Opinion

I cannot recall the first time I learned about The Great Depression of my parent’s generation, but I do remember their stories of that time in American history. As early as elementary school we watched period newsreels depicting unemployed workers in soup kitchen lines,...

Big day today! It’s my favorite mother-in-law’s birthday. Nelda has reached a milestone and my favorite bride has, along with some favorite friends, taken her over to the Peninsula to slam down a couple of milkshakes to celebrate the fact that she can still...

“Honey, did you forget to write your column?” She uses the tone of voice that brings me back to earth from my revere. I had been sitting here staring at the blinking reminder that I wasn’t doing what I knew I had to do....

Fifteen years is a long time; but is it? Time compresses and expands like an accordion, often catching you off guard. A memory popped up, as they do in the infinite world of social media memory. It made me stop and examine that face....

Hospitals and local governments play a critical role in supporting the health and well-being of their local communities. But how do they determine which services, programs, or initiatives are most needed? Every three years, a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) is conducted to determine the...

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...

Do you like living in a small town? Oh say, like Gonzales or Soledad or any of the South County cities? I really love living here. I know just about everyone, and the people that I don’t know well enough to stop and talk...

After a fun summer, it’s Back to School and Monterey County Free Libraries is ready to support students academically and with leisure activities. 1. Learn: To assist students with schoolwork, MCFL subscribes to Brainfuse HelpNow, an online service offering academic support in most subjects. HelpNow...

Have you ever been shot? Kind of a crazy question at the beginning, but I have a reason that I’ll tell you about. First, I want to tell you how I got into a situation that ended with a shot. I have told you...

How was your Memorial Day? It is always a somber time for me. I always spend some time each day of the past week thinking about the men who are longer with us. When I think of that, I remember that it wasn’t just...