Araseli Rico Villareal has been a California resident since 1980. When she crossed the border from Mexico, Jimmy Carter was President of the United States and Jerry Brown was in the Governor’s office in Sacramento for the first time. Not that Villareal was aware of much of that. She was focused on making her […]

  On Wednesday afternoons, the multi-purpose room at Pescadero Elementary fills with giggling boys and girls who await their turn with the Maestro, their beloved dance teacher Zenón Barrón, who takes them through their choreography as they practice the art of Ballet Folklórico. Their parents watch with approval and perhaps a little nostalgia, because the […]

Improving Opportunities for South Coast Youth “Do you need a job this summer?” “Want to work at Puente this summer?” These phrases are all too familiar to Puente’s team. Every year the Education staff visits the high school to announce youth program opportunities and to provide assistance with program applications. Since its launch in 2007 […]

Picturesque, idyllic Pescadero has always had growing pains – though not in the traditional sense. Visitors who stick to the Stage Road circuit can easily overlook the struggles of Pescadero’s low- and middle-income population, hidden from plain view. But they’re clear as day to locals who cannot meet basic needs like safe and affordable housing, […]