Reduction realities

On the list of important birthday anniversaries, from that very first birthday party to a young woman's quinceanera or Sweet 16, turning 18 is not only cause for celebration but it is that critical turning point from childhood to being an adult.

Fair time is upon us

No sooner than the Turlock Chamber finished hosting thousands of guests on our fairgrounds for the Fourth of July, our team at the Stanislaus County Fair has shifted into high gear to prep our grounds and buildings for a celebration of our own.

Globalization is not so new

I was throwing sticks for my dog into the Snake River on Sunday evening, watching a fully loaded ocean-going barge on the slack-water of the river. The barges move mountains of goods all around the Pacific Rim, including from my part of the inland Pacific Northwest to Asia. This year it has looked to me like the intensity of barge traffic is down, I assume due to the global recession.

Best show in town

In case you missed it, the Stars and Stripes 4th of July Celebration was a wonderful event to end a great day.

Playing with Jello and deducing climate change

I hope you played with your food when you were young. Perhaps you experimented at some point with pushing a drinking straw through Jello. If you twisted the straw as you removed it from your food, you could sometimes trap a column of gelatin in the straw. You then had the choice of either blowing the Jello at a sibling or, if your parents were at the table, gently squeezing the gelatin out of the straw onto your plate with your fingers.

Here we go again

I don't know about you, but I am just now recovering from the last election season and the next election cycle has already begun.

A surprising Pride

When my alarm clock went off at 6 a.m. on Sunday it took me a few moments to comprehend what was happening. I am not a morning person by any stretch of the imagination. I'm not sure I could even tell you what time the sun rises. But there I was, brushing my teeth and applying make-up at what I could only assume was the crack of dawn. What could make me sacrifice my one day of sleeping in this week? I was going to a parade!

Our new look

There are always those who obstinately cling to technology of the past. Like that one person in line at the grocery store who whips out their checkbook to pay the bill while the impatient debit card users roll their eyes. Or the final few Americans without a cell phone who don't want to be reached by others 24/7; and, I must admit, the Turlock Journal can also be called technology sluggish. Our current Web site is more reminiscent of 1999 than 2009.

Food truck junkie

Remember when you were a child, playing outside on one of those hot summer days, and all of a sudden music started faintly lilting across your front yard?

Reclaiming Father’s Day

As another Father's Day comes and goes, there are many who cringe when they see television-perfect children and their dads fishing together or playing catch. The ideal father-child relationship portrayed by Madison Avenue marketing types to sell more ties, lawn mowers and tools is just a reminder to some that a model father is nothing but fiction. But there is a way for the men in our community to reclaim Father's Day and become the ...

Federal funds making a local difference

At the ripe old age of 14 I entered the American work force and I haven't been without employment for more than a month's time in over 20 years.

Glass half full even if city coffers empty

If I were to make a list of people that I'm not envious of, "Turlock City Councilmembers" would be sitting pretty at number one.

Twitter gets the news to you now

When news of the two probable swine flu cases in Merced County broke in our newsroom, editor Kristina Hacker called reporter Alex Cantatore with a request.

Powering up the next generation

The following is an excerpt of California State University, Stanislaus' President Hamid Shirvani's 2009 commencement remarks.

Toodles Turlock!

For the past couple of weeks, I've been snapping photos and jotting down notes at various local graduations but if it's still June 6 and you are reading this over breakfast, good morning and by the way, I'm the one graduating! Today I'm participating in the commencement ceremony at California State University, Stanislaus and I'm newly unemployed.

Sen. Snowe’s leave and the deterioration of American politics

Most local individuals would be far from alarmed to learn that a Maine woman recently announced her decision not to run for a fourth term as senator. In fact, there are few folks who devote enough attention to remember the names and term numbers of local politicians, let alone ones coming from the opposite end of the nation. However, it is not former Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe's leave of politics, but rather her reason ...

Living in 209

I am always amazed at how once a year, that perfect day arrives in the spring that finds the Valley trees all in bloom, the sun is warm and the air is so aromatic you cannot help but say "Wow." My perfect day was over the weekend when driving about on Sunday I happened to find myself among several orchards lined one after another with beautiful pink and white blossoms. The warm 75 ...

Life-changing moment

It seems like you go along in your everyday life working, sleeping, and playing a little when there's time and energy. Then something happens that changes everything. On Feb. 16 I became a grandma. I've known for the past seven months that this day would come and I was attempting to prepare for it. But there was nothing that could prepare me for the joy in watching my little girl become a ...

Make renewable energy mandates obtainable

Last year, Governor Jerry Brown signed SB x2, which requires California's utility districts to provide one-third of their total electricity from "renewable" sources by 2020. At the media event held for the signing of the more onerous Renewables Portfolio Standard program, the Governor and the bill's author, Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), spoke of how great this would be for California as a world leader.

There’s only one tax to support this year

This year, you and I will be asked to support a litany of tax measures. There's only one I plan to support: The continuation of the eighth-cent sales tax that fund the Stanislaus County library system until 2018.

Skills for American workers

As America works towards an economy that's built to last, we must make sure to provide American workers with the skills they need to compete.

What’s love got to do with it?

Entire aisles at grocery stores are decked out in red and pink. Every other television advertisement is for diamonds and local flower shops have increased the size of their storefront banners by 200 percent. It's Valentine's Day once again.

Documentary well worth the cost

The Turlock Irrigation District's new historical documentary, "The Irrigationist," looks to tell a story worth hearing &ndash; but at what cost? It's hard to imagine anyone taking issue with the basic premise of the film, commissioned to celebrate the district's 125th anniversary. Without the Turlock Irrigation District, there would be no water. With no water, there would be no Turlock &ndash; just look to some dying south Valley communities for proof. <p ...

Congress needs a grammar lesson

Are we trekking on a course towards disastrous censorship? As long as two poorly- worded bills loom in Congress, this appears to be the case. For individuals using the Internet on a regular basis, the issue should sound familiar. Simply put, the Stop Online Piracy Act (or SOPA) introduced by Rep. Lamar Smith, and the PROTECT Intellectual Property Act (or PIPA) introduced by Sen. Patrick Leahy both intend to curb any aid on ...

‘Mr. Bulldog’ lives on

When taking on a new job, it's inevitable that you will be compared to the person who last held the post. Sometimes this can be a positive thing, especially when hearing a complaint. It's easy to say that being the new person you can't speak to practices of the past, but in the future it will be your mission to make things right. Sometimes, however, filling the shoes left by a predecessor can be ...

Ceaseless change dominates our dynamic planet

Nothing about Earth history is static or unchanging. That's particularly true of climate, and thereon hangs more than one interesting tale including recent news of a scientific advance in understanding how past climate has changed.

Agricultural education and our moment to shine

Be your neighbor’s keeper

I grew up in a small town. Now, I know native Turlockers like to think this is a small town, but they're wrong. The population of my hometown was around 3,000 when I was living there; it's over 4,600 today. Turlock boasts a population of over 68,000. Enough said. The best part of living in a truly small town is the security. I never locked the door to my house - or car, ...

Small claims—big headache

Why is court so complicated? I just feel the frustration ooze out of the small claims litigants. Most folks who sue in small claims court sue on "principle" and firmly believe that they are in the right. The judge, however, must follow the substantive law. In small claims court, it is the legal procedures that have been modified or set aside to give folks easier access to the Courts. People are also mistaken ...

Take a break and spur the economy

I love vacations. Unfortunately, my desire to travel the world far exceeds my financial means and time availability to do so. Don't get me wrong I still travel, just on a smaller scale and not as often as I'd like. When I finally do get away, I feel guilty about the money I spend and my absence from work. Thankfully, the Obama Administration is giving me a guilt-free reason to travel. President Obama ...