Opinion

Major bush fires continue to burn in Australia garnering worldwide concern. Thus far 24 fatalities have been reported, including three volunteer firefighters, and experts are assuming that entire species of animals and plant life will be wiped out by the fires, according to various...

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...

On New Year’s Eve my neighbor Jan invited me to join her and a bunch of our neighbors for a bonfire in her front yard to help close out 2019 and usher in a warm beginning to 2020. By 7 p.m. she had an...

The importance of the youth vote in 2020 Attention young people: Baby Boomers (born between 1946-1964) and Millenials (ages 18-35) both represent nearly one-third of the potential voting populace apiece. In 2016, people 65 years and older voted at a 71 percent rate. Millennials voted...

By Congressman Jimmy Panetta and Supervisor Zach Friend As your federal and local representatives, we take very seriously the job of ensuring our communities are safe and resilient. To this end, we have been working closely with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to make...

In previous years, I have written about the year in review, however, since we are approaching the turn of the decade this coming year, it seems appropriate to have a decade in review.  As many of you are already aware, the county has been...

This is our last paper of the year and here comes 2020. I’ve never been one for New Year’s resolutions, mainly because I know I’m setting myself up for something that most likely will cave in—a new workout regimen, diet restrictions, fewer sodas, more walking....

Veterans commissaries will open to more Veterans As many of you already know, Commissaries are basically your neighborhood grocery store that happens to be located on a military base anywhere worldwide. Like a grocery store, they sell everything that you would need for your household....

Secondhand smoke in multi-unit housing Sometimes people tend to believe they have a “right” to smoke, but in reality, there is no constitutional right to smoke. Everyone does have the right to breathe, and a right to clean air.  Therefore, multi-unit housing complexes should regulate...

Politics is keeping Watsonville stuck I was quite bemused when I read that the Watsonville Planning Commission denied issuing a use permit to the developers of the drive-thru establishments on N. Main Street because of air pollution from idling cars! This is such shortsighted thinking!  Sure,...