Opinion

Getting an oddball pet can be a great motivator, especially when it provides food for you as well as bug control and an endless supply of fertilizer for the garden. I never thought I’d be one to raise a flock of fowl ever again in...

The new year offers a blank slate — an opportunity to set things right, to change course and accomplish our goals. When we set New Year's resolutions, we are utilizing a very important concept called self-efficacy, which means that by virtue of aspiring to...

The definition of the word “volunteer,” according to the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, is a person who does a job without being paid for it. That’s pretty straightforward, but in my opinion it falls a bit short of the mark; if one takes the...

I had to do it, the time had come, so I walked stoutly to the middle of the Oak Avenue overcrossing and stepped over the rail, took a long look around me at my hometown of Greenfield, California, then jumped to the dirt below. That...

Editor's Note: We welcome Letters to the Editor of local and general interest to our readers. Letters should be typed and include the writer’s first and last name, home address and phone number for verification. No anonymous letters will be printed. Letters may be edited...

My wife is pretty much the center of my life. She is constantly giving me gifts of items that I may have mentioned in a casual conversation weeks or even months ago. Oftentimes it is a great surprise and something that I would treasure...

I wish more people read books. I’ve said that many times in my life since the Internet has become near everything in people’s lives and books were placed on the back shelf, as it were, where they have become very dusty. Occasionally I’ll get...

September is Healthy Aging Month, an ideal time to celebrate the positive aspects of aging and focus on maintaining a healthy lifestyle that allows us to thrive at every age and stage of life. Healthy aging isn’t just about living longer; it's about fully enjoying...

I think this is a time for confessions. I don’t want you to know about all my transgressions, but I will admit I am a Hedonist. Good grief! That looks pretty bad if you don’t know the definition. I actually discovered the meaning of...

Local column by Joanne Banuelos