News

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Health officials from eight Bay Area counties on Monday issued a set of guidelines created to keep families safe from Covid-19 during the holidays. The recommendations cover travel and gatherings. The health officers from the counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco,...

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville Public Library continues to maintain a host of services, from online classes and movie streaming, to book checkouts during the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic. Though the Freedom Branch is closed, its inventory is still obtainable, either online or through curbside pickup at the...

APTOS—Two weeks before the Thanksgiving holiday rolled around, Twin Lakes Church Pastor Rene Schlaepfer and Second Harvest Food Bank (SHFB) CEO Willy Elliott McCrea were worried. The church’s annual food drive, which typically raises thousands of dollars for the food bank’s holiday, was falling short,...

WATSONVILLE—Leaders of this year’s 274 Pajaro Valley High School seniors say the class of 2020 will be remembered for its unwavering school pride and its crazed support of athletics. Dennar Ocampo and Natalia Arroyo were at the forefront of both. “A lot of people would say,...

Today is April Fool’s Day and yes, living up to the adage: April showers bring May flowers; there are showers in the forecast. First, however, are a string of warm, sunny days predicted by meteorologists at the National Weather Service of Monterey. Showers could...

WATSONVILLE—Construction is moving forward on a proposed dialysis clinic that would complement the nearby Watsonville Community Hospital. Being built by AGI General Contracting, the 11,424-square-foot outpatient ambulatory clinic is going up on a 1.15-acre lot at 58 Hanger Way and 5 Neilson St. directly adjacent...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Santa Cruz METRO has increased its passenger capacity by 50% in an effort to accommodate more riders, but that decision has raised concerns within the union representing the bus operators still working during the Covid-19 pandemic. METRO CEO Alex Clifford announced on June...

Thousands attend on first day of weekend-long event.

The Pajaronian Photo Gallery, Aug. 30, 2019

WATSONVILLE—When Covid-19 shelter-in-place restrictions hit Santa Cruz County in March, the Eighth Annual Watsonville Film Festival (WFF) was one of the first large events to be shut down. Executive Director Consuelo Alba and her team were forced to cancel the multiple film screenings, activities and...