The Pajaronian

Santa Cruz County plans to support a lawsuit challenging a proposed federal immigration enforcement facility near Gilroy by joining an amicus curiae brief alongside Santa Clara County and California Attorney General Rob Bonta, county officials announced Thursday.

The lawsuit seeks judicial review of a facility that public records indicate is intended to support U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations. Plaintiffs contend the project moved forward without required local review and permitting processes.

Although the proposed facility would be located in neighboring Santa Clara County, Santa Cruz County officials said its effects could extend throughout the Central Coast region.

“Santa Cruz County communities are deeply connected to those throughout the region,” Board of Supervisors Chair Monica Martinez said in a statement. “Our immigrant families deserve transparency, public accountability and compliance with established legal processes.”

Martinez said the county’s participation is consistent with ongoing efforts to understand and prepare for the impacts of federal immigration enforcement activities.

Supervisor Felipe Hernandez said many residents are experiencing uncertainty and fear related to federal immigration enforcement actions.

“We have a responsibility to understand and prepare for the impacts these actions may have on local families, schools, healthcare systems and community organizations,” Hernandez said. “Our participation reflects that commitment.”

County officials described the move as a continuation of broader efforts by the Board of Supervisors to address the local effects of federal immigration policies. In January, the board established the S.H.I.E.L.D. (Safeguarding Health, Inclusion, Essential Services and Local Defense) Ad Hoc Subcommittee, which developed an ordinance prohibiting the use of county property for immigration enforcement activities and policies intended to protect residents accessing healthcare, education, public benefits and other services.

The county said additional information about its immigration preparedness efforts is available through the County of Santa Cruz website.

Field workers harvest a strawberry crop along San Andreas Road in Watsonville in 1954.

Watsonville Fire Battalion Chief Almita Schaefer hung up her helmet June 4 on her final day as a firefighter with Watsonville Fire Department.     

The Watsonville native has spent her adult life helping others, a reflection of how her family brought her up. 

After attending the now shuttered Moss Landing Middle School and graduating from Watsonville High School in 1994, she worked for 10 years as a paramedic, and then switched over to be a firefighter in 2007. 

She said she initially hoped to be a doctor, but a stint volunteering in a hospital emergency room convinced her that being a paramedic was more fitting.

“I decided I wanted to do something as well as medical,” she said. “I found that on calls I was only able to assist in one dynamic, and I wanted to do more.”

“Since Watsonville is my hometown I pursued it here,” she added. She is the first full time woman to hold positions of firefighter/paramedic, Captain and Battalion Chief. 

“This career has been more than I could have ever asked for,” she said. “Any good recipe, anything worth enjoying has a lot of ingredients. It takes years and years for this particular moment to come to a point where I feel like it’s complete, where I feel like it’s not just something I’m doing. I started for a different reason. And I’m happy to say that I’m leaving with that accomplished.”

She added that she is leaving with “a continued sense of family. Being able to be welcomed by the fire department, the fire family at that age was really, really important to me. And through the years, that’s been the constant thread, that anytime I need something, they’re here for me. No one second guesses me here, or puts me down and it isn’t a competition.”

She says that one of the most “inspiring and special things” about being a firefighter is that no matter where you go on the fire engine or the fire truck, “someone’s always waving at you. I love to be friendly and so that was probably one of the most special things that this career gave me.”

She also noted that there have been “some really amazing women before me that were in the reserve program. Nobody signs up because they’re short or tall or gender or a certain kind of cultural background. That’s not what we sign up for: We sign up to help people and each other in that time of need. From week one, this department has always said, ‘She’s one of our family and that’s what we’ll always think of her as.”

The City of Watsonville invites the public to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary with a full day of community activities, and events. 

The day begins July 4 with the Spirit of Watsonville Parade at 12:30pm that runs along Main Street from Street from Patrick’s Church, 721 Main St., to First Street. This year’s parade will once again feature a flyover by the West Coast Ravens. Street Closures include Main Street between Freedom Boulevard and 1st Street, along with adjacent streets, closed from 8:30am to 4:30pm. 

The Fire in the Sky Open House at the Watsonville Municipal Airport opens at 11am.

The schedule includes: 

11am – Community Car Show with Dynometer
4:30pm – Gates Open to the Public
6:00pm – Skydive Aircraft Departures
6:20pm – Skydive Jump and National Anthem Performance
6:30pm – Flyover (tentative)
8:30pm – Fireworks Show Begins

As summer edges in, the folks at Corralitos Market & Sausage Co. and Freedom Meat Lockers are dealing with rising meat prices as the industry and customers across the nation adjust to higher costs, soaring gas prices and more.

“I feel like the prices have gone through the roof,” said Sarah Lewis, general manager at Freedom Meat Lockers. “And to top it off, I feel like there’s a big supply and demand shift happening right now. Even with skirt steak; we’re trying to get the product that we like and are really comfortable with that we want to serve our customers. And then we get a sample case from a new company and it is simply not what we want, so we send it back. It’s harder to find the level of quality that we want at a reasonable price.”

Lewis added that the price hike is “denting into what products” are out there.

“We’re fortunate enough to have wonderful suppliers, and they’re doing the best they can to get us the price we feel comfortable with,” Lewis said. “It’s challenging. We’ve been running into a lot of folks trying to get that quality that customers want with the price that they can afford,” 

Victor Silva at Freedom Meats said that ”everything’s going up.”

“Everything across the board—beef, pork products or chicken, chicken breast. For example, we’re charging 50 cents less than what we paid. Who else does that?”

In response, one adjustment the company offers, Lewis says, is the business’s ever-changing Variety Bag for $99. 

“It easily has $120 to $150 worth of products,” she said. “It’s one way to get people high quality stuff that they can use, but that won’t break the bank. And it’s easier on the customer because it means fewer trips to the store. So buying in bigger numbers saves you.” A typical bag features chicken, skirt steak, ribs, Cornish game hens, ground beef — a list that changes each month.

One big plus, Lewis added: “We won Best of Show for our Italian mozzarella basil sausage. That’s something folks are coming in and asking for. It was at the California Association of Meat Processors. It won best out of the entire convention.  Also new at the counter is our marinated butter chicken thighs. And we have a brand new marinade, mango habanero. We think it’s sensational.”

Meanwhile, at Corralitos Market & Sausage Co., owner  Dave Petersen, said he has been adjusting to spikes in meat prices.

 “My first highest cut of meat is filet mignon,” he said. “Now number two, unbelievably, is skirt steak. Number three is prime rib. It used to be vice versa. Prime rib was a cheaper cut, but now it’s supply and demand because they’re shipping it overseas.” 

READY TO GRILL Dave Petersen, owner of Corralitos Market and Sausage Co., shows a tomahawk steak and their new whiskey bourbon marinade. (Tarmo Hannula/The Pajaronian)

He explained that a butcher can only get about four pounds of skirt steak out of an 800-pound “hanging, dressed beef.” 

“And people don’t realize that,” he said. “They think there’s 20, 30, 50 pounds of skirt steak there. But there’s not. And so people are saying ‘you guys are charging so much money.’ It’s not us. That’s the way it is; it’s the whole chain.’”

He added that meat companies are also tacking on higher gasoline prices by charging a “fuel fee” just for a delivery. This is brand new. And you’re seeing that everywhere, too. Cause your cereal, spices, whatever—everything gets here by gas.” 

Petersen added that in earlier times, people would come in and “it’d be nothing to buy 20 pounds of skirt steak for a family party. Well, you can’t do that anymore. And it’s just not me. It’s everywhere.” 

Peterson said that on the upside, he’s featuring a new Harbinero pineapple sausage.

“We also had a chicken mango and we’re doing that one with a Harbinero too; it almost sounds hot, but it’s really not. It’s just got a nice kick to it.”

He said that he’s just introduced new pork riblets.

“They are so easy to grill,” he said. “And we’ve got a whiskey bourbon marinade that we came up with. It’s really, really good.”

Corralitos Market & Sausage Co. is at 569 Corralitos Road in Corralitos, and Freedom Meat Lockers is at 160 Hi Grade Lane in Watsonville.

The annual list of All-Pacific Coast Athletic League baseball teams was released June 1, which included 14 players from the four high schools in Watsonville.

St. Francis High junior Nicky Fantl and sophomore Noah Magan both earned all-league first team honors in the Gabilan Division, while teammate freshman Angel Urabe Chavez and Monte Vista Christian junior Mikie Melenudo each earned second team honors.

Watsonville High senior Mathew Silva and junior Jeremiah Mendez, along with Pajaro Valley senior Steve Martinez each earned All-PCAL First Team honors in the Cypress Division.

Watsonville’s Brody Barto and Mauricio Estrada, and PV’s Roy Sanchez-Diaz each earned all-league second team honors.

St. Francis sophomore Jacob Fonseca, MVC junior Chris Bautista, PV’s JC DeLuna and Watsonville’s Timothy Ruelas each were named to the Richard Chamberlin All-Sportsmanship Team in their respective division.

Below is a complete list of the 2026 All-PCAL baseball teams.

Pacific Coast Athletic League 2026 all-league teams Gabilan Division Individual Awards

Most Valuable Player: Matt Maxon (Sr.), Carmel

Co-Pitchers of the Year: Zach Gonzales (Jr.), Palma and Johnny Money (Jr.), Monterey

First Team

Matt Maxon (Sr.), Carmel

Alex Hirschfield (Jr.), Carmel

Dean Brian (So.), Carmel

Sean Carr (Sr.), Carmel

Matt Alioto (Sr.), Palma

Zach Gonzales (Jr.), Palma

Rocco Razzeca (Sr.), Palma

Jordan Quezada (Sr.), Hollister

Braden Barone (Sr.), Hollister

Ethan Sanchez (Sr.), Soledad

Noah Magana (So.), St. Francis

Nicky Fantl (Jr.), St. Francis

Johnny Money (Jr.), Monterey

Second Team

Kenny Sanchez (So.), Carmel

John Beretti (Sr.), Carmel

Wyatt Bakker (Sr.), Palma

Damien Lopez (Jr.), Palma

Dylan Rocchi (Jr.), Palma

Ami Lopez (Jr.), Hollister

Layton Smith (So.), Hollister

Evan Mendoza (Jr.), Hollister

Connor Rose (Sr.), Monterey

Angel Urabe Chavez (Fr.), St. Francis 

Zachary Velasquez (Sr.), Salinas

Juan Esparza (Jr.), Soledad

Daniel Valenzuela (Sr.), Soledad

Mikie Melenudo (Jr.), Monte Vista Christian

Richard Chamberlin All-Sportsmanship Team

Michael Melnick (Sr.), Carmel

Aiden Veliz (Sr.), Palma

Aiden Velarde (Sr.), Monterey

Jacob Fonseca (So.), St. Francis

Gavin Rainey (Sr.), Salinas

Daniel Garcia (So.), Soledad

Chris Bautista (Jr.), MVC

Jordan Quezada (Sr.), Hollister

Elgie Bellizio All-Sportsmanship team

Soledad

Mission Division Individual Awards

Most Valuable Player: Angel Barajas, Alisal

Pitcher of the Year: Jacob Hall, Stevenson

Offensive Player of the Year: Brody Edmunds, Pacific Grove

First Team

Huck Blanton, North Monterey County

Cecil Short, Rancho San Juan

Brody Edmunds, PG

Jacob Hall, Stevenson

Angel Barajas, Alisal

Andrew Jeska, PG

Reggie Bell, Stevenson

Phinn Thomas, Stevenson

Brody Gates, NMC

Roman Garcia, Alvarez

Aiden Munoz, RSJ

GP Serato, Alisal

Fabian Gonzalez, Alvarez

Second Team

Josiah Ramos, Alisal

Jonah Karsa, Stevenson

Ryder Allen, NMC

Issac Ortiz, RSJ

Daniel Saldana, RSJ

Kenny Pajas, Greenfield

Issac Sanchez, PG

Julian Valadez, RSJ

Taj Davis, PG

Northrop Kirk, PG

Cody Victoriano, Alvarez

Xavier Estrad, Alisal

Julian Barajas, NMC

Richard Chamberlin All-Sportsmanship Team

Francisco Hernandez, Greenfield

Kai Clarkson, PG

Brady Mugan, Stevenson

Benny Vera, RSJ

Fredy Torres, Alisal

Devin Pedersen, Alvarez

Jayden Harris, NMC

Elgie Bellizio All-Sportsmanship team

Pacific Grove

Cypress Division Individual Awards

Most Valuable Player: Josh Degroodt, North Salinas

Offensive Player of the Year: Jacoby Chavez, King City

Pitcher of the Year: Joel Pina, King City

First Team

Joel Pina, King City

Jacoby Chavez, King City

Joaquin Sabala, King City

Josh Degroodt, North Salinas

Julian Gabriel, North Salinas

Johnny Benabides, North Salinas

Markus Camacho, North Salinas

Mathew Silva, Watsonville

Jeremiah Mendez, Watsonville

Kaleb True, Marina

Noah Villalobos, Gonzales

Steve Martinez, Pajaro Valley

Gabriel Rodriguez, Seaside

Second Team

Roman (RJ) Ayon, King City

Dylan Conatser, King City

Pablo Aguirre, King City

Ernesto Aguirre, KIng City

Andres Cervantes, North Salinas

Izaiah Gonzalez, North Salinas

Esteban Solorzano, North Salinas

Brody Barto, Watsonville

Mauricio Estrada, Watsonville

Leonel Alvarado, Marina

Juan Arriola, Gonzales

Roy Sanchez-Diaz, Pajaro Valley

Gabriel Moulton, Seaside

Richard Chamberlin All-Sportsmanship Team

Axel Chavez-Torres, King City

Julian Gabriel, North Salinas

Timothy Ruelas, Watsonville

Liam Sampaolo, Marina

Moises Castro, Gonzales

JC DeLuna, Pajaro Valley

Mason Flynn, Seaside

Elgie Bellizio All-Sportsmanship team

Seaside

The Ray Myers era is officially under way at Pajaro Valley High this week after he was formally introduced as the new head football coach Tuesday afternoon.

The longtime local defensive coordinator was already in full spirits by sporting the green, silver and black colors at Grizzly Stadium prior to a meeting with some of the incoming players.

“Being a coach basically is just an extension of the classroom,” Myers said. “It’s just another chance for me to teach and help impact people’s lives. Not just in the classroom, but on the field, too. It’s a great opportunity for that.”

Myers, 42, will replace Casey Neligh after he was pink-slipped by the Pajaro Valley Unified School District following three seasons (2023-25) at the helm.

Neligh led the Grizzlies to the program’s first-ever winning season after they finished with a 6-4 overall record. They were runners-up in the Pacific Coast Athletic League’s Santa Lucia Division with a 5-1 record in league play.

Pajaro Valley Athletic Director Joe Manfre said he opened the position not thinking he’d find somebody extremely qualified for the position in such a short period.

That’s when Myers’ name popped up on the EDJOIN website.

“I was like ‘holy moly,’” Manfre said. “The Myers name carries a lot of weight in the city of Watsonville and Santa Cruz County.”

Myers has been a physical education teacher at Pajaro Middle School for the past 18 years. He received his master’s degree in strength and conditioning, and taught a weightlifting class for the Cabrillo College football team the past four years.

Myers played his first three years of prep football at Monte Vista Christian in Watsonville, followed by his senior season at Gilroy High and two years at Cabrillo College.

In 2007, Myers got his first gig as a defensive line coach at Soquel High under his dad, Ron, who spent 47 years on the football sidelines, and was the mastermind behind the Black Death defense at Watsonville High in the 80s.

“I think it’s kind of cool that Ray’s wanted to step into that space, and make a name for himself a little bit, too,” Manfre said.

Myers was promoted to defensive coordinator for six more years until he jumped ship with his dad for his second stint at Watsonville from 2014-19.

He took two years off during the Covid-19 pandemic before making a return to his alma mater at Cabrillo College as a defensive line coach for four years (‘22-25).

Myers now will have a chance to lead a program for the first time in his career, and he’s bringing his mentor, Ron, along for the ride as one of his assistant coaches. 

“I feel like [Ray Myers] brings a wealth of knowledge, and he’s a teacher too. He knows how to deal with kids,” Manfre said. “I think it’s going to be a really good fit.”

Myers will become a physical education teacher at Pajaro Valley, and run a weightlifting class for the football team. He said a benefit to being an on-campus coach is having contact with players for constant grade checks.

Myers also mentioned building relationships with teachers on campus is critical because he wants to make sure students are passing classes outside of athletics.

“The goal for us, and it always has been, is if you play four years of football you’re going to be able to graduate to be eligible to do that,” Myers said. 

Myers can already see the bigger picture, which starts with recruiting as many student-athletes as possible to join the Grizzly football program.

After that, he’s hoping to create a pipeline to send those same players to the next level whether it’s at Cabrillo or another school of their choice. 

“I want it to be a positive experience for them,” Myers said. “I want to have that positivity spread to the school. [Casey Neligh] did a great job with the program. I’m not inheriting a program that is down, it’s a program that is on its way up, and he’s done a really good job of getting the place ready.”

Many in our community are feeling insecure right now. The effects of federal policy changes under H.R.1 (One Big Beautiful Bill Act) are hitting home in very real ways. There have already been drastic funding cuts and eligibility restrictions for CalFresh and Medi-Cal. And as of July 1, dental coverage for adult Medi-Cal members with insufficient immigration status will be eliminated. Our local nonprofits are facing rising demand and deep uncertainty.

In this moment, a question keeps coming to mind: What is the opposite of insecurity?

For food insecurity, it isn’t just the absence of hunger. It’s nourishment. For lack of access to medical care, it’s not just an appointment. It’s about being cared for holistically, with dignity.

Every day, our community nourishes each other in extraordinary ways. At dawn, Grey Bears volunteers come together and pack hundreds of grocery bags with shared purpose and love. At Cabrillo College, a mom working on her nursing degree is greeted with a warm smile at the wellness center when she picks up groceries for her family. At Salud Para La Gente, a physician cares for a patient in their native language and connects them to services to support their well-being. It’s the volunteer bringing Meals on Wheels to the door of a senior and a family picking up groceries and their preschooler at an early education center. It’s the volunteer at Second Harvest supporting over 60 food pantries across our County.

We know how to nourish each other, and we know how to nourish this community. We always have.

This month, the Community Foundation invested $2.1 million in Community Grants to 103 nonprofit partners—fueling work that keeps Santa Cruz County strong, connected, and nourished. These annual grants are made possible thanks to the generosity and foresight of dozens of families from previous generations, along with locals who made recent gifts to our Greatest Needs Fund.

Community Grants provide steady, unrestricted, and flexible funding that allows nonprofits to direct resources where they are needed most, whether that means sustaining core services or adapting programs as conditions change. For safety net organizations facing steep fiscal cliffs, this support helps leaders make informed decisions, protect what’s most essential, and navigate necessary transitions.

“Funding is helping power our response to a historic shift in healthcare policy: fueling advocacy, strategic outreach to teens who will retain their Medi-Cal benefits, and direct care for the growing number of patients losing coverage,” says Laura Marcus, CEO of Dientes Community Dental. “The Foundation’s support gives us the ability to plan ahead, weather the storm, and keep our doors open to those who have nowhere else to turn.”

While Community Grants play a role in sustaining access to food, shelter, and health care, the scope of our investment is intentionally broad. Grants also support arts and culture, conservation, education and youth development, and community‑based initiatives that enrich lives and strengthen opportunities across Santa Cruz County. Community well‑being is bigger than any one sector. When we support the full ecosystem—from healthcare to the arts to the environment—we help create a community that’s more resilient and able to care for one another.

Insecurity is injustice. We should be able to rely on strong public systems to protect our neighbors, but right now those systems are falling short. What we do now is up to us. It’s up to us in how we give and how we come together. We need to make sure that that Cabrillo mom finishes her nursing degree and gets a good paying job. We need to make sure that our hardworking neighbors get the healthcare they need. And we need to make sure that our seniors are not living in hunger and isolation.

Nourishing each other is justice.

As a community, we must keep paying attention, listening to the needs of our neighbors, and showing up. That shared commitment has served us for generations and it will continue to sustain us in the years ahead.

Susan True is the CEO of Community Foundation Santa Cruz County.

Thousands of people lined Pacific Avenue late Sunday morning, many dressed in rainbow colors and waving flags, as they watched the annual Pride Parade.

Santa Cruz Pride is the largest LGBTQ+ event on the Central Coast and the third-oldest annual Pride festival in California.

Marching in the parade was a mix of nonprofits, social groups, individuals and performers such as dancers and cheerleaders.

This included Santa Cruz Gay Beach Volleyball, which meets on Wednesdays from 5:30pm to sunset at Main Beach in Santa Cruz.

The group set up a mobile volleyball net bedazzled with an estimated 18,000 tiny beads in rainbow colors and flanked by two tile-mosaic planters filled with colorful flowers.

“Visibility, visibility,” group member Joe Cosentino said of the group’s reason for being there. “We’re not going away, ever.”

Pride, Cosentino said, is a “family reunion.”

“People showing up for the first time, not knowing where they are in this community, they find us and they find family,” he said.

Nearby, members of the Book Truck Precision Drill Team stood ready with their book carts painted in various rainbow shades.

“We have a long history of doing this,” Santa Cruz Public Libraries Director Christopher Platt said. “We celebrate everyone in our community, and this is a great way to do it. Libraries welcome everyone. No matter who you are, all the time.”

In another staging area, the Nor Cal Pride Band waited, most members wearing rainbow-inspired clothing and practicing with their instruments.

Santa Cruz Pride Band makes its way along Pacific Avenue.

The group is an amalgamation of about 85 young musicians from schools around Northern California, most of them from Santa Cruz County.

Instructor Keegan McCoy said the group was excited to participate.

“We’re just here to be in the community and support love and support acceptance and just people loving each other,” he said. “And we’re here to spread happiness and positivity.”

Percussionist Jayden Ross, 11, who attends Mission Hill Middle School in Santa Cruz, said performing in the parade was an exciting opportunity.

“Everybody’s here today to celebrate pride,” he said. “Because some people come from families and roots that don’t really let them be themselves. So it’s kind of, like, a chance to celebrate people being free and being themselves.”

San Francisco Cheer performs for the crowd.

Emi Akioshi, who volunteers with Teen Kitchen Project, said she came with the organization to show her support for the queer community.

The spirit of the parade, she said, matches the mission of Teen Kitchen Project, which teaches young people to cook nutritious meals that are delivered to people with serious illnesses.

“It feels good to be here. I mean, I’m part of the community myself,” she said.

Margaret Murillo of Peace of Mind Dog Rescue shows off two of her charges.

Rachel Williams, who chairs the Santa Cruz County Board of Education, said she was there to support all of the county’s students.

“We really feel like there’s a place for every student with academics, but we want to make sure that we create a safe space for all students to learn, to thrive, to grow and to advance,” Williams said. “We want to be here in support of them and our entire community of individuals.”

Newly re-elected California Assemblywoman Gail Pellerin was the parade’s grand marshal.

Elaine Johnson, president of the Santa Cruz NAACP and CEO of Housing Santa Cruz County, said the celebration is important in the current political climate.

“I’m just so happy that we’re here today celebrating who we are, who we truly are,” she said. “And I get to do it with people that I love and respect. And my thing is that it doesn’t stop when the sun sets tonight. We keep on celebrating life.”

Members of Sacramento Cheer show off their moves.

Cabrillo College Trustee Adam Spickler agreed.

“We spend, as the LGBTQIA2S-plus community, most of our time since President Donald Trump’s inauguration living in shadows, fearful of the ways they’re going to take back our rights,” he said. “That we’re going to lose our access to health care, you know, all this stuff. And we get to show up visibly in our community today and put all of that aside and celebrate and unite with each other in a way that really allows us to remember what we fight for in the first place.”

Participants walk along the parade route. A man who attends the parade every year dressed in an elaborate costume poses for the camera.

Watsonville Municipal Airport is one of our community’s most unique assets. 

While many people may think of airports simply as places where aircraft take off and land, our airport has become so much more. Today, it serves as a hub for education, innovation, community engagement, and future opportunities for Watsonville residents of all ages.

I appreciate how our airport continues to connect directly with the community.

Throughout the year, the airport hosts events and partnerships that invite residents onto the airfield to experience aviation in exciting and meaningful ways. From blood drives and community events to educational programs and family-friendly open houses, the airport continues to find ways to bring people together.

One of the most exciting efforts happening at the airport right now is its investment in the next generation. Through partnerships with local schools, educators, pilots, and aviation professionals, students are gaining hands-on learning experiences that can help shape future careers and opportunities.

A great example is the partnership with Pajaro Valley Unified School District’s new aviation pathway program, part of its Career Technical Education curriculum. Students are receiving hands-on exposure to aircraft maintenance, aeronautical engineering, and flight systems while learning directly from industry professionals. Earlier this year, students even began assembling a functioning aircraft at the Watsonville Aviation Education Center. It is an incredible example of what can happen when education, industry, and community partnerships come together.

The airport’s outreach efforts also extend to younger students. This year marks the fifth consecutive year of the annual “Day at the Airport” program in partnership with PVUSD. Since 2022, more than 2,000 fourth-grade students have had the opportunity to experience aviation firsthand through interactive demonstrations and behind-the-scenes activities hosted by local aviation businesses, pilots, maintenance crews, and volunteer organizations. Students have explored law-enforcement drone operations, learned about emerging electric aircraft technology, watched parachute-packing demonstrations, and even experienced a working wind tunnel.

These programs are about much more than aviation. They are about inspiring curiosity, creating opportunities, and showing young people that exciting career paths and possibilities exist right here in Watsonville. At the same time, our airport continues looking toward the future. Watsonville Municipal Airport is helping position our community as a leader in emerging aviation technologies and clean-energy transportation. In partnership with nearby airports, Watsonville is exploring opportunities connected to Electric Vertical Take Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft and next-generation aviation infrastructure. These efforts have the potential to support innovation, strengthen workforce development, and create new economic opportunities for our region.

Community engagement remains at the center of everything the airport does. One of the biggest examples is the airport’s annual Fire in the Sky Open House celebration, returning Saturday, July 4, 2026. Every year, thousands of residents and visitors gather at the airport to experience everything the airport has to offer. This year’s event will feature aircraft displays, demonstrations, music, food, family activities, and a Kidz Zone, all culminating in an exciting fireworks show to close out the evening commemorating our nation’s 250th anniversary.

As City Manager Tamara Vides shared, “Our airport offers the perfect venue for the citizens and community to come together to recognize the value of our airport while celebrating our independence. The annual Fire in the Sky Open House continues to be an exciting opportunity for residents and visitors to experience Watsonville’s airport and what it has to offer.”

I am proud of the role our airport continues to play in supporting education, innovation, and community connection here in Watsonville. Whether introducing students to new career opportunities, supporting emerging technologies, or creating memorable experiences for families, our airport continues proving that it is far more than aviation infrastructure. It is an important community asset that helps shape the future of

Watsonville.

Pesticide use in the Santa Cruz county 

Pesticides are not only harming farmworkers but also us. Pesticide use is a huge problem that is especially affecting us since we are surrounded by agriculture. It is very important to find new ways to control invasive pests, a way this can be accomplished is by using natural pesticides. An article titled “A focus on agricultural pesticide applications” states that agriculture is the second highest income generator in the county, bringing in $1.5 billion in overall economic impacts. The use of harmful pesticides used near us is not a coincidence, this is a form of environmental racism. The same article states that “The director of the center for farmworker families, Ann Lopez, said ‘you would not find this in the north county of Santa Cruz, or if it was there, there would be such an uproar that you would hear about it all over the country.’” 

My grandpa worked in the fields, and he says that when he and all the other workers would be picking the strawberries there would be other people spraying chemicals just a few feet away. Due to this, my grandpa got diagnosed with cancer. 

He is not the only one. His situation is an ongoing issue among farmworkers. 

Santa Cruz County has the second highest rate of childhood cancer in California, 36% higher than the state average. It’s not surprising, because agricultural corporations like Driscoll’s and California Giant Berry Farms spray an estimated 5,060 acres of cancer-causing pesticides in the Pajaro Valley every year, including near schools and homes where children spend most of their time.

Andrea Palmerin Alfaro

Watsonville

•••

Inflammatory rhetoric is not the way

The Pajaro Valley School District and the various unions that contract with the district have reached an impasse since they have not agreed to terms. The state has a process for resolving the disputes in an attempt to avoid a strike. First is mediation, and if that fails, there is a fact finder who will sort out the facts from the hype. It seems that the unions want to avoid that impartial fact finder by staging demonstrations and disruptions at board meetings in the hopes of intimidating the board to acquiesce to their demands.  

With the process already in place, let’s see if mediation will bring the sides together.  If that does not resolve the dispute, then a neutral fact finder will determine whether the district’s proposals have merit and whether the union’s demands are reasonable.  

The public has a right to know which side is justified in their demands. Publicity stunts and political theater like we have seen are not necessary, and only serve the union leadership and not their members. PVUSD is not in good financial shape, and they need to act responsibly as do the unions. Hopefully a strike can be averted, but inflammatory rhetoric is not the way to proceed.

Gil Stein

Aptos

•••

The hard truth: Understanding and overcoming Depression 

The people who tend to struggle with depression are the ones who can be the brightest people in the room. They are the ones who find it easier to make you smile rather than themselves. 

Oftentimes, people who struggle with depression find it difficult to reach out for help. I have dealt with a lot of pressure as a student athlete, and in trying to maintain the level of expectations I have set for myself. 

Throughout my entire life, I have dealt with adversity with family and friend issues and extreme stages of grief. The absolute worst of all was the sudden passing of my older brother. That event really played a major role in my life in many ways. Being a student-athlete means there will always be people keeping their eyes on you, whether it is for the student part or the athlete part. Regardless, you will always have the added pressure. Preparing for sporting events over many years can take a lot out of athletes. It’s a fight for seconds, minutes, points, heights, the most wins, or the most successful season. 

Studies have shown that student-athletes (22.3%) were at risk for depression, anxiety (12.5%), and low self-esteem (8%). 

You are given this certain level of expectations, and you are expected to follow up because you committed to this. You, as a student-athlete, are expected to maintain good grades and attendance while trying to perform at the highest level for your sport. Since the age of 6 years old, I have been playing basketball at an extreme level. From age 6 to now, basketball has been my only passion, and it shows. I play hurt, sick, tired, and I lose sleep, skip meals, and overall destroy myself for the game I “love.” Understanding and overcoming depression is something many people struggle with doing. However it is very much possible to overcome such adversity.

Matthew Grell, 17

Watsonville High School

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At-large system right for Capitola

I strongly support Capitola’s transition from at-large elections to district-based elections. This important change will bring fairer and more responsive representation to our community of nearly 10,000 residents.

Under the old at-large system, neighborhood-specific issues often got overlooked. Whether you live near the beach and Wharf, along Soquel Creek, in the residential hills, or in eastern Capitola, each area has its own distinct character, needs, and challenges. District elections ensure that every part of our city will have a council member who actually lives there and understands local concerns like traffic, parking, housing, and preserving our small-town charm.

This new system promotes stronger accountability, makes it easier for regular residents to run for office, and better protects our diverse communities of interest. It also responsibly addresses legal concerns under the California Voting Rights Act, saving taxpayers from expensive lawsuits.

I urge the City Council and demographer to draw sensible, compact district lines that keep neighborhoods intact and respect natural boundaries. With careful implementation, this reform will make Capitola’s democracy more inclusive, equitable, and effective.

Capitola is a wonderful, tight-knit community. Moving to district elections is the right step forward to ensure every voice truly matters.

Mike Lelieur

Pleasure Point

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Trouble at Pajaro Middle School

Pajaro Middle School is flooding once again, but this time, instead of water, the campus is drowning in incompetence from the principal causing a lack of safety.

Following devastating flooding, the school reopened in 2025 with a part-time principal. After suffering trauma, relocation, and separation, this was deemed sufficient.  The school needed to rebuild more than just a few classrooms.  

Thanks to dedicated staff, the principal was moved to full-time. Unfortunately, things did not improve as hoped. Failure to maintain safety was so frequent, six teachers filed a grievance with PVUSD.  

This year the hope lasted for a month.  Poor communication and supervision and fights amongst students started the year. Since January the principal has failed to address:

• Selling drugs on campus

• Weapons and threats against a student

• Proper response during lock-down 

• Supporting students after an attack on a classmate

Staff response was a vote of no confidence, supported by 88% of them and 71 pages of documentation. 

Through grievances and complaints, the district never stepped in. The principal has chosen to stay when presented with an opportunity for a fresh start. 

Pajaro deserves a school where they feel confident sending students. However, the loss of trust between principal and staff makes this impossible.  For PMS to rebuild safety and trust a replacement is needed that will put the safety of students first.

PVMS staff

“Threads of Grief, Threads of Love” is the current show at Resource Center for Nonviolence made up of 36 handmade quilts that honor 722  infants killed in Gaza before their first birthday. 

A community gathering was held May 29 to kick off the exhibit, spearheaded by Unhae Landis, where a panel of five speakers addressed the Gaza war. 

The panelists were Palestinian writer, playwright and podcaster Mo Sati, along with Rolla Alaydi, a Monterey County educator who has lost 215 family members. Also included were Lebanese artist and educator Rami Chahine and Unhae Langis, a quilter, writer and community organizer. Multidisciplinary artist Maha Taitano Chamoru-Iraqi also joined the panel.

“My family has been displaced again and again, over and over and their homes destroyed in Gaza,” Alaydi told the sword of around 50 people. “Now they search for food and water that does not exist. [The quilts] “are lives, they are dreams, they are threads woven into the fabric of humanity, and as long as we continue to speak their names and tell their stories those threads will not be broken.”

Twenty-eight quilters pooled their skills, both locally and from around the state, to create the 36 baby quilts, each including around 20 infant names in the design. 

NAME BY NAME This quilt was made by Fatima Dias. (Tarmo Hannula/The Pajaronian)

The exhibit stems from the initial quilt project of September 2025 titled “Know their names; Babies in Gaza Who Never Made It To Their First Birthday” that was the brainchild of Elizabeth Wiliams and Sarah Ringler who were inspired by the AIDS Quilt of 1985. 

The poster for the show reads, “Each name is a whole world: a child who was held, awaited, dreamed over. Each one was killed with weapons our government helped supply. Each stitch holds grief, remorse, and recognition of our shared humanity.”

The show runs through July 31 at 612 Ocean St., Santa Cruz.

Eight bicyclists rolled into Watsonville Monday afternoon on the second stop of the annual Fire Velo bike ride. 

Their weeklong journey started in San Francisco and will wrap up in Santa Monica on June 6.

Fire Velo is a national cycling organization that promotes physical and mental wellness in the fire service and partners in emergency services through cycling and other charity events. It also fundraises to support fire service efforts of cancer awareness and cancer prevention. 

“One of the leading causes of death in the fire service is cancer,” said retired Los Angeles firefighter Jim Berklite. “And we’re trying to change the mentality about cancer and that you can go through this career healthy and protected. We’re out here to advocate and to raise money for our partner organizations.” 

While this year’s ride had eight riders, past events have had more than 40.

“Coming into a place like Watsonvilleit simply doesn’t get any better,”  Berklite said. “Watsonville is the true definition of a brotherhood.”

Watsonville firefighters threw down the red mat and welcomed the riders with a meal, shared stories and more.

Retired firefighter Marv Williams said he was the oldest rider of the pack at 76.

“The next youngest rider is 75,” he said. “It’s a great thing to be a part of. Watsonville is the best; they show off their families, the mayor often comes out, we get a warm send off. No other city does it like this.”