Opinion

In rural America, hospitals are more than healthcare providers — they are pillars of their communities. They deliver essential medical services, create jobs and support the overall wellbeing of thousands of residents who might otherwise face insurmountable barriers to care. As the CEO of Mee...

America may have a great multitude of blemishes on our record, but our existence stands as a testament that diverse groups united can accomplish greatness. Which is why it’s so strange to watch the developing national news about how we’re coming apart with a...

I began this column at 4 a.m. last Thursday and expect to finish sometime in the next 84 hours or so, at which time my goal is to give a brief recitation of this past weekend. But first I want to talk about asphalt....

The Pops! are coming, the Pops! are coming! In fact, by the time you read this, they may already be in town. I’m talking about the Monterey County Pops! Symphony Orchestra (and those are not typos, the name includes the exclamation point after Pops;...

I couldn’t help it, I had to cough. My throat became the most horrendous tickle fest. It was coming; everyone was looking at me. Noooo! Then, once I started, I couldn’t stop. The lady near me swung around in her chair with her latte...

This past week started off in good shape. I got a lot of stuff done that I have had on my to-do list. Still working on my truck, but now I just need some more parts. Then, the bottom of the week dropped out.  We...

We don’t have kings in the United States of America; yet how many of us have at one time or other wished we had ultimate authoritarian power? Remember, even the Cowardly Lion wanted to be “Not queen, not duke, not prince” but “King of...

1. September is Library Card sign-up month. Your library is a place that welcomes all and provides programs and services all year round to help community members learn, grow, play or relax. Make sure you visit your library to get a library card! It...

As the once-owner of Salinas Valley Ford Truck Center in Salinas, I find myself grappling with a profound sense of loss and frustration. For more than three decades, our family business provided excellent service to the local community and government agencies. Then, in the blink of...

I knew she had been unwell for some time. When I say “sometime,” I mean years. It was quite shocking when I saw her the last time. The liver disease was really taking its toll on her, and she told me that she was...