Guest View: The real cause of California’s homelessness crisis
By Dan Walters
Gov. Gavin Newsom, newly inaugurated Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and legislative leaders are pledging decisive action on California’s homelessness crisis, which raises a pithy question: Why did it erupt during a period of strong economic growth?
The reasons often offered include a...
Farmworkers worked despite positive Covid-19 tests for fear of job loss, study shows
CENTRAL COAST—Many Monterey County farmworkers are going to work despite testing positive for the novel coronavirus, and some of those laborers are doing so because they are concerned about losing their job, their pay or because their employer told them to.
That’s according to the...
Youth offenders must be housed locally
As part of the Governor’s “commitment to providing more treatment and rehabilitative services for youth closer to home” under SB 823, the state is closing the juvenile prison in Stockton (DJJ). This means that Santa Cruz County will soon be tasked with housing and...
Don’t wait, act
By Christian Garcia
Like many other communities, Watsonville has significant challenges. We have an ailing local economy, affordable housing needs, needs for better access to healthcare and education, aging infrastructure, funding needs for local parks and youth programs, and the list goes on.
Inspiring people to...
Four Winds Growers sees uptick in sales during pandemic
Four Winds Growers, a fourth-generation, family-run business in Watsonville specializing in citrus trees, has seen major growth in sales since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Aaron Dillon, who runs the business with his siblings, says that the surge is likely due to people who...
Trina Coffman-Gomez, Nov. 21: Clarifying misconceptions and moving forward
The impact this transportation planning document will have on our community today and for our future generations is profound. The Unified Corridor Investment Study will continue to be presented to the public during the public comment period before returning back to the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) commissioners to vote on in January at the earliest.
My most anticipated summer 2017 movies
Here are my seven most anticipated summer films, starting next month and ending during the last week of August.
This Week in Pajaro Valley’s Past, April 23
Compiled by Steve Bankhead
25 years ago on April 23, 1996
Moreland Notre Dame sixth-grader Anoosh Moutafian won her division in the Santa Cruz County Science Fair competition at Cabrillo College. Her project centered on properties of the lowly daphnia, tiny water crustaceans that thrive in...
St. Francis boys’ hoops rebounds with league win over NMC |...
St. Francis senior Jacob Jimenez put up a game-best 22 points as the Sharks cruised to a 79-37 victory over North Monterey County in...




















