Todd Guild

5 days ago | pajaronian.com | Todd Guild

Hundreds of people gathered Saturday morning on beaches, in neighborhoods and along riverways to participate in the second-annual Pitch In All Santa Cruz Cleanup Day. The event is organized by the Trash Talkers, a group of elected officials, community members, nonprofits and governmental organizations, formed with the goal of ridding the county of litter.

6 days ago | pajaronian.com | Todd Guild

It has been almost three decades since local organizers launched the Queer Youth Leadership Awards, an event created to highlight young people whose work has benefitted the LGBTQ community, as well as the people and organizations that help them. This happened in the early days of the AIDS crisis, when leaders went to school districts to offer HIV prevention education. The schools rejected the offer, reasoning—incorrectly—that they had no gay students, and therefore had no use for it.

6 days ago | pajaronian.com | Todd Guild

In the late 1800s, Claus Spreckels ran a mill that processed locally grown sugar beets, a thriving industry that is generally credited with seeing Santa Cruz County through troubled economic times. But when Spreckels tried to underpay the Japanese community—cutting their wages in half—they walked, and took up strawberry farming they learned from Chinese immigrants that came before them.

1 week ago | pajaronian.com | Todd Guild

The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees rejected a move to censure Trustee Gabriel Medina during a clamorous public board meeting Wednesday night that included public outcry and arguments among board members. Trustee Misty Navarro and Board President Olivia Flores cast the only yes votes. Trustee Daniel Dodge Jr. was absent.

1 week ago | pajaronian.com | Todd Guild

There’s something powerful about a fresh start—especially when it’s backed by real progress, deep community roots, and a bold vision for the future. At our April 18 State of the Hospital event, Watsonville Community Hospital unveiled a new logo symbolizing its transition back to community ownership. The new logo was the clear favorite of eight focus groups, conducted in English, Spanish and Mixteco. People saw the logo as a symbol of a caring, community-focused hospital.