Opinion

25 years ago on May 23, 1996 Nobody knows Watsonville High School like Mas Hashimoto. Born at home just two blocks from the campus, he’s spent two-thirds of his life there; first as a student, then as a teacher of history and geography. He knows...

Watsonville is a community built on the hard work, dreams, and diverse experiences of its residents. Every voice here matters, but right now, not every voice is given equal access to be heard in city government. Currently, only registered voters can serve on city...

Over 30,000 under-resourced adults and children in Santa Cruz County rely on affordable dental care to live full, healthy, pain-free lives.  Across the State, 10 million adults, seniors, and people with disabilities depend on the Medicaid program (known as Medi-Cal in California) for their oral...

Brianna Vasquez is a 13-year-old about to begin her 8th-grade year at Rolling Hills Middle School. As the days of her summer vacation wane and the academic year looms, many of her friends are enjoying their break. But on Thursday, Brianna was taking a different path....

When I was a child, Summer. Lasted. For. Ever. I remember long days that usually began with picking beans and then weeds in the hot sun, followed by endless hours of playing (and bickering) with my siblings in the hot sun. By the end...

Joseph Stalin famously remarked that in an election, “Those who vote decide nothing. Those who count the votes decide everything.” While stakeholders in our democratic system insist that our votes count, in reality, given our electoral system, which consistently features two major political parties, in...

The people of the Pajaro Valley have shown we are resilient as we’ve faced the impacts of a changing climate, from severe flooding to the threat of wildfire. But more—a lot more—can be done to help reduce the effects on our community from future...