Columns

100 years ago: Aug. 30, 1923Heat Wave Ends as Storm Breaks A break of almost 20 degrees in the temperature marked the transition of the weather from hot wave to storm conditions. After several days of excessive warmth, with marks of 100 degrees recorded on...

Along hiking trails from Shell Beach to Red Hill this weekend, California’s state flower popped out of coastal grasslands with bright dollops of yellow and orange. Nicknamed “cups of gold” and “Mary’s sunshine cups”—a reference to the ever-cheerful Mary Poppins—these hearty flowers became California’s state flower in 1903.

Library Sing-Along: Food for Fines

I was raised during the Joe McCarthy era “Red Scare” times. Growing up in an ethnically mixed, working class community I remember very well the fear of that time. If you weren’t a “real” American you were suspect. If you supported unions you were a communist. We had people in our neighborhood disappear. Sound familiar?

It’s the most wonderful time of the year ...

The Congressional Republicans, in the past always against increasing the deficit, are trying to ram through tax legislation that would drastically increase the deficit by giving huge tax cuts to the billionaire/millionaire class and corporations. They have admitted that they are being pressured by their rich donors (i.e. Koch Brothers, Trump, friends of Trump, and others) who want huge tax cuts.

Out of concern for continued deficit spending, the Board of Education began a process last year to look deeply at the Windsor Unified School District budget. The way we (along with CA public school district) are funded (often with one-time money that cannot be used for ongoing costs) and the increasing costs to school district (largely due to required pension and healthcare cost increases) has us spending more than we are bringing in. Decisions are being made to keep WUSD solvent while continuing to provide quality programs for our students.

100 years ago – June 27, 1918

A day in the life of raising two teenagers is always interesting. You never know what kind of mood they will be in, or if they are going to be a functioning human being that day or not. It’s kind of like testing the waters each morning.