What should replace Kmart?
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...
Support the Pajaro River levee assessment
My fellow property owners in portions of Watsonville, Pajaro and surrounding agricultural areas are being offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to end our region’s long, heartbreaking history of catastrophic flooding. We would be crazy to turn it down.
Our area has suffered eight floods in the...
From the editor's desk, Sept. 19: PV High overcomes major hurdle
After more than a decade of lawsuits, angry meetings and countless students graduating without having experienced a complete high school, it finally happened.
Farmers markets bounce back
Grocery shopping is a different experience than what it was before the Covid-19 pandemic. Between long lines and being in close-quarters, navigating an indoor store can be a challenging and not altogether comfortable experience.
This is why many farmers markets across the Monterey Bay campaigned...
An American mythology
Is there anything more American than the cowboy in the Wild West, relying only on his wits, his horse, and of course his trusty revolver? As a child, I loved the Lone Ranger—self-sufficient, powerful, and ready to stand as the last line of defense...
Bruce W. Woolpert Algebra Academy makes first full return since pandemic
Michael Rozen said Aug. 1 he would rather be playing sports with his friends than attending the weeklong Bruce W. Woolpert Algebra Academy offered by Graniterock.
While Michael stopped short of admitting an affinity for math, the 13-year-old admits the experience will prepare him for...
Watsonville’s Firefighters and Their Lifesaving Mission
When a call comes in for a medical emergency, every second counts.
While an ambulance may be on its way from other parts of the county, it is often the Watsonville Fire Department that arrives first. What many people may not know is that every...
Nonprofits, community groups celebrate farmworkers as lawmakers call for more support
WATSONVILLE—After working a long shift picking strawberries and greens, dozens of farmworkers and their families received the royal treatment thanks to a new program from El Pájaro Community Development Corporation.
Called the Farmworker’s Family Dinner, the initiative treated 38 families—roughly 230 people—to meals from El...
Man arrested for agriculture-related crimes
A Prunedale man was arrested Nov. 26 on suspicion of a lengthy list of agriculture-related crimes including theft of a tractor.
On Oct. 22, deputies...



















