Archive By Section - Local Columns
Trying to survive in infested waters
On Friday the thirteenth, I had a disturbing experience. Arriving early at the club for a quick Jacuzzi and swim, I witnessed a frightening scene.
Forging our fears key to embracing life & the future
Fear is our worst enemy. It was a lesson I almost paid for with my life. I was descending seven years ago from the 14,407.01-foot summit of Mt. Whitney overlooking Sequoia National Forest, the Great Basin, the Sierra and Death Valley. I had reached a precarious ledge across a gap in the granite ridge called a "chimney." This one was narrow, not quite four feet wide on the final leg that the Mt. Whitney trail ...
Lead balloon or life preserver?
To access City Manager Steve Pinkerton's blog go to www.ci.manteca.ca.us/blog/
Another way to keep truckloads of cash flowing out of Washington
It is becoming abundantly clear with each passing day that brings increasingly outrageous suggestions from politicians to see how fast they can deplete our great-great-great-grandkids' pocketbooks that the theme song for Congress should be "If I Only Had a Brain."
The release of the lead balloon
I read in this newspaper on Tuesday, March 17, 2009 that "the City manager floats utility tax balloon." The new City Manager Steve Pinkerton, has or still is talking about raising the taxes on all of our utilities from garbage to gas and electricity. Are you kidding me?
Mr. Smith definitely didn’t go to Washington
Republican senators are sounding like outraged socialists as they preen for TV cameras slamming big fat corporate bonuses. Democrats are acting like they're deaf as they deflect tough questions about why they negated provisions to block fat AIG bonuses behind closed doors while negotiating bailout packages.
An honest dollar for an honest day’s work, what a concept
Patrick Heany of Manteca Roofing, Todd Roddan of New Bud's Nursery and the family business that did my fencing are why I have confidence in America's future.
Just say no to traffic signals at Van Allen, FC Road along 120
It is time to draw the proverbial line in the sand and fill it with concrete. St. Patrick's Church is planning a major expansion that will ultimately include a new 20,000-square-foot church plus a kindergarten through eighth grade Catholic school to the north of its existing church and cemetery. No problem there. The San Joaquin Community Development Department is requiring a traffic signal to be installed – along with turn lanes – at Carrolton Road ...
Making yard work positive for my son
Not too long ago, my mom opted to do away with her long-time landscaping services. Her reasoning was that she had two able bodies living a mile or so away from her corner College View home in Stockton. In this case, my mom was referring to her 13-year-old grandson, Josh, and his dad – yours truly. Initially, I didn't think it was a good decision on her part, especially since I had been down that ...
Wild side of Salina, Kansas, attraction came from Manteca
What does Manteca have in common with Salina, Kansas? Nothing, actually. But there's a bit of Manteca in Salina. That's really a gross understatement though. Thirty-nine truckloads of exotic stuff from Manteca are now part of Salina's world-famous Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure. Just a bit of clarification. The stuffed stuff, literally, that was hauled off to Dorothy's home state about 11 years ago took off from the now-defunct wildlife museum in Stockton, but the collection ...
The case for no new taxes lacking a sunset clause
The real fun is about to begin. Collapsing property values thanks to the housing bubble pumped up to stratospheric heights via liar loans and the siren song of easy money from air – or equity lines of credit as banks prefer to call them - are about to ripple through California like a 9.0 earthquake. Early indications are that residential property value assessments will plunge close to 20 percent in San Joaquin County when the ...
Hernandez, Moorhead get high marks for not being political hacks
Debby Moorhead and Vince Hernandez are examples of the type of elected leaders we need representing us in Sacramento and Washington, D.C.
Panda Express: Latest political correctness target
Berkeley despite all of its posturing as being a bastion of tolerance is perhaps one of the least tolerant places on earth.
Honking your horn: A small gesture for our educators
I owe my sister Mary an apology. Some 30 years ago when I had the dubious pleasure of serving on the Western Placer Unified School District Board she decided she was going to become a teacher. Half-jokingly I tried to talk her out of it. I told her only someone borderline insane would be a teacher in this day and age. This, by the way, was back in 1975. It seemed like every other person ...
DMV delivers with courtesy, efficiency & without incident
Call it the 11-minute miracle. That is how long it took me to get my driver's license renewed Tuesday at the Manteca Department of Motor Vehicles office. It's a miracle for several reasons. First, and foremost, the dedicated and hardworking frontline state workers were doing their job – quite pleasantly I might add – despite having to take a pay cut. The last time I had to physically go into a DMV office for a ...
Articles by Section - Local Columns
Tax Internet sales until virtual cops can protect us
The Internet.
Summer heat and keeping dogs safe
DEAR DIDI: It hasn't been all that hot yet but I noticed when I was walking my English Bulldog the other day he refused to stay on the sidewalk. Can you tell me about temperatures for walks and what I should watch for when I take her in the car? -Worried Mommy in Manteca
Taxes you pay go to PG&E & not Headstart
Pundits - and editorial cartoonists - are having a field day over Congress' decision to restore funding for air traffic controllers while letting programs such as Headstart for low-income kids and Meals on Wheels for shut-in senior citizens take federal budget hits.
The Pope and Godless capitalism
"This is called slave labor," said Pope Francis.
Cinco de Mayo is as American as you can get
People need to stop having heart palpations over Cinco de Mayo celebrations.
Meeting your Ripon neighbors at jury duty, plus an unexpected pleasure over lunch
Meeting a couple of Ripon folks, and one from Linden and another from Tracy was an unexpected pleasure in my brief two days of jury duty this week – especially when four of us just happened to go out to lunch together on Thursday.
Kentucky Derby’s horse tie to French Camp
FRENCH CAMP – It's a funny thing, this horse racing business.
Guns: Being judged by 12 instead of being carried by 6
She's a single mom in her early 30s. She lives in an old farmhouse in an almond orchard five miles east of Manteca. The closest neighbor is a quarter mile of a way but the trees make it impossible to see their home.
Want a safe environment for vacation? Then stay out of Yosemite
Yosemite National Park is not Disneyland.
Perhaps Manteca should work with Wal-Mart to create a homeless park
The aging RV was parked under a stately tree providing relief from the 90-degree midday heat.
Count your blessings that disco didn’t survive the ‘70s
Bell bottom pants. Flare-leg pants. Men's rayon tie scarves. Polyester suits.
California makes sure car buyers pay the price twice in taxes
Call it farmer smarts
Beware of sugary drink tax: It might end up killing you
How many calories are in 16 ounces of orange juice? Try 220 calories.
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