Happy birthday, Pajaronian
On Saturday the Pajaronian will celebrate 154 years of service to the community. It’s difficult to put into words the impact this newspaper has had on the Pajaro Valley since J.A. Cottle, the first owner, editor and publisher, established the Weekly Pajaronian in 1868....
Question of the Week
Yes: 91 No: 22
Public Comment
Joey Elijah Martinez: The city is focused on stuff that’s a waste of money but doesn’t do nothing about all the syringes all over Ramsay Park and downtown. Focus on that first please.
Sam Ayala: Shut down the...
Working together, staying together during disasters
Over the past five years, we’ve learned how to navigate successive disasters in Santa Cruz County.
We fill sandbags, dig ditches, clear fallen trees, clean up debris, distribute food and help folks cover critical expenses when they are out of work due to shutdowns, floods,...
Bill Monning, Aug. 5: Purple Heart Day
On July 20, 2017, the California State Senate passed Senate Concurrent Resolution 55 declaring Aug. 7 as Purple Heart Day in California. I am proud to be a coauthor of this resolution that honors Purple Heart recipients and those who serve in the Armed Fo
What Makes Watsonville Community Hospital—and America—Great
Thirty-three years ago, while my family was preparing for a birthday party, I decided to arrive early. My mother was shopping for a cake for my sister’s second birthday in our small hometown of Cuerámaro, Guanajuato, Mexico—a rural town of at the time just...
New year, new beginnings
The 2021-22 school year starts next week. Beginnings are an opportunity to reflect on lessons from the past and build upon them for a new future. Our motto for this year is PVUSD C.A.R.E.S! The “C.A.R.E.S.” portion stands for: Connect, Accelerate, Recover, Enrich and...
Bill Monning, Jan. 6: January is Blood Donor Month
It is the beginning of a new year and it is time for us to remember how we can help our friends, neighbors, and community through the simple act of giving blood. January has been known as National Blood Donor Month since 1970 because people are busy with their post-holiday schedules, trying to get back into their work and/or school routines, and forget about making time to donate blood.
Guest View: Measure N is vital to hospital’s success
In 1989, the Loma Prieta earthquake significantly damaged a hospital that had served the community of Watsonville for decades. Devastated by the earthquake, the nonprofit Watsonville Community Hospital (WCH) had to be sold to a for-profit corporation. In 2022, it returned to community ownership.
Still,...
Letters to the Editor Dec. 5-11
Suggestions for PVUSD
My recommendations regarding the Recommended Realignments of PVUSD:
1. Regarding school closure, I have advocated for an idea to sell the District Office...





















