5 Things That Happened In Watsonville

Here are some newsy notes you may have missed.

• Rotary highest award, The Paul Harris Fellow, is given for "serve above self." It was presented to Jess and Laura Brown by Georgeann Eiskamo, the past president of Watsonville Rotary on Tuesday. The couple is very active in the community. Jess is with the ; Laura has led the Soquel Creek Water District for years.
• For those who don't know why Highway 1 is the John Pedro Memorial Highway when it skirts the edge of Watsonville, . Officer John Pedro was a California Highway Patrol officer who was killed in an on-duty crash on the Highway 129 off ramp while trying to chase down a speeding driver 10 years ago.
• A new low-income housing complex broke ground on Minto Road. There was a dedication ceremony Thursday afternoon at the new Schapiro Knolls, according to a Santa Cruz Sentinel story. The 88-unit project is a joint effort by the county and the nonprofit Mid-Peninsula Housing Corp.
• In honor of World Oceans Day, Watsonville-based West Marine announced the recipients of their annual Marine Conservation Grants program this week. Grants for a total amount of $35,000 are being awarded to organizations throughout the U.S. who are working to improve and protect marine habitat, which is part of West Marine's mission. This year's grant recipients are located in Florida, North Carolina, Massachusetts, Hawaii, California and Virginia. West Marine is the largest specialty retailer of boating supplies and accessories.
• School is out for the summer! Cheers, graduates. For those kids still heading back to the classroom come fall, here's the Patch Summer Guide: events, summer camps and more.