Archive By Section - Columnists
Our son’s in kindergarten
My 5-year-old son started kindergarten on Wednesday, and my wife and I were among the 2 million parents there to say goodbye forever to our precious little offspring.
My stimulus check right about now
This never happens to me. I got $1,800 from the U.S. Treasury as part of the "Economic Stimulus" program that was recently enacted. But it is still sitting in our checking account. I've been thinking about it, and I'm not sure why it is still there.
Endangered Species Act declared extinct
Monday was the celebration day of St. Claire, namesake of our Santa Clara River. St. Claire was a follower of St. Francis of Assisi, the Catholic saint known for his caring and kindness for the animals, as well as his human charges. St. Francis is the monk we often see in garden statues with a bird on his shoulder and small animals at his feet. His day in October is lovingly celebrated in many nations ...
The rocks in a lake of oil
An allegory: Pretend you're a lucky duck and live at - say, Lake Tahoe. You have a wonderful cabin, perched right on the shore of that crystal-clear lake. Your enchanting backyard features a cool green lawn sloping down to your own sandy beach. The lake's renowned cool water laps with small wavelets on your shore, as your own motorboat bobs playfully on the water, secured to your very own mooring just off shore. Your lakeside ...
Celebrities mocking celebrities
I opened my last two columns with my thoughts on this being the best presidential election ever.
California Democrats: job assassins
As my loyal fans (all two of them - thanks mom and dad!) are aware, when I'm not writing for The Mighty Signal I work as a labor and employment attorney, almost exclusively on the part of management.
Zonta tribute dinner taps Harte
One of our favorite folks in the SCV, Duane Harte has been named the 2008 Zonta Club of SCV Tribute honoree. The event will be held Nov. 7 at the Odyssey Restaurant in Mission Hills (a refreshing change from the Hyatt). Duane is an Un-Zon (the husband of a Zonta member) and the 2003 SCV Man of the Year. I'm sure the evening's tributes will feature Harte's 23 years of service with the U.S. Naval ...
This Labor Day, enjoy ‘staycation’ in Santa Clarita
Remember the good ol' days of summer when spending time with family and friends was the ultimate escape? Children filled the streets until after dark playing hide-and-seek, neighbors came together for potluck block parties, and Friday and Saturday nights included the faint whispers and laughter of kids camping in their backyards.
Republicans set themselves up for Obama’s rise to power
In certain far corners of the right, it is a near matter of patriotism to be a come-hell-or-high-water hyper-critic of the Clintons. Tales of the former president gallivanting about like an unzipped frat boy, and the seamless Clinton truth-bending, have empowered Republicans to do their part raising partisanship and spin to dizzying heights.
Pledges: Leadership or ideology?
Candidates for public office must demonstrate they deserve the public's trust, and if elected, they must maintain that trust if they expect to stay in office. Or at least, that's the theory.
Proactive versus reactive
Reactive 1: of, relating to, or marked by reaction or reactance 2a: readily responsive to a stimulus b: occurring as a result of stress or emotional upset (reactive depression) Proactive 2 (pro- + reactive): acting in anticipation of future problems, needs, or changes - Merriam Webster Online Dictionary Two stories stand out in my memory regarding development during our family's 12-plus years in the Santa Clarita Valley. The first came from a former city editor ...
The night the lights went out
Last Friday, Aug. 1, U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats ended debate on energy issues by abruptly adjourning.
County’s green building rules will benefit us
As a lifelong outdoor lover, as well as a person who works in the environmental compliance arena, I've watched "Being Green" go through cycles of popularity. Sometimes caring for the planet is all the rage, and a few years later it's an afterthought.
Everyone wants our babies
When you're single, everyone asks when you're going to get a steady dating partner. When you're in a serious relationship, they ask when you're going to get married.
The one who’s too light
I had lunch with a very frustrated Republican the other day. The gentleman is a construction bond agent.
Articles by Section - Columnists
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.
Jim Mullen: It’s time for spotty training
My wife and I forgot to have children. We are so busy going to movies, plays and concerts, buying nice things for the house, taking long vacations without looking at a school calendar, reading all the latest best-sellers and going to restaurants with nice white tablecloths that it simply slipped our minds.
Rick Jensen: A slippery slope
Your 9 year-old daughter runs out of a public swimming pool shower, crying because a 45 year-old naked man is lounging in the sauna, "full monty." You call the police. The police arrest you for violating the man's rights and send both you and your daughter to "behavior modification counseling."
David Hegg: Ethics and a quality life
The basic question in the study of ethics has always been that of determining right and wrong, moral and immoral. Some find right to be that which aligns with authoritative truth or standard, while others base morality on the consequences of individual actions. The former - deontologists - and the latter - consequentialists - have argued back and forth for centuries, and the battle rages on today in academia.
Timothy Myers: Let the good times roll again!
One of my coworkers during my time working for Ernst & Young found himself working for KB Homes during the middle of the residential real estate boom, putting together the analyses or so-called "land packages" for the acquisition of property for the building of tract homes.
Peter Funt: Rambunctious raccoons are laughing at me
Our backyard is filled with the pleasing sounds of spring created by birds, frogs, crickets and teens down the street testing their new cars. But lately there are also the haunting sounds of raccoons laughing at me.
