Opinion

More than three decades ago, Cesar Chavez, founder of the first successful union for farmworkers, predicted a future in which the cities of California would be run by people who looked like him. “History and inevitability are on our side,” he said in one of his best-known...

I want to write today to speak to you about what I have been thinking as this old world of ours starts spinning out of control. We can all hold hands and pray, which wouldn’t be a bad thing, but let’s try to trust...

I’ll tell you a little secret. Writing is hard work. Oh, I don’t mean it’s like driving a tractor or picking up potatoes or any of the jobs found on a farm no matter what you are growing. Those hours are long and hot...

I’m going to tell you a secret. Oh, it’s nothing nefarious or secretive. It’s just something I decided to do a few years ago and it hasn’t been a tremendous success. I’m getting older you know. People usually are nice enough that they say,...

The Covid-19 pandemic left an indelible mark on communities across the world, and Monterey County was no exception. In our county alone, 940 of our neighbors lost their lives to the virus. Behind each of those numbers was a person, a parent, a grandparent,...

Happy New Year! January is such a hopeful month because it represents a new beginning. What are you resolving to do this new year? 1. The Winter Reading Club continues through January, so you still have time to sign up and get a free book....

During the height of the pandemic, the United Nations shined a spotlight on the vital role of fresh fruits and vegetables in the health and future of the human race. “As Covid-19 continues to affect the health and livelihoods of people across the world, we...

It has been a very long time since our last tea party — 2019, if I’m not mistaken. Prior to Covid, the annual tea parties were very popular. Then Covid came along and sucked all the fun, drove our traditions into the ground. Somehow...

Editor's Note: We welcome Letters to the Editor of local and general interest to our readers. Letters should be typed and include the writer’s first and last name, home address and phone number for verification. No anonymous letters will be printed. Letters may be edited...

I hate the Fourth of July, America's birthday, Independence Day and all that. There, I’ve said it. I even said it out loud, as I hummed, alternatively, “Star Spangled Banner” and “We are the Champions.” Then a wartime mortar comes flying over my head...