No greater love
Memo from Pastor Rene
This summer our nation is reeling at the horrific police brutality on display in the death of George Floyd and others, and grappling with the difficult task of criminal justice reform––and the broader plague of systemic racism.
But while the country’s focus...
The key to emotional health in stressful times
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...
Letters to the Editor, Sept. 30
Murals express culture
Murals are about community and freedom of expression. In Watsonville, mural artist Jessica Evanjelista from the Arts Council of Santa Cruz County led Empower Watsonville, a youth-led group that focuses on expanding youth advocacy to implement more equitable policies, on a mural...
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, April 3: On to the next 150 years
March, an exhausting month characterized by 150th anniversary celebrations, is now behind us.
From the editor's desk, July 11: A booming success for the airport
I figured I would show up an hour or so after the gates opened at the Watsonville Municipal Airport for the first-ever Fire in the Sky open house last week. Turns out, I almost missed my chance to park, and perhaps, miss the show entirely.
Guest view: California needs a universal broadband infrastructure bond for our students
By Luis A. Alejo, Kevin de León and Eduardo Garcia
On July 17, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that counties on the state’s Covid-19 “monitoring list” must begin the new school year with distance learning. More than half of our state’s counties are on the list,...
Movie Review: ‘Hereditary’ is a scare fest with depth
“Hereditary” is definitely one of the more terrifying movies I’ve seen in recent years, but it doesn’t throw away characters and relationships in favor of jump scares. It does the exact opposite, making the tension between the family the real reason behind the dense layer of horror that never dissipates.
Movie Review: Coogler continues rise with impressive ‘Black Panther’
Most big-budget superhero movies that try to ground their lore or story in the real world never work, because it quickly devolves into a pandering fest. This film does not feel that way in the slightest. Instead, it feels like Coogler is taking us through a fever dream he had as a youth growing up in the East Bay, and only now does he have the tools to depict it correctly.
Padilla, Schiff secure $54M for Pajaro River Levee
U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla announced Tuesday that he and Sen. Adam Schiff secured $54 million in federal funding for the Pajaro River Flood Risk...

















