Mayor’s Update: Watsonville’s resilience
The start of 2023 was far from what anyone expected it to be. Our region was battered by an unprecedented atmospheric river that brought heavy rains, flooding and evacuations for our residents.
While this was unexpected and severely impacted thousands in our community, I was...
America has 250 years of consistent foreign policy
The majority of Americans, furious over the Assad regime using poison gas on his own Syrian people, expressed approval of President Trump's attack on the Syrian airfield that launched the gas attack. When one sees such horrors, such as when American soldi
Hospital fundraising nears the finish line
In Santa Cruz County, keeping our communities healthy is a collaborative effort by many health care service providers, and Watsonville Community Hospital is an essential piece of that puzzle.
For several months now, Watsonville Community Hospital has been teetering on the verge of closure and...
Movie Review: Coogler continues rise with impressive ‘Black Panther’
Most big-budget superhero movies that try to ground their lore or story in the real world never work, because it quickly devolves into a pandering fest. This film does not feel that way in the slightest. Instead, it feels like Coogler is taking us through a fever dream he had as a youth growing up in the East Bay, and only now does he have the tools to depict it correctly.
Theo Wierdsma column: Counting the votes
Joseph Stalin famously remarked that in an election, “Those who vote decide nothing. Those who count the votes decide everything.”
While stakeholders in our democratic system insist that our votes count, in reality, given our electoral system, which consistently features two major political parties, in...
Watsonville gains a centenarian
By Jimmy Dutra, Watsonville Mayor
This week my grandmother, Epi Tavarez, turned 100. Just seeing that number is surreal. She was born one year after the 19th Amendment was ratified and women got the right to vote. My grandma has been a lifelong voter who...
Commemorating 75th of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
MEMO FROM REV. SHINSEKI
Blood stains cannot be removed by more blood; resentment cannot be removed by more resentment; resentment can only be removed by letting it go.
—Teachings of the Buddha
This month will mark the 75th anniversary of the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nakasaki...
Sandy Lydon: The 2023 Pajaro flood and Vallejo’s legacy
Again! The long-time residents of Pajaro stand in the mud, their voices filled with frustration and anger. Some remember back to the March day in 1995 when they heard the assurances from politicians. Be patient! Help is coming! We’ve got your back!
The rampant cynicism...
Group seeking buffer zone for pesticides around schools
Adam Scow stood on the edge of a strawberry farm behind Pajaro Middle School Monday morning as he held a map showing similar fields...




















