Opinion

‘A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right to bear Arms, shall not be infringed’; Second Amendment, Constitution of the United States of America. These words, and the thoughts behind them, were added to the constitution and ratified in...

I’m back, did you miss me? The past couple of weeks have been interesting to say the least. As I look ahead to challenges that we all face everyday, I try to see the positive side as well. Take last week for instance; I...

Now my father is up in years — a babe from 1929 no less — I do try to give him more of my time. Even though I live in California, and he lives on the Isle of Man, a journey of several thousand...

If you have read any of my scribbling over time, you know I’m a lifelong conservative. I don’t know exactly when I discovered this. Although I can’t remember much about politics until my platoon sergeant and I were sitting on the hood of a...

WOW! What a great couple of days. Did you get enough to eat? I’ll admit that since gluttony is a sin, I’ll tell you that I didn’t eat that much, but I won’t be eating any big meals for a couple of days. What makes...

When you meet someone for the first time, do you ever notice a person’s shoes or boots? I always do. Not just a man’s footwear, but women’s shoes and boots too! In my family we polished our shoes because we didn’t get a lot...

Local column by Joanne Banuelos

When you were young did you ever run away from home? I had two older brothers that caused me to think real seriously about where I would go and what I would do if I were to ever leave my home and parents. Usually...

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...

Driving into the Correctional Training Facility at Soledad and you are reminded of how a secure institution can be. Acres of barren land, no trees, double high-wire fences, guard towers. And that’s how it should be, we know that. But head over to the...