Funny Papers Again Column | Four States, Four Days: There and Back Again
Gambling casinos are sad places. That is the conclusion I have come to after walking through a couple of them yesterday. As I write this, I am in Room 1207 in the Virgin River Casino in Mesquite, Nev. Out my window to the east...
Guest Opinion: PBSā āFrontlineā missed the mark about our agricultural industry
Last week, PBSās news program āFrontlineā aired an episode about Covid-19ās devastating impact on the lives and health of farmworkers in Monterey County and meat packers in Kings County. The stories, voices and fears of our farmworkers are certainly important and must be heard by all...
Worthy to Print Column | Iāve Got a Feeling
You ever wake up in a funk? When I awoke this morning, I had the terrible feeling of doom. I donāt know why I felt this way, but it seemed as though I wouldnāt make it through the day, and not making it through...
Funny Papers Again Column | It Was Convivial on the Alluvial
Some years back there was a fellow in Greenfield who owned an airplane, and as I had no qualms about flying in a small craft, there were many occasions to see the Valley and surrounding areas from aloft. Because I spent the first 19...
Window on the World Column | Grandmas Gone Wild
With the world starting to reopen, we were hoping to have a bit of a newsie reunion. Several of us from the newspaper industry had remained friends over the years, enabled by the easiness of social media and genuine friendships that survived the test...
Window on the World Column | Day in the Life of a Pre-Op Patient
As I sat on the shore watching my old friend and my daughter cavorting on paddleboards in the early morning sun, the North Sea an unusually flat blue millpond of joy, I could not help the envy rising inside and it was not a...
Letter to the Editor | Give Women More Control Over Their Lives
To the Editor:
Here is what my beliefs are about birth control. If youāve never been someone who thought they were pregnant when they didnāt want to be, you probably donāt understand the feelings of someone in that situation.
Iāll start by saying, Iāve never been a...
Funny Papers Again Column | Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Not Snow
We live in a valley formed by mountain ranges to the east and west with an ocean bay 50 miles to the north and a coastline 25 miles westward; a geographical formation that climatologists designate a semi-arid area. By comparison to many areas of...
Worthy to Print Column | Gonzales Continues to Shine
To be honest, I had to sit down and figure out how long ago I moved my family to Gonzales. Iām not going to guess, as I know it has been at least 30 years or more. I loved this town as soon as...
Window on the World Column | On the Circuit
Iāve been on the tour circuit these past couple weeks. Not like a rock star tour circuit, but a circuit of sorts. For those of you who know me, you know Iām a writer not a speaker, so this concept has been a little...





















