Helen Beavers
Helen L. Beavers died on Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2017, at her home in Freedom. She was 81.
This Week in Pajaro Valley’s Past, July 2
25 years ago on July 1, 1996
Watsonville’s Spirit of Watsonville Committee organized a full schedule of fun across the Pajaro Valley leading up to the annual Grand Parade on the Fourth of July. The weekend prior had live banda music and dancing in the...
Dental coverage: Essential healthcare for California families
Over 30,000 under-resourced adults and children in Santa Cruz County rely on affordable dental care to live full, healthy, pain-free lives.
Across the State, 10 million adults, seniors, and people with disabilities depend on the Medicaid program (known as Medi-Cal in California) for their oral...
Letters to the Editor, April 29
Reasons to vote against the levee assessment
Everyone seems to agree that the Salsipuedes and Pajaro levees need repair. The public relations information from the new Pajaro Flood Agency isn’t emphasizing some issues that deserve to be considered before you vote—and there are about 3,000...
Letter to the Editor, March 27: Republicans, please help
Letter to the Editor, March 27, 2018
Letters to the Editor, Dec. 9
Grateful for opportunity to run for PVUSD board
With sincere appreciation to my community, CSEA, KSCO and all that supported my candidacy. I would also like to acknowledge the remarkable and tireless support team that unexpectedly pitched-in with help and guidance. Your generous contributions, personal...
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...
Celebrating Women’s Equality Day
“The tribe is like an eagle
and the eagle will only fly true and high
when the wings are equal.”
—South American Indian Proverb
In 1973, the U.S. Congress designated Aug. 26 as “Women's Equality Day.” The date was selected to commemorate the 1920 certification of the 19th...
How Farmworkers Outlawed ‘El Cortito’ 50 Years Ago
For decades in the Salinas Valley, the short-handle hoe, known as “El Cortito,” was used for weeding and thinning rows of crops that kept farmworkers stooped over for long hours each day. Workers were only able to stand and stretch when they reached the...
Nourishing Today, Building Tomorrow: The Next Chapter of Our Food Bank
For more than 50 years, our community has demonstrated what’s possible when neighbors care for one another.
Through floods, emergencies, economic downturns and a global...



















