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Watsonville
December 24, 2025

Three ways to help friends in crisis

Memo from Pastor Rene Schlaepfer
Memo from Pastor Rene A friend who is a local marriage and family therapist told me recently she’s booked solid with Zoom counseling sessions every day. “People are feeling so much anxiety now,” she said, “more than I’ve ever seen in my practice.” Stress from...

California lawmakers should address health disparities, stem rise in prostate cancer

letter to the editor pajaronian
As California continues to grapple with the present effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, we are also beginning to consider the longer-term health impacts, including the significant percentage of Californians that delayed or avoided medical care due to concerns over Covid-19. The result is that,...

Setting unreachable standards

By Greg Caput, County Supervisor To what standards are we held or judged by? If the standard is perfection, then everyone fails. A symbol of George Washington is under scrutiny at the Watsonville City Plaza. He was a victorious hero of the revolution 245 years...

The joy of Easter

Memo from Pastor Rene Schlaepfer
All around the world this weekend, Christians are celebrating Good Friday and Easter.  Good Friday is sorrow remembered. Easter is joy experienced.  Several years ago while travelling through Israel I had a chance to go inside a first-century tomb that had been discovered when road crews...

35 years is long enough for immigration reform

By Manuel Perez and Luis A. Alejo  Jan. 20 will mark a significant day, not only for the United States as Joe Biden is sworn in as our 46th President but also for the 11 million undocumented immigrants in our country. They have been waiting...

Vote YES on 15 for a better community

felipe hernandez watsonville
By Felipe Hernandez, Watsonville City Councilman This election, we have the opportunity to reclaim millions for the future of Watsonville—without raising taxes on residents or small businesses. That’s why I’m a strong supporter of Proposition 15, the ballot measure that will make big corporations pay...

We deserve better communication skills

President Donald Trump's recent struggle to pronounce the word “acetaminophen” during a press conference in which he advised pregnant women against using Tylenol, elicited mockery across social media.  Acetaminophen is the primary ingredient in Tylenol, widely used for pain relief, which the administration alleges is...

Reviewing an unprecedented year

By Greg Caput, County Supervisor It is no surprise to most of us that this has been an unprecedented year with the emergence of Covid-19 and the CZU fires. During these times of uncertainty, we are facing deep emotional distress. The residents of Santa Cruz...

Thank you City Council

letters to the editor
Abundant thanks to the Watsonville City Council, especially Mayor Garcia and members Gonzalez and Estrada, for their support of public posting of Notices of Intent (NOIs) to use restricted pesticides. We appreciate County Agricultural Commissioner Juan Hidalgo for his ongoing willingness to communicate, and...

This Week in Pajaro Valley’s Past, April 23

Compiled by Steve Bankhead 25 years ago on April 23, 1996 Moreland Notre Dame sixth-grader Anoosh Moutafian won her division in the Santa Cruz County Science Fair competition at Cabrillo College. Her project centered on properties of the lowly daphnia, tiny water crustaceans that thrive in...
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PV’s Lara-Alvarez named Santa Lucia’s top player | All-PCAL football

In 2024, Pajaro Valley senior Benito Lara-Alvarez was primarily on the defensive side of the ball for the Grizzlies. Prior to the start of this...

ICE becomes an autocratic tool