Opinion

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...

By Christian Garcia Like many other communities, Watsonville has significant challenges. We have an ailing local economy, affordable housing needs, needs for better access to healthcare and education, aging infrastructure, funding needs for local parks and youth programs, and the list goes on.  Inspiring people to...

CALIFORNIA—Assemblymember Robert Rivas (D-Hollister) has been named Chair of the Assembly Agriculture Committee by Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood). Raised in farmworker housing, Rivas represents the 30th Assembly District, which includes the agriculture-rich Salinas and Pajaro valleys on the Central Coast.  “My district is known as...

Acosta’s ‘No’ vote a disservice to PVUSD students Amid a national teacher shortage, last week Trustee Georgia Acosta voted to make it even more challenging to put a quality teacher in every classroom. With hard-to-staff positions in areas like special education and science, schools occasionally...

When everyone has what they need to thrive, we all benefit. That core belief is part of what our group, Rise Together, an initiative of Community Foundation Santa Cruz County, is all about. Our intercultural, multi-generational Rise Together coalition has built bridges and trust...

Paola Fregoso (left) and Lorelai Oliveira are joined by their dog, Luna, Monday in a promotion of their fireworks for sale at the Watsonville High Junior Wildcatz stand. Their temporary fireworks stand, at 716 East Lake Ave., is one of close to two dozen...

Western Growers is rolling out its Careers in Ag Job Center, a jobs platform exclusively for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) related careers within the agricultural industry.

When Dick Peixoto decided in 1996 to convert his 55-acre farm in Watsonville to an organic production, he wasn’t sure if he’d made the right decision.  Peixoto had been farming conventionally for years, and back then, organic produce was a specialty—something only smaller farms tended...

About 3,000 people with lavender shopping bags in-hand converged on the Paso Robles Downtown City Park to enjoy the Ninth Annual Paso Robles Lavender Festival, July 8, hosted by the Central Coast Lavender Growers Association and the Paso Robles Main Stree