Opinion

In California’s Monterey Bay region, residents face overlapping challenges that are crucial to creating an inclusive, prosperous community. Good jobs, health, education, broadband, affordable housing, accessible transportation, and climate resilience are interconnected needs that must be addressed with urgency and purpose. In the wake of...

I am not sure what mental quirk, not a medical term, takes place in brain wave synapses, a medical term, triggers a memory which in turn elicits a mental response, but I know they happen; happened to me recently. In this instance, I was...

There was a change in the pitch of the engines on the plane that woke me up. I wasn’t concerned because if one is heading into a war zone, it is not hard to stay awake. Everything is new and you don’t want to...

It was very late by the time we headed south for our annual shopping weekend in Paso Robles. There is something about traveling south that is always so relaxing, even during the very busy holiday weekends. As you leave King City behind, the valley...

In 1986 I worked for California’s Employment Development Department, where I processed amnesty seekers under President Ronald Reagan’s landmark immigration reform law called Immigration and Control Act (IRCA). The Watsonville office reviewed documents proving that applicants had worked in the local farming economy for...

Rural communities are the heart and soul of our nation, enriching the economy, agriculture, culture and traditions. Yet, despite their significant contributions, these regions often face unique challenges, particularly limited access to healthcare. In South County, we are fortunate to have a Critical Access Hospital...

Throughout the year, and especially during November, National Diabetes Month, Mee Memorial works to educate the community about diabetes prevention and management. Diabetes starts when the body cannot properly regulate blood sugar levels. It is a health condition that impacts many individuals in South Monterey...

Are you still saying “Happy New Year?” I suppose that you are tired of saying that to your friends or neighbors. I always say it for the first few days of the New Year. I don’t know why, just something to say while the ticking...

I often tell people how difficult it can be to put 1,000 words together every week with the expectation those words will somehow make sense and in so doing entertain readers for a few minutes. I tell people this because it is easy to...

I have for many years been a reader of biographies, a habit I got into way back in the early 1960s after my parents purchased a set of encyclopedia, which included a series of biographies of famous Americans, one a month for a year....