Guest Column | Monterey County Free Librariesā 5 Things to Celebrate in February 2026
Happy February! In February, we have Valentineās Day, Presidentās Day and so many things to celebrate.
1. February is one of our favorite months because it is also Library Loverās Month! Do you love your library? There are many ways to show your library love....
Window on the World Column | SCAR ā 10 Years of Excellence
My dog rescue efforts started a long time ago. I would pick up strays on the roads of the country or streets of the city and not know exactly what to do with them. Finally, I created an area of our property where I...
Funny Papers Again Column | A Rant Twixt Two Random Thoughts
I donāt know the extremes to which one can go to be called a pacifist, so I donāt label myself one but do join the majority that eschews violence. I donāt like witnessing people fighting in anger, and Iām sure Iām not alone in...
Window on the World Column | Pleases and Thank Yous
When we were young, my mother would tolerate only two days of freedom post-Christmas ā i.e. Christmas Day and Boxing Day ā before she was hitting us hard with our required thank-you lists and the obligatory smiley thank-you letter to each person, that should...
Funny Papers Again Column | Taking the Easy Way Out Aināt Always Easy
It is easy to sit down at the keyboard and churn out a thousand words when the subject has some local interest, which I can do for no other reason than I have some very vivid memories of life here in the Valley that...
Guest Column | Building the Future of Rural Healthcare: Investing in Our Students Today
As a rural healthcare system here in South Monterey County, it is clear that our long-term strength depends on the next generation who will one day walk our halls as doctors, nurses, technologists, engineers and healthcare leaders.
With this in mind, this year, Mee Memorial...
Funny Papers Again Column | Moon Trees, African Grapefruit and Annual Farm Day Returns
Most of us know sunflowers. In the Salinas Valley, they are a common sight in yards and fields up and down and across the land. Many among us remember rows of the tall, large yellow blooms were spaced among the row crops as wind...
Window on the World Column | The Staples of Life
āDo you have to put those in?ā I enquired of the medical expert, when he was trying to explain the procedure to me. āYes, they are the best!ā he replied.
āSurely there is a less tortuous way to achieve the same end?ā I continued, only...
Letter to the Editor | Standing up for Democracy, One Year Into Presidency
To the Editor:
Please join your neighbors to observe the one-year anniversary of Donald Trumpās presidency. Tuesday, Jan. 20, from 4 to 6 p.m., those outraged by the harm and chaos inflicted on the country and the world in just one year will assemble peacefully...
Funny Papers Again Column | My Purge of Unnoteworthy Notes Fell Short, so I Ad-Libbed the Ending
This column marks the end of compiled topics, both those on scraps of paper and whatever is on my cell phone, so donāt look for much in the way of content. Nonetheless, I am committed to this purge, so let me trot this stuff...















