Funny Papers Again Column | āThe Nutcracker Balletā: What Have I Been Missing?
Very soon, in fact just two days from today, the Monterey County Dance Foundation will present the Monterey County Dance Theatreās 62nd anniversary production of āThe Nutcracker Balletā on the Robert Stanton Theater. That will be a treat for me as I have never...
Worthy to Print Column | Put On Your Mask
Iām beginning to think like my personal nurse. Her opinion is that we will be wearing masks for the rest of time. I would have to agree with her. I have been around for a lot of years and watched my government closely as...
Window on the World Column | The Chaos That Can Be Christmas
I recall so clearly the simplicity of the holidays when we were young. We would show up and be fed and presented with presents, as it were. (Occasionally I would help Mum with the wrapping, but that was about the extent of my responsibilities.)...
Letter to the Editor | Covid-19 Evolution and Steps Toward Prevention
To the Editor:
I am Holden, a biology student at Cal State University, Monterey Bay. I am writing on behalf of residents in Monterey County to raise awareness of the current ongoing threat posed to public health by evolving SARS-CoV-2 variants.
In my community, I believe...
Funny Papers Again Column | Celebrity Sightings in South County
One of the favorite questions posted on social media is āWho is the most famous person you have ever met?ā; or some derivative thereof. Well, I have met many in my life, probably more than my share compared to the average life, but thatās...
Worthy to Print Column | Thankful for the Legion
If anyone knows me, they know that I am a veteran of the U.S. Army. I am proud to tell anyone that asks. I also suffer from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). I am one of the lucky ones. I found someone who understands...
Funny Papers Again Column | If Fiction Were Real: A Study in Human Emotion
Below is what happens when a writer is somewhat confined to his immediate surroundings; that writer reads a lot of books and views a lot of documentaries and then sits down at the keyboard and just lets the fingers go where the imagination, and...
Letter to the Editor | Grateful for Police Chiefās Heroism
To the Editor:
This Thanksgiving week should not pass us by without further recognizing the heroics of our Soledad Police Chief Damon Wasson.
In that dreadful incident from last week, where an innocent man lost his life, Chief Wasson made the split decision to put his...
Guest Column | Better Health and Less Stress With Gratitude
Did you know that gratitude is often a forgotten factor in the science of well-being? Studies have shown that grateful people experience less depression and stress, lower blood pressure, more energy and greater optimism.
Some cycles, such as the cycle of violence, need to be...
Worthy to Print Column | Bad to the Bone
Arenāt emotions the weirdest things? They can make you feel so good or bad depending on the situation. If you read my scribbling last week, you might remember that my two sons were going to take me out for a night on the town...
Local News
Salinas man pleads no contest in violent May 2025 domestic incident
SALINAS VALLEY ā A Salinas man has pleaded no contest to multiple charges stemming from a May 2025 incident in which he stabbed his...






















