Fighting the pandemic of contempt
When my wife Laurie and I teach at marriage retreats we often refer to the work of Dr. John Gottman. In his famous “glass house” at the University of Washington, Gottman has studied thousands of married couples over decades of research to see what...
Independence Sunday
Memo from Rev. Mathews-Johnson
While I was growing up, whenever we moved—which was often in those days because my dad was a Navy officer—my mother would find a job at the local United Methodist Church in our new town playing the organ and piano. As...
The grass is greener when we’re on the same field
Distributing limited resources fairly and equitably in a way that best serves students, staff, families and the community is an ongoing challenge for any school board. On July 21, the Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees will review and discuss the Elementary...
Letters to the Editor, Nov. 16: Bike- and pedestrian-safe streets need to be a priority
Letters to the Editor, Nov. 16, 2017
The responsibilities of serving on a school board
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...
Bargetto Winery releases 2014 'La Vita' blend
June 10 marked the 17th annual release of Bargetto Winery’s “La Vita” wine.
Maria T. Cadenas: Including undocumented families in safety nets is the only way forward
Thousands of Monterey and Santa Cruz County families were forced to evacuate March 11 after the Pajaro and Soledad rivers flooded this rural agricultural area. The storms arrived at the beginning of the growing season, just as farmworkers were going back to work and...
Farm Bureau receives awards
The Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau (SCCFB) was honored with five County Activities of Excellence Awards, and was a finalist in the statewide Innovator Awards at the California Farm Bureau’s 104th meeting in early December.
A local delegation of five attended the annual meeting in...
Letters to the Editor Nov. 14-20
PVUSD cuts necessary
The Pajaro Valley Unified School District is finally being forced to face financial reality. Many of the positions now being eliminated were funded by one-time Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds, which expired in February 2024. That temporary COVID money...
Bag containing gun, ammo found at Aptos High
Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputies and Pajaro Valley Unified School District officials are investigating after a bag containing a firearm and ammunition was found...



















