Valuing those who teach our kids
Like so many others who live on the beautiful Central Coast, I make the daily trek over the hill to my workplace in Silicon Valley. However, unlike so many of my fellow Highway 17 warriors, I am not a techie at Google or Facebook, but rather I am a teache
Movie Review: ‘Coco’ is a masterful love letter to Mexican culture
No other movie has quite captured the “family-comes-first” Mexican culture — both the good and the bad that comes with it — that is engrained in who I am. “Coco” is like a love letter to the culture, those who grew up in it and those who appreciate it. There is hardly any pandering here. All references and cameos — there are some great ones that I won’t spoil — range from well-done to perfect.
This week in Pajaro Valley’s Past, April 16
25 years ago on April 9, 1996
Watsonville High graduates chosen as recipients of this year’s Hall of Fame awards include Burton LeRoy Gordon, Class of 1936, who earned a Ph.D. at UC Berkeley, and researched at the Moss Landing Marine Lab where he received...
Guest View: The Republican party may not last
George Washington, our first President, warned against political parties. The English had already seen by the 18th century that there was bad feeling between the Conservative and Liberal parties in Parliament. The two parties survived to serve two factions of the public educated enough...
Supervisor’s Update: Looking back, looking forward
Editor’s note: This is the second installment of a two-part Supervisor’s Update.
As the year draws to a close, I want to take a moment to extend my warmest Happy Holiday wishes to each and every one of you and to also wish you all...
Life’s doors
Memo from Rev. Mathews-Johnson:
Doors. We use them every day. We open them. We close them. We lock them. We knock on them. We stand outside them. We stand inside them. They lock us in. They lock us out. They keep us safe. They keep...
Movie review: Nolan's ambitious, alluring 'Dunkirk' lacks characters
"Dunkirk” is director Christopher Nolan’s 10th feature film and it is without a doubt his most fresh and innovative piece of storytelling. There’s not much dialogue, the characters — in terms of background, depth and personality — are underdeveloped and t
Movie Review: Risk-taking 'Get Out' is a masterpiece
Jordan Peele’s directorial debut is a masterpiece that doesn’t rely on crappy special effects, funhouse jump scares or cheap and dated plot twists
Don’t quit now
I just finished an article headlined, “Looming Mass Exodus of School Principals Feared This Summer.” That was right after another column titled: “Houses of Worship Face Clergy Shortage as Many Resign During Pandemic.” And there’s this from a few months ago: “After a Nightmare...
Manny Contreras out as Watsonville High’s head football coach
In a stunning turn of events, Manny Contreras will not return as Watsonville High’s head football coach for the upcoming 2026 fall season.
Contreras received...

















