Hernandez: The future of the Pajaro Valley is on the ballot
By Felipe Hernandez
Pajaro Valley voters of the County Supervisorial District 4 need someone who will fight for a fair share of the county’s resources. I am that person. This Nov. 8 election is about the issues that local seniors, families and businesses care about...
Jack Gordon for Superior Court Judge | Letters to the Editor
Jack Gordon for Superior Court Judge
On March 3, voters will have the opportunity to select Jack Gordon, an exemplary candidate for Superior Court Judge, who has a long term history and breadth of public safety, legal and community service experience that sets him apart....
Measure N is Vital for Pajaro Valley’s Economic Prosperity
Watsonville Community Hospital is vital to the economic success of the Pajaro Valley. Businesses, their employees and customers all benefit from local access to healthcare. From employees to medical providers, the hospital provides nearly 1,000 local jobs and medical care for over 100,000 people...
Dori Rose Inda: Senate health care bill threatens the well-being of our community
Having lived in and served the Pájaro Valley for 25 years, I am deeply concerned about the potential impact our community faces if the Senate’s version of the American Health Care Act (the Better Care Reconciliation Act) is passed. Like the House version,
Mayor’s and Supervisor’s November updates
Shaping Watsonville’s Future Together
By Watsonville Mayor Maria Orozco
Our 2025 State of the City on Oct. 22 was a meaningful moment to pause, reflect, and look forward—to recognize how far we’ve come and how we’re shaping a brighter future for Watsonville together.
This year’s theme, Shaping...
Mordechai Ben-Menachem, Aug. 17: Woe to exigencies of false scholarship
Free speech is one of the most basic articles-of-faith for existence of a democracy; vigorous debate of public polices is an integral part of free speech. Both of these values lie at the core of everything “Western Values” stand for and need to be guarded assiduously by us all.
Guest view: California needs a universal broadband infrastructure bond for our students
By Luis A. Alejo, Kevin de León and Eduardo Garcia
On July 17, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that counties on the state’s Covid-19 “monitoring list” must begin the new school year with distance learning. More than half of our state’s counties are on the list,...
Mayor’s column August 2025: In praise of the airport
When people hear “Watsonville Airport,” it often brings to mind moments of resilience and pride—whether it was serving as a crucial lifeline after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, playing a key emergency role during the 2020 CZU fires, or even welcoming a presidential visit...
Miguelina Manriquez, Nov. 2: Education matters — now more than ever
While most kids grew up running around their daycare after school, I grew up hanging out in my parents’ classrooms. Both of my parents work in the Pajaro Valley Unified School District — a district that is severely underfunded. This district is largely populated by low-income, immigrant families.
Students learn the power of the vote at Civics Summit
On Friday, about 150 high school juniors from across Santa Cruz County cast their first ballots on three issues that, if passed, would dramatically...














