About Town

Tarmo Hannula: Watsonville Police officer Javier Ayala introduced his K9, Axel, to the kindergarten class of Mara Valadez at Freedom Elementary School Monday as part of the annual Read Across America Program. Many people in the U.S., including students, parents and teachers, take part...

Drip Coffee Shop, a new cafè with a walk-up window, has opened at Cabrillo College in Aptos in the Student Activities building on Soquel Drive. Cabrillo spokesperson Kristen Fabos said the café offers walk-up to go order and indoor seating. They carry a range...

Being in the newsroom at the Pajaronian has been extraordinary these past few weeks with the outbreak of the global pandemic: COVID-19. We are hearing of big changes across the social spectrum, from schools cancelling classes to late night talk shows no longer having...

Today marks the start of week two of the shelter-in-place order in Santa Cruz County—the order by health officials to help stop the spread of the coronavirus, or COVID-19. Here's a round-up of a few important issues: • There is a coronavirus phone hotline in...

A painting crew has been busy adding a fresh coat of paint and a new look Thursday and Friday to the long-standing Beach Street Cafe on West Beach Street. Help is on the way for small businesses hit by sweeping closures, layoffs, and downsizing because...

The County of Santa Cruz held a soft opening for a new Covid-19 testing site at Ramsay Park Thursday. The site will initially focus on frontline health care workers, first responders and employees working in essential services and roles, said county spokesman Jason Hoppin....

A massive Saraha Desert dust cloud has worked its way from Africa, across the Atlantic Ocean to the United States, turning blue skies into a brown haze. Though an annual event, this storm has taken on gargantuan proportions, meteorologists said. The clouds so far...

Bagpiper Kasie Talbot set the tone for the start of an annual ceremony in Aptos Friday to honor the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the U.S.  Personnel, staff, family and friends from Aptos/La Selva Fire, Watsonville Fire, Central Fire, Capitola Police...

Observations from around the Pajaro Valley.

November 1, 2019 Tarmo Hannula: Dozens of volunteers showed up at Watsonville's City Plaza Friday to set up for Diá de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, celebrations in. Olga Fuentes said nine altars were being constructed as the centerpiece for the free activities...