Movie Review: 'The Last Jedi' feels bloated, empty at same time
Truth is, “The Last Jedi” feels more like a filler television episode than the grand galactic opera the series is known for. There is no doubt that this film is beautiful and it definitely has the whimsical DNA that has kept the franchise trucking forward for 40 years. But the eighth installment in this storyline feels a bit empty, has some weird tonal problems and sticks around longer than it should.
Guest View: Absurd decision threatens fairgrounds’ future
By GREG CAPUT
The Santa Cruz County Fair was facing bankruptcy when Dave Kegebein entered his position to save our county fairgrounds. The state had pulled back funding and thus threatened the existence of the fair.
Many county fairgrounds have shut down in California due to...
Letters to the Editor, March 6: Happy 150th, Pajaronian
Letters to the Editor, March 6, 2018
Letter: Does County care about Pajaro?
One has to wonder if our elected County officials really care about the people of Pajaro. Presently, an H2A housing project is proceeding in the community right next to the levee that will increase the population of the community by about 15-20%.
Now here is the...
Giving thanks
There is a unique term in Japanese that is used by Buddhists as they sit down to partake of a meal. The term in itadakimasu 頂きます. Before someone begins to eat they place their palms together and say the words itadakimasu. In a simple...
Looking within during trying times
MEMO FROM REV. SHINSEKI
“It is wrong to think that misfortunes come from the east or from the west; they originate within one’s own mind. Therefore, it is foolish to guard against misfortunes from the external world and leave the inner mind uncontrolled.”
Teachings of the...
Guest View: Hurt people, hurt people
For seven years in the 1970s I taught elementary school at Hall District School in Las Lomas. My students were virtually identical to those massacred in Uvalde, Texas. Apparently, “my” children watched for almost an hour while their teachers and friends were being blown...
Celebrating new birth
literal new birth: This year we welcomed into the world our grandson Emmett—and two more grandchildren are due before the end of the year!
I hosted Emmett’s mom, my daughter Elisabeth, on my daily video blog recently. As she pointed out, the year 2020 and...
Four Winds Growers sees uptick in sales during pandemic
Four Winds Growers, a fourth-generation, family-run business in Watsonville specializing in citrus trees, has seen major growth in sales since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Aaron Dillon, who runs the business with his siblings, says that the surge is likely due to people who...
Affordable housing project back on track
Construction is set to resume on Haven Plaza, a 35-unit permanent supportive housing community at 2838 Park Ave. in Soquel after developers secured critical...


















