Bill Monning, Jan. 6: January is Blood Donor Month
It is the beginning of a new year and it is time for us to remember how we can help our friends, neighbors, and community through the simple act of giving blood. January has been known as National Blood Donor Month since 1970 because people are busy with their post-holiday schedules, trying to get back into their work and/or school routines, and forget about making time to donate blood.
Gail McNulty, Nov. 16: Bold choices today could save tomorrow
The UN’s October Climate warning is terrifying. We need profound changes in the next 10-12 years to build a more equitable world and sustain life as we know it. News of increasingly destructive, deadly California forest fires offer a grim vision of how continuing with “business as usual” might impact us locally.
Letters to the Editor, Oct. 12, 2023
Power poles are visual blight
I had the opportunity to drive on an improved and repaved Freedom Boulevard recently.
Traversing it nice, however, I wish the powers that be had the foresight to include in the budget, PG&E undergrounding of those unsightly poles, electrical transmission wires...
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...
Addressing homelessness in Watsonville: A call to action
Homelessness remains one of the most pressing social issues of our time, particularly in communities like Watsonville.
The latest 2024 Point-In-Time (PIT) count shows that Santa Cruz County has maintained gains from the previous year, recording the lowest number of people experiencing homelessness since counting...
Hollywood’s harmful fixation on fashion
When I walked into work on Monday morning, a fellow reporter asked me if I’d tuned in to the Hollywood award show known as the Golden Globes, which was broadcasted the previous night. I had not—in fact, I didn’t even know it had aired.
I...
Letters to the Editor, March 18
We stand with LGBTQ+ people
We are a group of LGBTQ+ and allies in fifth through eighth grade at Watsonville Charter School of the Arts, and are members of our Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) clubs. We were very upset to learn about the hate crime...
ICE becomes an autocratic tool
It is generally accepted that, historically, a common survival strategy for autocratic leaders includes forming a personal paramilitary support group. These groups serve to counterbalance the regular military, strengthen security services and provide an armed force loyal directly to the leaders, rather than the...
This Week in Pajaro Valley’s Past, June 18
25 years ago on June 18, 1996
Today is the 4th annual celebration of the apparition of the Virgin Mary on one of the trees at Pinto Lake County Park. The image was first sighted by Anita Contreras Mendoza as she walked through the park....
Six months later, a reflection
This week marks six months since the insurrection at the United States Capitol building, the death of five people, the attempted assassination of the Vice President and members of Congress, and the first flying of the Confederate Battle Flag in our capitol building. It...
6 Trusted Providers to Buy Instagram Likes and Followers (Safe and...
This article was contributed by Social Boosting
Instagram growth in 2026 isn't easy. Reach is tighter, the algorithm is pickier and getting noticed organically feels...

















