Opinion

California’s Latino community has lost its greatest voting rights gladiator. Last Friday, the legendary civil rights lawyer Joaquin G. Avila lost his battle to cancer after previously suffering from a stroke. No one was more accomplished than him when it came to fighting for Latino political empowerment and representation.

A friend once asked me, “What kind of music do you like?” I said, “Good music.” I hope my answer wasn’t snooty or conceited. It was an earnest attempt at addressing my approach to music — and the arts — of trying to leave the doors open, and not narrowing my world.

In Santa Cruz County, keeping our communities healthy is a collaborative effort by many health care service providers, and Watsonville Community Hospital is an essential piece of that puzzle. For several months now, Watsonville Community Hospital has been teetering on the verge of closure and...

When voters across the Pajaro Valley Health Care District approved Measure N in March 2024, they sent a clear and powerful message: our community hospital matters. With that vote, we took another bold step toward reclaiming local control of our healthcare system and investing...

Letters to the Editor, April 27, 2018

Once again we find ourselves at the year’s end. It is hard to believe that another year has gone by. December is a time for families to gather to celebrate the holidays. We celebrate Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, the Winter Solstice, Christmas and Bodhi Day, the...

After the 2023 flood, $434 million was given by the state and government under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to fund a new levee. The 100-year floodplain levee would sustain the Pajaro River, Salsipuedes Creek and Corralitos Creek with the idea that there is 1%...

The tragic deaths of seven farmworkers in Half Moon Bay in January revealed an ugly, persistent truth: there are parts of our state where our essential, agricultural workers still live in deplorable conditions. There are no permits, no inspections and conditions are substandard. But...

Murals express culture Murals are about community and freedom of expression. In Watsonville, mural artist Jessica Evanjelista from the Arts Council of Santa Cruz County led Empower Watsonville, a youth-led group that focuses on expanding youth advocacy to implement more equitable policies, on a mural...