Opinion

Letters to the Editor, April 7, 2018

For most of us, the holidays are moments of celebration, but for many isolated seniors it can be a triggering reminder of their loneliness. In the next couple of weeks, Meals on Wheels, Lift Line drivers and Elderday staff will continue to visit many...

How quickly we forget. Recent activity centers around the levee system on the Pajaro River. Yet, the first flooding in 2023 was in Watsonville, when the Salsipuedes and Corralitos Creeks overflowed. There are lessons from that flooding that need to be applied to those...

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...

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...

Hospital is a lifeline for Watsonville I had an array of emotions after reading that the Watsonville Community Hospital got approved for a bond to fund much-needed repairs.  Currently, Watsonville is home to around 51,000 people, and for many, this hospital is all that they have...

Looking over the suffering of his people, the prophet Jeremiah cries out in grief and dismay, "Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there?” (Jeremiah 8:22) That is, is there no comfort for the suffering? Is there no relief for the...

Stunned at Cabrillo’s backpedal after name change discussion  I was absolutely amazed that the president of Cabrillo completely rejected the presentation given by Dr. Iris Engstrand, University of San Diego history emeritus professor, on the history of Spanish Explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo. This presentation was...

I would say the summer blockbuster season usually begins on the first weekend of May, but the last two weeks have been filled with duds and small independent flicks. There was no way I was going to watch “Breaking In” or “Life of the Party” last weekend — I think I’ve had my fill of Melissa McCarthy playing the same “aw-shucks-look-at-miserable-me-fall-off-of-things” role. So here’s my look ahead at the upcoming summer movie season.

By Christian Garcia Like many other communities, Watsonville has significant challenges. We have an ailing local economy, affordable housing needs, needs for better access to healthcare and education, aging infrastructure, funding needs for local parks and youth programs, and the list goes on.  Inspiring people to...