Opinion

Saturday afternoon around 4:30 I was 410 words into my column for this week when my cell phone rang. The choice to interrupt a train of thought while writing usually falls to the “let it ring and go to voicemail” protocol, but in this...

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...

Have you heard the news? We have gained a new state. Yeah, I know you didn’t know of that because it just hasn’t been made clear to you. Oh, I’m sure you have been watching our leaders as they hand over OUR tax money...

Today seems like it might be a little different than most Sundays; there is an Artichoke Festival. This year it is in Monterey instead of Castroville. I was going to accompany my bride and her friends and go with them, but I needed to...

Two weeks ago I opened the Rustler to a long article whose headline proclaimed, “Western Flyer Sets Sail With Weekend Celebration and Send-Off Festivities.” I immediately ordered tickets online to what was described as an “enchanting evening titled ‘Tales from the Western Flyer’ celebrating the...

Well, hello folks, I missed you all while attending to some matters that are all in order now, so I thought it a good time to return to the printed page. Before we get onto more current affairs, let me mention of few items...

I have these two dogs. They are a mix between Border Collie and Australian Shepherd. These are the absolute smartest dogs I have ever seen. They sleep in the house, but they are not allowed on the bed or any furniture, as far as...

This is confession time. We columnists sometimes have difficulties coming up with an article that will be enjoyed by you, the reader. Something on the page that peaks your interest. Or something about the guys that are supposed to be running our country, about...

If you live in South Monterey County, you are among more than 60 million rural Americans. American Community Survey statistics show that Maine and Vermont have the highest proportions of population living in rural areas (about 61%) while California has the lowest (4.9%).  If you’ve...

Have you read any good books lately? I have given up rating films as someone always has a different opinion. However, books are another thing. I’m always looking for good books. “To Kill a Mocking Bird” or “The Yearling” are a couple of books...