Parks and recreation update
By Rebecca J. Garcia, Watsonville Mayor
All my grandchildren learned to swim through the Watsonville summer aquatics program. They went underwater, they floated, they played and they swam. So much fun. However, there will be no summer aquatics program this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic....
Commemorating 75th of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
MEMO FROM REV. SHINSEKI
Blood stains cannot be removed by more blood; resentment cannot be removed by more resentment; resentment can only be removed by letting it go.
—Teachings of the Buddha
This month will mark the 75th anniversary of the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nakasaki...
Cultural Shift
MEMO FROM REV. SHINSEKI
“There are causes for all human suffering, and there is a way by which they may be ended, because everything in the world is the result of a vast concurrence of causes and conditions, and everything disappears as these causes and...
Fight the polarization
Memo from Pastor Rene
As I write this, the outcome of the presidential election is still unclear. Or should I say, the winner is unclear. What’s very clear is how deeply polarized our nation has become. The red went blood-red, the blue ice-blue, and the...
Guest view: Cries of racism are misguided
By Geraldine Ridgway
Watsonville has long been a racially diverse community. It is insulting for anyone to call any Watsonville resident a racist.
Watsonville has an amazing history. We once had a huge whaling industry, sardine factories stretched from Watsonville to Monterey, employing all races and...
Celebrating holidays with our elders
Reaching out to an older friend, a parent or a grandparent is never more meaningful than during the holiday season. It warms us, them, and bestows all with human connection, which is an essential component of health and happiness.
Covid-19 has made keeping in touch...
A response to Geraldine Ridgway
By Mercedes Garcia
These are the messages I received from Geraldine Ridgway’s op-ed published in Nov. 20 edition of the Pajaronian:
“Why can’t you Mexicans be like all the other ethnic groups that were mistreated in the past? Why don’t you just grin and bear it...
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...
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...
The Porter and The Arts
By Dan Pulcrano, Pajaronian CEO
When Watsonville issued a request for proposals on the city-owned Porter Building in late 2019, the idea of restoring a historic gem caught our eye. Our company has deep roots in this region and has purchased and rehabilitated...
Three injured in mobile home fire
Three people were injured Tuesday morning when a fire broke out at a mobile home in the Portola Heights Mobile Home park on Freedom...