Opinion

April 18-24 is National Volunteer Week, an opportunity to recognize the impact of volunteer service and the power of kind, compassionate people to strengthen and transform communities. Our volunteers within Mee Memorial Healthcare System never cease to amaze me. They lend their time, their talent...

“Life happens when you are busy making other plans...” That was my Facebook post of a truck that was smashed beyond belief. It belonged to my daughter’s boyfriend, Aaron, and my daughter was the passenger. Saturday night and I was nicely snuggled with my granddaughter...

You know, living in the Salinas Valley is a pretty cool place to live. Except for the rain we have been enjoying lately, it is very much like the valley I grew up in. Well, maybe not as cool. In the summer we could...

Have you ever heard of a guy named Edsel Murphy? He was not a politician or a doctor or any of the professions that are common. You may have heard the name, but perhaps you don’t know why it sounds so familiar. But whether...

Since Memorial Day is coming soon, I thought perhaps we might write a few words about why we have Memorial Day and who benefits from the holiday. It isn’t just the military that stands tall on this day. I know lots of folks that have...

By my reckoning 140 years, give or take, of my family’s 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;...

Local column by George Worthy

I’m sure you remember that my bride and I invited her mother to come live with us. It was a very fortunate gesture on our part, as she has brightened up our days and stimulated the conversation. I love to tell her how difficult...

After being in distance learning mode most of the last school year, we are excited to have students, teachers and staff back together in our school communities. It’s something we’ve all missed deeply, and we understand how vital in-person teaching and learning is for...

My friend and I have been writing the story of our shared childhood. I say “my friend” meaning my oldest friend in the whole world. The story goes that she fell into the boating pond in my hometown (all of 2 feet deep) when...