Opinion

I’ve been receiving mailers from AARP for more than 20 years now. In my 30s, I admit I was taken aback and ready to call and complain, but then I decided it must be a system error on their end, so I just threw...

When I made the decision to step away from writing a weekly column, I was sure my reasons were sound. The Monday deadline loomed larger every week until it seemed every column was less a pleasure and more like a date with the gallows....

The week started out in a bizarre fashion, as weeks can. I had what my mother would describe as a “white night,” which means little rest was enjoyed. My dogs were up and down with the calls of the coyotes and neighbor dogs, and...

September is here and fall is in the air, kids are back at school and a Library Card will help students get the academic support they need to succeed in school. 1. September is Library Card Sign Up Month and our library branches are reaching...

When I was 3 years old, my family moved from my birthplace in Redding, Calif., to a place my parents had never even heard of, let alone visited. My dad was working for Shasta County at the time but had landed a job at...

The slogan “Keep Portland Weird” became popular for locals when Music Millennium record store owner Terry Currier adopted it in the early 2000s. Not much has changed since then as Portland continues to embrace alternate lifestyles and support independent local businesses across the city. One of...

“Yes, I’m going to be doing some self-care,” I heard myself say to one of my still-regularly-working friends. “Oh, must be nice!” she retorted. “I can’t even remember the last time I went in for a pedicure.” And this exchange gave me some food for thought....

As we observe National Wellness Month, I find myself reflecting on our mission and what health and wellness truly mean to the South Monterey County community. Health is more than the absence of disease; it is the presence of vitality, peace of mind, and a...

Right around June-time, I can be seen kicked back in my leather recliner, barking at the television like a nutter. It’s America’s so-called national pastime on the television — baseball — and it is so slow and tedious I can hardly stand myself. “Just...

Having lived in and around Monterey County for decades — including Prunedale, Castroville and Salinas (north and south) — I learned to drive on and have spent a fair number of hours traveling on Highway 101. Not to mention numerous trips north to San...