Archive By Section - Columnists
A letter to a new grandson
Dear Brayden Jay: You came into the world on Nov. 1, 2008, exactly 20 years after the birth of your Uncle Chip. Poppa appreciates this since it makes it easy to remember the birthday! I view your baby pictures available on the Internet and see the determined look of your mother, our beautiful and intelligent second daughter, and feel the great joy at the second grandchild brought into the world. Our children and grandchildren provide ...
SCV honors its veterans
Veterans Day was first incorporated by President Wilson as Armistice Day in 1919 at the end of World War I. The implementation of an armistice, which is a temporary cessation of hostilities, came with the final peace treaty, the infamous Treaty of Versailles, which was signed in 1919 between the Allies and Germany at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of November 1918. President Wilson said when he proclaimed the first Armistice Day, "To ...
Christmas around the corner
I know, I know... it was a shock to the season to walk into several retail stores around town the day after Halloween and see Christmas trees in full bulb-blazing glory. I'm not trying to give you sleepless nights, but Christmas is merely 46 days away!
On houseguests and $50 soap
An old friend from bachelorhood called and said he'd be in town on business, asked if he could stay at my place so he wouldn't have to pay for a hotel room. The guy was financially struggling. My wife and I said no.
It is time to reinvent ourselves
Ryan Leaf was one of the most highly rated college quarterbacks in history. Along with his contemporary, Peyton Manning, Leaf was heralded as a sure-fire hit in the NFL: the stuff of legends.
Fun is a ‘drag’
When I was a kid, I never got tired of playing with my Matchbox and Hot Wheels cars. When my mom dragged me to the store, I always had at least two toy vehicles tucked in my pocket for a race down the cashier's two-lane countertop.
Politics both here and abroad
Staring at the wreckage of the 2008 political process, I wonder how we got into this situation.
Here's hoping for some change
Today we have a new president-elect and a new direction. In our own uniquely American way, we have had quite an amazing bloodless revolution for change in our government. The opposing parties, instead of shooting it out at each other to kill every last rival, praised each other in genuinely heartfelt and eloquent concession and victory speeches meant to heal rifts and bring our country back together. What an incredible process we have.
Power pole giants need to be stopped
As giant power lines come marching through the north end of our valley, and even those who lobby consistently for more and more growth cry foul at the loss of their views and damage to their neighborhoods, maybe it is time to look at the bigger picture.
Voting - a cathartic experience
On Monday morning, syndicated columnist Reg Henry predicted, in his humorously folksy fashion, a tidy victory for Barack Obama.
A bad call, calling us to reconsider
For a moment, let's all suppose we're all young soccer moms. And let's suppose that we've got four kids, three at home - one is a newborn with profound disabilities.
‘Swiftboating’ comes to Senate District 19 race
When it comes to political campaigns, informed voters pay attention to the media - but herein lies the problem. How do voters know if certain patterns of persuasion/fallacies are being used by pundits in the media and politics to sway their opinions?
Belcaro vs. Edison: People over profits
I'm usually not one for conspiracies, but the evidence shows that Southern California Edison and the California Public Utilities Commission are in cahoots to destroy the visual landscape of Santa Clarita Valley.
Heart of the West: Thanks to those who made it happen
Happy last day of August to the Santa Clarita Valley. I hope everyone is enjoying the official "last" weekend of summer, although school has been in session in the SCV for a few weeks. A special Happy Birthday wish to my husband, Keith, who celebrates his "double nickle" birthday today!
Welcome to county regulation
Question: How can one get approval for a 110-student private school in a converted six-bedroom house in Castaic in four to five months without notifying the neighbors or the quisling town council?
Articles by Section - Columnists
Jason Stanford: What Rick Perry can learn from California
The faux pas bordered on sedition. The Texas Association of Dairymen sent blocks of mild cheddar to state senate offices "in appreciation for your hard work this legislative session on behalf of the people of Texas." Legislative offices often get free-and perfectly legal-swag from special interests. The problem arose when someone read the label. The company that made the cheese was based in California.
Cliff Schecter: The United States really needs to grow up already
This country needs an enema. I paraphrase, of course, from Jack Nicholson's take on Gotham City in his turn at The Joker.
Maria Gutzeit: Cycling is not all about Lance
Recently, people asked me with sincerity in their eyes if I am reconsidering my involvement in cycling because of the Lance Armstrong scandal. My response: Pftttt.
Byron York: Winning Hispanic vote not enough for GOP
After six months of mulling over November's election results, many Republicans remain convinced that the party's only path to future victory is to improve the GOP's appeal to Hispanic voters.
Michael Berger: Bill helps colleges meet student needs
Higher education is undergoing significant changes such as we've never seen before. And while we're charging forward to integrate technology in the classroom, offer online learning, and enhance the academic support available to students outside of the classroom, we find ourselves being held back by a relic of the past.
David Hegg: We need a society of heroes
The past months have been a constant barrage of stories about tragedy. Horror in Newtown, bombs in Boston, flooding in the Midwest, fires in SoCal … all bringing loss of life, loss of property, and loss of our sense of wellbeing. But in every case there were also stories of exceptional devotion to duty, to courage, and to an essential ingredient in healthy society: sacrificial service.
Tim Myers: A battle in a war already lost
On May 2, 2013, I took the day off from work to watch the Foothill League tennis tournament. (Results of this tournament posted elsewhere in the pages of this newspaper. Just sayin'!)
Peter Funt: The wider our options the more narrow our interests
I've never heard a hotel guest argue that he should pay less if he declines to swim in the pool. And I've yet to encounter a coffee drinker who believes a latte would be cheaper if shops quit providing wi-fi to customers who don't use it.
Marsha McLean: Live from City Hall
On Tuesday and Wednesday, Santa Clarita will be on center stage with an international audience. We are thrilled to have been selected as a host city for the 2013 Amgen Tour of California with both a Start and Finish stage.
Rick Jensen: Do we still need Dept. of Education?
When executives of corporations are caught aiding and abetting criminal behavior of their employees, the executives are prosecuted and the businesses are destroyed.
Tammy Messina: Intolerance fuels hate and bigotry
Hate. It's a strong word. It's a strong emotion. And it's often used to describe Republicans.
Jason Stanford: Will Obama beat the 6-year itch?
If the 2010 elections weren't bad enough for Democrats, here comes the "six-year itch."
Tom Purcell: No-fault Internet addiction
nline chat host: Good morning, cyber pals. As you know, the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), the psychiatric "bible," is to be released this month.
Will Durst: To drone or not to drone
Put on your tinfoil hats, everybody. Or didn't you get the memo? It's paranoia time in America again.
Gary Horton: Victimhood: the new secret to success
Picture a modern-day Adonis with flowing, jet-black hair and rugged features for which women swoon. Picture an entrepreneur – a master of his own high-tech business.
