Opinion

After being incarcerated on death row for 35 years, and after surviving a multiple hours-long botched lethal injection attempt 16 months earlier, on Jan. 25 Kenneth Smith became the first person in the world to be executed with nitrogen gas.  Alabama state officials described his...

To some, George Washington represents patriarchy and oppression. To Lloyd Alaga, the person who commissioned the bust of George Washington for Watsonville’s Plaza, Washington represented the opportunity in America for immigrants who have come, and continue to come, to this country. Lloyd Alaga’s uncle was...

Grandpa wants to eat an apple. This is a simple act. Yet, one in five people over the age of 65 living in the U.S. have lost all their teeth according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). To make matters worse, Medicare—the...

When my wife Laurie and I teach at marriage retreats we often refer to the work of Dr. John Gottman. In his famous “glass house” at the University of Washington, Gottman has studied thousands of married couples over decades of research to see what...

I think we’d all agree 2020 has been a rough ride so far. So what’s the key to surviving times of real stress? Last week I received an encouraging email from a 90-year-old widow in our congregation. As usual, her note was brimming with joy––despite...

As the clock ticks down until Pajaro Valley Community Health Trust votes on whether to exercise its right of first refusal to take over the Watsonville Community Hospital, the nurses who organized the town hall want to make sure they address the questions raised by the public. While there were many question cards turned in on Sunday, three main themes emerged.