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Watsonville
September 10, 2025

Community bids farewell to Seacliff Wharf

cement concrete ship seacliff state beach
APTOS—Expecting a large crowd for a beach cleanup at Seacliff State Beach on Saturday, Save Our Shores printed 250 waivers for volunteers to sign before they got to work. While that may have been enough for a run-of-the-mill beach cleanup, this was no ordinary event....

Jennifer Holm resigns from PVUSD school board

Jennifer Holm, who has served for six years on the Trustee Area VII seat on the Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees—two terms as board president and one as vice president—will resign from the position effective Oct. 10. Holm says her decision stemmed...

Man shot, killed in Pajaro River bed

pajaro river watsonville police homicide investigation
WATSONVILLE—Watsonville Police are investigating a fatal shooting in the Pajaro riverbed. Ashley Keehn, spokeswoman for the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office, said the victim has been identified as John Michael Peña, 41. Michelle Pulido, spokeswoman for Watsonville Police, said detectives were called to the scene of...

PVUSD Board appoints new leaders, gains new member

WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees closed its year Wednesday by swearing in four trustees, three existing members and one of them freshly elected in November. Olivia Flores took her seat after she and Daniel Dodge Jr. were sworn in by former...

Affordable housing developer celebrates Atkinson Lane groundbreaking

WATSONVILLE—About four dozen people were on hand to celebrate the groundbreaking of an 80-unit affordable housing complex off Atkinson Lane on Nov. 18. In his opening remarks, MidPen Housing President and CEO Matt Franklin said that creating affordable housing communities like Pippin Orchards II is...

Varni celebrates 100th birthday

Longtime Watsonville resident Virginia Varni recently celebrated her 100th birthday surrounded by family and friends.  She was born on Jan. 11, 1923 in Breckenridge, Texas to Charles and Grace Leonard. The family moved to Southern California and Varni gave the first-ever radio broadcast from first...

Esperanza del Valle to highlight Veracruz in new show

For decades, Watsonville-based Mexican folklórico group Esperanza del Valle (EDV) has been learning from master dance instructors from Mexico.  One of these teachers, Daniel del Valle Hernandez, will join Esperanza for its upcoming show, “Homenaje a Veracruz,” which is scheduled for Nov. 12 and 13...

Cabrillo scholarship created in memory of plane crash victim

APTOS–The family of Stuart Camenson, who died in a plane collision at Watsonville Municipal Airport on Aug. 18, has created a permanent endowed scholarship for Cabrillo College students in his honor. The Stuart Camenson Memorial Endowed Scholarship aims to support those studying within Cabrillo’s Visual...

Watsonville issues mandatory evacuation orders for flood prone neighborhoods

WATSONVILLE—Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued for Watsonville neighborhoods with a high risk of flooding during this Wednesday’s storm, which is said to hit the region early tomorrow morning.  City officials urge residents who live within this map's blue-shaded area to evacuate tonight. Choosing not...
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Prep Athletes of the Week: St. Francis’ Joseph Dayritt, Maya Calfee

The Pajaronian’s Prep Athletes of the Week were selected based on their performances during the week of Sept. 1-7. Coaches and athletic directors are...