Healing together: How health care districts can transform care
Taking care of our health is one of the most important things in life. But for many in Watsonville and the Pajaro Valley, getting the care and support they need has not always been easy. That’s why the Pajaro Valley Health Care District (PVHCD)...
Supervisor Felipe Hernandez – September 2025
As summer concludes and we transition into the fall season, I am pleased to share updates on recent accomplishments and upcoming initiatives in our district. Summer is always a busy time for infrastructure improvements, community events, and public engagement, and this year was no...
Jimmy Dutra: METRO’s dramatic recovery maintains viable public transit options for county residents
Three years ago, in 2014, Santa Cruz METRO, your county public transit system, was in dire financial straits, with insolvency being a real threat within a couple of years.
Guest View: Unfinished business continues into the New Year
2023 was a very challenging year in Monterey County and it reminded me how crucial county government is in addressing the most pressing needs of our communities. I was honored to serve as chair of the Board of Supervisors over the last year, but...
Bonsai enthusiast bids farewell
My long-time friend Don White has died. If the name escapes you, he was the friendly man whose photo I ran in the R-P each year for the past 10-plus years tending his vast collection of bonsai trees in the back yard of his Carmel Street home.
Anti-Asian violence on the rise
With great sadness and anger, I am reading in the news about a surge in violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) around the U.S.
From the man that opened fire in Georgia on March 16, killing eight people, including six women of Asian...
Purple power
Turning onto Bonny Doon Road from Highway 1 north of Santa Cruz, one can expect a number of different sights and smells. Wildflowers flank the paved road at first, pushing out onto the pavement persistently. Then there are damp, cool redwood groves. After
This Week in Pajaro Valley’s Past, March 12
Compiled by Steve Bankhead
25 years ago on March 9, 1996
Pajaro has developed community spirit in efforts to clean up and rebuild after last year’s flood. A major assist came from “Together in Pajaro” (TIP) organized by Diane Young to guide the effort. One target...
California lawmakers should address health disparities, stem rise in prostate cancer
As California continues to grapple with the present effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, we are also beginning to consider the longer-term health impacts, including the significant percentage of Californians that delayed or avoided medical care due to concerns over Covid-19. The result is that,...
Jim Barsi—owner of Barsi’s Liquor Store—dies
James Joseph “Jim” Barsi, who ran his eponymous liquor store on East Lake Avenue for a half-century before selling the business and retiring in...




















