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...
Hernandez: The future of the Pajaro Valley is on the ballot
By Felipe Hernandez
Pajaro Valley voters of the County Supervisorial District 4 need someone who will fight for a fair share of the county’s resources. I am that person. This Nov. 8 election is about the issues that local seniors, families and businesses care about...
And there I stood with my piccolo
Memo from Rev. Mathews-Johnson
Composer Meredith Willson once told the story of a band whose music so pleased a king of long ago that he opened his royal treasury to the musicians. He invited them to walk in and to fill their instruments with as...
Conference probes climate change and farms
WATSONVILLE—Pajaro Valley’s agriculture businesses and the employees that keep them running are starting to feel the heat, literally.
Rising temperatures and more frequent heat waves and wildfires are growing concerns for farmers in the typically cool, coastal stretch of land that overlaps Santa Cruz and...
Vital questions about the rail project
The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission’s (RTC) $9 million Zero Emission Passenger Rail and Trail project study (ZEPRT) has generated heated debate and confusion.
While the project promises to combine passenger rail and active transit in one sweeping vision, fundamental questions about its feasibility,...
It’s an old story
It’s an old story. It would be hilarious if it weren’t so sad.
A young soldier fighting in Italy during World War II managed to jump into a foxhole just ahead of a spray of bullets. He immediately attempted to deepen the hole for more...
It’s time to pass the Equal Rights Amendment
It has been just over 100 years since women received their right to vote. The suffrage movement of brave women gave the women’s movement a huge boost. Just like any other minority group, women have advocated for their rights for many decades.
To this day,...
Rick Longinotti and Mireya Gomez-Contreras, Dec. 7: Real alternatives for Watsonville commuters
Anyone over a certain age who has driven the freeways of the Bay Area or Southern California knows that widening highways doesn’t work to reduce congestion beyond the short-term.
Letters to the Editor, June 24
Soccer field puts smile on my face
A huge “Thank You” to whoever is responsible for the development and maintenance of the soccer field on San Miguel Canyon Road just east of the Vega Road intersection.
Not too long ago this was an area that was...
Mariners on track for fourth consecutive SCCAL title | Girls soccer
Midway through the winter campaign, Aptos remains the cream of the crop in the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League with a current record of...


















