Window on the World Column | Happy Birthday, Dear Rita
I hadnāt seen her for a while, and when I did, I realized that she was very unwell. I was doing a book signing at a King City coffee shop and she was selling her amazing pies at the same venue. She had lost...
Funny Papers Again Column | Travels With Buddy ā Part II
If I thought that it happened to be just the occasion and just the right type of youthful Big Sur denizens (thatās where the bulk of them were from) that made Buddy such a hit, I was dispelled of that thought when we moved...
Window on the World Column | Traveling With a Cold
I couldnāt help it, I had to cough. My throat became the most horrendous tickle fest. It was coming; everyone was looking at me. Noooo! Then, once I started, I couldnāt stop. The lady near me swung around in her chair with her latte...
Letter to the Editor | Deadly Force at School
To the Editor:
One of the default solutions offered for countering an active shooter in a school is arming teachers. Thus, ensuring that āthe schoolā can push back on an intruder rapidly and lethally.
At first glance, this solution rings true; but is it really? Like...
Guest Column | 5 Things for July from Monterey County Free Libraries
Did you know the month of July was named after Julius Caesar? An online search revealed that flowers that represent July include larkspur and water lily and people born in the month of July are known to be naturally adventurous, kind and sympathetic.
For MCFL,...
Guest Column | Tackling the Commercial Property Crime Epidemic
As the once-owner of Salinas Valley Ford Truck Center in Salinas, I find myself grappling with a profound sense of loss and frustration. For more than three decades, our family business provided excellent service to the local community and government agencies. Then, in the blink of...
Window on the World Column | International Flying With Covid
It was supposed to be just a distant memory by now; an inconvenient blink in the eye of all our busy lives and exciting plans. I think we imagined that, once the vaccine was available, people would be scurrying to get it, racing in...
Window on the World Column | Changing the Seasons With Good Cheer
Us old gals try to be cheery; we really do. Friends since aged 15 and we are always trying to see the world with a half-full glass and getting the others to do the same. And so went the recent conversation about the turn...
Local News
CHP urges Californians to buckle up and drive sober this Thanksgiving...
CALIFORNIA ā As the holiday season gets underway, California Highway Patrol (CHP) is reminding motorists that the simplest way to stay safe on the road...























