What the buzz is all about
During the winter of 2006-2007, beekeepers across the country began noticing a steep decline in bee populations.
Ag Commissioner releases annual Crop Report
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The 2020 Crop Report for the County of Santa Cruz has been released, detailing the region’s agricultural commodities during one of the most challenging years on record.
The Crop Report is presented each year by Agricultural Commissioner Juan Hidalgo through the Department of...
Abel Mejia: PVUSD needs to rearrange priorities
After reading the PVUSD’s Oct. 5 offer to certificated staff, I was further disappointed by their lack of bargaining in good faith. The district continues to have its priorities in the wrong order.
Letter: Pajaro Valley soil is the best in the world
I grew up in Watsonville and have lived and worked in the Pajaro Valley all my life. I have been an agronomist, scientifically analyzing agricultural soils in California and throughout the United States. I have studied thousands of different soils, and I can say...
Sandy Lydon: The legacy of the county boundary in the river
Back in three successive Pajaronian columns (July 1, Aug. 5 and Sept. 2), I laid out the convoluted story of how a group of Yankee (white) residents in and around Santa Cruz seceded from Monterey County and the two were born side-by-side in 1850.
Monterey...
Todd Guild, Dec. 5: Reflections on help in the wake of a crash
In what felt like a fraction of a second, I heard my wife scream and a crunching-banging sound I later learned mostly came from the car’s airbags inflating.
Tackling testing
The long-awaited return to in-person instruction for all Pajaro Valley Unified School District students begins on April 5. As we build our “new normal,” our commitment is to make the most of our instructional time. For this reason, at our Feb. 24 Board meeting,...
Understanding housing | Mayor’s Update
By Rebecca J. Garcia, Watsonville Mayor
Soon after I was elected to the Watsonville City Council I had the opportunity to visit several farmworkers’ housing conditions. What I found was five adults and four children living in a 2-bedroom duplex, eight adults living in a...
On my mind, June 10: The song of life
For the past several weeks the mockingbirds have returned to our yard. This is the normal pattern, around May and June. Let’s face it — they’re noisy and a nuisance. It used to really bother me, but for reasons unknown, I’ve come to enjoy their morning sy
Helen Beavers
Helen L. Beavers died on Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2017, at her home in Freedom. She was 81.
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...

















