We must persist
In light of the alarming spread of the novel coronavirus that is hammering our beloved nation, we must do our part to keep this invisible yet hellish enemy, this silent Godzilla, from doing even more harm to our fellow Americans. All of us are...
Cultivating fruit
One of my favorite passages in the Christian scriptures comes from Paul’s letter to the church in Galatia. Perhaps surprisingly, the reason I love it so much is how not-religious it is.
The passage sets up a contrast between disparate ways we can choose to...
Only in Watsonville
The Japanese love cherry blossoms both for their beauty and as harbingers of spring, but also because their short life reminds us of the transience of life.
Sweet but sad.
In the 1920s the Pajaro Valley Japanese community donated and planted hundreds of cherry blossom trees...
Guest View: Salinas Valley sets the standard on farmworker housing
The tragic deaths of seven farmworkers in Half Moon Bay in January revealed an ugly, persistent truth: there are parts of our state where our essential, agricultural workers still live in deplorable conditions. There are no permits, no inspections and conditions are substandard. But...
Words matter: From stigma and apathy to empathy and action
By Denise Elerick, of the Harm Reduction Coalition of Santa Cruz County
Substance use disorder is now widely recognized in the medical community as a chronic illness which responds to treatment. Similar to other chronic diseases such as diabetes or heart disease, remission and recurrence...
Strong schools, strong communities
A question we often hear from constituents is, “I don’t have kids at PVUSD. Why should I invest my time, energy, and tax dollars in schools?” However, a study in The Journal of Urban Affairs noted a strong correlation between community satisfaction and school...
Dutra: Democracy is on the ballot
By JIMMY DUTRA
We have seen politics hit an all-time low in our community. Behavior that has been more common at the national and state level has arrived in our local politics. It has moved from “what I can do for the people” into “how...
Movie Review: 'Blockers' is a nice surprise — butt-chugging and all
“Blockers” is a sometimes raunchy, overly slapstick comedy in the vain of “The 40 Year Old Virgin,” “Superbad” and “American Pie.” And like those classic comedies, director Kay Cannon’s coming-of-age story not only has plenty of a laughs, but it also oozes heart and asks several interesting questions, including an extremely timely challenge to the double standard placed on women. It’s fun and funny — yes, they are different things — while also not being too preachy.
Movie Review: 'Baywatch' a bad, flat watch
...the characters are paper thin, the visual effects look like a 1990s video game, the action set pieces are only passable and there are several scenes that have no purpose and bog down the pace. But its biggest flaw is that it is not funny. Not belly-lau
Letters to the editor Oct. 17–23
Organophosphates Endanger Our Children’s Future
25 years ago, when Dr. Brenda Eskenazi and her UC Berkeley team at the School of Public Health began taking blood and urine samples of pregnant women and young children in the Salinas Valley, they figured that anyone living within...
See’s Candies opens pop-up store in Watsonville
The See’s Holiday gift center in Watsonville is located at the Watsonville Square Shopping Center at 1878 Main Street in Watsonville. It opened on...




















