Opinion

“Making your way in the world today takes everything you’ve got, taking a break from all your worries sure would help a lot. Wouldn’t you like to get away? Sometimes you want to go, where everybody knows your name, and they are always glad...

“Why do you like it so much?” he asked. You could ask a lot of people that same question and they wouldn’t be stumped the way I was. I thought back to the beginning of the passion, the birth of my new hobby. My...

For one who enjoys words and how when used properly can elicit a gamut of human response from joy to anger, from antipathy to action. But I don’t always warm up to new usages of old words that spring from who knows where. Journalists...

For those of you who read last week’s column, I can honestly tell you I realized who the murderer of Roger Ackroyd was before it was revealed by the author. It was no great feat of detective prowess on my part, no great discerning...

For decades in the Salinas Valley, the short-handle hoe, known as “El Cortito,” was used for weeding and thinning rows of crops that kept farmworkers stooped over for long hours each day. Workers were only able to stand and stretch when they reached the...

To the Editor: The Oct. 7 mass slaughter of 1,100 Israeli civilians by 3,000 Hamas gunmen in Israel shocked part of the civilized world. Even more macabre was the kidnapping and rape of 300 other Israeli civilians.  Most Americans recognize Israel’s right for self-defense. And also,...

They said it was going to be really fun being home alone-ish (I have dogs). They said I would be able to write and relax, read and re-fill my spiritual cup. In addition to working and ranching and trying to figure out everything myself,...

Statistics show that nearly 3 in 10 Americans actually make New Year’s resolutions in an effort to hold themselves accountable. Such a practice is not new. Some 4,000 years ago, the ancient Babylonias made annual promises to the gods to pay their debts and...

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...

This past week started off in good shape. I got a lot of stuff done that I have had on my to-do list. Still working on my truck, but now I just need some more parts. Then, the bottom of the week dropped out.  We...