Just doing our jobs

Local law enforcement agencies - namely, the California Highway Patrol and the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department - should take a lesson from the Turlock Police Department in media relations.

Don’t worry, be happy

On Sunday, my pastor preached that "God will provide." He went on to say that since God has our needs covered, there is no reason to worry. I left church feeling good about the message and thinking, "You're right Pastor Dave. There's no need to worry, God has my back."

An open letter to Denairians

Dear residents of Denair, Do you care about your community? Do you have any aspirations of outgrowing the shadow of Turlock to become your own, independent locality? Well, I hate to say it, but you've got a long way to go to prove it. I'm not sure if any of you are aware of this, but there's an election coming in about three months. According to the electoral calendar three members of your five-member Denair ...

Visiting Darwin’s grave ere I die

My Labrador-mix from the dog-pound is quite a mutt, but even so he shows Lab enthusiasm for retrieving sticks I throw into the river. (Just for the record, he's a specialist and won't retrieve sticks thrown on land.)

Hate should not drive health care debate

If my mom or dad caught me on TV acting a complete fool like some of the protesters at the various health care town hall meetings, I can guarantee you that my dad would fly up from Houston and smack the hell out of me.

Hammocks away

Can you smell it in the air? Freshly sharpened pencils, Crayola crayons and Gucci backpacks - the smell of a brand new school year.

A shocking pattern

I am one of those people. You know, the ones who keep pictures of adored pets in their wallet and who think a family Christmas portrait isn't complete without Fluffy and Fido in the shot. I love my pets and animals in general.

Karma or dumb luck?

I have an older brother in the Boston area who I don't see very often. He has a sick wife who was hospitalized for some time because of two failed kidneys. He took days off from work during that time, wanting to be by her side.

Cool it with beat it

On June 25, the world changed forever. It's hard to believe that it's been a month now. You know, since Michael Jackson died. He was the King of Pop. He was Captain EO. He showed us how to moon walk, for goodness' sake. The first album I ever bought was "Bad." While growing up, I incessantly listened to "Thriller," "Dangerous," heck, anything the man put out. And, yet, in just a month, I've grown sick ...

Cows, pigs and cavies — oh my!

I can't believe it's already that time of year again. The streets of Turlock are clogged with horse trailers. Local boot retailers are seeing an increase in sales and quad riders of all ages are suping up their engines. Yes, the Stanislaus County Fair is back in town.

To sleep, perchance to scream

Late the other night I was sitting in my room, minding my own business and absentmindedly watching a little television while scribbling some notes, when much to my surprise sunlight started shining through my window.

The kidnapping of our work

Plagiarizing, according to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, is to "steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own: use (another's production) without crediting the source."

A Canadian primer for Americans

I'm what, 30 miles across the border? If that? It's amazing how quickly it becomes apparent that you're not in Kansas anymore, Todo. From the second I stepped off the plane and into Vancouver, Canada, for a week-long writer's retreat I felt as though I'd entered bizarro America. The subway is on the honor system; there are no turnstiles to check your tickets, you just walk on. They call gyros "donairs" for no apparent reason. ...

California’s Amber Alert celebrates seven years of success

It has been nearly seven years since California implemented its own statewide Amber Alert system. In that time, the system has helped recover 179 abducted children.

The sweet smell of money

The river of green flowing from Washington D.C. has finally reached Western shores. Ever since the House of Representatives and Senate approved the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the glitter of free gold has been a glint in the eyes of cash-strapped agencies nationwide and especially in the Golden State.

Congress shall make no law...

And I wondered why people don't trust the government.

May is National Bike Month — a perfect time for our community to recognize and celebrate all the ben

The San Joaquin Valley's blessing is its curse. It was once part of a great inland sea stretching 450 miles from the Cascade Mountains north of modern-day Redding to the Tehachapi Mountains just south of Bakersfield. It varies in width from 40 to 60 miles bordered by the mighty Sierra to the east and the Coastal Ranges on the west. The retreating sea left two things immensely valuable to modern civilization especially in the ...

Thank you, Turlock

When I walked into the offices of the Turlock Journal I was expecting a hectic newsroom with people yelling across the office, papers flying, phone cords wrapping around computers as some frantic writer tries to write down notes from a phone interview that took six weeks to get. Much to my surprise, I was greeted with a friendly face, a quaint office and warm smiles from each one of my co workers. Honestly, it ...

Time to get physical

I've always felt that the rapid approaching of summer has a unique power of infusing a new type of energy in people. There's something undeniably exhilarating about the promise of sunshine that inspires a mindset to try something new. It seems rather befitting, then, that May was designated National Physical Fitness and Sports Month by the President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition. The council, having been active for over 50 years, brings ...

Venture into the wild at your own risk

Welcome to Turlock

Playing host is nothing new for Turlock. The town welcomes thousands of athletes and fans to its fields and diamonds each year; sees over 200,000 visitors to the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds; and is the site of Christmas and Fourth of July family traditions for thousands of parade attendees. Turlock recently saw new-found fame as San Francisco 49er fans and Colin Kaepernick supporters flocked to the QB's hometown for a truly unique NFC Championship ...

Beware of sugary drink tax: It might end up killing you

How many calories are in 16 ounces of orange juice? Try 220 calories. How about 16 ounces of beer? It has some 200 calories. What about the caloric count of 16 ounces of Red Bull? It comes in at 220 calories. And how many calories are in 16 ounces of my favorite poison, strawberry-banana V8 Fusion? There's a whopping 240 calories. Which brings us to the $2.6 billion question: How many calories are in ...

Affordable Care Act offers small businesses better choices

For years, we had a health insurance market that was broken for small businesses. Because they had less bargaining power, small businesses paid an average of 18 percent more for the same health insurance plan offered to the bigger business down the street, and their premiums could skyrocket if a single employee got sick. But because of the Affordable Care Act, California's small businesses and their employees are getting better choices, starting with ...

The baby-faced bomber

Sometimes a picture speaks volumes. Sometimes it's outright deceptive. The picture of "Bomber No. 2" didn't look a bit like a mass murderer. A sweet-faced college kid, the former lifeguard, the nice young man described by classmates and friends. It couldn't be. There must be some outside organization calling the shots. An international conspiracy, perhaps. Brainwashing. Or maybe it was just a deceptive picture of a cold-blooded murderer. He and his brother ...

Stop me before I buy food

There is no problem too flimsy for California's nanny lawmakers, as witnessed by the many laws that state solons have proposed to keep constituents from getting free plastic bags at the grocery. Those teensy plastic bags are cheap. They're lightweight. They're energy-efficient. People use them a lot, which means that they can end up as litter. That can be ugly. So Sacramento Democrats keep concocting bills to outlaw their idea of blight - not ...

Hitting home

I'm from Boston. Over the years, I lived in two apartments within a stone's throw of Monday's bombings. Over the years, I stood and cheered marathon runners countless times. I know every square inch of the area in all the pictures, which is hardly unusual. It's the center of Boston. My nephew was around the corner when the explosions went off. This week's terror hit home for me. And what to do? ...

Healthcare cost battle: Switching sticks for carrots

Get ready for the real healthcare crisis. A growing number of firms are being nailed with rising health insurance expenses. The consulting firm of Towers Watson projects corporate spending on health care will average $12,136 per employee this year. Firms that for years have tried soft sell approaches to get their workers to take personal responsibility for their health through offers of reduced gym memberships and such are now getting employees' attention with money. ...

Keep the discourse coming with public art

I admit it; I'm a fan of Califia. Since 2005, when the 14-foot fountain statue was placed at the corner of Main and Market streets in downtown Turlock, it has evoked many a passionate opinion - mostly negative. But I , for one, am a supporter of the mythical Amazon queen that is supposed to symbolize this area's connection to the soil and its agricultural vitality. On my daily drive to work, the ...

Yosemite must be available for all to enjoy

I am writing to provide comments on the National Park Service's (NPS) Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Merced River Comprehensive Management Plan. Yosemite National Park is a national treasure that must be available for the American public to access and enjoy in the same manner that Americans have for decades. The 1864 Act authorizing the original Yosemite land grant to the State of California stated that the "premises shall be held ...

From the AP Stylebook: How to obscure

The Associated Press announced last week that it no longer sanctions the term "illegal immigrant" in its stylebook. Executive Editor Kathleen Carroll explained that the AP has decided it is wrong for reporters to use the word "illegal" to describe a person, but it's OK to use the word to "describe only an action, such as living or immigrating to a country illegally." Make no mistake about this decision. Whatever prompted the change, ...