Columns

What is it about summer vacation that brings fear into every parent’s life? Is it the inevitable boredom that will strike? The endless days of no routine and structure? The lazy mornings and late evenings? When teenagers don’t have a lot to do, does it spell trouble, or is it a well deserved break?

The Mark West Citizens Advisory Council (MWCAC) is releasing the Neighborhood Improvement Funding Program (NIFP) in June. It supports neighborhood improvement projects in the communities serviced by Cal Am Water — Mark West, Larkfield, Wikiup and parts of Fulton.

Lavender. If you’ve travelled the Mediterranean or California’s wine country, you’ve likely seen fragrant waves of it everywhere.

The other day I was catching up with my younger sister on the phone. As we were talking I found myself smiling at the absurdity of our conversation. She was rambling on about the perils of kindergarten acceptance. Been there, done that I thought. But I calmly reassured her that her 5-year-old would be fine, and in 10 years the kindergarten search would turn into a college search. That’s where I am. What a huge, monumental leap our teen son and my family will be taking in just a few years.

Happy New Year. I love the New Year. I love it because I like new beginnings. There is, for me, great hope and optimism when I start anything new, so the New Year excites me greatly.

The other day, I took my teenage daughter shopping for some new school items. We ended up at one of those large, overwhelming, colorful makeup stores. I gave her a budget and told her I would meet her in the front of the store in half an hour. I happened to see her talking with one of the sales associates. She was animated and happy; in her element if you will. I could honestly see her becoming a makeup artist for movies, plays and weddings.

The California Primary, when we make our first votes for the next U.S. president, is still seven months away. But there are real events happening right now that we should remember when we walk into the voting booth in March 2020. Most of these...

Our community has never been stronger than it is today. We were sorely tested by the fires in October. We’ve been sorely tested ever since, as fire survivors clean up the ashes and rubble of our homes and attempt to keep our focus on the future.

The Windsor Town Council had a chance to say yes to community and say no to money on March 7.

Ultimately, there is no real good that comes with the historic devastation and destruction of property and loss of lives that Hurricane Harvey visited upon Houston and the nearby Gulf Coast. Twenty trillion gallons of rain fell on the area, 60 lives have been lost, 185,000 homes destroyed, almost 500,000 people displaced and an estimated total of $180 billion in damages to be expected.