News

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Mónica Morales was 2 years old when her family immigrated from Mexico to Watsonville. She grew up attending local elementary schools, graduating from Watsonville High School while her mother worked in nearby agriculture fields and canneries. This background, she said, is sure to...

Editor's note: This story was updated from a previous version. There were at least 56 fatalities on the highways and 709 DUI arrests across California over the New Year’s holiday, California Highway Patrol officer Sam Courtney said. The totals are a steep climb from last year’s...

WATSONVILLE—Monte Vista Christian School football senior standout Brendan Doyle was everywhere his coaches needed him to be this season, both on and off the field. His hard work and dedication to the game didn’t go unrecognized as coaches within the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The celebration of Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) originated thousands of years ago in ancient Mexico, by those who believed death was not truly the end. For them, dead loved ones remained an important part of a community, kept alive...

A pillar in the Watsonville community has died. Pat McQuade, the park concessionaire at Pinto Lake City Park, a highly visible, helpful and deeply caring person, died Sunday, according to people close to her at the park.

Glen Schaller, whose grassroots work touched nearly every aspect of local progressive politics for the past four decades in both the Central Coast and throughout California, who led campaigns for numerous elected leaders, and who joined the battle for LGBTQ+ equality long before it...

Writer, director and actor Steve “Spike” Wong remembers the moment he realized he wanted to tell stories. He was about 5 years old and was riding the Jungle Cruise attraction at Disneyland with his parents. He managed, he said, to convince them that the animatronic...

APTOS—Ten years ago, former President Barack Obama made a Presidential Proclamation deeming January National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, intending to raise awareness and equip people with the tools to recognize and combat the problem. It was only 10 years prior to that, that...

By Jazmine Juarez, Special to the Pajaronian WATSONVILLE—Assemblymember Robert Rivas (D-Hollister) is calling on Gov. Gavin Newsom to take urgent steps to protect farmworkers and the food supply chain in the wake of COVID-19.  Following reports of 41 agricultural workers being diagnosed with COVID-19 in...

Kelly's Books owner Kelly Pleskunas said she has slowly been rebuilding her customer base since she reopened one year ago in the Watsonville Square Shopping Center, just doors away from Nob Hill grocery store.