Theo Wierdsma column: Counting the votes
Joseph Stalin famously remarked that in an election, “Those who vote decide nothing. Those who count the votes decide everything.”
While stakeholders in our democratic system insist that our votes count, in reality, given our electoral system, which consistently features two major political parties, in...
California lawmakers should address health disparities, stem rise in prostate cancer
As California continues to grapple with the present effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, we are also beginning to consider the longer-term health impacts, including the significant percentage of Californians that delayed or avoided medical care due to concerns over Covid-19. The result is that,...
Guest View: ‘We are better than these dirty tricks’
By DENNIS OSMER
Dirty tricks. In the case of the Fair Board President and the State Department of Food and Agriculture, this is the best that can be offered to us in Santa Cruz County. The defamation and dismissal of David Kegebein, CEO of the...
PVWMA to bolster water conservation efforts
WATSONVILLE—In December, the Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency (PVWMA) Board of Directors approved a $1.2 million water conservation program aimed at further bolstering the efforts already in place by farmers.
PVWMA is partnering with the Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County (RCD) and the...
Letters to the editor Oct. 31-Nov. 13
Trump is a Vector of Chaos
Using a phrase I learned from my wife's family, this is only my “pee pot opinion”, but I've been writing these observations for nine years, and almost all have turned out to be spot on. So, here we go:
Trump...
California Pajarosa navigates a changing industry
Business at California Pajarosa Floral, one of Watsonville’s last remaining large flower growers, has altered drastically since the outbreak of Covid-19 last year.
Already dealing with an evolving industry before the pandemic due to growth in offshore production, things came to a sudden halt at...
Letters to the Editor, June 3
Dutra is the most qualified, hands down
The time has come to make the choice for our next District 4 County Supervisor.
Jimmy Dutra is the only one with an impeccable track record from his six-plus years as a city councilman and a year serving as...
Jeremy Bagott | Silicon Valley disrupts Watsonville fungi farmer
After changing the way we buy books, music and movie tickets, the Silicon Valley is now disrupting some of the most fertile irrigated farmland in the nation.
100 year flood protection is within grasp for Pajaro, Watsonville
Now, let’s say the levees that protect your home from flooding are old and deficient. They could fail during the next big storm, causing a major flood. The federal and state government offer to pay $400 million for new and improved levees. The only...
New leadership, shared priorities: Investing in the future of public safety
As we begin a new year, I want to reflect on the direction of public safety in Watsonville and the leadership helping guide that...




















