EDITOR’S NOTE
This year, more than ever, GT has written about the threats facing small, locally owned businesses in Santa Cruz County, and what can be done to help them through this brutal pandemic. But why are we so focused on this issue? Why does it matter if these businesses survive, or if they all go under and are replaced by the same generic chain stores that have taken over in cities around the country?
I think the cover story this week by Hugh McCormick offers some real insight into why it’s so important to take care of our independent local businesses. Because as his story reveals, the 70-year history of Yamashita Grocery is wrapped up inextricably with the history of Watsonville, and especially the history of Japanese Americans there. This store—which doesn’t even have a sign bearing its name—is the epitome of an unassuming local treasure, and to lose it would mean losing part of our very identity as a community in this county.
Thankfully, this isn’t that type of story. Yamashita appears to be thriving, even in the pandemic, and a whole new generation of locals is discovering it. Hopefully this story will help with that, and provide some insight into the fascinating and sometimes tragic history of Japanese Americans in South County.
STEVE PALOPOLI | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Read the latest letters to the editor here.
Manu’s Apology on Cartoons
Any form of anti-Semitism or prejudice is unacceptable. When informed by Jewish community members that an image of John Leopold used in one of my campaign ads was offensive, I immediately removed it.
I promptly called Rabbi Shifra at Temple Beth-El to address concerns and listen to the voices of the Jewish community. We had a relevant and important conversation. I have reached out to John Leopold and apologized.
I also extend my apology to the Jewish community. I am thankful for this opportunity to increase my understanding of all forms of anti-Semitism and microaggressions. The work of creating a just and unbiased society is never done and I will take every opportunity to do better.
Manu Koenig
If Trump Won’t Leave, Carry Him Out
The latest idea put forth by Trump is this thing called “herd immunity,” which means to allow the virus to run free and see who lives and who dies. This shows that he cares little or nothing for anyone’s life but his own. He thinks that the survivors, like himself, will be immune, but immunity remains very much unproven.
So this guy, if he should have his way on this, is now threatening my life as well. I cannot know at this point whether I will be alive when he leaves the White House—or is carried out. I am an older person who would likely die if I contracted the virus. My hope is that I will be alive, as I want to see him in prison for life, having been convicted of the mass murder of thousands of the American people that he is responsible for, along with any number of his followers.
Their crimes are too numerous to cover in this letter, but among the worst is the separation and incarceration of children from their parents along the Mexican border. Things are very bad in this country, but this is one of the worst in my lifetime.
And how about finding the persons who set out the phony mail-in ballot boxes in Southern California and get them in jail ASAP?
Thomas Stumbaugh | Aptos
ONLINE COMMENTS
Re: DeCinzo Cartoons
The online battering continues apace in Facebook commentary. I am “oozing racism” if I don’t support the view that Manu is anti-Semitic if he didn’t see anti-Semitism in these cartoons. It was after all supposed to depict that on supervisor Leopold’s watch, any money we might have had for a 21st century state of the art multimodal transit corridor is being frittered away on endless studies and maintenance, by a train at any cost proponent. That’s the worst of it.
I very much appreciate this article pulling in all the different threads in a way that helps the reader glean more than a two dimensional cartoonish caricature of who did what and why. And appreciating the two comments here, so much more human than Facebook, Nextdoor and other social media platforms. Center for Humane Technology’s Tristan Harris nailed it: social media platforms are seriously undermining our democratic process.
— Corrina McFarlane
DeCinzo’s side is the reactionary conservative body politic that plagues both factions in town, be they moderate, progressive, or socialist. Believing in depopulation is typical rich people environmentalism. He owns more than one home and thinks that _others_ are taking up too much space. Consider the company you keep.
— Leonard Grif
Re: Cannabis Enforcement
Frankly I think what we’re talking about here is gross waste of police and Court resources on something that should be left alone while cops pursue violent criminals. When all violent criminals are in jail and all murders are solved then maybe go after cannabis crimes. Other than that this is just lazy cops looking for low-hanging fruit and ignoring the larger issues in our community.
— Ben James
PHOTO CONTEST WINNER
Taken in the Lighthouse parking lot right before Halloween. Photograph by Ross Levoy.
Submit to ph****@go*******.sc. Include information (location, etc.) and your name. Photos may be cropped. Preferably, photos should be 4 inches by 4 inches and minimum 250dpi.
GOOD IDEA
RAIL, HOWBOUT THAT?
The Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) invites the public to provide input for Milestone 3 of the Transit Corridor Alternatives Analysis through an online public open house that will be available through Nov. 27. The analysis is a year-long study that evaluates high-capacity public transit alternatives to provide an integrated transit network for Santa Cruz County using the Santa Cruz rail corridor. Connections to Monterey, Gilroy, and the San Francisco Bay Area will be considered. For more information, visit sccrtc.org/transitcorridoraa.
GOOD WORK
TOY STAND
Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, Toys for Tots will not host public collection sites this year for holiday toy donations for the first time in its history. The organization has established online gift registries. Donors may also give directly to the organization. Volunteers interested in working two or more shifts can sign up by emailing T4********@gm***.com or by visiting SantaCruzCounty.ToysForTots.org. For more information on the program, call 831-724-3922 or visit watsonville.salvationarmy.org/watsonville_corps.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“When we came out of [the internment] camp, that’s when I first realized that being in camp, that being Japanese-American, was something shameful.”
-George Takei
