By ERIK CHALHOUB, Managing Editor
It seems like just a few weeks ago I wrote a column promoting the Pajaronian’s graduation section that highlighted some stand-out graduates across the county.
But that was more than two months ago. Now, in what was perhaps the fastest summer on record, nearly 19,000 students in the Pajaro Valley Unified School District once again hit the books and sharpened their pencils for the first day of school on Wednesday.
For the next 10 months, students will be solving math equations, responding to essay prompts and hitting the football field.
Many will also be walking home. This is when all of us must be extra careful when driving through school zones. Follow the speed limit, and keep an eye out for the kids, as some are more engrossed in their phones than seeing where they are walking.
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We may be more than nine months away, but the race for the Santa Cruz County Supervisor Fourth District seat in June 2018 is shaping up to be an interesting one.
Watsonville City Council members Nancy Bilicich, Jimmy Dutra and Felipe Hernandez have all stated their intention to run. And because we are still in the very early stages of the election, I expect a few more names to join the fold as well.
Regardless of the outcome, the city council is in for a shake-up in 2018. I’ll be curious to see how the race affects the dynamics of the council over the next year, if at all.
But I’m also excited for the 2018 election because it means we are halfway to 2020.
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Speaking of 2018, it will be a big year for my favorite theme park, California’s Great America, when it debuts a first-of-its-kind roller coaster, RailBlazer.
Thanks to Great America for inviting me out to the unveiling event last week. It was great to be a part of the excitement that is surrounding this park. I also want to give a shout-out to the couple of R-P readers I bumped into out there.
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Erik Chalhoub can be reached at 761-7353 or ec*******@pa********.com.
