Opinion

To the Editor: Last week I wrote a guest column on the Western Flyer, the legendary boat that took John Steinbeck and Doc Ricketts to the sea of Cortez in 1940. A reader pointed out it wasn’t all about community, that Carol Steinbeck helped a great...

“From the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli; we will fight out country’s battles in the air, on land and sea.” Many will recognize that refrain as the opening words of the Marines’ Hymn; I became aware of the song and the...

The headline reads simply “Funny Papers June 18 2025.” Below the headline there is a blank page where on the left margin, expecting to go to work, the cursor waits, and waits, and waits. A quick glance at the clock on the wall lets...

As I sat on the shore watching my old friend and my daughter cavorting on paddleboards in the early morning sun, the North Sea an unusually flat blue millpond of joy, I could not help the envy rising inside and it was not a...

Happy June! At Monterey County Free Libraries (MCFL), we are really excited because it’s time for the Summer Reading Club. Summer is the best time of year at the library since we have so many fun programs and prizes. When you sign up for the...

How long have you lived in the house you live in now? I ask, because I was truly startled by the answer my bride gave me when asked: “34 years,” she said. I asked again just to make sure I was using the same...

You imagine it’s a rite of passage, your children eventually getting married. Once they leave home and start building a life with someone, there is an inevitability to it, if they are that way inclined. After our family trip to Montana, my daughter flashed...

The first part of today’s Funny Papers Again column is an off-handed comment on the present politically charged situation, so if you are as fed up with anything even slightly political, just skip to below the three asterisks and read on. In last week’s column,...

In rural America, hospitals are more than healthcare providers — they are pillars of their communities. They deliver essential medical services, create jobs and support the overall wellbeing of thousands of residents who might otherwise face insurmountable barriers to care. As the CEO of Mee...

At the end of this month, Saturday, May 31, at 11 a.m. on the northeast corner of Broadway and North Vanderhurst, city officials will have a ribbon cutting marking the opening of the newest addition to downtown. The King City Downtown Plaza and Visitor...