Improving health for everyone is possible. It begins by redefining health, reimagining the system, and strengthening our communities. The physical aspects of health have traditionally been the focus and the priority for healthcare. However, unique life circumstances and experiences impact ev…
Trees are a valuable resource. For many reasons. Healthy tree canopies provide shade, which is appreciated and enjoyed by families and children in parks 鈥 and by bicyclists and walkers along the Kern River Parkway. Trees clean the air, filter our water, reduce energy use and naturally captur…
The Kern Young Farmers and Ranchers is eagerly anticipating its 9th Annual Charity Farmers Market on Saturday, July 20. Every year we put together this wonderful event for the community. I often get asked if the market is offered more than just once a year 鈥 I wish we could! It鈥檚 a team effo…
It shouldn鈥檛 be this hard to get money into the hands of parents struggling to feed their children. But in California, where even the simple can get real complicated, hundreds of millions of federal dollars meant for hungry kids have slipped away unspent.
Growing up in El Salvador, I was certain that coming to the United States would be my ticket to economic opportunity. But the reality in California and elsewhere is that traditional pathways to higher-wage employment, like training or a four-year degree, are out of reach for many young job-s…
On July 11, the Kern County Library system turned 113 years old. Thanks to the city of 优蜜传媒, we are on track for another 113 years of literacy, job training, children鈥檚 programming and other library resources 优蜜传媒 needs. In January, the city of 优蜜传媒鈥檚 collaborated with t…
In today's political climate, the government is often viewed as an evil entity, an adversary rather than an ally. This sentiment has fostered deep cynicism and mistrust, overshadowing the profound and positive impact that government can have on our lives. The problem lies not with the concep…
After reading Robert Price鈥檚 July 7 front-page column in The Californian, 鈥淭hose inverted July 4th flags overlooked the most grievous outrage,鈥 along with Elizabeth Keranen鈥檚 July 8 鈥淯S is in good shape with Democrats,鈥 I set about inverting an American flag I own.
Some Trump followers, in typical Trumpian fashion, have disgracefully placed American flags upside down at Polo Park in northwest 优蜜传媒 鈥 similar to Trump holding a Bible upside down in his phony photo op in 2020. They said they are upset about the state of the nation and are looking f…
The Democrats are one decision away from breaking the glass ceiling and won鈥檛 do it. At no point in history has a woman been so close to becoming president of the United States. And yet for Vice President Harris, the distance between her and the Oval Office may never be farther than it is ri…
The governor of Louisiana has signed into law a bill mandating (illegally) the posting of the Ten Commandments because, according to him, the law starts with Moses. Mind you, the law given by Moses enables the killing of children (Deuteronomy 21:21, Exodus 12:29, Deuteronomy 13, Leviticus 20…
Gov. Jeff Landry signed legislation on June 19 requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in every public classroom in Louisiana, making his state the only one with such a mandate. Christian fundamentalists are also attempting to achieve this requirement in other states; however, they wou…
When I was young, uninformed and more idealistic, I registered to vote as a Democrat. By that time John and Robert Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had become martyrs and icons that I admired. When I learned more about the Democrat Party, my insight began to mature to the point that by…
Kern County鈥檚 challenge with homelessness has unfortunately become increasingly evident in the last couple of years. Having lived in 优蜜传媒 for 17 years, I as well as many other residents have noticed the dramatic increase of homeless individuals in our city.
The term 鈥済un violence鈥 has etched itself into the collective consciousness of the American psyche. Yet, I propose that this very term lies at the heart of our growing polarization.
F. Scott Fitzgerald famously tells us, 鈥淭he test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposing ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function."
鈥淭he State of the State is strong. . . .鈥 At least, that鈥檚 what our governor told us on Tuesday in a pre-recorded State of the State speech. But I鈥檓 not buying it. Cause, really, who could afford to? Residents of the Central Valley feed and fuel the world. Yet, they鈥檙e struggling just to kee…
Amid the scrutiny placed on oil and gas production in California, allegations of deliberate targeting of disadvantaged communities are not only unfounded but also represent a flagrant distortion of facts perpetuated by radical climate extremists and democrat legislators in Sacramento. These …
As the executive director of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Fresno, I am heartened to witness a significant stride toward alleviating poverty and enhancing social services in our region.
I tossed out Pony鈥檚 last bowl of water, still thick with her drool. Every time I walk into the family room, I still expect to find her napping in her favorite spot on the couch. Considering her breed and age, my nearly 12-year-old French bulldog was doing remarkably well. Until she wasn鈥檛. H…
Every student is hunched over their phone when I enter the quiet classroom. They don鈥檛 talk to or look at each other. I play music to fill the silence and eventually give them a one-minute warning to finish their texting, posting, swiping, or whatever else they鈥檙e doing. When the minute is u…
Under public pressure, President Trump ordered the ATF to ban the sale and possession of bump stocks in 2018 after a single gunman in Las Vegas, using multiple guns modified by bump stocks, killed 60 people and wounded 400 more. And doing it in the space of 11 minutes! Yet, now, in overturni…
By some measures America鈥檚 never been better, by other measures many Americans are not doing so well. But beware the nostalgist who fondly recalls years past and mentally dwells in the largely fictional worlds of golden yesteryear. Nostalgists live in a mostly pain-free sanitized world that …
I write today to emphasize the significance of providing children with places to ride bicycles and motorcycles. Growing up in northeast 优蜜传媒 during the mid-'90s, my childhood was filled with endless adventures on bikes and dirt bikes. My friends and I would spend entire days exploring…
I've lived in 优蜜传媒 for 27 years, and for eight of those years I have been homeless. With limited resources, I found a home that I thought was safe and secure, only for it to be taken away from me abruptly and unjustly by my landlord, and I am not the only one.
One of the requirements for a healthy society is a functioning justice system. For a justice system to function, the people in the society must believe it is fair and impartial. This does not mean the justice system must be perfect; it can and has made some occasional honest mistakes. It sim…
For about nine years, a sizable majority of Americans have wondered why so many tens of millions of their fellow Americans are in the thrall of Donald Trump 鈥 yes, Donald Trump, the billionaire New York playboy and former cartoonish reality TV host, who sportscaster Bob Costas recently refer…
When Gov. Gavin Newsom issued his electric vehicle mandate, the deadline was almost 15 years away. It鈥檚 now a little more than 11 years down the road. Is there enough time to hit the target? Let鈥檚 look at the facts.
Almost everywhere you go in California, you are going to see the same thing: tent cities, homeless people living outdoors, parents and children living in their RVs.
The dictionary gives a couple of other terms for being blindsided, such as bushwhacked or sucker-punched, and that鈥檚 exactly what happened to Jeremy Beard, the head baseball coach at Cal State 优蜜传媒.
As California鈥檚 budget process heats up, we鈥檒l begin hearing more and more about the good, the bad and the ugly regarding the size and reach of government. Some want it small, others as big as needed to deliver what鈥檚 needed to fulfill the aspirational terms of our constitution鈥檚 preamble. Y…
In 2023, at least 40,167 people died from gun violence. Injuries from guns totaled 36,357. More than 120 people a day are killed by guns in the United States. Every nine minutes at least one gun is stolen from a vehicle. A reported 6,192 children and teenagers were shot in 2023 with more tha…
A dear friend of mine is retiring from the Kern High School District after 24 years of dedicated service as a bilingual teacher and champion of education. Her departure highlights ongoing issues with Generation Alpha鈥檚 classroom behavior and teachers' declining patience, despite efforts to a…
The city of McFarland and its 16,000 residents live near Poso Creek, upstream from the Tulare Lake bed. For decades, our community and others in the region have suffered from floods and been overlooked by state and federal officials. Today, it鈥檚 clear that state and federal funding for flood…
I saw a VW bus the other day 鈥 two-toned with cream top 鈥 and noticed it had a San Luis Obispo dealers license plate. Could it be the same one?
While for many years I was solidly pro-Israel, my perspective started to change a few years ago when I heard a commentator mention events preceding the latest (at the time) Hamas rocket attack. U.S. media gave the impression that Hamas spontaneously began firing rockets into Israel that day,…
None can deny the compassion and support of the good citizens of Kern County toward our military veterans. Attesting to this are the generous involvement, donations and support for numerous veteran memorials. These include the Kern Veterans Memorial, the Kern County World War II Veterans Mem…
Dear Friends,
California, known for its diverse landscapes and blissful climate, is no stranger to the global forces shaping its weather patterns. Beyond its borders, the jet stream, that high-altitude river of air flowing above us, silently carries the consequences of industrialization, particularly from…
Yes, this Gaza thing鈥檚 a mess. Let鈥檚 break it down. Who triggered the whole mess? Hamas leadership and its militia, not Palestinian civilians. Who declared that he would 鈥渨ipe the other from the face of the earth?鈥 Both Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and Bibi. Let鈥檚 admit that Bibi made a threa…
The familiar music played at every graduation ceremony in the United States is called 鈥淧omp and Circumstance,鈥 written in 1901 by Sir Edward Elgar. I know this very well, for his music was at the forefront of my first mistake as a graduate.
Little is more important or personal to me than the long-term success of our community. I not only represent Wasco as mayor, but Wasco has been home to me all my life. That is why as a leader, community member and professional, I鈥檓 invested in the future growth of our local economy. I have h…
May 15 is National Peace Officers Memorial Day and the calendar week in which May 15 falls is National Police Week, established by a joint resolution of Congress in 1962.
While reading the recent opinion piece by Robert Kretzmer in The Californian, I began to question my sanity. Is Mr. Kretzmer seeing the same protests that the rest of the world sees? Or is he merely gaslighting to excuse the inexcusable?
Oh, dear! No last-minute invites this night. What am I going to eat? It seems I鈥檝e lost my love for cooking. What drive-thru have I not tried lately? Wait! I think there is that half chicken salad sandwich from night before last. Or was it three nights before last?
As Mother鈥檚 Day approaches, amid the bustling flower shops and the planning of extravagant brunches, there鈥檚 a group of unsung heroes who often go unnoticed: homeless mothers. These remarkable women, confronted with the daunting task of raising children without a stable home, financial secur…
California is in the grips of a traffic safety crisis. According to numbers just released by the U.S. Department of Transportation, traffic fatalities in the Golden State jumped 54% over the past decade. And the problem is no better in 优蜜传媒. As someone who grew up here, I鈥檓 troubled t…
Do you remember how you felt Wednesday morning, Nov. 8, 2016? For some Democrats and many others, there appeared to be a great deal of uncertainty, as to what four years of the Trump presidency would mean to their lives, and to the nation as a whole.
The recent media reports have caused myself and I presume others to reflect on the value of student protests on our college and university campuses.
Kern County is one of the most productive agricultural regions in the world, and the seventh largest oil-producing county in the nation. Thanks to a little help from nature and a whole lot of hard work, Kern County quite literally feeds and fuels the nation, and much of the world.
