Guest Column | Monterey County Free Libraries’ 5 Things to Celebrate in May 2026
The merry month of May is here. May was named after the Roman Goddess Maia representing fertility, growth and nurturing.
1. During the month of May, we celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage by featuring authors of Asian descent on our Facebook and Instagram...
Window on the World Column | Our Easter Basket
It was time for Easter vacation, and that hadn’t meant much for a while in this household, not having school age kids anymore. We had pledged to take our granddaughter for a few days, give her parents a break, allow her to run wild...
Window on the World Column | Find Your Passion
“Why do you like it so much?” he asked. You could ask a lot of people that same question and they wouldn’t be stumped the way I was. I thought back to the beginning of the passion, the birth of my new hobby. My...
Guest Column | As Supplies Thin, Price of Recycled Water Could Go Up
As we all manage the implementation of our groundwater management sustainability plans in the next 15 years, there will be some hard choices that communities will need to make. Most of these will include financing various water supply solutions, such as resource projects, land...
Worthy to Print Column: Wash Your Blues Away
I have a question for you. In all of history — or just to make it easier for you, let’s just say from the 1800s till today — what one invention was the most important invention to family life and especially the wife and...
Guest Column | Strong Mind, Strong Body: Why Men’s Health Deserves Attention
While conversations around health are becoming more inclusive, many men still face social and internal pressures that discourage them from prioritizing their well-being. Men’s Health Month, observed each June, aims to break down those barriers — fostering honest dialogue, healthier habits, and proactive steps...
Guest Column | Happy Birthday to Mee! My How We’ve Grown
When Mee Memorial Hospital first opened its doors to South County residents in 1962, astronaut John Glenn had just become the first American to orbit the Earth. The Dow Jones Industrial Average stood at around 652, the average income was just more than $5,500,...
Worthy to Print Column: Sign of the Times
When I came to Gonzales, it was a wonderful little town built around the splitting of Highway 101 and closing off development to the south. Almost every citizen knew each other, and businesses that had been thriving for years on Highway 101 began to...
Window on the World Column | On the Circuit
I’ve been on the tour circuit these past couple weeks. Not like a rock star tour circuit, but a circuit of sorts. For those of you who know me, you know I’m a writer not a speaker, so this concept has been a little...
Local News
Two arrested after altercation at Soledad bar
SOLEDAD — Two men were arrested after a physical altercation at a Soledad bar Saturday night, where officers later found a firearm, ammunition and...





















