Keeping Health Care Local, Together
The Pajaro Valley Health Care District is evolving to better reflect and represent the diverse voices that make up our community. Today, our board of directors is elected “at-large,” meaning that every registered voter within the District votes for each seat. Beginning in 2026,...
Civics Summit Planning Committee, Dec. 16: Your vote is your voice
Voter apathy and disengagement only feed into further discontent with the political system. If a small number of voters, regardless of political affiliation, are the only ones to decide the issues, we all have to live with these repercussions. All elections have consequences and democracies are not spectator sports.
Guest view: Feeding hope and nourishing community
By Erica Padilla-Chavez, Cindy Larive and Susan True
Shelly and Marty Hernandez go big on their annual Holiday Open House. Shelly, who has a passion for cooking, starts prepping weeks ahead. Over the years, the Hernandez open house has raised tens of thousands of meals...
Guest View, Susan True: Trusting us to care for others
To her very last breath, Laura Segura was caring—and fighting—for us all.
Laura, who died June 9, 2022, was a beloved “justice warrior” who spent her life fighting for the opportunity and dignity of others. Just a few days ago, Community Foundation Santa Cruz County...
Movie Review: Franco fantastic in shedding light on failure in 'The Disaster Artist'
James Franco made a movie about possibly the worst movie ever made, and somehow it might be his best movie to date. I don’t know how he did it but I do know that “The Disaster Artist” is a fantastic film about friendship that will make you care and laugh at the same time.
Movie Review: Bay, stop making 'Transformers' movies
The plot? Well, it’s there. Does it make sense? No. Do the filmmakers care? It doesn’t feel like it. The exposition is excessive and most of the time it just complicates what could have been a simple action romp through the past.
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...
When you’re tired of hoping
“I’m tired of hoping.”
That sentence, spoken to me by a member of our congregation last week, summarizes the mood of many.
Tired of hoping.
Tired of waiting, tired of trying, tired of seeing the light at the end of the tunnel grow dimmer. At the start...
Supervisor Felipe Hernandez – September 2025
As summer concludes and we transition into the fall season, I am pleased to share updates on recent accomplishments and upcoming initiatives in our district. Summer is always a busy time for infrastructure improvements, community events, and public engagement, and this year was no...
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...



















