Archive By Section - Columnists
Kathryn Lopez: Much hope in Pope
Rome - "May God forgive you." That's Cardinal Timothy Dolan's translation of a joke that Pope Francis told the College of Cardinals a day after being elected the 267th pontiff.
Steve Lunetta: Dogs have owners, cats have staff?
I've never liked cats. I find them to be obnoxious, arrogant, and down-right evil. If you've had a bad day at work, a cat's first response is "good, you are here. Feed me. Now."
Steven and Cokie Roberts: Dolley Madison was a model of savvy
When Dolley Payne Madison became first lady in 1809, she instituted Wednesday evening gatherings at the White House where political rivals could meet and talk.
David Hegg: Ethically Speaking
Let's say, for the sake of discussion, that ethics are those moral principles by which individuals order their lives. Further, let's agree that, broadly defined, the study of ethics is the attempt to identify these ethical sets, and determine which offers the best life.
Tom Purcell: How not to celebrate St. Patrick's Day
Ah, St. Patrick's Day is upon us. That means but one thing: time for Americans to over-celebrate the Irish tradition. I speak of the goofy Leprechaun hats, the gaudy green buttons and scarves and the propensity to drink excessive amounts of alcohol at fake Irish pubs while trying to be authentically Irish. Though I'm not entirely without guilt. Eight years ago in a gentrified section of Washington, D.C., I visited a fake Irish pub a ...
Frank Ferry:Live from City Hall
The city of Santa Clarita's annual Teen Scene Unplugged is back, but with a new name and theme for local teens and parents.
Tim Myers: A decline in enrollment hits the SCV
When we moved to the SCV in 1996, the big educational news of that time revolved around over-strained elementary and secondary school facilities.
Danny Tyree: Taking a break from the pollsters
According to a Politico story titled "GOP Looks For Answers," the National Republican Congressional Committee is taking major steps to prevent a repeat of the misleading poll results that embarrassed the party in the 2012 election cycle.
Joe Guzzardi: The Gang of Eight backs off amnesty
The Senate's notorious Gang of Eight, a small cadre of amnesty advocates who hope to pressure Congress into passing disastrous immigration reform legislation, has developed a new game plan.
Alice Khosravy: Signs of life emerge in California GOP
Each year people across the country wait for Groundhog Day and hope that spring will come early.
Steve Lunetta: Dirty deeds done for dirt cheap
One of the strangest songs ever written by the Young brothers and Bonn Scott was a little ditty that talked about a gentleman who was willing to do anything for a small fee.
Gary Horton: Helmets may not be cool but staying alive is
Just put a lid on it! On what? On your head. "Just put a lid on your head." Tell it to your kids. Share it with your family members and yell it to the kids down the street. Do this, and we'll all be a lot better off. Mid-last year, a good friend down the street decided to get more exercise. He's a good dresser and generally looks a bit like a James Bond secret ...
Kevin Buck: A Whig and a prayer for understanding
From the early 1830s until 1852 - when they refused to re-nominate Millard Filmore, their own incumbent president - the Whig Party was a dominant political force in America.
Steve Lunetta: Obama's new folly
The irony is astounding. The sequestration plan that appears to be a machination by President Obama's White House is now coming back to haunt him big time.
Edward Headington: Last call to release the Kraken!
Apple pie, "Bye Bye Birdie" and Beverly Cleary are all things most Americans would admit to liking. You could also throw in DVRs, shorter commutes and the warm-and-fuzzy title of the proposed "Clean Water, Clean Beaches" measure before county property owners.
Articles by Section - Columnists
Steve Lunetta: For the true scientist faith is inevitable
A co-worker the other day made an interesting comment. She said "I think its amazing that you are a scientist but still be a Christian. That must be very difficult to do."
Peter Funt: The only way to win is to not give in to fear
A Boston firefighter, one of many who rushed in to aid bomb victims last Monday, told a TV interviewer, "We will win. I promise you, we will win."
Cher Gilmore: Celebrating good news on Earth Day
On this 43rd anniversary of the first Earth Day, several recent good news events for the environment are worth celebrating:
David Hegg: Find grace in tolerance and disagreement
During the recent edition of college basketball's championship tournament I took great pleasure in cheering for my team. And, we did pretty well, but lost in the Elite Eight round.
Phil Kerpen: Sick people versus lobbyists
What if you had to choose between making insurance more affordable for Americans with pre-existing conditions or funding lobbyists and political hacks? That's the decision the House will face when it considers H.R. 1549, the Helping Sick Americans Now Act, sponsored by Rep. Joe Pitts of Pennsylvania. It should be an easy choice.
Tim Myers: Setting a bad example
I often utilize the term "geography" partisan. The definition of a geography partisan? An elected official or someone who aspires to elective office who adopts a party label pretty much solely because that party stands dominant in the particular area where the individual lives.
Dick Cesaroni: Congress, listen to the voters, not the NRA
I am a wavering Republican. By that I mean I am at the crossroads of going to the right, left or just canceling my participation all together.
Frank Ferry: Live from City Hall
In Santa Clarita you know you can shop for the latest styles or eat at a terrific restaurant, but did you also know that you can enjoy some of the best hiking in the region on oak-shaded trails with creeks and waterfalls?
What other abuse can be heaped on Castaic?
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority has plans to place a carpool lane on Interstate 5 northbound from Highway 14 to Parker Road in Castaic. In fact, a Metro committee approved the plan - as a toll road - this week.
Right Here Right Now: Ending bad finance deals in education
In a rare display of solidarity, the California Assembly approved AB 182 by a vote of 73-0.
Kevin Bayona: What happens after Boston?
The bombings in Boston are beyond what I ever thought I would see in an American city.
Jim Mullen: Algebra comes in handy
Pop quiz: How often do you use algebra, trigonometry and calculus as an adult? Most of us would say "never"! The folks who do use advanced math would say that without it, you wouldn't have cellphones and Wi-Fi and TV and weather satellites and GPS and Google and nuclear power and a gazillion other things that make modern life worth living. And for a change, both camps would be right.
Gary Horton: Timeless lessons to be remembered
Last week our Starbucks friend Herman invited Carrie and me to attend a special Holocaust memorial service at Santa Clarita Valley's Congregation Beth Shalom.
Maria Gutzeit: California needs to improve business attitude
My one-word summary of the community lobby day put on by Assemblyman Scott Wilk. R-Santa Clarita, and KHTS radio last month?
Peter Funt: Steal this video
Back in 1971 when the hippie revolution's Pied Piper, Abbie Hoffman, authored "Steal This Book," he got the very outrage he sought. Thirty publishing houses rejected it and, when the book finally came out, more than a dozen newspapers refused to print ads to promote it.
