Opinion

Greetings and congratulations to those of you who have completed the prescribed course of academia and have now, or soon will be, granted a diploma from your respective Salinas Valley schools. As has been pointed out to you all, your graduation is an important...

I am grateful for Mee Memorial Healthcare System, I really am. In the past decade I have had more contact with the folks there than I wanted to, but as one ages one must face the realities of natural physical deterioration or, as in...

It is hard to stay positive about improvements while being constantly rattled and often jarred as one pedals over street work. In short, some of the streets I most often bike over are in horrendous shape. It is well known there has been over...

I guess we have heard enough about the terrible things that are happening in Afghanistan. We all know who is responsible. I know I do. Of course not talking about it won’t make it any better, but I just wanted to write about something...

I was thinking about a tale for this week’s column about how a real bank robber would feel when watching a film about a make-believe gangster, with anticipation it would be an easy read as my muse seemed intent upon escape from current events,...

To the Editor: We’re saying “NO!” NO to the unlawful and cruel detention and deportation of our hard-working neighbors whose only crime was pursuing the American dream. The majority of ICE targets are hard-working contributors to the local economy and society. What is being unleashed on all...

For many of us, the new year represents a fresh start, and that is a concept that holds a lot of power. Hitting our internal “reset” button on Jan. 1 gives us the mental clarity and internal incentive to put our best foot forward...

There’s something about being an author that is very addictive. Sometimes you can be midway through the tedious proofing of a manuscript — most writers’ least favorite thing — and already be working on the plot for the next book. Sometimes — as is the...

“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...

When a recent local issue arose that struck a chord with my muse, I decided to send off a letter to the editor and opine about that issue, as I am a strong believer in the open forum offered by print media and have...