Archive By Section - Columnists
But nobody walks in L.A.!
So maybe you've heard that gas prices are pretty high these days. I guess I was in a state of denial until last Sunday, when I went to my favorite gas station to fill the family van. While diligently cleaning the windshield and checking the tires, I almost didn't notice the pump meter passing $50, then $60, then $70 for my fill-up! I was in complete amazement when the pump finally clicked off at $76.13.
Plastic bag tax hurts families
There is no debate when it comes to the importance of recycling in our state, and the need for all Californians to do our part to reduce littering. But Assembly Democrats have taken the push to encourage more recycling to a new extreme by passing a misguided proposal that will force grocery stores to charge their customers a new tax of at least 25 cents per bag on all the paper and plastic bags they use to take groceries home.
Hit one out of the park for Boys & Girls Club
Where's the June gloom? It seems to me that the weather for the SCV Boys & Girls Club Auction is historically "warm!" A Night on the Diamond for Boys & Girls Club
Gas prices: Who’s to blame?
Psychology defines an addiction as a state of being enslaved to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma. Observing Washington, one would think that at any given moment some pol might explode into a shivering, sweaty bout of honesty with no eye to grandstanding if "business as usual" became business as it ought to be.
A ‘main course’ for senior survival
There's no place like home." Throughout our lives we frequently hear that phrase, and often it prompts different reactions.
City expanding sports complex
In an effort to continue bringing high quality recreational facilities to our community, the city will be breaking ground this week on phase four of the Santa Clarita Sports Complex. This new phase includes a new gymnasium, a multi-use playing field, more parking and landscaping, and a new and expanded skate park, investing $25 million in this popular city facility located in the center of Santa Clarita.
I’ll have my Velveeta and eat it, too
Being single wasn't so bad. But at the time, I would've given up both my arms and a leg to have a wife like I have now. I would've given up my vision and my hearing. Heck, I would've taken more drastic measures and trashed my prized DVD collection to be with someone.
A conversation about the gay marriage ruling
When I want a different view of the world, I go and visit my friend Libby. Some of you may remember Libby from past articles. Libby drives a BMW, retains a comfortably upper-middle-class lifestyle, and owns a small poodle named Ralphie who wears more bling than some rappers. Libby lives the good life in Santa Clarita and feels horribly guilty about it. Ralphie doesn't care. He's just happy being a dog.
True patriotism is commitment to nation’s ideals
Patriotism. Nationalism. Militarism. Fascism. It's a slippery slope from the "P" at the start of patriotism to the "m" at the end of fascism. But slip-sliding away we've been, and it's strange to think we've welcomed our slide from liberty with our very own votes. Artifacts of liberty's decline abound, from "Patriot Acts" violating privacies to news of American military "prison ships" secretly detaining "war on terror" prisoners indefinitely, without trial. All the while, public ...
How to choose the local judges
Let's be honest. Who really cares about the judges on a ballot? I'm sure many of us simply guess at or skip the folks listed in the "Judicial" portion of our ballots. Does it matter which lying lawyer gets elected to the bench?
Can you go home again?
Is the old adage "you can never go home again" actually true? Nostalgia has a way of sneaking up on us at times, but recently, it knocked me over. I was compelled to do more than just reminisce about the "good old days." Feeling a strong yearning to visit my childhood home in the Santa Clarita Valley, I packed up the kids and husband and headed west. Now my husband has his need for annual ...
Take the city out to the ball game
Baseball is an American tradition that dates back to the 18th century, when amateurs played a baseball-like game by their own informal rules using improvised equipment. In the late 19th century, baseball was widely and officially recognized as the national sport of the United States.
Polluted water shouldn't count — and it doesn't
I applaud all the interest in our water quality, and truly hope those wanting more information about the process and timing of the groundwater cleanup contact our water agencies. There is a wealth of information available and it's quite fascinating.
They show what it means to give back
May is gone and June has arrived, bringing graduations, Father's Day and the countdown to Fourth of July. I have a wedding anniversary this month, too. It's hard for me to comprehend that I've been married 30-plus years! Kudos to good citizens Poole and Shaffery
10 reasons to go to Central Park today
As of 9 a.m. today, thousands of Santa Clarita Valley residents will be excitedly joining together at Central Park.
Articles by Section - Columnists
Tina Dupuy: The Theory of Relative Laziness
My working theory - you could call it a philosophy, or a freestanding reason of how the world works - is what I call the Theory of Relative Laziness.
Charlie Vignola: America worried about the wrong things
America has always had a propensity to whip itself into a frenzy about the wrong things, but seldom has it been so clear as it has been the last few weeks, particularly in the wake of the Boston Marathon Bombings.
Danny Tyree: R.I.P. George Jones
Editor's note: The following column ran in 2006 marking the 75th birthday of George Jones. The longtime country singer died Friday at age 81 and will be remembered at a public memorial Thursday at The Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville.
David Hegg: The need for adversity
We're all familiar with the old saying "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen." It is often used to remind us that most really important things in life come with adversity built in.
Donna Brazile: Accountability needed
In the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombing, lawmakers are demanding answers from the FBI. They want answers not only about the Tsarnaev brothers - Did they act alone? Why did the do it? - but also about our security and intelligence operations.
Timothy Myers: Gearing up for a chloride war
One of my favorite tales of Santa Clarita political lore involves former Assemblyman Cameron Smyth, and I happen to know that it actually occurred.
Bob Kellar: Live from City Hall
With more than 1,100 businesses small and large, the Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce represents tens of thousands of local jobs and employees and is Santa Clarita's premier business membership organization.
Phil Kerpen: Obama’s FAA harm offensive
If sequestration happens and nobody feels it, does it have a political impact?
Kathryn Lopez: Real questions in evil's wake
Martin Richard's life ended as he waited at the Boston Marathon finish line on a local holiday. He was there to celebrate his dad's victory with his family.
Tom Purcell: Fighting for the America we want it to be
I listened to a Frank Sinatra tune this week - "The House I Live In" - and enjoyed a renewed desire to fight on.
Joe Gandelman: Was Twitter for the birds?
When James French became the last person to be executed in 1966 under Oklahoma's death penalty law, he uttered these famous last words (no joke) that quickly belong to the ages: "Hey fellas," he shouted to reporters there to witness his electrocution. "How about this for a headline for tomorrow's paper? 'French Fries!'"
Dick Polman: Bombing is lame excuse to halt immigration reform
Conservatives have been desperately trying to halt the bipartisan momentum for path-to-citizenship immigration reform, and, thanks to the Boston bombing, they think they've finally found the perfect (phony) argument: Fear of foreign terrorism.
Gary Horton: Lobbyists are at the root of our violent culture
After the Brothers Tsarnaev blew their lids and went on their Boston pressure-cooker bombing spree, it wasn't surprising that sooner or later unregistered, illegally obtained guns and rifles would show up in the bloody mix.
The Village Idiot: Plan the marriage first, then the wedding
"I got an email today," Mel told me. "Chardonnay and Jackson are splitting up. They only got married four months ago. It's so sad. I played guitar at their wedding."
SCV Voices: Special interests only ones to benefit from toll roads
I was reading the article last week about making the HOV lanes on the I-5 through Santa Clarita toll lanes ("Metro committee approves I-5 toll lanes in SCV," April 17).
