Curbing cancel culture
Soon the “Name Exploration Subcommittee” of Cabrillo College's Governing Board will transition into the next phase of the process adopted to consider potentially changing our community college’s name and identity. This controversial issue resurfaced mid-2020, and has continued as a topic of discussion of...
Laina Farhat-Holzman, June 3: Where are the university grownups?
For some years now, we have seen a transformation in university life that does not bode well. These changes are in line with changes in public behavior in our society at large, a general coarsening of language, ideas and actions.
A year without likes, comments and clicks
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...
Protect small business
As we continue to expand the outreach of vaccinations in Santa Cruz County, I can’t help but continue to think of the impacts Covid-19 has had on our community and schools. Entering this new year, we should reflect a bit and also continue to...
Letters to the Editor, Sept. 12: Historic rail depot in sad state
Letters to the Editor, Sept. 12, 2017
Modeling accountability: Relational, cultural and restorative safety
The Pajaro Valley community recently learned about the tragic death of an Aptos High School teen on the school’s campus. This has led to outrage, grief and racialized commentary. During this critical time, trauma-fueled responses, reactionary behavior and near-sighted solutions can lead to collateral...
Racism is a ‘WE’ issue
By Jimmy Dutra, former Watsonville City Councilman
In 1992, some of us witnessed the ugly truth of racism for the first time. We heard the outcry over the beating of Rodney King. I was a teenage student at Watsonville High School, who believed in an...
Woody Rehanek: Science proves pesticide’s destructive nature
For the last 18 years, I taught a special education class in the Pajaro Valley. Many of my students were farmworker children with learning disabilities: problems paying attention, reading difficulties, hyperactivity, autism, lower IQ and struggles with self-control. I was shocked to discover that one of the most widely used pesticides in the world — chlorpyrifos — has, after over 20 years of solid research at UC Davis, Berkeley, Columbia University and elsewhere, been linked to these difficulties in learning and behavior.
On My Mind: In the line of fire
Last week my wife Sarah and I took our first short vacation since the pandemic and lockdown took over. We drove north to Lassen National Volcanic Park and stayed in an old logger’s cabin at the Mill Creek Resort. The night before we left...
Seaside man arrested after entering girls’ bedroom, removing his pants
A Seaside man was arrested in Pajaro on Saturday after he reportedly entered the open door of a residence, walked into a bedroom occupied...



















