Opinion

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...

From the first day his administration assumed office this January, President Trump broke all records issuing executive orders.  He generated 26 on his first day alone. These presidential directives covered a wide swath of topics, from sweeping changes in how the federal government works to...

When people hear “Watsonville Airport,” it often brings to mind moments of resilience and pride—whether it was serving as a crucial lifeline after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, playing a key emergency role during the 2020 CZU fires, or even welcoming a presidential visit...

President Donald Trump continues to “gaslight” the country about the effects of his ever shifting tariff policies. Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation designed to intentionally mislead someone. When used over a considerable amount of time, we begin to doubt ourselves, believe an...

Not long ago, our community came together around a powerful shared belief: that everyone deserves access to healthcare.  That belief fueled the effort to save Watsonville Community Hospital and bring it under local control—a major victory.  But like many hospitals across the country, we continue to...

A foundational aspect of our national identity is the widely regarded notion that the United States is a nation of immigrants.  While the country has also seen periods of restrictive immigration policies, our history is deeply intertwined with the movement of people from other nations....

Editor’s note: This letter was written to the Watsonville City Council. We are Pajaro Valley for Ethnic Studies and Justice (PVESJ), a local grassroots coalition that has been organizing students, teachers, and community members at PVUSD for almost two years.  In last November’s election, our group...

A month and a half ago, Principal Todd Wilson of Pajaro Valley High School decided against renewing a contract with Barrios Unidos, a grassroots Santa Cruz organization that has long worked with incarcerated and system-impacted people, drawing wisdom and leadership from those with lived...

Thirty-three years ago, while my family was preparing for a birthday party, I decided to arrive early. My mother was shopping for a cake for my sister’s second birthday in our small hometown of Cuerámaro, Guanajuato, Mexico—a rural town of at the time just...