Opinion

25 years ago on July 1, 1996 Watsonville’s Spirit of Watsonville Committee organized a full schedule of fun across the Pajaro Valley leading up to the annual Grand Parade on the Fourth of July. The weekend prior had live banda music and dancing in the...

I want to talk about a few pieces of music that have been life-changers for me. As I’ve mentioned in a few columns in the R-P, I studied music at the university, which gave me a running start into the world of classical music, meaning Mozart, Bach, Beetho

I attended the first community forum for renaming the Cabrillo College at its Aptos Campus on June 14. I was probably the only one of Asian descent among about 60 participants.  Five potential new names were presented to us. They were Aptos College, Seacliff College,...

Freedom to Uncork Corralitos On behalf of Freedom Rotary, I would like to say thank you to Alladin Nursery who was the wonderful host for the Rotary Club of Freedom’s successful sold-out inaugural Uncork Corralitos event on Oct. 22. The afternoon was filled with hundreds of...

I grew up in Watsonville and have lived and worked in the Pajaro Valley all my life. I have been an agronomist, scientifically analyzing agricultural soils in California and throughout the United States. I have studied thousands of different soils, and I can say...

As we close out the year, I want to provide District 4 with a clear update on the work we’ve advanced together. My priorities have remained steady: deliver improvements, protect our families, and bring long-overdue investment to South County. This year was defined by...

Watsonville Community Hospital is vital to the economic success of the Pajaro Valley. Businesses, their employees and customers all benefit from local access to healthcare.  From employees to medical providers, the hospital provides nearly 1,000 local jobs and medical care for over 100,000 people...

25 years ago on May 6, 1996 The Cinco de Mayo festivities in the Plaza keep growing, drawing 8,000 people and diverse entertainers this year. Sunday’s festival featured the Mariachi Eleazor Cortes group, the salsa band Orquestra Sabor Latino, the White Hawk Dancers, Banda Torero...

Dutra always puts the people first I will begin my “opinion piece” with a quote: “There are basically two types of people. People who accomplish things, and people who claim they accomplish things. The first group is less crowded." —Mark Twain I will be voting for...

Since the beginning of the year, Community Bridges has been busy helping Santa Cruz County and North Monterey County residents who have been devastated financially, emotionally and mentally by the recent unprecedented spate of storms and floods.    We walked door-to-door in the immediate aftermath of...