Letters to the Editor, Dec. 7, 2023
Hospital is a lifeline for Watsonville
I had an array of emotions after reading that the Watsonville Community Hospital got approved for a bond to fund much-needed repairs.
Currently, Watsonville is home to around 51,000 people, and for many, this hospital is all that they have...
Supervisor Felipe Hernandez: 2024 Year in Review
Editor's note: This column was submitted in December and should have run earlier in January.
As we enter the new year, I’m reflecting on our achievements in 2024—progress made possible through collaboration with community members, colleagues, county staff, and you.
Together, we’ve worked to ensure Santa...
Firework sales should be brought to the public
By Dennis Osmer, former Watsonville Mayor
Hardly anybody likes to work with somebody looking over their shoulder. And of those, nobody likes getting advice from somebody outside the circle. But for City Council and the City Manager, that’s the job they sought and got. According...
Commemorating 75th of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
MEMO FROM REV. SHINSEKI
Blood stains cannot be removed by more blood; resentment cannot be removed by more resentment; resentment can only be removed by letting it go.
—Teachings of the Buddha
This month will mark the 75th anniversary of the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nakasaki...
The origin of Santa Cruz County and the division of the Pajaro Valley
Over the years of researching, writing and teaching this region’s history I have been keeping top-10 lists such as the most influential natural disasters, floods, earthquakes and the like.
I also have one of the “most ill-advised things done by individuals or groups”—perhaps more bluntly...
Let’s give thanks
I hope you enjoyed Halloween with your friends and family. Whether it was carving pumpkins, trick or treating or attending parties, many of us were happy to be out again enjoying the interaction with our communities. This time of year brings with it many...
Letters to the Editor, Feb. 19
Helping to feed the community
It felt so good to read the article about the San Jose nonprofit organization called Martha’s Kitchen that is now offering free food distribution to the Pajaro Valley, as reported on, in the Pajaro Valley magazine. They will be handing...
Guest View: We can forge a better Watsonville
By Casey Clark
Hi neighbor! We may have already met.
Yes, it is election season. Yes, I am running unopposed, but believe me, I would never dream of taking your vote for granted. Let me tell you of the dreams I do have.
I have a dream...
Letters to the Editor, Dec. 16: Watsonville City Council continues to protect our coast
Letters to the Editor, Dec. 16, 2017
Cultural Shift
MEMO FROM REV. SHINSEKI
“There are causes for all human suffering, and there is a way by which they may be ended, because everything in the world is the result of a vast concurrence of causes and conditions, and everything disappears as these causes and...
Students learn the power of the vote at Civics Summit
On Friday, about 150 high school juniors from across Santa Cruz County cast their first ballots on three issues that, if passed, would dramatically...




















