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Watsonville
February 20, 2026

A profile in public service: Lowell Hurst

By DREW ROGERS CONTRIBUTED TO THE PAJARONIAN Purely by happenstance after moving here in 2018, I met Lowell Hurst during his last month as Watsonville’s mayor (his third stint). Affable with a booming, cheery voice landing truth bombs and jokes equally, his Midwest openness and disdain...

Artists create ‘Curious Narratives’

curious narratives santa cruz art league
Larger than life eyeball models stare from a desk drawer; a paper bird clings to a swing inside an antique cage; a set of pastel crayons are tucked neatly into a vest pocket; globes, candles, early day photos, antlers—the visual explosion goes on and...

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....

Changes proposed to Women, Infants and Children program

WATSONVILLE—The United States Department of Agriculture is asking for community input as it updates its Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program for the first time since 2014. The shift includes offering more nutritious food geared to meet a larger variety of cultures.  Anyone can make suggestions...

PHOTO: Arts Council hosts mixer in downtown Watsonville

watsonville center for the arts
Mireya Gomez-Contreras (upper left, speaking), deputy director of the Arts Council Santa Cruz County, welcomes guests and dignitaries to a meet and greet mixer March 2 put on by the Pajaro Valley Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture at the Watsonville Center for the Arts....

Pajaro River levee breaches; evacuations underway in flooded town

An estimated 100-foot-wide breach in the Pajaro River Levee has sent floodwaters into the community of Pajaro, forcing the evacuation of roughly 1,700 residents and causing untold damage to the homes, businesses and farm fields in the rural, agricultural community. On Friday crews were working...

Watsonville mosaic claims international award

Kathleen crocetti Watsonville brillante
Watsonville Brillante, the massive, 10-phase outdoor mosaic project in Watsonville, has just been named Best in Show in the Mosaic and Glass Arts International 2023 exhibition series in Buffalo, New York.  Lead artist Kathleen Crocetti of Watsonville learned of the prestigious announcement Wednesday. “When I first...

Cold weather shelters open in Santa Cruz County

veterans memorial building cold shelter
Santa Cruz County has opened two emergency cold shelter sites in Santa Cruz and Watsonville. Unhoused residents needing a warm place to stay for the night are welcome to stop by. The shelters are located at the Watsonville Veterans Memorial Building, 215 E. Beach St.,...

Watsonville City Council hears from flood-stricken residents

jim avis watsonville city council meeting
WATSONVILLE—Tempers ran high Tuesday evening at the Watsonville City Council meeting where residents of three of the city’s senior residential communities voiced their accounts of having to deal with the floods at the start of the year and the ongoing fallout. After more than a...

Santa Cruz County Fair a ‘roaring success’

The 2023 Santa Cruz County Fair wrapped up Sept. 17 with greater attendance than years past. From monster trucks and pig races to LEGO models, homemade quilts, original paintings, bonsai trees, antique tractors, live music, poodle shows and giant pumpkins, the fair unfolded under...
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Medina ban was right call

At the Feb. 11 PVUSD Board meeting, trustee Gabe Medina was banned from the PV High campus for 14 days. It was a great...

Chaos as a political strategy