Opinion

Both my great-grandfathers immigrated to Watsonville in the 1850s. Not long after they first arrived, they were introduced to one of our region’s greatest threats to lives and livelihoods: flooding from the Pajaro River and its tributaries. Soon after arriving, my great-grandfather Stephano Martinelli,...

Hats off to the multitude of volunteers that have pulled off the Holiday Lights display at our Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds. My understanding is that with the state’s intervention in the leadership at the fairgrounds, staff hours were cut from 48 hours to just...

Councilman’s claims of racism were wrong I'm a member of the board of directors of the Watsonville Pilots Association and the vice-chairperson of the Watsonville Airport Advisory Committee. However, I write this letter solely in my individual capacity as a long-time resident of the County...

It was 1995 the last time the Pajaro River flooded this badly. Local clergy responded, organizing charitable efforts to help those affected. But when we showed up to meetings where key decisions would be made, we were dismissed and sent back to our places...

The Pajaronian newspaper has been a part of my life for as long as I remember. Growing up, the paper would be delivered every morning to the Miller house on Lincoln Street. I remember sitting around the table in our tiny kitchen and watching my...

Letters to the Editor, Oct. 12, 2017

By Jimmy Dutra, Watsonville Mayor This week my grandmother, Epi Tavarez, turned 100. Just seeing that number is surreal. She was born one year after the 19th Amendment was ratified and women got the right to vote. My grandma has been a lifelong voter who...

A month and a half ago, Principal Todd Wilson of Pajaro Valley High School decided against renewing a contract with Barrios Unidos, a grassroots Santa Cruz organization that has long worked with incarcerated and system-impacted people, drawing wisdom and leadership from those with lived...

Watsonville Mayor's update, June 2017