Sandy Lydon: How Cabrillo College was named and helped unify the county
In August 2020 a group of faculty, students and community members approached the Cabrillo Board of Trustees and stated that the college’s namesake, the 16th-century navigator and explorer, Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, was no longer appropriate to be on the college. He represented, they said,...
Movie review: 'Power Rangers' tries, fails to be one-size-fits-all
There are some moments that are similar to “Chronicle,” Josh Trank’s 2012 film about three teenagers that stumble upon super powers, but there are also moments when director Dean Israelite’s “Power Rangers” feels like a Saturday cartoon.
Letters to the Editor, Sept. 24
Ethic studies bill is discriminatory
On Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk is the ethnic studies bill. I must note that he doesn’t need to sign it. Surprise? The California State Board of Education already approved, in 2016, the Around the Horn & Inland Waterways content for...
Gail Pellerin, Feb. 17: Election security and safety in Santa Cruz County
As your County Clerk, one of my most important responsibilities is to ensure that the votes cast in Santa Cruz County are secure and accurate. Despite claims that voter fraud is rampant nationally, court challenges have failed to produce evidence that voter fraud is anything more than an occasional clerical error or bad data matching.
An economy of neighborliness
I recently heard an interview with Hebrew Bible scholar, Dr. Walter Brueggemann. When asked about the atonement—a much discussed and much argued Christian theological concept—Brueggemann replied, “I’m much more interested in the economy than I am in atonement.” He went on to explain that...
And there I stood with my piccolo
Memo from Rev. Mathews-Johnson
Composer Meredith Willson once told the story of a band whose music so pleased a king of long ago that he opened his royal treasury to the musicians. He invited them to walk in and to fill their instruments with as...
A look at Fred Korematsu Day | On My Mind
For some folks, yesterday was Jan. 30, a Thursday. Another day checked off the calendar. But for others, especially in the Japanese-American community, that day chimes in the history books as the first day in the U.S. named after an Asian American, Fred Korematsu...
Silvia Morales, Oct. 12: South County is underrepresented on the RTC
An acute racial divide has historically separated North and South County. Decisions made by the Regional Transportation Commission as it stands will adversely impact residents of the Pajaro Valley Unified School District (PVUSD) for decades. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, low income and minority communities are negatively impacted in many ways by inadequate transportation planning.
Religion: Bodhi Day
Once again we find ourselves at the year’s end. It is hard to believe that another year has gone by. December is a time for families to gather to celebrate the holidays. We celebrate Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, the Winter Solstice, Christmas and Bodhi Day, the...
Body identified as missing woman
A woman’s body recovered on Jan. 18 in the area of Smith Grade and Moore Ranch Road has been identified as 73-year-old Jeanne Burke,...




















