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A crew from Rinaldi Tile and Marble led by lead installer Sammy Ruiz puts a 10 foot x 30 foot mosaic in place Tuesday as the Tabasa Gardens affordable housing project rises above Freedom Boulevard. The mosaic, designed by 2023 Aptos High School graduate Caitlin Bayaca and created by community members at Muzzio Mosaic Arts Center, portrays Filipina leader Rosie Tabasa and her son Jess. Throughout her life in Watsonville, Rosie Tabasa assisted others to get vaccinated, register their kids for school, and helped them apply for affordable housing, driver’s licenses and work permits. Tabasa Gardens will be an apartment community serving residents earning between 25-50% of the area’s median income, which is equivalent to an annual income of $28,000 to $56,000 for a two-person household. The Watsonville City Council approved funding for the project on the same evening that Watsonville was making a formal apology to the Filipino community for their actions and inaction that led to race riots that occurred in the city in the 1930s. Many members of the Filipino community were present at the meeting and told their stories. Located in Pajaro, Rinaldi Tile and Marble has been particularly supportive of local mosaic arts projects. (Shmuel Thaler – Santa Cruz Sentinel)

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