Opinion

Watsonville has continued to lead the County and to be very proactive and engaged in measures to protect our environment from the negative effects of Greenhouse Emissions and through conservation of our precious freshwater resources. In recent weeks, the Council has worked together to...

Extreme gratitude, but we aren’t done yet I am extremely grateful to the voters of the Pajaro Valley for supporting our campaign for Santa Cruz County Supervisor. We are headed into the November runoff in a strong position. With over 46% of the vote, a...

At present, Watsonville Hospital Corporation is in Bankruptcy Court, putting this essential institution at risk. It’s critical to this region that Watsonville Community Hospital continues serving the community. Fortunately, our local and state governments, health-focused nonprofits, medical establishment and donors are working hard to...

Ellie Dyt knows a lot more about the California Dairy Industry than most seventeen-year-old high schoolers. Dyt was raised on a dairy farm her whole life in the small town of Crows Landing, home to thousands of dairy cows, gaining first-hand experience by working there...

WATSONVILLE—Guy George has been selected as the 2022 Farmer of the Year by the Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau. The annual award is presented to farmer(s) who have contributed “beyond their normal farming duties to help the community,” according to SCFB.  George has been farming in...

MONTEREY COUNTY—Monterey County agriculture’s gross production value bounced back by 4.8% in 2021 to just over $4.1 billion, despite the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic that also resulted in supply chain shortages. This increase represents a $190 million rise from 2020, when the gross production value was...

Have your say in downtown’s future The Watsonville Downtown plan needs attention. Watsonville is an agricultural town. Walker Street, running through a busy industrial area, is its backbone. Please do not reimagine the Walker Street area. We do need good, safe access from the train...

The month of July and August is what Buddhists call Obon season. For many, the Obon is a Buddhist festival of food, cultural arts, displays and folk dancing. The religious aspect of Obon comes from the sutra called the Ullambana Sutra. The sutra is...

Is there anything more American than the cowboy in the Wild West, relying only on his wits, his horse, and of course his trusty revolver? As a child, I loved the Lone Ranger—self-sufficient, powerful, and ready to stand as the last line of defense...

Over the years of researching, writing and teaching this region’s history I have been keeping top-10 lists such as the most influential natural disasters, floods, earthquakes and the like.  I also have one of the “most ill-advised things done by individuals or groups”—perhaps more bluntly...