Opinion

Safety nets for California farmworkers Like health care workers on the front lines of coronavirus battle,  California farmworkers are on the front lines of our state’s $54 billion food supply chain, yet have few safety nets and protections. Governor Newsom has rightly designated them as...

Inspiring actions around the world It is so inspiring the way millions of great Americans and millions of good people in grand nations around the world have complied with each nation’s coronavirus guidelines for protecting themselves and, in turn, protecting the health of many others...

Respect our leaders  I am a Ph.D. in agriculture and marine research in the Monterey Bay for the past 50 years. I have read about and seen nearly every political regime, agricultural and oceanic issue as it relates to Monterey Bay during those last five...

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...

Donations greatly appreciated  On behalf of the Watsonville High School Performing Arts Department, I would like to thank several individuals who have recently donated instruments to our school. The first being the family of Jim and Marion Rector for their recent donation of a beautiful...

Support public education  Cabrillo College didn’t exist in 1953. Santa Cruz County taxpayers paid Monterey County for my 1955 Associate Arts degree from Monterey Peninsula College, for which I am eternally grateful. The older generations, many of them World War II and Korean War veterans,...

In 2014, two-thirds of Watsonville’s voters approved the Measure G one-half percent sales tax to fund police, fire and youth violence prevention services for five years. This year, it will provide almost $5 million in funding to the police and fire departments—more than 10...

Let’s set the record straight. There are no confirmed Coronavirus cases in Watsonville and we did not report that absolute falsehood. I can say that with 100 percent certainty.  For those that do not know, someone on the internet was playing a game earlier this...

Vote Yes on Measure Y  My family has lived and farmed in Watsonville and the Pajaro Valley since the 1900s. Forty-five years ago I started our first farm growing green beans in Watsonville. I have converted that to be organic and we now are the...

Zach Friend is effective, responsive I’ve worked with many elected officials over the last 30 years and I can easily say Zach Friend is one of the best. As a constituent, I’ve found that Zach and his staff are responsive as well as effective when...