After years of lurching from one emergency to the next I have learned that my family is awash in serendipity. But maybe we all are. Maybe it’s called the election season. Irrespective of your political stripe, it’s an opportunity to weigh in. It’s a duty. So is writing this column. I have to call it […]
Two weeks ago a friend of mine passed, unexpectedly, in her southern California home. According to her wife, my friend was diagnosed with an aggressive and extensive cancer and she fought for a month and a half. When I say she was a friend, I mean she was a Facebook friend. True, we had attended […]
With the recent nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy on the US Supreme Court, the political spotlight of the nation has once again focused on the great, seemingly-endless, cultural battle of “Life” versus “Choice”. Activists of all flavors are out in force, and media is flooding us with strong opinions, virulent […]
The Old College Try We spent most of our five years in Mexico living in Santa Maria Bay, a perfect crescent about eight miles east of Cabo San Lucas. The first year there we lived in a house on a hill overlooking the few shoreline condos and, across the water, the Hotel Twin Dolphin. Except […]
In the staff box below is a phrase averring ownership of the Voice as yours. And that’s true, broadly; strictly speaking, however, the paper belongs to the Chief and myself–which means we set policy and pay all the bills. But the paper has never been profitable. We’ve run it the last five years as a […]
How, technically, did Emperor Jones take control of Tulare? He wasn’t elected mayor; in fact, he’s claimed the office is purely ceremonial. But that’s not how he behaves. He holds court. He hosts private forums. “This isn’t a public event,” Jones said of his May 31 “town hall” meeting. “This is money that I took […]
I am a member of the Tulare County Sheriff’s Volunteers In Patrol (VIP) and have served for over 16 years. My wife, Evelyn, was also a VIP for 14 years until cancer took her from me. Over those years we paroled together and had a lot of great experiences, except for one. One of our […]
As a Texan, I have been reading the Valley Voice to stay abreast of your local politics because I want to understand how any place could have elected Nunes more than one term. I’m interested in seeing if District 22 is such a pathetic place, or not, in the great state of California, to have […]
What is a slate mailer? A slate mailer lists or pictures several candidates on the publication. The goal is to leave the voter with the impression that the candidates represented on the mailer stand together on a particular party or issue. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Slate mailers can be confusing. They can be deceptive. […]
That’s right; Devon Mathis did it! He did it, and the Central Valley Republican Establishment is abandoning him like rats off a sinking ship… Just what exactly did he do to make them abandon their support of him? What was so egregious that they basically despise his name now? Short answer: He bargained a vote […]