Worthy to Print Column | āCheersā to Kindness
āMaking your way in the world today takes everything youāve got, taking a break from all your worries sure would help a lot. Wouldnāt you like to get away? Sometimes you want to go, where everybody knows your name, and they are always glad...
Guest Column | The American Dream: How We Lost Our Way on Immigration
In 1986 I worked for Californiaās Employment Development Department, where I processed amnesty seekers under President Ronald Reaganās landmark immigration reform law called Immigration and Control Act (IRCA). The Watsonville office reviewed documents proving that applicants had worked in the local farming economy for...
Funny Papers Again Column | āOh, Thou Most Horrid of All Days!ā
I have never held back vociferous disparagement of this date on the calendar, and I have no intention of abandoning that position at this late time in life. Today, as you all are aware, is the Winter Solstice; the shortest amount of daylight is...
Guest Column | TAMC: Building Connections So That Communities Thrive and Grow
When asked why we do what we do, the answer is easy: we build connections so that communities thrive and grow. As the outgoing Chair of the Transportation Agency for Monterey County (TAMC) Board of Directors, I would like to share what the agency...
Funny Papers Again Column | Random Bits and Pieces
This week I am of a mind to not dedicate my word allotment upon one subject but rather touch upon a couple items gleaned from various sources. One source, our local Rustler, had three entries in last weekās issue; two were about the local...
Worthy to Print Column | Heroes
I have been writing about my life and my town for a long time if you follow me on a regular basis. I have shared my travels and my thoughts, some appreciated and some have brought condemnation. It gets harder and harder to write...
Window on the World Column | The Blackout
I must have missed the memo that day. It was an important one; the one that informed me that there would be no power at my house for three days. Perhaps it went to my husbandās phone and not my own, but somehow said...
Guest Op-Ed | A Senator for all Californians
During the course of my Senate campaign, I did my best to visit communities throughout this big, beautiful state and get to know the people who have brought such drive, talent, ingenuity, and perseverance to every field of endeavor. I made a particular point...





















