-old man was arrested for shoplifting after he walked out of the Target store on the 1400 block of Main Street at 8:06pm without paying for shoes.

• A 55-year-old woman with two theft convictions on her record was arrested for shoplifting from a store on the 1400 block of Main Street at 8:15am.

• A 53-year-old woman was arrested for shoplifting from a business on the 1400 block of Main Street. She had multiple prior theft offenses.

• Someone vandalized a school on the 500 block of Harkins Slough Road.

May 18

• A 46-year-old man was arrested at Watsonville Community Hospital at 4pm for refusing to leave and possession of a controlled substance.

• A man was charged with felony burglary, making criminal threats, and brandishing a sword after allegedly burglarizing his sister’s residence on the 100 block of Sadia Street at 6:53pm.

Editor’s note: Julia Crossen is a 17-year-old junior at Monte Vista Christian School. We want to hear from other young people. Email ed****@********an.com

•••

Books today hold exciting stories with deep messages you can’t find scrolling social media. 

Social media consumes all of our time and devours our attention span. All this time being spent on social media is not only bad for our mental well being, but also corrupts our thoughts and ideas because of the way things can be edited, manipulated, and how information can be withheld. 

Social media alters our mindset unhealthily in endless ways, whether that be from editing photos, withholding the truth, comparison and insecurity or the power to spread corrupt, false ideas to our young minds. When you read, you get a form of escapism and insight into another person’s life that does not revolve around comparison or an attempt to become them or like them. 

Instead of developing an idol in the people we follow online, we learn to support strong, driven characters in the stories we read, through the good and the bad parts of their life. 

Toxic topics are romanticized on social media, which puts unhealthy ideas in our heads as consumers of this content. On social media, people have the opportunity to edit their photos and romanticize certain parts of their life or certain topics that hide us from the truth of the world.

When on social media, we idolize influencers or content creators who share content based on their lifestyle. These lifestyle ambassadors capitalize on that lifestyle only, withholding the parts that aren’t as pretty. Following an influencer who is supposed to teach us to be productive, beautiful, or smart, we only see posts about certain parts of their life that are productive, smart, and beautiful.

This selective way of posting leads us to have unrealistic expectations of living. Books show the characters through thick and thin, whether in fantasy, romance, sci-fi, mystery, dystopian, etc. 

These books hold valuable life lessons through exciting stories you can escape in. Book series like “Throne of Glass” by Sarah J. Maas is an exciting fantasy series but also has an underlying message of how small acts of kindness every day can create a ripple effect that can change the course of history. 

Or “Boys of Tommen” which touches on real-life topics that inform readers of mental illness, family relationships, abuse, trauma, addiction, bullying, grief and other important topics of life people typically hide on social media. We learn about these topics through lovable characters and an endearing story. 

These books show the good and bad of life and teach readers how to combat certain situations. We can learn from these books by reading about the full journey of these characters instead of believing the snippets of “real life” we see through the posts of popular influencers.

Social media on its own is very dangerous. When young minds are learning about the world, especially when going through rough situations, it is common for them to see social media posts that sooth their emotionally driven thoughts, so instead of learning and growing in a way we often can through reading classical literature, they find themselves in toxic mindsets. Social media challenges us with a lot of contradicting ideas with nothing factual to back up the statement being made. In a world full of edited photos, books are the rawness we need to be able to combat life. There is no hiding the truth in a book written to empower. Social media teaches us to care for others’ opinions and aim for certain aesthetics that we don’t truly want for ourselves. It teaches us that we should hold these unattainable standards for our lives that are unhealthy.

In high school, my peers and myself only post parts of our lives that are “worthy.” Whether it be a fun vacation or a cute mirror selfie, none are the raw version of life you can only find in books. 

Influencers who promote self help, fitness and productivity are great, but they also typically don’t show the parts of life where you take a break. This can form unhealthy habits in us, which has happened to me personally before. The less glamorous parts of living need to be recognized as well, but these topics don’t fit with the influencer persona. These crazy standards also make it seem impossible for some people so they never give it a shot. Books hold stories with characters just like us who struggle through the thick and thin of life. You get every perspective of living, the dull, the glamorous, the ugly. You see not only the actions characters take but the outcome of them.

Each book has an intentional message they are teaching readers to make them more open-minded, instead of attempting to glorify something or someone, which is often the case with social media. Authors write with a purpose to convey a message to the reader that is beneficial to them, whereas social media’s message is to glorify the person posting.

Overall, books should be occupying our time more than scrolling other people’s posts. Especially for developing young minds who can learn from the wrong people. Most books popularized today have encouraging messages that are critical for everyone to learn in a lifetime. In reading we get to escape into a new world while learning how to live on our own. Instead of developing idols in influencers who reveal snippets of their lives, it’s important to learn from the powerful characters written about in the books. The characters have taught me to be stronger, to be kind, how to handle emotion, how to handle and recognize certain mental health issues, trauma and abuse, taught me about global issues, helped me explore parts of the world I have never been to, and so much more. 

The possibilities are endless.

A 58-year-old Santa Rosa man died in a solo-vehicle crash on Highway 1 north of Santa Cruz May 18. 

California Highway Patrol officer Israel Murillo said the man was driving a black 2017 Honda Pilot southbound on Highway 1 north of Scott Creek around 12:48pm. For unknown reasons, the Honda veered off the west roadway edge, struck a call box, continued in a southwesterly direction through vegetation, and went over the cliff.

The driver, who has not been named, suffered major injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene by medical personnel. The CHP believes the driver was the sole occupant of the Honda.

It is unknown whether alcohol and/or drugs were factors in the crash. 

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call CHP dispatch at 831.796.2160.

Two people were arrested Tuesday after a traffic stop led to a chase that ended when the suspects’ vehicle crashed into a building on West Front Street.

Officers later found a large amount of marijuana in the vehicle, the Watsonville Police Department said.

Gabriela Melgoza, 20, and Adrian Rizo, 32, were charged with possession of marijuana for sale. Melgoza is facing charges for evading officers.

While on patrol, WPD officers saw a gray Chrysler 300 run a stop sign Tuesday night just before 9pm. Melgoza allegedly fled, and a few minutes later crashed into a building on the 0-100 block of West Beach Street, causing minor damage to a water line.

The long-running fight over access to the Rio Del Mar beachfront walkway took a turn in Santa Cruz County Superior Court on April 24, as a judge granted a temporary injunction in favor of the homeowners who brought the case led by Christopher Weseloh, who challenged the county’s position that the walkway is public.

In a post-disposition hearing held after appellate courts affirmed the public’s right to the path, Judge Syda Cogliati ruled that the plaintiffs, led by Weseloh, are entitled to preliminary relief while remaining issues are sorted out. The plaintiffs are requesting some restrictions or accommodations, such as possibly closing the walkway at night in the interests of safety. Judge Cogliati scheduled a settlement conference on June 30 to discuss this further.

The court denied the county’s attempt to end the case outright, signaling that key questions about how the ruling is implemented are still unresolved. The court has now ordered the parties into judicial mediation, suggesting the next phase of the dispute may be negotiated rather than decided in court.

Walk down the narrow strip of concrete that runs for 800 feet behind a row of oceanfront homes in Rio Del Mar, at both ends you’ll find a six-foot cyclone fence with green slats blocking the way. The courts had already affirmed that the public can walk there, now the question is when that law will be enforced.

After an appellate court affirmed the public’s right to use the beachfront path—and the California Supreme Court declined further review—the case has returned to the trial court to determine what happens next. The court is now positioned to monitor compliance, set deadlines, and, if necessary, order enforcement actions to ensure the long-disputed path is reopened. At this point, the question isn’t whether access exists—it’s when the law will enforce it. For now, enforcement is paused under a court-ordered stay. 

The 10-foot-wide path runs parallel to the shoreline. In 1929, Santa Cruz County accepted the strip as a public dedication. In 1953, the county appeared poised to abandon the walkway but never completed the legal steps to do so. Two decades later, under the California Coastal Act, access to the shoreline became a state priority and when coastal protections were applied to this stretch in the 1980s, public access was written into the terms.

Over time, the path blurred into private space with barriers, at times with fencing and temporary obstructions. Then, in 2023, the California Coastal Commission ordered the barriers removed and proposed roughly $4.78 million in fines. 

A trial court sided with the homeowners in early 2024, calling the walkway private. Months later, an appellate court reversed that decision, finding the public’s rights had never been extinguished. On Dec.10, 2025, the California Supreme Court declined to intervene, leaving that ruling in place. The pathway is legally public. The homeowners’ argument wasn’t frivolous; it was just weaker once the historical record came into focus. They believed the public right had disappeared. Legally, it had not.

John P. Erskine, attorney for the Rio Del Mar Homeowners’ Association, declined to comment.

An out-of-court settlement has been reached in a 2021 death of an employee at Pajaro-based Monterey Pipe Company.

Jairo Ramirez, an El Salvadoran immigrant who lived nearby, died while cleaning the inside of a cement mixer in 2021. 

Though a trial had been set for late April, Kristo Kristich, manager of Kristich-Monterey Pipe Co. agreed to pay Ventura’s family $100,000 within five days, and within 60 days of sentencing set up and provide a $50,000 trust in the name of his son, which may be collected when he turns 18.
Kristich’s jail sentence was waived. He will instead serve one year of probation.
Also as part of the settlement, Monterey Pipe Co. was ordered to install a camera showing the exterior mixer’s door and inside of the mixer, so that it is viewable from the interior control tower.
The incident was ruled a misdemeanor in January in the case against Kristich, who was originally charged with the felony death of an employee.
Other fines amounted to $520.
Since the defendant accepted terms and conditions of probation a jury trial dated April 20 was terminated.
During the trial, Kristich’s attorney Gary Thelander tried to paint a picture of fundamental misunderstanding, an “unsecured computerized system” and “loose wires,” and said there was a failure afterwards by investigators as to how the machine works. 

But Assistant District Attorney Emily Hickock countered that it was Kristich’s legal obligation to adhere to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards.

Hickock went on to question the nature of the key and lock safety system that allowed a person to enter the mixer—thus be in harm’s way—and then have the machine switched on.

“This is a very tragic case,” Hickock said.

Monterey Pipe Co. is a long-standing business that makes 60-inch diameter concrete pipes.Monterey Pipe Co. settles wrongful death suit

Santa Cruz County supervisors on Tuesday approved a countywide policy outlining how County employees are to respond to federal immigration enforcement activity, while also receiving updates on local safeguards tied to immigration enforcement and surveillance technology.

The new “Federal Immigration Enforcement Engagement and Oversight Policy” establishes standardized procedures for County departments, facilities and staff when interacting with federal immigration agents. 

County officials said the policy is intended to ensure responses are handled consistently and within legal boundaries while protecting employee and client privacy and maintaining access to public services.

Under the policy, county staff are not authorized to assist with enforcement of federal immigration law. Departments will designate trained response liaisons to handle interactions with immigration agents, and the policy lays out procedures related to confidential information, access to non-public areas and documentation of enforcement activity.

“The goal is to ensure every county employee understands the law, understands their responsibilities, and has clear guidance for how to respond if federal immigration agents appear at County facilities,” Board Chair Monica Martinez said in a statement.

Supervisor Felipe Hernandez said the policy is aimed at protecting both employees and public access to services.

“We want county employees and the public to know there are now clear, countywide procedures establishing responsibilities and the legal boundaries around federal immigration enforcement,” he said. “These policies are intended to help protect access to County services, support the safety of staff and clients.”

Supervisors also directed staff to implement countywide employee training related to the new protocols.

The board additionally received an update on implementation of County Code Chapter 10.07, which bars the use of county property for civil immigration enforcement activities. According to the County Executive Office, 20 county-owned or controlled sites have been identified for bilingual signage stating that county property may not be used for civil immigration enforcement operations.

Separately, supervisors accepted findings from an independent Office of Inspector General review of the Sheriff’s Office use of Automatic License Plate Recognition data. The review found no evidence that Sheriff’s Office personnel used the system for immigration enforcement purposes or improperly shared data with federal immigration authorities, according to the County.