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Watsonville
January 24, 2026

Watsonville Police officer caps 29-year career

Watsonville police officer Kraig Kliewer
After a career in law enforcement that spanned nearly three decades, with assignments that included the downtown walking beat, Watsonville Police Officer Kraig Kliewer hung up his hat Wednesday, with a send-off from his colleagues. Kliewer says he wanted to be a police officer for...

PVUSD trustees to appoint interim superintendent

pvusd trustees
The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees on Wednesday are scheduled to appoint an interim superintendent to take the top spot while the district conducts a national search for a permanent one. Also during that meeting, the trustees will select a firm to...

Year in Review: 2020 was a year like no other

damon gutzwiller
I started working for the Pajaronian in February 1997. As a news gatherer, that translates to a lot of blank pages being filled over the years with news and photos of what’s going on. Of those 23 years as a journalist, 2020 most assuredly...

Outdoor markets adjust to new rules

WATSONVILLE—Farmers markets around the county continue to operate through the COVID-19 crisis since they are deemed essential businesses.  Though some of the markets have pared down their offerings, eliminating things such as flowers, nursery goods, some prepared foods and entertainment, the outdoor venues still play...

Santa Cruz’s Charlie Hong Kong serves lunch to local farmworkers

lakeside lunch
WATSONVILLE—About two dozen farmworkers settled in on picnic tables at a Lakeside Organic Gardens field Wednesday for a fresh, healthy lunch featuring the very crops they harvest.  The meal was prepared by Charlie Hong Kong, a Santa Cruz Asian fusion restaurant that was Lakeside’s first...

Family of Aptos High student killed in campus stabbing sues PVUSD

Aptos High stabbing
APTOS—The family of the Aptos High School student who died last year after he was stabbed during an on-campus attack has sued Pajaro Valley Unified School District, claiming that the district failed in its duty to protect its students. The lawsuit, filed July 7 by...

Organizations receive federal grants for vaccination efforts

santa cruz county vaccines
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel Valley) recently announced nearly $1.4 million in Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) grants to expand local Covid-19 vaccination efforts. Funding will support health centers across the congressional district to administer updated COVID-19 vaccines. Salud Para La Gente...

Watsonville officials tackle coronavirus concerns as 3 more cases announced

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Since COVID-19 was first identified in Wuhan, China in late December, healthcare professionals, elected leaders and everyday citizens around the world have been looking for answers and trying to unsnarl the constantly-changing situation. There are now more than 118,000 cases in 114 countries,...

Watsonville restaurants open for delivery and takeout

watsonville takeout food
WATSONVILLE—Scores of restaurants around Watsonville have been hit hard by the outbreak of COVID-19. With shelter-in-place orders in effect, residents are asked to stay inside and limit their time near crowds. This includes going to sit-down restaurants, coffee shops, breweries and the like. As such,...

PVUSD to offer free breakfast, lunch for 2021-22 school year

pvusd trustees
WATSONVILLE—During the next school year, every student in Pajaro Valley Unified School District can get a free breakfast and lunch, nutrition director Linda Liu said. Students and their families will not be required to fill out applications for free and reduced lunches to participate, she...
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Letters to the Editor, Jan. 23–29

Passenger rail price estimates too high One can never convince  me that restoring the Santa Cruz Branch rail line for passenger rail would cost an...

Alliances in turmoil

Boys To Men