Local

In 2008 residents in the Santa Cruz Mountain town of Felton won a near eight year battle to purchase their water system from California American Water.  Today a newly formed group of Monterey Peninsula residents is hoping to do the same thing.

This week voters in Watsonville overwhelming  rejected Measure T. It would have opened the door for the city to annex land along highway 1 for development.  City officials hoped the development would help address Watsonville’s high unemployment rate.  Meanwhile there’s another project underway trying to tackle that unemployment problem. It’s a commercial kitchen incubator designed to help micro entrepreneurs launch local food businesses. 

An upcoming vote in Santa Cruz County next week pits agricultural interests against public officials who want to diversify the economy.  Measure T would allow the City of Watsonville to annex 95 acres of farmland.  It's the only measure on the ballot in a special election this Tuesday.