As we welcome the summer season, the wait is over … Mothersong is back in-person! We kick off the Music in the Plaza concert series on June 16. At our Main Library, join us the first Friday of the month at 10:30 a.m. for singing and dancing with Joya Winwood, on June 8 at 6:30 p.m. for a live concert with José-Luis Orozco, and on June 12 from 11 a.m. to noon for the Music Appreciation Club, with the theme for this meeting being “New Music Showcase.” If you have never had the chance to attend a live puppet show, join us for a classic retelling of “Jack and the Beanstalk” brought to life by Fratello Marionettes on June 21 at 6:30 p.m.
I encourage you to look at our Parks and Community Services Fun Guide, where you will find a comprehensive list of all our activities for families and people of all ages this summer, many of which are free or low cost. If cost is a barrier to participating in some of our programs, we have financial assistance available, generously provided by the Friends of Watsonville Parks and Community Services. If you qualify, we may be able to provide scholarships for up to 100% of the cost of the program. I invite you to drop in to visit our Youth Center to see the new gym with fresh paint and a refurbished gym floor.
In addition to the vast array of programs from our library and parks, our Police Activities League (PAL) is also in full swing with programs in boxing, martial arts (Karate, Aikido, Judo), soccer, and various leadership/team building opportunities. For information on these and other programs in our Watsonville Police Department, please call 831-763-4147 or visit our police station.
Engagement and feedback opportunities are in full swing for the 2050 General Plan update. Please don’t hesitate to provide your input and vision for the future of our community either by participating in the many engagement opportunities in-person or online, completing a short five to 10-minute survey on our website (cityofwatsonville.org), or be on the lookout for us throughout the community. This is truly an opportunity to be a voice for your community and help make decisions on what we want our community to be for decades to come.
After weather delays, you are seeing our Traffic Operations striping crew out and about busily refreshing striping. The Solid Waste Division in partnership with Field Services continues to replace the existing street cans throughout the city, with bigger garbage and recycling big belly street cans.
As a reminder, we continue to offer limited free compost to our residents for pickup at the city’s Waste and Recycling Drop Off located at 320 Harvest Drive, Wednesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
I am also happy to report we held a successful Business Roundtable meeting with many of our local businesses to provide information, answer questions, hear their suggestions and listen to better understand the challenges being faced by our business community and opportunities before us.
The FY 2023-2025 Biennial Budget Draft is out and available on our website, which will be presented to and discussed by the City Council at our June 13 and June 27 meetings at 6:30 p.m.
Finally, we are a month away from our Annual 4th of July parade on Main Street, where I hope to see you all.
Until next time, Watsonville.
Eduardo Montesino is the mayor of Watsonville.
