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Watsonville
March 27, 2026

It’s time to pass the Equal Rights Amendment

Jimmy Dutra
It has been just over 100 years since women received their right to vote. The suffrage movement of brave women gave the women’s movement a huge boost. Just like any other minority group, women have advocated for their rights for many decades. To this day,...

Letters to the Editor, Sept. 4

The Pajaronian
First Lady was sincere, dazzling  I felt that First Lady Melania Trump’s speech at the Republican National Convention was completely sincere and her words were bursting with dazzling light. She strikes me as being a person who truly and deeply cares about the wellbeing of...

ICE becomes an autocratic tool

It is generally accepted that, historically, a common survival strategy for autocratic leaders includes forming a personal paramilitary support group. These groups serve to counterbalance the regular military, strengthen security services  and provide an armed force loyal directly to the leaders, rather than the...

Parks and recreation update

By Rebecca J. Garcia, Watsonville Mayor All my grandchildren learned to swim through the Watsonville summer aquatics program. They went underwater, they floated, they played and they swam. So much fun. However, there will be no summer aquatics program this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic....

On My Mind, Jan. 2: Hansen Feed owner passes on

I am deeply saddened to learn that my friend Richie Hansen, owner of Hansen Feed and Pet Supply on Freedom Boulevard, has passed on. He was only 65.

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...

Letters to the Editor, Nov. 15

Hilton Hotel construction Of course developer Mr. Patel has every reason to feel “disheartened” regarding the opposition to his Hilton hotel project on Western Drive. Here is a man who has invested time and money in an effort to finally build something upscale that will benefit...

Letters to the Editor, Dec. 13

Politics is keeping Watsonville stuck I was quite bemused when I read that the Watsonville Planning Commission denied issuing a use permit to the developers of the drive-thru establishments on N. Main Street because of air pollution from idling cars! This is such shortsighted thinking!  Sure,...

Faith sees obstacles as opportunities

Memo from Pastor Rene Schlaepfer
The surprising success this season of the San Francisco Giants had me thinking the other day of Dave Dravecky. Beloved by Giants fans, Dravecky was a popular pitcher until a tumor invaded his throwing arm. After surgery he forged a surprising comeback—until the cancer...
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A view along Grant Street in San Francisco’s Chinatown.

The slow way home from San Francisco

On our one-night journey to San Francisco recently, my wife Sarah and I wrapped up day one with dinner at Mister Jiu’s, 28 Waverly...
A crew from Granite Construction works on Reach 6 of the Pajaro River at Watsonville Project along Corralitos Creek. (

Levee work underway