Opinion

By Jason Johnston We know that the suffering and death of Covid-19 has been far more severe in our local communities of color, particularly the Latinx communities in South County. And we would like to believe that we live in a community with progressive values,...

MEMO FROM REV. SHINSEKI “A human being, his material possessions, and his surroundings are merely shadows of his mind. However, this Truth cannot be understood by an ignorant person who thinks the thought that things exist everlastingly or that things become completely extinct. These two...

WATSONVILLE—In December, the Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency (PVWMA) Board of Directors approved a $1.2 million water conservation program aimed at further bolstering the efforts already in place by farmers. PVWMA is partnering with the Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County (RCD) and the...

Memo from Pastor Erickson This week’s Gospel lesson is about the Baptism of our Lord. In it, you may find the geographical references quite interesting. Mark tells us that John the baptizer appears in the wilderness along the Jordan River and that folk from the Judean...

At the beginning of the year, I made a promise to myself that I would write more editorials about issues that are impacting our city—something that has been lacking in my first two years as Managing Editor. But as much as I would like...

I’ve thought a lot about my New Year’s resolutions this year. Somehow it seems there’s more at stake than usual. The way you and I approach 2021 will impact not only our own experience, but also the lives of those around us, at a...

By Greg Caput, County Supervisor It is no surprise to most of us that this has been an unprecedented year with the emergence of Covid-19 and the CZU fires. During these times of uncertainty, we are facing deep emotional distress. The residents of Santa Cruz...

MEMO FROM REV. MATHEWS-JOHNSON It’s that time of year again. Christmas brings up wonderful memories for me. Maybe some of you can relate. But this year it just “ain’t like it used to be” on a lot of levels. Somehow, in some way, I believe we’ve...

By Jimmy Dutra, Watsonville Mayor The holidays are typically the happiest time of the year. However, this has not been a typical year. Our businesses have taken a financial hit. Food insecurity is at an all-time high. Stimulus checks are not cutting it. Restless nights...

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...