Watsonville’s Fruition Brewing will be the scene Sunday as Pajaro Valley Pride puts on a drag and burlesque show as part of relief efforts for farmworkers affected by the catastrophic flooding that followed the Pajaro River levee failure. The fundraiser also like a raffle for prizes including gift cards for Mentone, Lupulo and Pacific Cookie Company and a tasting experience at Big Basin Vineyards.
South County
Posted inLatest News
In the Public Interest: Local officials turn up heat on Newsom, Biden over relief, recovery in Pajaro
In this edition of In the Public Interest, Christopher Neely outlines some of the many challenges facing Pajaro after the catastrophic flooding that followed the failure of the Pajaro River levee and what elected officials from Santa Cruz and Monterey counties are doing to get heard in Sacramento and Washington.
Posted inLatest News
Pajaro residents begin to return home, almost two weeks after floods devastated community
Muddy, damaged homes greeted those returning Thursday to Pajaro after Monterey County officials lifted an evacuation order in place since the March 11 levee breach flooded the agricultural community. It’s not clear when the water will be safe to drink again, and a long cleanup process lies ahead.
Posted inLatest News
In Pajaro, children and teens grapple with displacement after flooding
After a flood struck Pajaro, children have been displaced, with families living out of cars, sleeping in emergency shelters or moving out of Monterey County to stay with relatives.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Climate injustice is happening in Pajaro: It’s our moral obligation to fix the system
Climate change is here and it’s our moral obligation to act, says Sarah Newkirk, executive director of the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County. We need to adapt faster to climate change, speed up federal responses, including funding and — most critically — help people affected, she says. That means assisting the people of Pajaro who have lost homes and also future income, since many are farmworkers and fields are now too flooded to work.
Posted inFood & Drink
Storms, floods a massive challenge for Santa Cruz farmers — but farm bureau chief says they’re up to it
Jess Brown has led the Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau for the past four decades, a time that’s seen the organization through many state and national firsts, including being the first to have cannabis growers as members. But 2023 might be among the most challenging years for local growers in a while. In an interview with Laura Sutherland, Brown says the failure of the Pajaro River levee is the worst flooding he’s seen in more than 30 years.
Posted inLatest News
Here are ways you can help those affected by the Pajaro River levee flooding
The flooding of the community of Pajaro has left many families without incomes and potentially without homes to return…
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Q&A: State Sen. John Laird on Pajaro levee, affordable housing crisis and California’s budget deficit
State Sen. John Laird announced last week that he plans to seek reelection in 2024. A second four-year term in the California Senate would put Laird at the end of his term limits, marking the finale of his time as an elected state legislator. Laird, who turns 73 this month, agreed to hop on the phone for a Q&A a day after announcing his plans to seek one more term in Sacramento.
Posted inWatsonville / Pajaro
Left in limbo by Pajaro levee breach, families struggle with disrupted lives and school
The flooding of the community of Pajaro has left many families without incomes and potentially without homes to return to, and disrupted instruction for about 900 students in the Pajaro Valley Unified School District. Nearly 2,000 people were evacuated after the Pajaro River levee failed over the weekend, leaving residents with no idea when they’ll be allowed to return.
Posted inLatest News
Before disastrous flood, officials knew Pajaro River levee could fail but took no action
For years, experts had been warning Monterey and Santa Cruz County that the levee along the Pajaro River could fail.
