Theo Wierdsma column: Counting the votes
Joseph Stalin famously remarked that in an election, “Those who vote decide nothing. Those who count the votes decide everything.”
While stakeholders in our democratic system insist that our votes count, in reality, given our electoral system, which consistently features two major political parties, in...
What should replace Kmart?
It’s been more than half a year since the Kmart on Freedom Boulevard closed its doors for good. And as someone who constantly drives past the shell of the former community hotspot, it pains me to see what that location has become. On top...
This Week in Pajaro Valley’s Past, July 16
25 years ago on July 10, 1996
Watsonville police captain Chuck Carter retires this month after 30 years of service, many of them involved in community projects with a social angle. “I’ve never seen a police officer as heavily involved as Chuck is with a...
Letter to the Editor, Sept. 26: Oppose the Graham-Cassidy proposal
Letter to the Editor, Sept. 26, 2017
Thank you City Council
Abundant thanks to the Watsonville City Council, especially Mayor Garcia and members Gonzalez and Estrada, for their support of public posting of Notices of Intent (NOIs) to use restricted pesticides. We appreciate County Agricultural Commissioner Juan Hidalgo for his ongoing willingness to communicate, and...
From the editor's desk, Dec. 7: Education is the key to pedestrian safety
Recently, I was driving on South Green Valley Road near the Kralj Drive intersection, when I noticed a bicyclist about two car-lengths ahead of me cruising along in the bike lane.
Letters to the editor Oct. 24-30
Teachers are educators, not activists
In a recent opinion piece, the Pajaro Valley Federation of Teachers expressed concern on being silenced in the classroom. PVUSD teachers need to be reminded that they have a civic role to be educators. The concept that they are change...
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...
Order restored in Mexico, president says
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Monday that order had been restored after a federal operation killed Nemesio Oseguera, known as “El Mencho,” the longtime...





















