Pilot program launches to recycle agricultural plastic
A new program launched by the California Marine Sanctuary Foundation (CMSF), ReGen Monterey and Flipping Iron, Inc. is joining a growing effort to recycle more plastic from local farms and ranches.
CMSF, an organization aiming to protect California’s coastal ecosystems and communities, conducted an assessment...
Letters to the Editor, March 26
Time for a change
The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees rightfully denied a bill for legal services hired solely, against Board Policy, by Georgia Acosta. Knowing the board has its own attorney (separate from PVUSD), she hired outside attorneys without authority to...
50 years at the UCSC Farm & Garden
Orin Martin says his favorite thing about the Alan Chadwick Garden at UC Santa Cruz is its diversity.
Strong schools, strong communities
A question we often hear from constituents is, “I don’t have kids at PVUSD. Why should I invest my time, energy, and tax dollars in schools?” However, a study in The Journal of Urban Affairs noted a strong correlation between community satisfaction and school...
Letters to the Editor, March 3: Health care justice for all
Letters to the Editor, March 3, 2018
Letter: Youth substance use is a dilemma
We really have a bigger problem as a society when youth are turning to “harder” drugs like fentanyl, heroin and cocaine to try to deal with depression and anxiety.
Empower Watsonville is a youth-led group that focuses on expanding youth advocacy to implement more equitable...
Sheriff’s Fentanyl Crisis Response Team uses education, enforcement
After 133 people died in Santa Cruz County in 2023 after overdosing on Fentanyl, the Sheriff’s Office has launched a new way to address the problem, with a special focus on the people who deal the dangerous drug.
The Fentanyl Crisis Response Team includes five...
Letter: Oral health for all
We celebrate National Health Center Week (NHCW) by honoring the amazing people who create lasting oral health for those most disadvantaged.
In Santa Cruz County, only one in three of our low-income neighbors with Medi-Cal can access the dentist. As the largest dental provider in...
A year without likes, comments and clicks
Disclaimer 1: In this column, I will describe some of my personal choices; the column is descriptive, not prescriptive. If you should choose to follow suit, welcome. If you do not, grace and peace be with you.
About a year ago I took a three-month...
National Agriculture Day scholarship, contest winners announced
WATSONVILLE—For years the Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau (SCCFB) and the Agri-Culture organization have hosted the National Agriculture Day Spring Luncheon. However, due to the current COVID- 19 pandemic, the March 18 event was postponed, and its future remains uncertain.
Despite this, the two groups...
Thousands march for Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Thousands of people amassed in the streets of downtown Santa Cruz on Monday morning for the annual People’s March for the Dream, an event...





















