Opinion

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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, 2017

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...