Archive By Section - Local Columns
Kenya: From Kisumu to Kilimanjaro
Editor's note: This is the first of a four-part series on Father Dean's recent trip to Africa.
Drive-up squawk boxes: Can you hear me now?
It makes no sense at all. We can literally communicate with a man on the moon and drive a vehicle with access to satellite technology that can get someone in Detroit to unlock our car doors when we leave the keys in the ignition but they still can't make a drive-up order box where you can understand the clerk. I've always felt semi-stupid every time I use a drive-up window at a fast food joint ...
Manteca Man survived on pizza & cash advances
An archeologist centuries from now digging into landfills may find the remnants of the junk mail delivered to Manteca households during a typical month in 2009.
Sound judgment & city employee contracts back in 2006 and today
Adopting the employment contracts entered into for five years in 2006 with Manteca's municipal employee groups were – for the most part – sound judgment at the time.
Marking 20th anniversary of Loma Prieta
"Stop the presses!" Those were the words Randy McParland had longed to say as executive editor of a small town newspaper in Fresno County. In fact, I'm willing to bet that he wasn't the only one in the printed media to utter those very words shortly after 5 p.m. that Tuesday, Oct. 17, 1989. This Saturday marks the 20th anniversary of that day. As Randy recalled, the first run of newspapers had come to a ...
Rainy day blues? It depends upon how you look at it
Listening to the rain dancing on the roof while you're snuggled up in bed is one of life's little pleasures.
Getting rid of Winchester Mystery House model for government
The Great Recession is a good thing in many ways. How else, for example, would government – at least local agencies any way – have been forced to seriously re-examine how they do business and make drastic cuts to stay afloat? No one likes seeing dedicated hard-working park crews, firefighters, street crews, processing clerks, peace officers, and others take pay cuts. Then again, it hurts no less than seeing those in the private sector having ...
Forgotten in a flurry of PG&E service calls
It was a night for a cozy fire after work in our family room since our PG&E provided electricity had been out for 14 hours at this writing Tuesday night and we're still waiting.
Lathrop’s No.1 boogeyman is Jack Snyder
We bury the hatchet But leave the handle stickin' out We're always diggin' up things We should forget about When it comes to forgettin' Baby, there ain't no doubt We bury the hatchet But leave the handle sticking out - Lyrics from Garth Brook's "We Bury the Hatchet" Jack Snyder – like him or not – is no longer a force in Manteca politics. Yet he still casts a long shadow over the psyche ...
Surprise,surprise! State budget has new $1.1B hole
California needs a taxpayer revolt against spending on the same scale that Howard Jarvis and Paul Gann changed the property tax landscape with Proposition 13 back in 1978.
The blame game trumps finding a real solution
America's favorite pastime these days isn't baseball. It's the blame game. It's played to the hilt by the Greek Choruses out there who tell us the economy is collapsing, schools are in the toilet, we're about to have a secular repeat of 40 days and 40 nights via global warming, criminals are taking over, and whatever the current crisis du jour. We verbally debate, write, Twitter, and blog our anger finding ironic solace in assessing ...
Citizen floats utility tax idea for budget woes
Manteca resident Bud Wallace has an interesting suggestion in a letter you can find elsewhere on today's opinion page.
Cop layoff debate: The need to avoid a repeat of 1983
Economic reality has prompted a council that consists of two retired law enforcement personnel – John Harris who served as a San Joaquin County probation officer and Willie Weatherford who is a retired Manteca police chief – to send City Manager Steve Pinkerton forth with a compensation readjustment proposal for all municipal employees including police. If the bargaining groups didn't buy it, the other option is layoffs within that particular set of employees.
It is – for better or worse – a brave new world
How dare they - the argument goes – cut back on law enforcement pay or talk about layoffs – when we passed the Measure M public safety half cent sales tax to pay for police officers and firefighters?
Preying on cities that offer prayer at meetings to get their point across
Congress opens each day with a prayer and – quite frankly – there has been no sign of divine providence setting anybody in that neck of the woods on the straight and narrow.
Articles by Section - Local Columns
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.
Adam: Big heart & even bigger inspiration
Anthony Alcaraz sat forward in his seat, staring quizzically at the track, convinced someone had made a mistake.
LAFCo’s Subliminal message: SJ County is not business friendly
Is San Joaquin County business friendly?
King George III: Behind the smoke in New York City
I can't stand cigarette smoke.
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