A Watsonville man was arrested Thursday after a car stop by the California Highway Patrol that led to the discovery of 14 firearms and drugs with a street value of over $15,000.
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office has identified the body found on Its Beach May 9, just off the shoulder of Lighthouse Point on the west side of Santa Cruz, as Noah Lee Kim, 21, of Los Angeles.
When a group of third-grade students at Ohlone Elementary School planted two trees on their campus earlier this year, it was the culmination of an environmental science project that began when they found a small colony of bats living under …
A fourth-grade student from Watsonville Charter School of the Arts (WCSA) has ranked among the top 20 fourth-grade students in the nation in the prestigious Math Kangaroo Contest, an international mathematics competition held this past March.
While our travels have taken us to far away spots like Finland, Mexico City, China and Quebec, the road trips my wife Sarah and I have taken over the last several years have also proven to be tremendously fulfilling and …
The historical run for the Watsonville boys’ volleyball team came to a crushing end following a loss to Alisal in the Central Coast Section postseason play-in match on May 8.
Watsonville senior Jillian Lerma delivered a walk-off RBI single in the Wildcatz’s 2-1 win over Palma in extra innings in Pacific Coast Athletic League Gabilan Division softball action on May 9.
Pajaro Valley Unified School District Trustee Gabe Medina has threatened to file a defamation lawsuit against two fellow Board members over a recent attempt to censure him during a May 7 Board meeting.
Hundreds of people gathered Saturday morning on beaches, in neighborhoods and along riverways to participate in the second-annual Pitch In All Santa Cruz Cleanup Day.
It has been almost three decades since local organizers launched the Queer Youth Leadership Awards, an event created to highlight young people whose work has benefitted the LGBTQ community, as well as the people and organizations that help them.
In the late 1800s, Claus Spreckels ran a mill that processed locally grown sugar beets, a thriving industry that is generally credited with seeing Santa Cruz County through troubled economic times.
After weeks of deliberation, Watsonville senior Brianna Leon officially decided Tuesday evening on where she would like to continue her flag football career.
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<p>It has been almost three decades since local organizers launched the Queer Youth Leadership Awards, an event created to highlight young people whose work has benefitted the LGBTQ community, as well as the people and organizations that help them.</p>
<p>This happened in the early days of the AIDS crisis, when leaders went to school districts to offer HIV prevention education. The schools rejected the offer, reasoning—incorrectly—that they had no gay students, and therefore had no use for it.</p>
<p>That was the catalyst for the Queer Youth Task Force, and the annual ceremony, which draws hundreds to the event, which is hosted in different locations every year.</p>
<p>This year’s QYLA ceremony will be held at Soquel High School.</p>
<p>Despite societal gains through the intervening decades, movements to undo that progress are gaining momentum are growing.</p>
<p>The American Civil Liberties Union is currently<a href="https://www.aclu.org/legislative-attacks-on-lgbtq-rights-2025"> tracking 575 bills</a> that would reduce the rights of LGBTQ people.</p>
<p>“I think that their theme of reaching for the sky is quite timely when you consider what’s happening nationally to queer and trans youth and the community in general,” said Stuart Rosenstein, who has chaired the (QYTF) of Santa Cruz County since 2000. “And I have to say I admire the students from the Soquel Queer-Straight Alliance that in spite of the attacks, they are still very aspirational and very hopeful.”</p>
<p>Pajaro Valley High School senior Izabella Leon, one of four awardees this year of the Queer Youth Leadership Award, said that she has felt rising tensions among the students. It is important to hold events like the ceremony, she said, in a time when rising homophobia still threatens young people.</p>
<p>“QYLA is a celebration of our queer and trans youth, allies, and community organizations throughout the county that are doing great work to uplift our queer community here,” Leon said. </p>
<p>The ceremony is Saturday, May 10 at Soquel High School at 5:30pm. <a href="https://qyla.org/purchase-tickets/">Click here</a> for information.</p>
<p>•••</p>
<p>For information, visit qyla.org/</p>
<p><strong>2025 QYLA Awardee & Nominee Names & Titles</strong></p>
<p>______________________________________</p>
<p>Awardees</p>
<p>Enalayah Rivera Neese </p>
<p>Delta Charter High School</p>
<p>•</p>
<p>Alex Trask </p>
<p>Delta Charter High School</p>
<p>•</p>
<p>Izabella Leon</p>
<p>Pajaro Valley High School</p>
<p>Carlos Joel González</p>
<p>Watsonville High School</p>
<p>______________________________________</p>
<p>Nominees</p>
<p>Alice Soldate</p>
<p>Harbor High School</p>
<p>•</p>
<p>Evan Jacques-Maynes</p>
<p>Aptos High School</p>
<p>•</p>
<p>Hex Bailey</p>
<p>Harbor High School</p>
<p>•</p>
<p>Mark, Adel Mendoza Luengas</p>
<p>Pajaro Valley High School</p>
<p>•</p>
<p>Sadie Bell</p>
<p>San Lorenzo Valley High School</p>
<p>______________________________________</p>
<p><strong>Ally to Queer Youth Award</strong></p>
<p>Deyanira Matsuo-Albor</p>
<p>Lead Custodian, Lakeview Middle School </p>
<p>______________________________________</p>
<p><strong>Ally to Queer Youth Award</strong></p>
<p>Cybele Lolley, LMFT</p>
<p>Clinical Program Director, The Diversity Center</p>
<p>•</p>
<p>Desi Salinas-Holz</p>
<p>Watsonville High School</p>
<p>•</p>
<p>Em Whitwell </p>
<p>Teacher, New Brighton Middle School</p>
<p>•</p>
<p>Jen Salinas-Holz</p>
<p>QSA Advisor, Lakeview Middle School</p>
<p> •</p>
<p>Jessica Hassani </p>
<p>School Counselor, Soquel Elementary School</p>
<p>• </p>
<p>Meggie Pina</p>
<p>Director of Well-being Programs, The Diversity Center </p>
<p>• </p>
<p>Nancy Willard, MPH</p>
<p>Health Services Manager, Santa Cruz County HSA</p>
<p>•</p>
<p>Rayna “Ray” Terry</p>
<p>Jr. Staff, Food What?!</p>
<p>•</p>
<p>Rex Olivieri</p>
<p>Teacher, San Lorenzo Valley Middle School</p>
<p>•</p>
<p>Ricardo Yerena</p>
<p>Agro-Engineer, Farmer & Community Health Worker</p>
<p>•</p>
<p>Tobin W. Keller</p>
<p>Faculty, Cabrillo College Art Department</p>
<p>•</p>
<p>Zak Keith</p>
<p>Advisor, Staff & Peer Group Facilitator, The Diversity Center</p>
<p>______________________________________</p>
<p><strong>Organizational Ally to Queer Youth Award</strong></p>
<p>Raíces y Cariño Family Center (RC Fam) </p>
<p>______________________________________</p>
<p><strong>Organizational Ally to Queer Youth Award</strong></p>
<p>Cabrillo College Rainbow Council</p>
<p>•</p>
<p>Queer Intersectional Alliance (QIA) of Pacific Collegiate School (PCS) Leadership Team</p>
<p>•</p>
<p>Renegade Theater Co. </p>
<p>•</p>
<p>San Lorenzo Valley Middle School (SLVMS) Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) Club</p>
<p>•</p>
<p>Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History (MAH) </p> "Image for display with article titled Queer Youth Leadership Awards Set for Saturday")
