Guest View

With a lack of societal and government support during the pandemic, women are having to make some tough decisions. In the U.S., more than 2.3 million women have left the labor force since the start of the pandemic as shown in research done by...

The most straightforward definition of drought is the simple mismatch between the amounts of water nature provides and the amounts of water that humans and the environment demand. This mismatch causes California to be in perpetual drought. Even when we receive a lot of rain in California,...

The Western United States is experiencing one of the most extensive and intense droughts on record. January through April were the driest first four months in California’s recorded history, the state’s largest reservoirs are at critically low storage levels, and the state’s snowpack level...

Benjamin Franklin said there were two things certain in life: Death and taxes! When it comes to special interests’ involvement in influencing our government, I can add two more certainties: Bad policies and more taxes to cover the costs of those policies. To be clear,...

Autumn is here and your garden does not need as much water in October as it does in July.  Lawns require watering a maximum of three times per week in the hot summer months and one or two times per week in the spring and...

The agricultural stretch of California’s Central Coast along the Salinas Valley is often called the “Salad Bowl of the World,” and for good reason. It supplies more than 60% of the nation’s lettuce and substantial portions of strawberries, spinach and broccoli.  But beyond the fertile...

While December’s rain and snow show promise, water managers remember the same thing happened last year—epic early storms followed by the driest January through March in California’s recorded history.  After three dry years, all of us are hoping for some reprieve this winter. But the tough reality...

While 2023 was an eventful year for San Benito County, I am particularly excited about three endeavors coming in 2024 that will undoubtedly improve the quality of life in our community.  Those efforts include the county hitting its stride with $28 million in unincorporated road...

With sincere gratitude, I reflect on the truly historic “topping off” ceremony that took place on Jan. 17, 2024. The significance of this day marked a symbolic milestone in the construction of Gavilan College’s San Benito campus, as the last steel beam was placed....

The San Benito County Free Library will undergo a significant expansion in the coming years with the help of an enormous grant, but that’s not the only exciting progress for the local library this year.  If you’re not aware, library staff recently announced the county...