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Watsonville
March 29, 2026

Rewriting America’s history

George Orwell’s dystopian novel “1984” contains the famous slogan: “Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.” This quote from Orwell’s book is intended to mean that those in power manipulate historical records to shape public perception, justify current...

Nourishing Today, Building Tomorrow: The Next Chapter of Our Food Bank

For more than 50 years, our community has demonstrated what’s possible when neighbors care for one another.  Through floods, emergencies, economic downturns and a global pandemic, our Santa Cruz County neighbors have consistently shown up to ensure that no one faces hunger alone.  Today, we are...

Medina ban was right call

At the Feb. 11 PVUSD Board meeting, trustee Gabe Medina was banned from the PV High campus for 14 days. It was a great example of deflecting the charges to blaming others for not doing enough, a practice that trustee Medina has done for...

Chaos as a political strategy

Donald Trump’s approach to governance is frequently analyzed through chaos theory, where calculated unpredictability, disruption, and rapid, impulsive shifts are used as strategic tools to manage, dominate, or reshape political environments.  This tactic aims to keep opponents off balance, control the agenda and overturn established...

In support of Pajaro Valley High School walkout

PVUSD is at risk of endorsing a twisted account of the Pájaro Valley High School walkout, a narrative that strips students of political agency and infringes on their constitutional rights while professing concern for their well-being. In a window in which the federal government has...

The Pajaro Valley High School student walkout: Separate letters by teachers union/Trustee Medina give different versions of events

Editor's note: this op-ed has been updated to include a response from PVUSD Trustee Gabe Medina, which follows below. ••• PVHS staff stands united in support of student’s voice, safety The staff at Pajaro Valley High School, along with our administration and union, PVFT, write in support...

Letters to the Editor, Jan. 23–29

Passenger rail price estimates too high One can never convince  me that restoring the Santa Cruz Branch rail line for passenger rail would cost an estimated $4.2 billion dollars!  I am not a transportation planner or consultant however it is obvious something doesn't jive and...

Alliances in turmoil

In September of 1938, Adolph Hitler issued an ultimatum to Czechoslovakia, demanding it transfers the Sudetenland, a border region, to Germany.  He threatened acquisition by force if the country did not comply. This ultimatum led to the Munich Agreement, in which Britain, France, and Italy...

New leadership, shared priorities: Investing in the future of public safety

As we begin a new year, I want to reflect on the direction of public safety in Watsonville and the leadership helping guide that work forward.  Our Police and Fire Departments are entering this next chapter with experienced leaders who bring strong values, proven track...

Letters to the Editor Jan. 9-15

Addressing boisterous, long PVUSD meetings What occurred at the PVUSD board meeting last month should never have happened.  Trustee Joy Flynn’s response to a shout from the crowd about “blood on your hands” posed no threat, and was likely a reference to a belief that...
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Letters to the Editor, March 27-April 2

Regarding benefit caps The local teacher’s union, PVFT, has been loudly crying during negotiations with the school district, PVUSD, to not put a cap on...