Archive By Section - Editorial
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.
Articles by Section - Editorial
Worried about America? Visit a Boys & Girls Club
The political world is so toxic that I needed some relief, so I tuned into a reality show more real than anything on television. I wasn't disappointed. The stories I heard were at once harrowing and inspirational. And they were deeply connected to the future of the country. This week, I served as one of five judges in the Boys & Girls Clubs of America National Youth of the Year competition. This is ...
MacGyver to the rescue — most of the time
For those of you too young to remember the television show "MacGyver," allow me to share about the 1980s American action-adventure series. The show was about a secret agent, Angus MacGyver, who employed his resourcefulness and knowledge of chemistry, physics, and technology, and often a little duct tape and a Swiss Army knife, to resolve what were often life or death situations. I'm married to a MacGyver kind of guy. I've nicknamed my ...
Want a job? Stay in college as long as you can
With the unemployment rate hovering above 9 percent, today's job market is bad for everyone. One group does seem to fare better than the rest, however: The jobless rate for workers with a bachelor's degree or better is just 4.3 percent, compared with 14.3 percent for high school dropouts. But among college grads, the outlook is gloomier for one critical segment: recent graduates. A study this year put their unemployment rate at 10 ...
Newspapers: A bridge to the community
I am one of the fortunate people who do not fear public speaking. When you put me in front of a captive audience and ask me to talk about one of my passions - like community newspapers - watch out, I might just talk your ear off. California State University, Stanislaus professor Elizabeth Breshears offered me just such an opportunity this week. I was asked to speak to her graduate social work students ...
Can you live without it?
For those of you who don't know me well, you may be surprised to read that I grew up on an almond ranch. My two sisters married almond farmers and have lived happily ever after in what I refer to as "the dirt." I, however, fled to suburbia as soon as I turned 18. As Eva Gabor used to chant during the Green Acres theme song, "Dah-ling I love you but give me Park ...
Gov. Jerry Brown and 3 telling bills
California Gov. Jerry Brown scored a victory for common sense last week when he vetoed a bill that would have imposed criminal penalties on minors - or their parents - who ski or snowboard without a helmet. "While I appreciate the value of wearing a ski helmet, I am concerned about the continuing and seemingly inexorable transfer of authority from parents to the state," Brown explained. "Not every human problem deserves a law." <p ...
Giving credit where credit’s due
While ordinary antidepressants seize headlines in the media and medical journals alike, a relatively recent breakthrough lies forgotten in the frenzy. Regardless, I know brilliance when I see it. Potential and productivity stand out at a glance. Despite some views of ineffectiveness, I believe transcranial magnetic stimulation deserves a second chance. Tragically enough, even with its unmistakable title, I've found that there still remains a slice of society who is yet to become ...
Where were you?
This week on Facebook, my dear friend Jan Hallam wrote, "Ten years and I still weep...What were you doing that morning?" What a powerful question. I remember, like it was yesterday. Allen and I were sound asleep when the phone rang. It was my girlfriend Ann. She told me that a plane had just hit the World Trade Center. I thanked her for the call, mumbled her info to Allen, and dozed back ...
Dancing with death over the centuries
Once I had a case of influenza so bad I missed close to a month of graduate school. I ran a fever and coughed until it felt like my whole world was turned upside down. Because I'm a geologist, not a medical doctor, I nicknamed that bout of illness "the plague." But what I experienced was a walk in the park compared to the real McCoy. The sheer virulent power of plague is ...
For the heart—permanently
I can vividly remember the worst I ever performed as a wife during my 26-year marriage. I failed big time. It was Saturday and I had a work function. So, plans were to meet my husband at a local restaurant for dinner. I was so happy to see him as we approached in the parking lot. Big blue eyes. That charming smile. And oh so huggable. No quicker than I could reach ...
State legislators need a holiday from red tape
As Mayor of the City of Turlock I feel compelled to let my concerns be known regarding several anti-local control bills that are currently before the state legislature. Passage of any of these bills will impose unreasonable restrictions on local government and limit our ability to maintain the basic public services our local residents deserve and depend upon. AB 438 would place new, precedent setting requirements on cities that choose to ...
Our spirit endures
I remember the day clearly. My husband was getting ready for his 7 a.m. work shift while I stayed in bed drifting in and out of wakefulness. I suddenly became aware that he had stopped getting dressed and was just standing quietly. My husband's odd behavior made me sit up and find out what had interrupted his morning routine. He was staring at the television with a blank look on his face. I ...
Water, water, not quite everywhere
When I was a kid I was "born again," a process that involved being fully and totally immersed in water. Much more recently I was on the home stretch of an 8-mile walk in the hot sun when the minister I was walking with kindly poured her drinking water on my hot little head. Seldom does water feel so good as when splashed on an overheating noggin in the summertime. As ...
BART protesters' oppression envy
During one of the protests that shut down Bay Area Rapid Transit this month, an anonymous protester - hiding behind a Guy Fawkes mask - stood with a sign that read, "Mubarak Gaddafi BART." Talk about delusions of oppression. Egyptians risked torture, imprisonment and their very lives to oust the heavy-handed Hosni Mubarak regime. Libyan rebels have been engaged in months of bloody combat to evict Moammar Gadhafi from power. And BART? ...
Waiting for the heroes
Have you ever watched a horror movie and wondered why the townspeople never decide to just get out of dodge before the monsters arrive at their doorsteps? I have.
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