The Pajaronian

Ruben Ibarra instantly became a household name for the Chattanooga Lookouts after he was called up to the Cincinnati Reds’ Double-A affiliate two years ago.

The 27-year-old Watsonville native even turned into somewhat of a celebrity during this current 2026 campaign.

His nickname “Big Papa” was part of the Nickname Knockout contest on Major League Baseball’s minor league website. He finished 10th out of 32 contestants with a total of 6,184 votes.

Ibarra may have not been victorious in the contest, but he has won the hearts of several fans, including some outside of Tennessee, since getting drafted in 2021.

“Just the other day, I had a kid from Dayton, Ohio, drive down with his dad to come watch me play,” said Ibarra, who played for the Dayton Dragons prior to his promotion. “Unfortunately, we got rained out but he said he’ll be at the game today. When you get little encounters like that, it makes it all wholesome. And those are the little things outside of the game that will keep you coming back to the game.”

Ibarra is currently batting a .226 (74-for-327) average, and his on-base (.327) and slugging (.443) percentages continue to stay consistent with what he’s been doing the past two seasons. 

He currently has a total of 19 home runs, 14 doubles, 43 walks and 67 RBIs while striking out 102 times with 33 games remaining as of Aug. 7.

“It’s all about focusing on day-to-day activities,” Ibarra said. “The end goal is to obviously be better than what we were last year and we’re on a good pace to break that record.”

Ibarra added, “A majority of your at-bats are team at-bats. Whether you’re leading off, driving a runner in, moving them over, whatever the case is. Kind of framing my mindset into thinking how can I win today’s game?”

As of Friday, the Lookouts currently own a 12-24 overall record in the Southern League’s North Division. They sit behind Birmingham (16-20) in third, followed by division leaders Rocket City (19-17) and Knoxville (19-17), which won the first-half of the 2026 season.

The former St. Francis High and San Jose State University standout is on track to tie or set career highs in those same categories.

In 2025, he had a total of 21 home runs, 17 doubles, 47 walks and 69 RBIs while tallying 103 strikeouts in 104 games played. That year he finished batting a .232 (78-for-336) average, while recording on-base and slugging percentages of .348 and .470, respectively. 

“Just one a day keeps the doctor away,” said Ibarra, referring to finding a way to get on base. “Whether it’s a walk, a hit, or whatever, once you get the first one, then you can kind of start gambling with house money.”

Like any other power hitter, Ibarra loves to swing the bat. 

But, he said maintaining high averages is falling off the table in today’s game because pitchers are consistently elevating skillwise, and it’s nonstop.

Ibarra mentioned there have been times of disappointment after going hitless in a game. Yet, at the end of the day it’s how he approached those at-bats that matters the most.

“It’s more of just productivity and consistency,” Ibarra said. “When I go [hitless], I’m not the happiest. But am I going 0-for-4 with four line drives or four strikeouts? Then you make the adjustments off of that.”

Dating back to Ibarra’s playing days in a Sharks uniform, St. Francis head coach Kenny Nakagawa said everybody expected an athlete of his monstrous size to crush the ball on each swing.

At the time, Ibarra was listed as a 6-foot-4, 270-pound first baseman. However, it was his defense that was often overlooked. 

One of Ibarra’s early SportsCenter highlights came during a Central Coast Section playoff game against Monte Vista Christian in 2017.

Nakagawa recalls the tying run was on second base for MVC with two outs in the top of the seventh inning. That’s when Jackson Collins hit a missile down the first base line.

“I’m like ‘Oh my God, there’s a tied ball game,’” Nakagawa said. “And all of a sudden, here’s Ruben diving in foul territory, making this great play to end the game.”

Ibarra currently owns a .988 fielding percentage that includes 41 double plays, 24 assists and just six errors.

“Everybody wants to talk about his offense, but defensively they really don’t talk much,” Nakagawa said. “Nobody talks about the diving plays that he makes at first base or the scoops that he makes when guys have an errant throw.”

Ibarra said playing on the defensive side is something that’s always controllable, whether he’s on time with a prep-step, taking a certain route to a ball or how to approach a pick at first base.

“Defense for me is something that I always want to keep clean and always something that’s reliable,” Ibarra said.

Nakagawa knew that Ibarra, who was a great teammate to his peers in the dugout, was a special athlete growing up. Now, he’s become a fan favorite and doing the right things in the clubhouse from an organizational standpoint. 

Looking at things from a clubhouse perspective, Nakagawa is convinced that Ibarra has the right numbers to play at the highest level.

“You like to see a couple of the other numbers go a little higher, but with his stats, he needs an opportunity,” Nakagawa said. 

Nakagawa knows that his former player is capable of playing in the big league. He said Ibarra just needs a break somewhere in the Reds organization for something to happen to get him there.

“[Ibarra will] actually hit better up there than he will down below just because all the services that he has available to him up there compared to down in the minor leagues,” Nakagawa said. “Once he goes up the ladder, I think his numbers will increase.”

For now, Ibarra will continue to love it when the fans call him “Big Papa” and throw their hands in the air because he’s a true player.

“Being able to do what I love is better than a desk job,” he said. “If you’re having a bad day or not, you still get to come to the field and play ball. I love that the fans love me for me, and I play with my heart on my sleeve. I just leave it all out on the field.”

Editor’s note: Listen to the full interview with Ruben Ibarra on the Cover 3 Sports Podcast, which is set to premiere next week.

Monterey County Sheriff’s Office Detectives are investigating two separate incidents involving the discovery of human remains.

On Aug.1, just after 8:30am, North Monterey County Fire and Monterey County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a report of an infant that had been located near the area of the 100 block of Struve Road in north Monterey County. Fire personnel confirmed that the infant was deceased according to the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office. No cause of death or other factors were released.

As part of the investigation, the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office is releasing photographs of a beige 2010 Mercury

Milan four-door sedan bearing California license plate 6HCR883. 

Police have since located and recovered the vehicle, and detectives want to speak with anyone who may have seen it or its occupants on Aug. 1 or 2, particularly in the area of Struve Road and the surrounding communities, to include the City of Salinas. 

Detectives also want to speak to anyone who may have dash camera, surveillance, or other video footage that may help the investigation.

At about 9:55am, Monterey County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the 400 block of Old Stage Road in Salinas after a county employee located the remains of a second person.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Det. Sgt. Nicholas Kennedy at 831.755.3773 or Det. Richard Geng 831.759.7279. Anyone providing information can remain anonymous.

Editor’s note: This is part 4 of Tarmo Hannula’s recent trip to Los Angeles

Packing up and heading south on day five of our road trip to southern California, my wife Sarah and I rolled through a number of towns and cities on our way to Carlsbad.

On our way out of Los Angeles we stopped for lunch at Little Saigon in Orange County about 45 miles south of downtown LA. It’s the largest Vietnamese enclave outside of Vietnam. One shopping center after another featured stores and restaurants with tons of Vietnamese goods and food.

COASTLINE Highway 1 stretches along the coast near Malibu.

We made a brief stop in south LA to view an outdoor sculpture park called Sister Dreamer that Sarah had read about. The massive sculptures and towering pillars echo Egyptian monuments and were created by artist Lauren Halsey who was born in the area. Halsey said the monuments are dedicated to the people in the neighborhood to “honor local heroes, neighbors and family.” 

LOCALS HONORED Large sculptures are shown in southern Los Angeles at the Sister Dreamer sculpture park.

In Huntington Beach we discovered a great birding spot, the Bocha Chica National Reserve along Highway 1. The kind woman at the Nature Center, Jess, told us about a spot where a group of least terns were nesting and laying eggs. On our way there we spotted a giant sea turtle treading the shallow waters of a lagoon. Then we saw a yellow-crowned night heron, a first for both of us. Black skimmers and great white herons also dotted the water’s edge. There were about a dozen least terns sitting on their nests on the shoreline in a protected area.

IN THE WILD A yellow-crowned night heron works the sands of the Bocha Chica National Reserve. 

As with many of our road trips, we next aimed for the 1776 California Mission at San Juan Capistrano. According to their website it is “known as the ‘Jewel of the Missions.’” The site features a museum with permanent exhibits with original artifacts as well as traveling and temporary exhibits. The site was founded on Nov. 1, 1776, by Junípero Serra as the seventh of 21 California missions established by Spain.

In the next part of this series we settle in at the Great Western Hotel right on the rocky shore of Carlsbad, our furthest point south, to visit family and continue exploring.

Four decades ago, 2.5 million people in 400 communities in 23 states throughout the U.S. took part in the first National Night Out, an event created to bring together emergency responders and the residents they serve. 

The annual event on Tuesday in Watsonville drew hundreds of neighbors to take part in games,  arts and crafts, share meals, and enjoy staged performances by local dance and folk groups, while engaging with local police.

Since its creation, National Night Out Against Crime has become a venue for people to meet their local police officers and city officials, and to learn how to organize against crime.

The night has also become a way for communities to show criminals that they are organized.

More than 37 million people from more than 16,000 communities throughout the U.S. and Canada celebrated the event last year, in addition to military bases worldwide. 

Watsonville residents took up the tradition 17 years ago, and the city now boasts events at nearly two dozen locations throughout the city.

This year, Watsonville Police joined the California Highway Patrol, Fire Departments, Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputies, Cal Fire, American Medical Response and scores of other first responders in the three-hour event around the county. Numerous other agencies and groups also set up tables including the YMCA, Monarch Services, Watsonville Public Library, Jovenes Sanos and many more.

#tdi_1 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item1 { background: url(https://pajaronian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Nat-Nite-1-MAIN-1-80x60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; } #tdi_1 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item2 { background: url(https://pajaronian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Nat-Nite-3-80x60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; } #tdi_1 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item3 { background: url(https://pajaronian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Nat-nite-4-80x60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; } #tdi_1 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item4 { background: url(https://pajaronian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Nat-Nite-5-80x60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; } 1 of 4 COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Salvador Gonzalez-Fernandez, 3, tries his skills at lifting fingerprints at a table set up by Watsonville Police Tuesday in downtown Watsonville during the annual National Night Out. CREATIVE Paloma Espinosa, 4, enjoys creating a drawing with chalk at the Youth Center. FREE BITES Members of the California Conservation Corps hand out strawberries with whipped cream at Pinto Lake County Park as part of the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s hosting of National Night Out. ON TARGET During National Night Out the boy tests his soccer skills with the aid of a giant target at the Gene Hoularis and Waldo Rodriguez Youth Center in Watsonville.

Pajaro Valley High on Monday announced that Juan Roman was named the new head coach of the girls’ soccer team. 

If the name sounds familiar, that’s because he was the former head coach of the boys’ soccer team until 2020. Yet, he had remained as an assistant coach even after he stepped down. 

“I love the school,” Roman said. “I want to do everything for the school.”

Roman, 59, replaces former head coach Kristian Flores, who helped guide the Grizzlies into the Pacific Coast Athletic League’s Gabilan Division — the highest tier of the four divisions within the league.

“I felt like Kristian did a tremendous job,” Roman said.

But, the newly appointed skipper believes the program needs consistency. He said before Flores, the girls had gone through a carousel of coaches. Roman hopes to stop that trend.

“We have a lot of coaching for the boys, so I said why not?” Roman said.

PV athletic director Joe Manfre is excited for Roman to take over the girls’ program after spending a decade with the boys’ team. 

“[Roman’s] been coaching for a long time,” Manfre said. “Has a lot of knowledge about the game of soccer. I know that he really loves this school.”

Manfre said the ideal candidate for a head coach is someone who wants to be at the school and build a home on campus.

“I feel like he’s done that, and it’s been awesome working with him every step of the way as a head coach and as an assistant coach,” Manfre said.

Roman delved into girls soccer when he became head coach for Rolling Hills Middle School’s program two years ago. He’s hoping to meet some of those same players at the high school level. 

Roman noticed participation for girls soccer has been extremely low for the Grizzlies, who competed in the Gabilan Division during the 2025-26 campaign.

He remembers at one point there would be just nine players at training sessions.

“For a program that’s in the Gabilan, and only having that minimum amount of players for practice, it was kind of hard to maintain a great level,” Roman said. 

Roman’s mission is to motivate some girls to at least show up, and give him a chance to show they can be competitive at whatever level they’re placed in. 

“Have a big program,” he said.

On top of everything else, Roman said he wants the players to maintain a positive attitude no matter the outcome. 

“Wins and losses will come and go,” he said. “But the attitude has to be there the whole time. My job is to make sure that the girls stay motivated, the girls want to come out and give their best. It starts with the coach encouraging that, and the coach giving his 100 percent, too.”

Santa Cruz Police have arrested two 17-year-old juvenile males on suspicion of firing shots at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk late Monday night.
Police said that around 9pm they received reports of shots fired at the parking lot across from the Boardwalk. On arrival, officers canvassed the area for suspects, secured the scene, and collected multiple pieces of evidence.
Investigators later identified and arrested two suspects in Ceres, California.
SCPD worked with the Santa Cruz Seaside Company, which operates the Boardwalk, on the investigation.
Police said officers responded to reports of shots fired on the evening of Aug. 3. No one was struck by the gunfire, and no injuries were reported.
A Reddit user said that the Boardwalk was evacuated, and that several people began to scatter and scream.
The investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information is asked to call Santa Cruz Police Department at 831.420.5995. Anonymous tips can also be sent to the police department at 831.420.5995.

The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously voted to place a half-cent sales tax measure on the November ballot that would fund an array of “safety net” services in the face of looming state and federal cuts.

The board also declared the county to be in a state of “fiscal distress.”

If approved by a simple majority of voters, the measure would generate approximately $27 million annually for five years, and would apply to sales in the unincorporated areas of the county.

The funds would be used for emergency medical and mental health services, food security, housing stability, homelessness response and other safety net services.

Santa Cruz County Executive Officer Nicole Coburn said the impacts of state and federal cuts are already evident.

“Federal reductions are already reaching our local services, and we’re starting to see the impacts,” she said.

Those costs have shifted onto local jurisdictions, with no increase in funding to help pay for them.

The biggest challenge, Coburn said, comes from H.R. 1, also called the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, whose changes have not yet been felt locally.

“This is going to ripple across the entire local safety net,” she said.

This includes impacts on emergency rooms, ambulance and emergency medical services, nutrition services, safety net clinics, mental health services, as well as food security and housing programs.

“We have estimated that potentially there is more than $200 million in potential annual loss to the local provider network, including the county and our community partners,” Coburn said.

County officials say a combination of new federal laws, executive actions and related state budget decisions is expected to place a larger financial burden on counties. State estimates indicate about 1.1 million Californians could lose Medi-Cal coverage, while some independent analyses project the total could approach 3 million by 2028.

The Central California Alliance for Health expects Medi-Cal enrollment to fall by 27% across the five counties it serves, a decline that could ultimately reduce funding for Santa Cruz County’s health care provider network by more than $200 million each year.

Meanwhile, the California State Association of Counties estimates H.R. 1 could cost California counties and county-operated health systems between $6 billion and $9.5 billion annually through reduced federal funding and increased local obligations.

The county estimates these changes will result in more than $150 million in increased costs and reduced revenues for the county and its community partners over the next five years.

While the measure was seen as a sound move by both county staff and the board, two speakers expressed frustration with the tax.

Becky Steinbruner said it will hurt residents whose ongoing financial troubles are a fiscal crisis in themselves.

“This is a regressive tax that will hurt the very people that you’re saying need the help,” she said. “My family needs to live within our means, and I think the county needs to do the same.”

Carol Bjorn agreed.

“We can’t keep implementing a quote-unquote solution that creates the problem that we’re trying to solve,” she said. “Any tax that you’re proposing is creating the problem.”

Supervisor Manu Koenig called the tax measure an “essential action.”

“I don’t think that anyone is thrilled about the idea of paying more taxes at a time when the cost of living is already high,” Koenig said. “At the same time, we all depend on the emergency room to be there. We don’t know if we’re going to need it today or tomorrow or maybe not at all, but we need it to be there.”

Koenig pointed out that the funds brought in by the measure, if passed, will not pay for an expansion of services, but will instead help preserve what is already there.

“This is a moment when the best way to help yourself is in fact to help others,” he said. “Because preserving those emergency services means ultimately ensuring that they’re only being used when they have to be.”

Supervisor Kim De Serpa, who spent her career in the health care field, said the industry is facing a crisis, pointing to the recent loss of 20 providers from Dignity Health and many residents losing their doctors.

“The county is experiencing a crisis, and if there is something we can do to stabilize people that are the most vulnerable in our community, we must do that,” De Serpa said.

Board Chair Monica Martinez said the proposed tax was created in response to actions by the federal administration affecting vulnerable populations and the Affordable Care Act.

“This is an opportunity for our community to step up and say that we support those who are vulnerable in this community. We do not want our safety net to fall apart. We do not want people to fall through the cracks.”

The measure will appear on the ballot only if SB 762 becomes law. The bill, which authorizes the local ballot measure, is supported by numerous local agencies, organizations, cities and health care providers, including the largest union representing county workers. 

The Senate approved the bill Monday, and it is now headed to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk.

Santa Cruz Police are investigating a report of shots fired Monday evening in a parking lot near the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.

Police said officers responded to reports of shots fired on the evening of Aug. 3. No one was struck by the gunfire, and no injuries were reported.

A Reddit user said that the Boardwalk was evacuated, and that several people began to scatter and scream.

Authorities said there is no active threat to the public, and the scene has been secured.

No arrests had been made as of Monday night, and the investigation remains ongoing.

Police are asking anyone with information about the incident to contact the Santa Cruz Police Department’s Investigations Unit at 831.420.5995.

A year and a half after the massive battery fire at the Moss Landing Power Plant, a final environmental assessment concludes that off-site soil, sediment and surface water sampled around the facility do not appear to pose an unacceptable long-term risk to people or wildlife.

The report, prepared by Terraphase Engineering on behalf of Vistra Corp., found that concentrations of metals and other chemicals associated with the Jan. 16, 2025 fire were below levels that would warrant additional investigation or cleanup at the locations that were tested.

The Monterey County Environmental Health Bureau released the report Wednesday along with reviews from three state agencies.

County officials stressed that the Environmental Health Bureau served only as a coordinator of the public review process and did not independently verify the report or adopt its conclusions. Any future cleanup, monitoring or enforcement decisions will be made by state regulatory agencies.

Terraphase evaluated soil collected from 27 locations within a 10-mile radius of the plant, along with sediment, surface water and pore water from five environmentally sensitive areas near Elkhorn Slough.

Using conservative screening methods, the consultants concluded that cumulative cancer risks and non-cancer health hazards were below California risk management thresholds. They also found no evidence of long-term ecological risks in the sampled areas, with the exception of elevated nickel levels in portions of Hester Marsh and the Mosquito Abatement Observation Area, which the report attributes to naturally occurring background conditions rather than the fire.

The report therefore recommends no further off-site investigation or response actions for the sampled soil, sediment and surface water.

But regulators reviewing the document said the conclusions should be interpreted cautiously.

The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment said it disagrees with Terraphase’s conclusion that elevated nickel concentrations in sediment at the Mosquito Abatement Observation Area represent natural background conditions. The agency also said the four- to nine-month delay before sampling began should have been identified as a significant limitation because contaminants may have been redistributed by wind and rain before testing occurred.

OEHHA further said it does not believe the report’s conclusion of “no ecological risks” can be stated as strongly because of uncertainties surrounding background nickel concentrations, documented losses of aquatic life after the fire and the delay in sampling. The agency recommended additional monitoring of aquatic invertebrates in the Mosquito Abatement Observation Area and Hester Marsh to determine whether the ecosystem has recovered.

The Department of Toxic Substances Control said the revised report contains “meaningful improvements,” including a better discussion of early air monitoring, transient deposition and the report’s limited scope. 

However, DTSC said several ecological questions remain unresolved, including whether special-status species were adequately evaluated and whether additional follow-up is needed regarding observed impacts on aquatic life.

DTSC also said the report should more fully consider how contaminants deposited after the fire may have been redistributed through rainfall, runoff and tidal movement.

The Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board agreed that the report appropriately identifies remaining uncertainties involving groundwater, watershed transport and redistributed contaminants, while emphasizing that those issues are already being addressed through separate regulatory orders requiring Vistra to investigate on-site and off-site impacts.

County officials likewise cautioned that the report should not be viewed as the final word on the broader environmental impacts of the fire.

They noted that questions remain about potential exposures during and immediately after the blaze, movement of contaminants through the watershed, long-term biological effects and future environmental monitoring. Those issues, the county said, will be addressed through separate regulatory and scientific processes rather than this report.

The Jan. 16, 2025 fire destroyed roughly 55% of nearly 99,000 lithium-ion battery modules housed in one of the facility’s storage buildings, prompting evacuations of about 1,200 nearby residents and months of environmental monitoring.

In a special meeting Tuesday, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors will consider declaring a state of fiscal distress and asking voters to approve a temporary half-cent sales tax that county officials say is needed to offset steep federal funding cuts and protect essential public services.

If approved by a four-fifths vote, the board would place a measure on the Nov. 3 ballot asking voters to authorize a countywide one-half cent increase in the transactions and use tax for five years. 

County officials estimate the measure would generate roughly $27 million annually beginning in the 2027-28 fiscal year.

County staff says the proposal is a response to what it describes as an unprecedented fiscal crisis driven by recent federal legislation and administrative actions that reduce funding for healthcare and safety-net programs while shifting additional costs onto counties. According to the staff report, Santa Cruz County has already identified about $25.6 million in annual impacts, with more than $150 million in increased costs and lost revenue projected over the next five years.

The board is also being asked to formally declare a state of fiscal distress, citing a structural budget imbalance, rising operating costs and the loss of federal support. The proposed resolution states that the county’s projected General Fund deficit has grown from $23.2 million to $48.8 million and could exceed $67 million in future years without corrective action.

County officials say they have already implemented hiring controls, eliminated vacant positions, reduced spending and pursued operational efficiencies, but those measures alone will not be enough to offset the anticipated losses.

The proposed ballot measure, titled the Temporary Emergency Medical, Healthcare, Food, Housing, and Essential Services Protection Measure, would direct revenues into the county’s General Fund. 

While state law prohibits the county from legally dedicating those dollars to specific programs, supervisors are also expected to adopt advisory spending priorities that emphasize emergency medical services, hospitals, mental health care, food assistance, homelessness prevention and other safety-net programs if voters approve the tax.

The urgency ordinance establishing the tax would take effect immediately if adopted Tuesday, but the tax itself would not be collected unless approved by a majority of voters in November.

•••

The supervisors will meet at 9am on Tuesday in the boardroom on the top floor of the government building at 701 Ocean Street in Santa Cruz. 

For information, visit bit.ly/4bse0xa

The annual Strawberry Festival drew scores of people Saturday, who browsed among merchandise sales booths, sampled from dozens of food vendors, rode rides, played games and watched live entertainment. 

The Festival will run Sunday from 11am–7pm.

#tdi_1 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item1 { background: url(https://pajaronian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/ride-80x60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; } #tdi_1 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item2 { background: url(https://pajaronian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/brynn-fernandes-6-of-watsonville-80x60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; } #tdi_1 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item3 { background: url(https://pajaronian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/bladimir-velasquez-and-Valerie-valle-80x60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; } #tdi_1 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item4 { background: url(https://pajaronian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/sequoia-solinas-5-of-watsonville-80x60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; } #tdi_1 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item5 { background: url(https://pajaronian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/crowd-80x60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; } #tdi_1 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item6 { background: url(https://pajaronian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pie-1-80x60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; } #tdi_1 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item7 { background: url(https://pajaronian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pie-2-80x60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; } #tdi_1 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item8 { background: url(https://pajaronian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/kenia-and-jimena-teodoro-6-and-8-80x60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; } #tdi_1 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item9 { background: url(https://pajaronian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/funnel-cake-angelina-franco-and-tyna-gomez-80x60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; } 1 of 9 THRILLS Miguel and Emiliano Garcia, 8 and 5, and Aasha Bandam, 6, ride the "Pirates Revenge." FUN HOUSE Brynn Fernandes, 6, of Watsonville, runs through the Shake Shack, a funhouse on the festival's midway. SLICE OF LIFE Bladimir Velazquez and Vallerie Valle show off their slices of strawberry pizza. Sequoia Solinas, 5, of Watsonville enjoys a strawberry-inspired treat. CROWDED Hundreds of people wait to see the first pie eating contest of the day. BEST EFFORT Jessie Reed, left, joined several people on stage for a pie eating contest. DISTINCTION Jessie Reed of Aptos celebrates after downing a large pie comprised of strawberries and whipped cream. CREATIVE Kenia and Jimena Teodoro, 6 and 8, paint their own strawberry at a booth manned by Pajar Valley Arts. SWEET TREAT Bladimir Velazquez and Valerie Valle enjoy a strawberry funnel cake.

More than 150 volunteers gathered Saturday at Kaiser Permanente Arena in Santa Cruz with a simple mission: make sure thousands of Santa Cruz County students are ready to begin the school year.

Working assembly-line style during the 17th annual Stuff the Bus Stuff-A-Thon, volunteers filled 2,500 backpacks with notebooks, binders, pencils, calculators and other classroom essentials before loading them onto a school bus for distribution across the county.

The backpacks are destined for students experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity, as well as foster youth, through local school districts and nonprofit organizations.

“The event is all about ensuring that students across Santa Cruz County have everything they need to start the school year ready to succeed,” said Santa Cruz County Office of Education spokesman Nick Ibarra.

This year marks the first time the program has included backpacks designed for transitional kindergarten students, reflecting the recent expansion of TK programs across California. Those younger students will receive smaller backpacks stocked with age-appropriate supplies.

According to the latest data, more than 2,800 Santa Cruz County students are considered homeless under the federal McKinney-Vento Act. That includes children living in doubled-up housing, motels, vehicles or unsheltered situations.

Ibarra said the annual drive is especially important in Santa Cruz County, which was recently ranked the nation’s least affordable housing market for the fourth consecutive year.

“Stuff the Bus is about reducing one kind of pressure that families face when they go back to school,” he said. “Taking care of their backpacks and school supplies lets them focus on those other challenges.”

After the backpacks are assembled, they are returned to the County Office of Education, which distributes them to school districts and nonprofit partners that work directly with homeless and foster youth.

In addition to school supplies, each backpack contains resources designed to connect families with services. Those include bilingual housing guides, information about 211 assistance, foster youth programs, dental care resources from Dientes Community Dental Care and basic hygiene items such as toothbrushes.

“This is our favorite event, because we see everyone in the community coming together to help their community,” said Kim Luke, community engagement spokesperson with West Coast Community Bank, which brought seven volunteers.

Funding for the program comes from a partnership between the Santa Cruz County Office of Education and United Way of Santa Cruz County, along with corporate sponsors and individual donors.

Ibarra said the County Office of Education’s staff alone raised about $5,000 through an internal fundraising campaign this year. Overall, he estimated it costs roughly $45,000 to purchase the supplies for all 2,500 backpacks, with United Way helping secure discounts and donations from suppliers.

The Stuff the Bus campaign has become an annual tradition, combining fundraising throughout July with the volunteer Stuff-A-Thon that prepares thousands of backpacks for local students before classes begin later this month.

For information, visit unitedwaysc.org/stb

#tdi_1 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item1 { background: url(https://pajaronian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/alejandro-guzman-and-Yamilex-Saldana-80x60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; } #tdi_1 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item2 { background: url(https://pajaronian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/packing-80x60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; } 1 of 2 LOADING UP Alejandro Guzman, left, and Yamilex Saldana were among seven volunteers from West Coast Community Bank. GROUP EFFORT Scores of people help place supplies into backpacks.

The annual Strawberry Festival drew scores of people Saturday, who browsed among merchandise sales booths, sampled from dozens of food vendors, rode rides, played games and watched live entertainment.

The Festival lasts until 8pm Saturday, and on Sunday from 11am–7pm.

#tdi_1 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item1 { background: url(https://pajaronian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/kenia-and-jimena-teodoro-6-and-8-80x60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; } #tdi_1 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item2 { background: url(https://pajaronian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/sequoia-solinas-5-of-watsonville-80x60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; } #tdi_1 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item3 { background: url(https://pajaronian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/bladimir-velasquez-and-Valerie-valle-80x60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; } #tdi_1 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item4 { background: url(https://pajaronian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/brynn-fernandes-6-of-watsonville-80x60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; } #tdi_1 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item5 { background: url(https://pajaronian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/crowd-80x60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; } #tdi_1 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item6 { background: url(https://pajaronian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pie-1-80x60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; } #tdi_1 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item7 { background: url(https://pajaronian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/pie-2-80x60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; } 1 of 7 CREATIVE Kenia and Jimena Teodoro, 6 and 8, paint their own strawberry at a booth manned by Pajar Valley Arts. Sequoia Solinas, 5, of Watsonville enjoys a strawberry-inspired treat. SLICE OF LIFE Bladimir Velazquez and Vallerie Valle show off their slices of strawberry pizza. FUN HOUSE Brynn Fernandes, 6, of Watsonville, runs through the Shake Shack, a funhouse on the festival's midway. CROWDED Hundreds of people wait to see the first pie eating contest of the day. BEST EFFORT Jessie Reed, left, joined several people on stage for a pie eating contest. DISTINCTION Jessie Reed of Aptos celebrates after downing a large pie comprised of strawberries and whipped cream.

After several weeks of sold-out performances and standing ovations, Cabrillo Stage’s production of Sister Act is heading into its final weekend.

The musical, which closes Aug. 2 at the Crocker Theater on the Cabrillo College campus in Aptos, has earned rave reviews from audiences for its energetic performances, comedy and live orchestra.

Based on the hit 1992 film, Sister Act follows Deloris Van Cartier, a nightclub singer who is forced into witness protection after seeing a murder. Hidden in a convent, she shakes up the quiet religious community while finding an unexpected sense of belonging.

Leading the cast is Karriyma Pekary as Deloris, a role she describes as both glamorous and deeply human.

“She’s a boldly expressive force of nature wrapped in sequins, ambition, humor, and heart,” Pekary said. “Yet underneath all the flashy showmanship is a tender soul searching for validation and belonging.”

Pekary said she identifies with Deloris’ search for acceptance and especially enjoys performing “Raise Your Voice,” a song she said reveals the character’s heart as both an artist and mentor.

As the production has progressed, the cast has formed its own close-knit bond, she said.

“The bond that Deloris and her fellow nuns create is palpable,” Pekary said. “We have formed a true sisterhood, and I’m constantly inspired by the sharing of joy and love that we bring to each and every show.”

Jennifer Taylor Daniels stars as Mother Superior. A familiar face to Cabrillo Stage audiences from productions including Beehive, Scrooge and Hairspray, Daniels is also an educator in the Pajaro Valley Unified School District. One of her former students, Carlos Joel Gonzales, appears alongside her in the cast.

Daniels said her years as a teacher have given her a “teacher voice” that comes in handy when leading a convent full of nuns on stage.

She describes Mother Superior as “a loving person, a bit afraid of the outside world, who seeks community.”

Daniels said she hopes audiences leave the theater thinking about how they can bring more joy into their own lives.

The remaining performances are July 31 and Aug. 1 at 7:30pm, with a final 2pm matinee on Aug. 2.

Performances are at the Crocker Theater, 6500 Soquel Drive on the Cabrillo College campus in Aptos. Tickets are available at cabrillostage.com or by calling the box office at 831-479-6154. The box office is open Thursday through Saturday from noon to 6pm and one hour before each performance.

Three people have been arrested in connection with a July 13 shooting in Santa Cruz that investigators believe may be gang-related.

The Santa Cruz Police Department announced Friday that detectives with its Investigations Bureau served search warrants in Santa Cruz and Watsonville as part of the investigation into the shooting, which occurred in the 500 block of Errett Circle.

Arrested were:

• Jose Ernesto Puga Banuelos, who was booked on suspicion of attempted murder, assault with a firearm, discharging a firearm at an occupied vehicle and conspiracy to commit a crime.

• Guadalupe Manuel Figueroa Escoto, who was booked on suspicion of attempted murder, assault with a firearm and discharging a firearm at an occupied vehicle.

• Anthony Jose Sanchez-Escobar, who was arrested on suspicion of carrying a loaded firearm in public.

According to police, officers responded to the 500 block of Errett Circle at about 8:07pm on July 13 after receiving reports of gunfire.

When officers arrived, they searched the area, secured the scene and collected evidence. No injuries were reported.

Investigators believe the shooting may have been gang-related and said the investigation remains active and ongoing.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact the Santa Cruz Police Department. Anonymous tips can be submitted through the department’s tip line at 831.420.5995.

A city’s primary responsibility is ensuring the safety of its people. 

I am proud to share that our City Council recently adopted a budget that makes a major investment in our frontline defense. We have officially approved the purchase of a brand-new, state-of-the-art fire engine for our fire department. 

Last year alone, the Watsonville Fire Department responded to more than 5,550 calls for service, highlighting the critical role our firefighters and paramedics play in protecting our community every day. Securing this vehicle requires true strategic foresight and immense behind-the-scenes work. Due to nationwide supply chain demands, it takes approximately two years to custom-build a modern fire apparatus. However, the clock doesn’t just start at the factory. Our fire department leadership spends months in the pre-construction phase, carefully researching specifications, forming selection committees, engineering the blueprint to fit our city’s unique streets, and holding meticulous pre-construction conferences with the manufacturer. By investing the time and effort today, we guarantee a flawless final product tailored specifically to our community’s needs. 

It is easy to look at a polished fire engine in a parade and assume it is in perfect condition. In reality, these vehicles endure incredible abuse. They idle for hours at accident scenes, navigate rough roads at high speeds, and push mechanical components to their absolute limits during heavy pumping operations. While our department maintains them meticulously, the hidden wear and tear of emergency response eventually requires us to replace aging equipment. 

Modern fire engines are much more than trucks; they are mobile, lifesaving command centers. As an Advanced Life Support (ALS) department, our engines are staffed by highly trained paramedics. This means our apparatus literally brings a mobile emergency room directly to your doorstep, equipped with the cardiac monitors, medications, and advanced trauma gear needed to save lives in those first critical minutes. 

By proactively upgrading our fleet, we ensure that when you call for help, our firefighters and paramedics can respond rapidly with the most reliable equipment available. Our local crews put their lives on the line for us every day. Providing them with the tools they need to do their jobs safely is a direct investment in the future of our entire community. I want to thank the city council for their fiscal stewardship, and our fire chief and crew for their dedicated service.

Several candidates running for a seat on the Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees for the November election met July 25 at a forum hosted by the Pajaro Valley Federation of Teachers. 

Roughly 30 teachers attended, alongside several candidates for school board, including Eriberto Estrada and Incumbent Daniel Dodge Jr, both running for Trustee Area Four, and Mads Realmuto, running for Trustee Area Seven against incumbent Misty Navarro, who sent in a pre-recorded statement. 

The meeting served as an initial introduction to who the candidates are, and what their priorities will be if elected. 

Joy Flynn, who currently holds the seat for Area 1, has said that she will not seek reelection. Andrew Goldenkranz and Meilin Obinata showed up at the Saturday forum for that seat

The Pajaronian has reached out to trustee Olivia Flores to ask if she plans to run for reelection to Area 5, but she did not respond by publication. As of July 30, nobody has filed to run for that seat, but Jennifer Schacher, who previously sat on the board, has expressed interest. 

Meilin Obinata

Obinata traces her decision to run for school board to a day spent decluttering her home, where she describes an a-ha moment that convinced her to run. 

“One thing about decluttering is that it means you have to deal with past mistakes,” said Obinata. “ I do think we need some of that in the district, decluttering of ideas.”

Obinata grew up attending PVUSD schools and has worked in academic counseling from San Francisco and the East Bay to Santa Cruz and Monterey County. She says she’s seen how different districts operate, and is prepared to bring that background to PVUSD, working closely with students and teachers. 

“As people working in the district, you actually have a lot of evidence about what is working, and what is not working,” Obinata said, addressing the crowd of teachers. “I believe part of what makes for a successful board is to receive evidence from you. There is no schooling without teachers. There just isn’t.”

Andrew Goldenkranz

Andrew Goldenkranz worked for 37 years as a science teacher, starting at EA Hall Middle School and eventually moving to work in the South Bay. Now, he wants to translate those years of experience into a position as board trustee. 

Goldenkranz says he would advocate for an administrative hiring freeze until contract negotiations with the teacher’s union are settled. He also said he would dip into the board’s 10% reserve funds to solve pressing issues immediately. 

“When we were raising my family, it was nice to put money in savings, but sometimes you couldn’t do that, because you had more important needs to do,” Goldenkranz said. “So I think it’s time to settle the current issues now.”

Like Obinata, Goldenkranz can also recall the day he decided to run for trustee. While on business in Sacramento, he ran into Tony Thurmond, the superintendent for the state of California, who he knows from past work. 

Thurmond had one question for him: “What the F is going on in Pajaro Valley?” 

Having recently retired from education, that interaction convinced Goldenkranz that PVUSD is a district that needs support, which he plans to do by focusing on student achievement and pragmatic budgeting. He says another big priority will be avoiding what he describes as the “histrionics” of recent meetings. 

“The board, among other things, needs to model the kind of behaviour we expect from ourselves and kids,” Goldenkranz said. “That’s simply not happening.”

Candidates have until August 7th to file paperwork to appear on the November ballot.

#tdi_1 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item1 { background: url(https://pajaronian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/misty-navarro-pic-80x60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; } #tdi_1 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item2 { background: url(https://pajaronian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/goldenkranz-80x60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; } #tdi_1 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item3 { background: url(https://pajaronian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/mads-realmuto-80x60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; } #tdi_1 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item4 { background: url(https://pajaronian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/eriberto-80x60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; } #tdi_1 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item5 { background: url(https://pajaronian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/dodge-file-7-23-80x60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; } #tdi_1 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item6 { background: url(https://pajaronian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/jennifer-schacher-8-24-80x60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; } 1 of 6 Misty Navarro (Contribiuted) Andrew Goldenkranz (LinkedIn) Mads Realmuto (Todd Guild/The Pajaronian) Eriberto Estrada (Tarmo Hanniula/The Pajaronian) Erik Chalhoub/Register-Pajaronian Daniel Dodge Jr. (right) congratulates newly sworn-in Mayor Francisco Estrada during the Watsonville City Council meeting Tuesday. Dodge was sworn into the Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees the following night.Daniel Dodge Jr. (Tarmo Hannula/The Pajaronian) Jennifer Schacher (Contributed)

A new art exhibit is going up at PV Arts at the Porter Building in downtown Watsonville and runs from Aug. 4 through Sept. 19. 

“Body Marking: Art, Ritual & Story” explores global practice of marking the body as a form of personal expression, cultural identity, and sacred ritual, PV Arts said. 

According to the organization, humans have adorned their skin to tell stories, express beliefs, celebrate rites of passage, and resist erasure.

Curated by Roberta Valdez, the exhibit features 33 artists in a variety of mediums, including photography, paintings, ceramics, textiles, sculpture and drawing. 

Organizers added that the show goes “from the intricate patterns of Māorī tā moko and Japanese irezumi to contemporary tattooing, scarification, and body painting, body marking continues to evolve as both art form and statement.”

Valdez said, “I think that a lot of us have had fascinations with tattoos since we were young people. A lot of the artists in this exhibit, the tattoo artists in particular, grew up drawing on themselves or putting tattoos on their friends and when they saw tattoo artists working they knew that that’s what they wanted to do.”

Valdez said she has been working on the concept of the show for the past two years and visited numerous tattoo shops, between Mendocino County and Long Beach, to bolster her research. 

“I’m an anthropologist by training, so I looked at the spectrum of people around the world now and in history and even prehistory marking bodies for ritual. To think of the skin as a canvas—it’s amazing to think about.” 

The show will also feature a film, demonstrations, talks and more.

#tdi_2 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item1 { background: url(https://pajaronian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/PV-Arts-2-80x60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; } #tdi_2 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item2 { background: url(https://pajaronian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/PV-Arts-3-80x60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; } #tdi_2 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item3 { background: url(https://pajaronian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/PV-Arts-4-1-80x60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; } #tdi_2 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item4 { background: url(https://pajaronian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/PV-Arts-5-80x60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; } 1 of 4 PAINTED “Structured” is a photograph by Brenda Leach. THREADS The skeleton seated on a mirror is fabric sewn together by Susan Ele titled “Lydia the Tattooed Lady.” CARDBOARD Melanie Oldach created “The Golden Couple” with cardboard and paint. NEW EXHIBIT Mark Overgaard entered this photograph in the show.

Eddie Duino was 8 years old the first time his father brought him to what was then the Watsonville Country Club.

Nearly eight decades later, he still walks the fairways of the same Royal Oaks course, now known as Pajaro Valley Golf Club, teaching the game he has devoted his life to while reflecting on the generations of golfers who have come through its gates.

“My dad brought me here when I was about eight years old,” Duino said. “There’s a lot of history here.”

LESSONS Eddie Duino has been teaching golf lesson at the Pajaro Valley Golf Club for over 50 years.

That history reaches a milestone this year as Pajaro Valley Golf Club celebrates its 100th anniversary, marking a century as one of the Central Coast’s oldest golf courses. While the club plans a yearlong series of tournaments and special events through June 2027, perhaps no one embodies its legacy better than Duino, who has spent 65 years as a golf instructor, including the past three decades at Pajaro Valley Golf Club.

For Duino, now in his 80s, the course is more than a workplace.

“It’s like you’re out in a park,” he said. “You’re in the country.”

He has played nearly every course in Santa Cruz County and spent years as the head golf professional at Seascape Golf Club, a place he still speaks fondly of. But Pajaro Valley remains special.

Unlike courses hemmed in by homes and busy roads, Pajaro Valley feels tucked away among oak trees, Monterey cypress and farmland, with views stretching toward Elkhorn Slough.

“You’ll see deer run through here, turkeys, lots of birds,” he said. “It’s got a lot of character.”

Duino also believes the course strikes a rare balance.

“It’s nice enough for a good player—it’s very challenging,” he said. “But for the average player, it’s very user-friendly. It’s got everything.”

That accessibility has helped make the course a destination for generations of local golfers, from beginners taking their first lesson to experienced players returning year after year.

Duino knows many of them by name.

Teaching golf has been his life’s work.

“I must like something about it because I started my career, which I’ve never changed,” he said. “I’ve been at it for 67 consecutive years.”

In the golf business, he said, teaching is often something professionals do after years of running clubs or competing. For him, however, helping players improve has become the most rewarding part of the game.

He still jokes with students, critiques swings and hands out novelty T-shirts proclaiming, “I take lessons from Eddie Duino.”

His enthusiasm has hardly faded.

That continuity mirrors the course itself.

Originally established in 1926, the property began as the Watsonville Country Club. Its first nine holes were designed by Peter Hay, the longtime golf professional at Pebble Beach. Before it became a golf course, the site played an important role in the region’s agricultural economy, serving as Hudson Landing, where barges loaded with produce traveled through Elkhorn Slough before railroads transformed transportation on the Central Coast.

Today, golfers still experience much of the landscape that first attracted visitors a century ago.

“It’s a unique location within the wonderful agricultural context of the Pajaro Valley,” said Mark Swartz, director of operations for the club. “Rolling terrain, mature Monterey cypress and views of the Elkhorn Slough—it is truly a special property.”

Swartz said preserving that character while preparing the club for another century is the guiding philosophy behind its long-term plans.

Those plans include a new clubhouse, restaurant, banquet facility and visitor accommodations, along with environmental improvements designed to reduce water use and protect nearby habitat. The owners are also exploring public trails connecting the property to Elkhorn Slough and hope to permanently preserve 51 acres of resource conservation land bordering the estuary.

The course’s proximity to Elkhorn Slough, one of California’s largest tidal wetlands, has shaped those plans.

“Our approach requires the natural hydrology flow through bioswales that support the creation of additional native habitat while cleansing the water as it moves toward the slough,” Swartz said. “Environmental quality drives our solution-based approach.”

While much has changed since Duino first arrived as a boy, he still remembers the families who built the club.

He attended college with Charles Leiter, whose family owned the course for many years, another thread connecting his own story with the club’s history.

“There’s a lot of history here,” he said again.

Brian Robbeloth, the club’s general manager, believes visitors sense that history almost immediately.

“This course has a unique history and personality that people immediately feel when they arrive,” he said in announcing the centennial celebration. “There’s a sense of authenticity here that has stayed with the property for generations.”

As the club looks toward its second century, Duino isn’t focused on development plans or anniversary festivities.

He talks instead about the feeling golfers get when they step onto the first tee.

Away from traffic, surrounded by open space and wildlife, the course offers something increasingly difficult to find on California’s crowded coast.

For nearly 100 years, generations of golfers have come to Pajaro Valley Golf Club searching for that experience.

Few have appreciated it longer than Eddie Duino, who first arrived with his father as an 8-year-old boy and never really left.

Settling into the Sunset West Best Western Hotel on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, my wife Sarah and I had a couple days to explore the old and new of one of America’s largest cities. 

In this third part of a series, we wander the busy streets of a place built around the theme of sunny palm trees that have no business being there. Thanks to folks in the early 20th-century, real estate marketing and the film industry, tens of thousands of palm trees, mostly Mexican fan palms, were planted along major boulevards to give L.A. a tropical, Mediterranean tone.

We were now on day three of a nine-day road trip from Watsonville to Southern California. Two nights in Los Angeles on Sunset Boulevard barely gave us enough time to absorb the wide scope of the place, but we had a colorful list of things to do including the Laurel Canyon Country Store. 

Built in 1919 as a lodge for local hunters, the hillside wooden store eventually became a melting pot for Hollywood stars and pop music icons. Orson Welles, Clara Bow and Errol Flynn all lived here. Rock musician Frank Zappa lived nearby, and Mama Cass of the Mamas and the Papas lived in the basement. Cass would later introduce Graham Nash to David Crosby and Stephen Stills to the place while Jim Morrison, lead singer for the The Doors, lived next door.

We also stopped by the Charlie Chaplin studios at the corner of La Brea Avenue and Sunset Boulevard. This is where the famed filmmaker and actor worked and filmed several of his movies between 1917 and 1953. The spot later earned a designation as a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument.

The La Brea Tar Pits and Museum was next. The tourist attraction is still an active paleontological research site in urban Los Angeles and sits at the center of Hancock Park that includes a group of tar pits where natural asphalt has gurgled up from the ground for tens of thousands of years. Researchers have discovered the well-preserved bones of ancient animals that got trapped in the tar. Indoors, the public can watch a team of researchers picking apart scads of fossils under microscopes in their lab.

We had our first dinner on Sunset Boulevard, across from our hotel in the Rail Diner, fashioned from a 1936 railroad passenger car. While many meals in that area seemed expensive to us, our meal tab was $21.

We drove past the RMS Queen Mary, a massive passenger ship launched in 1936 and famous for its luxury and its important role as a World War II troopship.

In the next part of this series we head south to Huntington Beach for birding, the 1776 California Mission at San Juan Capistrano and on to Carlsbad.

#tdi_1 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item1 { background: url(https://pajaronian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/LA-trav-2-1-80x60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; } #tdi_1 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item2 { background: url(https://pajaronian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/LA-trav-3-80x60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; } #tdi_1 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item3 { background: url(https://pajaronian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/LA-trav-4-80x60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; } 1 of 3 MOVIE FANS Huge crowds swarm Hollywood Boulevard as the premiere of “Master of the Universe” movie unfolds. ALL ABOARD The RMS Queen Mary is docked permanently in Long Beach. The city purchased the retired British ocean liner in 1967 and it now serves as a hotel. STILL BUBBLING The La Brea Tar Pits and Museum in Los Angeles is still an active paleontological research site.