Opinion

From the first day his administration assumed office this January, President Trump broke all records issuing executive orders.  He generated 26 on his first day alone. These presidential directives covered a wide swath of topics, from sweeping changes in how the federal government works to...

As more people get their second shot of the Covid-19 vaccine, I’ve heard numerous reactions. Some say, “It was awful.” Others say, “I felt nothing.” Nearly everyone feels they have to weigh in on the topic, similar to when an earthquake rumbles through and...

Grandpa wants to eat an apple. This is a simple act. Yet, one in five people over the age of 65 living in the U.S. have lost all their teeth according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). To make matters worse, Medicare—the...

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...

Incidents of convenience Please realize that there are more guns in our country than there are people. That came to light again in one of the latest senseless shootings in Santa Clarita. The shooter’s late father had six guns. While reports aren’t clear on the impact...

There were several good news items scattered throughout the most recent budget update presented to the Watsonville City Council on Feb. 9. The city’s Administrative Services Director, Cindy Czerwin, predicted that the city would end the 2020-21 fiscal year about $5 million better than...

The flooding in January in Watsonville was traced to the buildup of debris in the Salsipuedes and Corralitos creeks. With the threat of El Niño this winter, we can have a repeat of this year’s flooding.  With the release of Governor Newsom’s Executive Order N-10-23,...

George Orwell’s dystopian novel “1984” contains the famous slogan: “Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.” This quote from Orwell’s book is intended to mean that those in power manipulate historical records to shape public perception, justify current...

By Rebecca J. Garcia, Watsonville Mayor Soon after I was elected to the Watsonville City Council I had the opportunity to visit several farmworkers’ housing conditions. What I found was five adults and four children living in a 2-bedroom duplex, eight adults living in a...

What is wrong with us? One hundred days into 2023. One hundred and fifty mass shootings under our belt. More than 11,500 people killed by gun violence thus far. Across our country, “Amazing Grace,” our new national anthem, is heard more often than the “Star...