Opinion

Agreement on a new fire protection contract last week means local residents can rest assured they will continue to have high-level safety services into the future. This was a monumental win for our community.  This agreement marked the end of a collective process to extend...

Lately, it can feel like the world is weighed down with stress—global conflicts, economic uncertainty and the fast pace of everyday life. It’s easy to get caught up in the heaviness of it all. But right here in our own community, there are still...

Mattie Scariot, Director of the Poppy Jasper International Film Festival, said she was thrilled to announce the appointment of Jon Fitzgerald and Tasja Kirkwood to the PJIFF Board of Directors during a milestone year—its 20th anniversary. Their appointments bring an exciting blend of industry...

As the U.S. Senate debates the sweeping legislation known as the “Big Beautiful Bill,” it’s worth asking a critical question: who really pays the price for political ambition? For rural communities like ours in San Benito County, the answer may hit closer to home...

Open letter to Hon. Sean Duffy, U.S. Secretary of Transportation: Re: USDOT F.R.A.'s Notice of Proposed Determination 6-4-2025 In my opinion, the reason for the failure of the CAHSRA’s high speed rail proposal is its reliance on the public sector model of transport funding as seen...

The fentanyl crisis is ravaging communities around the country, touching lives across every socioeconomic, racial and geographic line. Yet too often, our conversations about fentanyl overdoses are clouded by stigma, misinformation and judgment.  It’s time to change that. Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid up to 50 times...

Re: Hellertoon, Free Lance, May 30  This political cartoon coloring the Opinion page amazed me of how skillful art can deftly explain what caused an all night session of congressional words in the House to accomplish.   At first glance of the Joe Heller cartoon, it seemed...

Every year on the last Monday of May, we gather not in celebration but to remember.  Memorial Day is a day carved into our national conscience to honor the brave men and women of our armed forces who gave their lives in defense of our...

In a world increasingly shaped by technology, commerce and rapid urbanization, public art stands as a profound counterbalance—a humanizing force that elevates the collective spirit of a community. Art in public spaces does far more than decorate; it educates, inspires and connects. Public art is...

California’s legal system should be used to uphold justice—not to line the pockets of trial lawyers exploiting outdated laws. Yet that’s exactly what’s happening today under the California Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA), a criminal wiretapping statute from 1967 that is being twisted into...