Opinion

In the decade between 2013-23, volunteers and nonprofits picked up 439,358 cigarette butts from Santa Cruz County’s beaches and natural areas, accounting for a quarter of all litter found here. That’s according to Save Our Shores (SOS), a Santa Cruz-based nonprofit that works to support...

By Felipe Hernandez Pajaro Valley voters of the County Supervisorial District 4 need someone who will fight for a fair share of the county’s resources. I am that person. This Nov. 8 election is about the issues that local seniors, families and businesses care about...

By JIMMY DUTRA We have seen politics hit an all-time low in our community. Behavior that has been more common at the national and state level has arrived in our local politics. It has moved from “what I can do for the people” into “how...

PAJARO VALLEY—Open Farm Tours returns this Saturday and Sunday to the greater Pajaro Valley, with eight local farms participating in two days of events.  Originally started in 2014 as the Corralitos Open Farm Tour, the event has continued to grow and add more farms from...

CALIFORNIA—As California recovers from a historic heatwave, the State Assembly last week passed three bills by Assemblymember Robert Rivas (D-Hollister) to help fight the climate crisis, incentivize sustainable agriculture, and advance environmental justice for all.  “California has ambitious environmental goals, and the advancement of my...

I attended the first community forum for renaming the Cabrillo College at its Aptos Campus on June 14. I was probably the only one of Asian descent among about 60 participants.  Five potential new names were presented to us. They were Aptos College, Seacliff College,...

After 18 months of work by 200 students, Pajaro Valley Unified School District unveiled a small house that will soon be home to someone who needs it. At just 20 by 8 feet, the tinyhome is ready for occupation, and comes equipped with living quarters...

C&N Tractors on Salinas Road just finished repairing my Kubota tractor in February when the levee burst. Suddenly it was under six feet of water. After the mud and flood receded, the tractor needed serious help.  I want to express my gratitude to Nigel Mallison,...

The Rancho Cielo Youth Campus was the site of a groundbreaking ceremony for the Ted Taylor Agricultural Center on April 8, with speakers including Bruce Taylor and John Phillips, founder of Rancho Cielo.

In the 2020 election, my Watsonville family was energized and held its very first voting party. Local candidates competing for the same office visited, my cousins and I offered to translate and research for our elders, and many drove together to City Hall to...