Opinion

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...

WATSONVILLE—About two dozen farmworkers settled in on picnic tables at a Lakeside Organic Gardens field Wednesday for a fresh, healthy lunch featuring the very crops they harvest.  The meal was prepared by Charlie Hong Kong, a Santa Cruz Asian fusion restaurant that was Lakeside’s first...

"Dunkirk” is director Christopher Nolan’s 10th feature film and it is without a doubt his most fresh and innovative piece of storytelling. There’s not much dialogue, the characters — in terms of background, depth and personality — are underdeveloped and t

The 40 days of Lent observed in Christianity begins with the story of Jesus who fasted for 40 days in the wilderness immediately following his baptism. It is as if before Jesus began his ministry, he needed to go through a spiritual boot camp...

By Rebecca J. Garcia, Watsonville Mayor Black Lives Matter. Consequently, Watsonville wants to assure that the police department provides the best services available for public safety and racial and social equity. Police Chief David Honda has shared the many successful programs provided to youth and...

Zach Friend is effective, responsive I’ve worked with many elected officials over the last 30 years and I can easily say Zach Friend is one of the best. As a constituent, I’ve found that Zach and his staff are responsive as well as effective when...

APTOS—Wells Fargo has announced a boost to diverse small businesses with $1.7 million in grants from its Diverse Community Capital program, which offers capital and technical assistance to minority-owned small businesses through Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs).  “Diverse small businesses face unique challenges to start...

Sheriff Oversight Commission needed On behalf of Standing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) Santa Cruz County, we submit this letter to draw your attention to urgent needs in our community that have been ignored for too long. We trust you agree that each of us...

Director Matthew Vaughn’s second foray into Mark Millar’s comic book world of secret agent tailors does some wacky things that, even in this over-the-top universe, seem way out of place. And that’s too bad, because there are some great pieces littered throughout that could’ve made a great movie.

It is the beginning of a new year and it is time for us to remember how we can help our friends, neighbors, and community through the simple act of giving blood. January has been known as National Blood Donor Month since 1970 because people are busy with their post-holiday schedules, trying to get back into their work and/or school routines, and forget about making time to donate blood.