Opinion

The recent struggle between the leaders of the Pajaro Valley Unified School District made a big impression on me. Those who follow the district know by now that PVUSD Superintendent Michelle Rodriguez was abruptly fired by the Board of Trustees in a split 4-3...

Our democracy thrives when everyone, regardless of citizenship status, has the opportunity to engage in their community. Recent years have made it clear that the notion of a universal path to citizenship is a myth, and there are intentional political efforts to keep certain...

Letters to the Editor, Sept. 6, 2019.

A friend once asked me, “What kind of music do you like?” I said, “Good music.” I hope my answer wasn’t snooty or conceited. It was an earnest attempt at addressing my approach to music — and the arts — of trying to leave the doors open, and not narrowing my world.

Support public education  Cabrillo College didn’t exist in 1953. Santa Cruz County taxpayers paid Monterey County for my 1955 Associate Arts degree from Monterey Peninsula College, for which I am eternally grateful. The older generations, many of them World War II and Korean War veterans,...

An updated version of Measure G—the half-cent public safety sales tax passed by voters in 2014—will be on Watsonville residents’ ballots next year. The new measure, which is still unnamed at the moment, has the same spirit as Measure G. Its goal is to provide...

I cannot remember the first time I visited Kelly’s bookstore. I had previously known it as Crossroads Books back in high school. It was within a short walking distance from Pajaro Valley High School, and I had a habit of stopping by after school.  I’d...

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...