Opinion

Thousands of Monterey and Santa Cruz County families were forced to evacuate March 11 after the Pajaro and Soledad rivers flooded this rural agricultural area. The storms arrived at the beginning of the growing season, just as farmworkers were going back to work and...

Strawberry season in the Pajaro Valley is in full swing, and experts are reporting that demand has steadily increased despite a difficult kickoff. As the Covid-19 pandemic hit the California region in mid-March, strawberry producers initially saw a spike in sales. But it was soon...

WATSONVILLE—Watsonville-based organization Farm Discovery at Live Earth announced that it raised $87,800 at its annual benefit dinner on Sept. 24. “Mesa: Farm Discovery Fall Feast in the Fields” was held at Live Earth Farm in Watsonville, and drew attendance from across the region. Guests were...

As the year comes to end, I want to take a moment to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday Season. I also want to share some of the county’s major initiatives we’ve been working on during the past year.

Directed by Andy Muschietti (“Mama”), the second live-action adaptation of the beloved Stephen King book about a cosmic entity that terrorizes kids by disguising itself as a clown is a near perfect movie in several respects. It sinks its teeth into you with its gripping horror and keeps you laughing, smiling and engaged with its excellent script and top-notch cast.

Thoughts on Washington monument I recall when the George Washington statue appeared in the City Plaza, and wondered, “what does George Washington have to do with Watsonville?” Washington never visited Watsonville because the town wasn't around when George was. Washington had long finished his business...

“The tribe is like an eagle and the eagle will only fly true and high when the wings are equal.” —South American Indian Proverb In 1973, the U.S. Congress designated Aug. 26 as “Women's Equality Day.” The date was selected to commemorate the 1920 certification of the 19th...

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...

Watsonville mayor's update, December 2017

Letter to the Editor, Feb. 3, 2018