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Watsonville
September 17, 2025

Fight the polarization

Memo from Pastor Rene Schlaepfer
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...

Farmers, ranchers celebrate defeat of split-roll tax measure

pandemic unemployment santa cruz county
CALIFORNIA—Crediting a unified effort by California farmers, ranchers and their organizations, California Farm Bureau Federation President Jamie Johansson thanked voters for rejecting the split-roll tax measure on the Nov. 3 ballot. The initiative, Proposition 15, would have allowed reassessment and higher property taxes on a...

Pajaronian Editorial: Yes on Measure N

watsonville community hospital
The Pajaronian has traditionally avoided endorsing candidates and most other issues during election cycles. Our reasoning is simple: a news outlet’s job, we believe, is to provide as much information as possible from all sides of issues and to let our readers make their...

Movie Review: 'Moonlight' lives up to lofty expectations

“Moonlight,” which is based off Tarell Alvin McCraney’s play “In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue,” does not come without flaws but I think that’s the purpose of this film.

Local nursery buzzing amidst pandemic, winter months

With most people staying close to home during the pandemic, looking for things to do and ways to stay safe, local nurseries have seen an uptick in customers. Stay-at-home orders have prompted many to find new hobbies—and gardening has been a popular choice. Sierra Azul...

Bodhi Day

Jay Shinseki Watsonville
Over 2,500 years ago Siddartha Gautama attained Enlightenment at the age of 35 as he sat meditating under the Bodhi Tree. The term Bodhi means Enlightenment and since that time each Dec. 8, Buddhists throughout the world express their gratitude to the Buddha for...

Memo from Rev. Shinseki: Drop it!

Jay Shinseki Watsonville
One day as the Buddha was resting between his visits and talks, a young man came to him with a bouquet of flowers. The young man admired the Buddha and wanted to present him with the flowers in thanks for his teachings. Filled with...

Addressing our local housing crisis

Our state and local housing crisis can be measured in many ways: From the more than $70,000 one has to earn to afford the rent of a two-bedroom apartment locally to our state’s 78,000 unsheltered homeless (nearly half of the nation’s total), to county med

Protect small business

letter to the editor pajaronian
As we continue to expand the outreach of vaccinations in Santa Cruz County, I can’t help but continue to think of the impacts Covid-19 has had on our community and schools. Entering this new year, we should reflect a bit and also continue to...

Luis Alejo | A 25-year movement for peace and unity

Exactly 25 years ago this Sunday, the Watsonville community was shocked after the tragic shootings of 9-year old Jessica Cortez and her 16-year old brother, Jorge Cortez at El Nopal Bakery in Pajaro.
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Prep Athletes of the Week: MVC’s Boston Ashe; St. Francis’ Maya...

The Pajaronian’s Prep Athletes of the Week were selected based on their performances during the week of Sept. 8-14. Coaches and athletic directors are...