Editorials

When the Free Lance needs an illustration showing traffic, the

The following events, organizations and people deserve either a

Cheers for the Balers; jeers for the lawsuits

State government is asking voters to borrow a staggering bundle

The Gulf Coast, just barely in the first stages of recovering

THUMBS UP: For the Hollister Police cracking down on helmet law violations. In April, reporter Kollin Kosmicki wrote a story showing that police had only issued 12 tickets in the prior 16 months. Since then, police have handed out 62 tickets to people not wearing a helmet while skating on city streets or in skate parks. Chief Jeff Miller deserves credit for asking his officers to step up enforcement. While wearing a helmet might cramp some people's style, and getting a ticket is a drag, they serve a good purpose – keeping people safe. Danny Yetter of Hollister died in 2001 after a skate boarding accident. His death may have been prevented if he was wearing a helmet. Avoiding another tragic death is a must, and the police are doing their part.

Friends don't let friends drive drunk.

Cheers for FFA; jeers for home prices

Let no one downplay the immense political skill that went into

THUMBS DOWN: For gas prices climbing once again into the petro stratosphere. With local gas prices averaging $2.29 per gallon, it appears as though paying at least $2 per gallon is here to stay forever. Funny how gas prices always climb, yet never seem to drop back down to where they were even a year ago. In this day and age, a 30 cent drop in gas is practically unimaginable.