Opinion

The Western United States is experiencing one of the most extensive and intense droughts on record. January through April were the driest first four months in California’s recorded history, the state’s largest reservoirs are at critically low storage levels, and the state’s snowpack level...

When the elderly die, we don’t mind so much but we do mind when the young die. Cancer deaths of the young break our hearts, but war deaths of healthy young agonize us. Memorial Day reminds us of these tragedies. Yet after the marching,...

For many years there has been discussion about building a second public high school in Hollister, and it appears that the San Benito High School district board and administration is “getting serious” about making this happen. As I wrote before, I think their suggesting...

May is Water Awareness Month. It’s also the start of our irrigation season when water use starts to go up dramatically. Over 60% of residential water use is for landscape purposes in the summer.   This is especially important since we are in the grips of...

I frequently want to hug my mailperson even when I find a Strada Verde or Betabel something in my mailbox. When I find those unwanted pieces I feel like I’m playing a Whack-A-Mole game. I am referring to the game where a little mechanical...

About 100 Hollister area residents gathered at City Hall to celebrate the raising of the Christian flag on Sunday, April 3. The flag is being flown for the month of April on the city’s Unity pole, in conjunction with the celebration of Easter on...

Special interests are at it again in San Benito County. That said, I want to address the ambiguous signs that showed up throughout the county this past week with my name on them and phrases like Recall, Censure, Unethical and Shameful on them. To be clear,...

As I drive around town, I see an abundance of political signs for the upcoming elections, and recognizing the names it appears that there are several local offices where there are multiple candidates who are qualified, and also some very clear choices in terms...

The problem with excess housing remains. Unlike Monopoly—where we can slide the pieces back into the box, fold the board game, lid the whole and store the box—we cannot remove large expensive houses and herd the cattle back onto grazing land. We cannot replace...

A person need not be a mind reader to know what is on people’s minds. The overabundance of housing is, and it reminds me of the game of Monopoly.  For example, both occupations use paper money and wood houses. Those house builders want to make...