Merced County Times Newspaper
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Small batch, big flavors at El Cid Coffee in Merced

Just up a flight of stairs and through the doors of Cien Ojos Studio on Canal Street, you’ll find one of Merced’s best-kept coffee secrets: El Cid Coffee. The handcrafted coffee cart sits inside the downtown art studio and is owned and operated by Joseph Rodriguez, a Merced native with a deep passion for coffee culture, rich…

Mall barber bids farewell after 53 years of haircuts

You could say 80-year-old Cel Pelayo has seen and heard it all. He’s been cutting hair and talking to clients since he took over the Mall Barber Shop in 1971 — that’s only a few years after the Merced Mall opened up back in 1969. Over the years, Pelayo has witnessed plenty of changes at the town’s main shopping center. He has…