Opinion

‘Tis the season of gratitude. I like that season. Close on its heels is the season of giving and sometimes that is also a good season; but Thanksgiving ranks right up there in my chosen holidays. Gratitude is such a simple but powerful sentiment...

You know, when you write a little story each week and try to keep the subjects fresh, there are times when you really have to sit back for a while so you can bring forth — through the keys on a computer keyboard —...

A few weeks ago I asked you, dear readers, about your first memory. I wanted to know who might be reading my words and allow me to know how you might have grown up. No name, no address or anything really that you don’t...

To the Editor: I would like to thank all of the wonderful people who helped to make this seventh year of collecting coats to help the homeless people in our county. Thank you to Jose Sanchez from the Greenfield Community Science Workshop. Jose has been so...

I knew she had been unwell for some time. When I say “sometime,” I mean years. It was quite shocking when I saw her the last time. The liver disease was really taking its toll on her, and she told me that she was...

This is my last Funny Papers Again column for the Valley newspapers, so if you have been a fan over the past couple of years then, well, just read slowly, I guess. More on this at the end of this column. Last Wednesday was the...

For the readers who have been reading my thoughts for the past few years, you will be happy to know that my old ’56 Ford F-100 is finally on the road. Of course, it isn’t completely finished as I would like it to be...

Believe it or not, it’s time once again to talk about influenza. The typical flu season in the United States begins after Labor Day, and can extend into the early spring of the following year. Our best defense has always been, and continues to...

I don’t know if I will see you or speak to you before Good Old Santa comes sliding down the chimney. I like to tell folks “Merry Christmas” during this holiday. I sometimes forget to say it if the conversation is short. But most of...

When a person is in the hospital, their relationship with food takes on a new significance. It becomes a source of nourishment not just for the body but also for the spirit. A thoughtfully prepared meal can offer solace and provide a sense of...