Opinion

Flood risk remains high Regarding the article “County issues ‘plea’ for Pajaro levee repairs” in the Pajaronian on Dec. 8, I paid my attention to two points:  1. “But the two other sites in need of emergency repairs have yet to be completed, the letter noted....

When I was a child, Summer. Lasted. For. Ever. I remember long days that usually began with picking beans and then weeds in the hot sun, followed by endless hours of playing (and bickering) with my siblings in the hot sun. By the end...

Letters to the Editor, Sept. 12, 2017

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...

25 years ago on May 6, 1996 The Cinco de Mayo festivities in the Plaza keep growing, drawing 8,000 people and diverse entertainers this year. Sunday’s festival featured the Mariachi Eleazor Cortes group, the salsa band Orquestra Sabor Latino, the White Hawk Dancers, Banda Torero...

Last week my colleague Tarmo Hannula unveiled the first entry of a column I will be eagerly awaiting to read each month: Pajaro Valley, Past & Present. The column will be a deep dive into one of Watsonville’s many historic buildings – or an...

The start of 2023 was far from what anyone expected it to be. Our region was battered by an unprecedented atmospheric river that brought heavy rains, flooding and evacuations for our residents.   While this was unexpected and severely impacted thousands in our community, I was...

After the 2023 flood, $434 million was given by the state and government under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to fund a new levee. The 100-year floodplain levee would sustain the Pajaro River, Salsipuedes Creek and Corralitos Creek with the idea that there is 1%...

Median home sales in 95076 in February were $768,000, down 12.7% from last year, according to Redfin.com. Meanwhile, amongst some dire predictions of housing value decline or a housing “bubble” burst, homeowners in Watsonville’s “Adult Villages” are seeing quite the opposite. Home values in...