Guest Column | Seismic Shifts: How the 2030 Seismic Mandate is Impacting California Hospitals
In response to the 1994 Northridge earthquake, California enacted stringent seismic safety standards for hospitals under the Alfred E. Alquist Hospital Facilities Seismic Safety Act. While crucial for ensuring the safety and functionality of hospitals during and after seismic events, this mandate has presented...
Worthy to Print Column | Special Times
What a week in the Salinas Valley! First, I want to mention the service for Francis Rubbo held last week at Eden Valley in Soledad. I bring this up first as it was a very sweet and solemn ceremony. As Commander of the American...
Funny Papers Again Column | You Meet the Darndest People in Prison
By my reckoning 140 years, give or take, of my familyās timeline was spent in prisons; the years accumulated by my parents, a brother and his wife, a niece and myself. And it seems the family occupation within the California Department of Corrections (CDC;...
Guest Column | Monterey Countyās Historic Role in Californiaās 175 Years of Statehood
This year marks the 175th anniversary of Californiaās admission into the United States, a milestone that invites all of us to reflect on the origins, values and aspirations of our Golden State. But it also offers a chance to celebrate the critical role that...
Guest Column | Cal State Monterey Bayās Rising Graduation Rates Strengthen the Future of the Central Coast
At Cal State Monterey Bay, we recently reached a milestone that speaks to the power of higher education as well as the future strength of Californiaās workforce. For the last 10 years, the California State University system has taken on an ambitious challenge, the...
Letter to the Editor | Small Acts of Kindness
To the Editor:
Last week I wrote a guest column on the Western Flyer, the legendary boat that took John Steinbeck and Doc Ricketts to the sea of Cortez in 1940.
A reader pointed out it wasnāt all about community, that Carol Steinbeck helped a great...
Guest Column | Beautification Week 2025: Celebrating King Cityās Ongoing Transformation and Community Pride
If someone had told me in 1977 that King City would look like it does today, I would have found that unbelievable. But indeed in 48 years I have witnessed in King City an amazing transformation, and I have to say that I am...
Letter to the Editor: We Must Hold School Board Accountable
Editor's Note: We welcome Letters to the EditorĀ of local and general interest to our readers. Letters should be typed and include the writerās first and last name, home address and phone number for verification. No anonymous letters will be printed. Letters may be edited...
Letter to the Editor | Clam Chowder Dinner a Tradition of Community, Fellowship and Fundraising in King City
To the Editor:
For the 29th time, the Drury Tankersley Clam Chowder Dinner presented by Monterey County Agricultural and Rural Life Museum (MCARLM) has come and gone. Once again, I had the wonderful opportunity to help both behind the scenes and on the actual day...
Funny Papers Again Column | Birthday Memories, a Helpful Group and a Hungry Desert Animal
I had eggs benedict with my daughter on my birthday on Park Row. That was a treat not for just the company, Jenny lives in Florida so we donāt see each other near enough, but also because of the food, which was delicious, and...





















