Watsonville leaders betrayed the community by approving 17 more Flock Safety surveillance cameras, writes a countywide grassroots coalition that opposes the cameras. The vote means Watsonville will have more than any other city in Santa Cruz County even as critics warn the devices erode privacy.
Opinion from Community Voices
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
We have to plan now to protect the coast for generations
Santa Cruz County’s coast is already feeling the bite of storms and erosion, and we can’t afford to ignore what’s coming, writes David Carlson, a resource planner at the county Community Development & Infrastructure department.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Letter to the editor: RIP KION 46 and Telemundo 23 news
In a letter to the editor, a former TV and radio journalist laments the demise of television news operations at KION 46 and Telemundo 23.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Don’t wait for tragedy: Santa Cruz County must tackle e-bike danger today
Local activist Kevin Norton and surgeon John Maa warn that e-bikes are far more dangerous than most realize — especially for children. In California, e-bike crashes have surged nearly 19-fold since 2018 and were up 177% in Santa Cruz County in 2024, with some injuries resembling motorcycle wrecks.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
A Santa Cruz affordable housing primer – and why Measure C makes sense
Santa Cruz is on track to add nearly 900 truly affordable apartments — well short of what’s needed for teachers, servers, health care workers and longtime unhoused neighbors, writes housing advocate and former Santa Cruz mayor Don Lane. He advocates for Measure C on the November ballot.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
A pediatrician’s advice for caring for your kids’ emotional well-being
Back-to-school jitters affect kids of all ages, but pediatrician Sara Faheem reminds parents that preparation, open conversations and modeling empathy can ease the transition. She encourages year-round check-ins on both physical and emotional health, not just at the start of the school year.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
PVUSD needs to do more to support Aptos High students
Ian Hsu, a 2025 graduate of Aptos High School, says Pajaro Valley Unified School District must do more to invest in the high school and rebuild a culture of confidence, opportunity and support. Budget cuts, he writes, have slashed key programs and worsened morale.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Requiem: Santa Cruz’s lost public square as the new library breaks ground
In bulldozing Santa Cruz’s de facto town square — Lot 4 and its beloved magnolias — to make way for a parking garage, affordable housing and a new library, activist Rick Longinotti argues that the city not only erased a cherished gathering space but also bent fiscal rules, risking public trust.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Letter to the editor: We mourn Charlie Kirk in Santa Cruz
In a letter to the editor, the chairman of Santa Cruz County’s Republican Party mourns the death of Charlie Kirk.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
RFK Jr. is not healthy for children and other living Americans
Santa Cruz physician Jeoffry B. Gordon warns that RFK Jr.’s new vaccine restrictions threaten public health, especially amid a growing U.S. measles outbreak. Kennedy’s limits on COVID-19 vaccine licensing exclude healthy children, pregnant women and others, creating confusion and reduced access.