Pay-check your facts, Wasden doubters

Let's get this out of the way right at the start. Yes, new Turlock City Manager Roy Wasden will be making just over $202,000 in base salary during his first year on the job. Ignoring taxes and required benefit contributions, that's enough for Wasden to purchase a beautiful new 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom, 1,500 square foot cul-de-sac home in Turlock with just one year of pay. Yes, Wasden will be receiving a $500 a month ...

From the desert to the valley

By now you might have seen my name in a few bylines in the Turlock Journal. I am the new education reporter, and I started the day after Memorial Day. I came in on that first day expecting to sign a stack of papers, fill out my W4 form and be in and out in about an hour. Boy was I wrong.

Handmade, heart felt

In my hope chest at home I have five dresses that my aunt hand-made for my daughter when she was little. Even though my daughter is now a grown woman, I will keep these dresses from her childhood as keepsakes - with the hope that they will eventually be passed down to her daughter one day. I thought again of these dresses when I was interviewing Barbara Cameron of the Turlock Quilt Guild ...

'Tis the season to spread the spirit

The luminous lights that set the nights aglow, coupled with individuals' newly sparkling spirits, have once again emerged this holiday season. While reminiscing on the success of our 2011 Christmas Parade, Turlock teems with activity as its residents rush to finesse the perfect pudding recipe, learn the new Christmas carols, and locate the smartest sales for shopping. But there is some truth to be found in writer and reporter John Clayton's words, "Just ...

Smart phones make a lot of folks dumb in public settings

Alec Baldwin got kicked off an American Airlines flight.

Ignorance is not bliss

Death is hard to deal with at any age, but when growing up, the passing of peers can leave a lasting impression. Every December the tragic death of one of my high school classmates is always brought to mind. This classmate not only made my small Indiana school aware of how precious - and often short - life can be, he also shattered the prejudices that were all too common in those days. ...

UnOccupy LA

Los Angeles is no longer occupied. After two months of Tent City across from City Hall, the LAPD finally moved in after midnight on Wednesday to disperse those who remained after multiple warnings. All told, some 300 Occupiers were arrested by the 1,200 police officers who conducted the final eviction. Later that morning, sanitation workers arrived in protective gear to clean up the 30 tons of debris left behind. Once that's done, the farmers ...

Count your blessings

The residents of Turlock have one more thing to be thankful for this holiday season - they don't live in the city of San Fernando. If news of the Southern California city's scandalous affairs hasn't reached you yet, then here's a recap: - The police chief is on leave for having sex with a cadet; - A police dispatcher was caught exposing himself; and - A council woman was accused ...

Pension reform will free up dollars for schools

Not quite Mayberry

My brothers dared me to do what they caught Jeff, a young kid from across the alley, doing one day.

Holiday survival tips

In the next few weeks, the Journal will be running a series of stories intended to help readers survive the holiday season. From gift buying guides, to decorating ideas and entertaining tips, these stories are meant as a tool for getting the most out of the season. However … I thought it might be helpful to offer my own holiday survival tips as a reminder of what is really important. Tip #1) ...

A balanced budget: Certainty in our economy and accountability in government

Our country's national debt exceeded $15 trillion this week. Our debt has now tripled in the last 15 years and is set to surpass our total GDP for the first time since World War II. This week, Congress had an opportunity to ensure a brighter future for our kids and grandkids by passing a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution. The amendment failed and once again, Congress failed to take an opportunity to enact ...

What would happen if we stopped voting?

Did you vote on Nov. 8? If not, you weren't alone. According to Stanislaus County Registrar of Voters Lee Lundrigan's office, there were 50,982 ballots counted in the final election results. In a county of 514,453 people, only 227,278 are registered voters, and only around 50,000 people actually voted in this election.

Give smartly this holiday season

If the red and green decorated retail stores, the Christmas-themed movie marathons and the ever-present holiday music piped in at every store in town hasn't cued you in yet, then let me say it straight out - the holiday season is upon us.

Turkey sticker shock

Have you checked out the price of turkey lately? You can thank Al Gore. Actually you can thank Gore and the Midwest ethanol subsidy lobby consisting of Republican and Democrat lawmakers alike. Gore was the leading cheerleader for ethanol as the elixir for all that ails America when it comes to energy. He led the charge to put in place ethanol subsidies. The end result: Ethanol gas that is not cost effective and has ...

Keeping our promise

When President Woodrow Wilson designated November 11th a day to honor our nation's veterans, he was welcoming home a generation of servicemembers from World War I. With American troops expected out of Afghanistan by 2014 and out of Iraq by the end of this year, we have a new generation of brave men and women returning home. As the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan come to a close, there will be a tendency to ...

Back to the sleep saving time

As Sunday brought a close to the 2011 Daylight Saving Time, ushered in were an assortment of relief, doubts, and inquiries. The most pressing views challenged whether this supposed energy-preserving, society-reviving system still left room for correlation with the shifting lifestyles that characterize today's generation. Folks still fatigued from March help make the pool of individuals wanting to re-question the logic behind what has felt like a blindly-followed practice. Not surprisingly, the installment ...