Opinion

Compiled by Steve Bankhead 25 years ago on March 4, 1996 Watsonville High teacher Kathy Anderson was named Santa Cruz County’s Teacher of the Year for her work in the Interactive Mathematics Program. She sought help from the Packard Foundation and received a $150,000 grant to...

Letters to the Editor, Aug. 24, 2018

By Jimmy Dutra, former Watsonville City Councilman In 1992, some of us witnessed the ugly truth of racism for the first time. We heard the outcry over the beating of Rodney King. I was a teenage student at Watsonville High School, who believed in an...

Memo from Rev. Mathews-Johnson I don’t know about you, but there’ve been times in my life when I thought something was missing. You know what I mean. Like when you’re young and single and things are going along fine, except you long for something else,...

We would like to begin by stating that as Watsonville City Council Members and as citizens of Watsonville, we were extremely concerned when we learned on June 6, 2019, of the intended sale of Watsonville Community Hospital (WCH) to yet another for-profit entity. Our concerns, like many other elected officials and community members, were even intensified because of the long history of our hospital under 21 years of outside, corporate and for-profit ownership by first Community Health Systems (CHS), and then their spin-off, Quorum Health Corporation (QHC).

Just 13 days ago Santa Cruz County officials announced the first confirmed case of COVID-19 within our tight-knit community. Since that fateful Saturday morning press conference, the Pajaronian news team has not had much time to take a moment to reflect and truly process...

Memo from Rev. Mathews-Johnson While I was growing up, whenever we moved—which was often in those days because my dad was a Navy officer—my mother would find a job at the local United Methodist Church in our new town playing the organ and piano.  As...

I just finished an article headlined, “Looming Mass Exodus of School Principals Feared This Summer.” That was right after another column titled: “Houses of Worship Face Clergy Shortage as Many Resign During Pandemic.” And there’s this from a few months ago: “After a Nightmare...

Directed by Andy Muschietti (“Mama”), the second live-action adaptation of the beloved Stephen King book about a cosmic entity that terrorizes kids by disguising itself as a clown is a near perfect movie in several respects. It sinks its teeth into you with its gripping horror and keeps you laughing, smiling and engaged with its excellent script and top-notch cast.

Vote for Gomez Tony Gomez has been actively involved in supporting youth in the community of Watsonville for many years.  He has volunteered his time and resources in support of the Boy Scouts of America in many capacities. He has been an adult leader for Troop...