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In today's newsletter:
Also on today's calendar: Santa Cruz Film Festival and 9 more events.
Today's riddle: Do you know what the two sides of a circle are? 🤔 (Answer below!)
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1. Watsonville City Council directs staff to reduce Flock cameras, conduct more community outreach (santacruzsentinel.com) — Watsonville residents should know the City Council has ordered staff to scale back Flock license-plate cameras, shorten data retention to seven days, and expand community outreach before deciding the system's future. After nearly four hours of debate and about 80 public comments, councilmembers split over balancing privacy concerns with police investigations, but a 5–2 majority backed tighter limits and a town hall with the police chief.
2. Watsonville Community Hospital weighs service cuts amid $31 million annual deficit (ksbw.com) — Watsonville Community Hospital is warning that a $31 million annual deficit may force it to close key services like labor and delivery, the NICU, and possibly intensive care to stay open. Local advocates fear Pajaro Valley mothers and babies could face dangerous delays if births shift to distant hospitals, and the board will review options at an Oct. 30 meeting.
3. Aptos shuts out Soquel, stays unbeaten in SCCAL flag football action (santacruzsentinel.com) — Watsonville High's girls volleyball team was swept by Stevenson but quickly turns its focus to hosting Alisal at home this Friday evening, giving local fans a chance to cheer the winless Wildcatz. The roundup also highlights strong performances from nearby schools in flag football, volleyball, and water polo across Santa Cruz County.
4. iFixit Alum Arielle Sampson Is Taking Repair to New Heights (ifixit.com) — A Watsonville-born engineering student, Arielle Sampson, is being celebrated by iFixit for her standout work creating repair guides that help reduce e-waste worldwide. Now a senior at Cal Poly, she shares how growing up in Watsonville, discovering hands-on tinkering, and joining iFixit's Technical Writing Program shaped her passion for sustainable aerospace design and everyday repair.
5. County Fair sees 11% growth in attendance numbers (pajaronian.com) — Watsonville teens played a visible role in this year's Santa Cruz County Fair, where attendance climbed 11% to more than 55,000 visitors. Students from Pajaro Valley and Watsonville high schools, guided by Watsonville Wetlands Watch, staffed waste‑sorting stations to keep food scraps and recyclables out of landfills while the community enjoyed rides, animals, contests, and exhibits.
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Ok Watsonville! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!
-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: The inside and the outside ! (Thank you James M. for sending it in!)
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