Movie Review: Bay, stop making 'Transformers' movies
The plot? Well, it’s there. Does it make sense? No. Do the filmmakers care? It doesn’t feel like it. The exposition is excessive and most of the time it just complicates what could have been a simple action romp through the past.
An economy of neighborliness
I recently heard an interview with Hebrew Bible scholar, Dr. Walter Brueggemann. When asked about the atonement—a much discussed and much argued Christian theological concept—Brueggemann replied, “I’m much more interested in the economy than I am in atonement.” He went on to explain that...
Watsonville clearing homeless camps along Pajaro River Levee
Watsonville city officials on Monday began clearing a sprawling unsanctioned homeless encampment along the Pajaro River that runs from Sakata Lane to Loughead Avenue.
The work, which includes mowing tall grasses and removing some trees, is expected to last through Aug. 2, Watsonville City spokeswoman...
Lori Butterworth, Dec. 14: Will the new tax law strangle charitable giving?
As we approach the end of the year, those of us who run local nonprofits are biting our nails reading predictions about how the proposed tax bill will affect charitable giving.
Embracing a tradition
On Wednesday, Sept. 13 the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds will open its gates once again for five days of family-friendly fun.
Fight the polarization
Memo from Pastor Rene
As I write this, the outcome of the presidential election is still unclear. Or should I say, the winner is unclear. What’s very clear is how deeply polarized our nation has become. The red went blood-red, the blue ice-blue, and the...
Guest View: The Republican party may not last
George Washington, our first President, warned against political parties. The English had already seen by the 18th century that there was bad feeling between the Conservative and Liberal parties in Parliament. The two parties survived to serve two factions of the public educated enough...
On My Mind: One giant leap
Saturday will mark 50 years since the first person set foot on the Moon. That was the same year that the Beatles last performed live together on the rooftop of Apple Records in England. That year also marked the first Concorde jet’s test flight in France and the Boeing 747 jumbo jet made its debut. It was also the year 350,000 rock-n-roll fans poured into the Woodstock outdoor concert in New York.
This Week in Pajaro Valley’s Past, May 28
25 years ago on May 23, 1996
Nobody knows Watsonville High School like Mas Hashimoto. Born at home just two blocks from the campus, he’s spent two-thirds of his life there; first as a student, then as a teacher of history and geography. He knows...
Traditional international alignments are shifting
The initial response to the disastrous Oval Office encounter between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump and his vice president was that the resulting confrontation became a horrendously shameful moment for our country.
The sentiment expressed by many was that the objective...
Teen arrested after chase
A routine traffic stop turned into a chase late Tuesday night that ended with the arrest of a 17-year-old suspected gang member and the...




















