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Watsonville
July 3, 2025

Cultivating fruit

Rev. Robby Olson
One of my favorite passages in the Christian scriptures comes from Paul’s letter to the church in Galatia. Perhaps surprisingly, the reason I love it so much is how not-religious it is.  The passage sets up a contrast between disparate ways we can choose to...

What should replace Kmart?

kmart building Watsonville
It’s been more than half a year since the Kmart on Freedom Boulevard closed its doors for good. And as someone who constantly drives past the shell of the former community hotspot, it pains me to see what that location has become. On top...

​​100 year flood protection is within grasp for Pajaro, Watsonville

pajaro levee
Now, let’s say the levees that protect your home from flooding are old and deficient. They could fail during the next big storm, causing a major flood. The federal and state government offer to pay $400 million for new and improved levees. The only...

Fighting the pandemic of contempt

Memo from Pastor Rene Schlaepfer
When my wife Laurie and I teach at marriage retreats we often refer to the work of Dr. John Gottman. In his famous “glass house” at the University of Washington, Gottman has studied thousands of married couples over decades of research to see what...

Tony’s Thoughts: Thanks for following through, PVUSD

I’d like to give a big thanks to the Pajaro Valley Unified School District and its board of trustees for moving forward with the much-needed renovation of Watsonville High School’s stadium. On Wednesday, the trustees approved a contract for the design of the stadium...

Stubborn as a Stone

Jay Shinseki Watsonville
“Hard is stone, soft is water; water will wear away stone.  If one has plumbed the mind, the Enlightenment of Bodhi is certain.” If true entrusting is at a distance, intensive listening to the Buddha Dharma ends in entrusting due to the Buddha’s compassionate...

Letters to the Editor, Jan. 21

letter to the editor pajaronian
Disappointed that Greenway is on ballot I was saddened to see the Greenway millionaires have succeeded in getting the signatures required for their initiative to vote on the future of clean passenger rail service for the branch rail line.  The current plan is to build the...

EcoFarm rescheduled as a virtual conference in March

CENTRAL COAST—Executive director of the Ecological Farming Association (EcoFarm) Andy Fisher had only been in the position for six months before the pandemic hit California.  Fortunately, Fisher and his team had been able to hold their 40th annual conference in Pacific Grove that January. But...

Looking back and moving forward: MLK Day

Rev. Robby Olson
Renowned 20th-century theologian, Karl Barth, said that one should, “preach with the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other.” That is to say, what pastors and priests preach ought to be faithful to scripture and applied to our current context. There...

Rose Society to kick off pruning classes this weekend

WATSONVILLE—The Monterey Bay Rose Society (MBRS) will once again be holding its annual series of free rose pruning classes at various locations across the region. Things kick off Saturday at 10:30am at the Display Rose Garden at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds, 2601 E. Lake...
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What Makes Watsonville Community Hospital—and America—Great

Thirty-three years ago, while my family was preparing for a birthday party, I decided to arrive early. My mother was shopping for a cake...