Opinion

Every year we have concerns about the Pajaro River and the stability of the levee system. The Pajaro River levee has one of the lowest levels of flood protection of any federally funded project in the United States and has been providing inadequate protection...

In the month of October, many will be celebrating or observing Halloween. It is surprising how many people have embraced this “holiday.” As Buddhists living here in America, we have assimilated into the culture and traditions and many will observe Halloween with parties, giving...

WATSONVILLE—Heavy-duty earth-moving equipment rumbled into gear at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds over the past week, reshaping a chunk of land at the Agricultural History Project to make way for the expansion of the Living History Farm. Situated near the entrance of the fairgrounds, the...

The Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds is a hidden gem that needs to be protected. It has been said that fairgrounds date back to Greek times where they were created to offer a place for people to buy and sell goods. Over the years fairgrounds...

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...

Councilman’s claims of racism were wrong I'm a member of the board of directors of the Watsonville Pilots Association and the vice-chairperson of the Watsonville Airport Advisory Committee. However, I write this letter solely in my individual capacity as a long-time resident of the County...

ROYAL OAKS—Congressman Jimmy Panetta was on the Central Coast Thursday, touting two pandemic assistance programs he helped pass that will benefit agriculture workers and the industries that employ them. The Pandemic Response and Safety (PRS) Grant Program will provide $650 million in grants to food...

PAJARO VALLEY—Open Farm Tours returns this Saturday and Sunday to the greater Pajaro Valley, with eight local farms participating in two days of events.  Originally started in 2014 as the Corralitos Open Farm Tour, the event has continued to grow and add more farms from...

We usually discuss issues occurring within the district. However, for this month’s column, we decided to take a different approach and shed some light on our roles as trustees and the process of decision-making. What is it like to take on a publicly elected...

“I’m tired of hoping.” That sentence, spoken to me by a member of our congregation last week, summarizes the mood of many. Tired of hoping. Tired of waiting, tired of trying, tired of seeing the light at the end of the tunnel grow dimmer. At the start...