Opinion

Oct. 30, 2012 — After disco ruined the live music scene in the late 1970s and all the gigs dried up (hail the DJ!), I took a manager’s job at the Broken Bit — a dinner house on Highway 41 in Coarsegold about 40 minutes outside of Fresno.

I didn’t know the place was haunted when I hired on, but from almost the first evening I worked there I noticed unusual activity when I would lock the 15,000 square foot building down for the night. Even in the heat of summer, I would feel this incredible cold as I walked through the building toward the last darkened hallway that led past the pantry to the back door.

Oct. 30, 2012 — Mud slinging and politics go together like apples and apple pie. Politicians of all persuasions, parties and ideologies have been throwing the dirty stuff at each other and trying to make it stick as long as there have been candidates for office. That’s not unusual, and negative campaigning has become a hallmark of many national, state and local races this election season. And it seems to be getting worse.

As Election Day nears, the pressure to win increases, and the campaigns and political action committees that have no direct relationship with the candidates seem to shift from a message of here’s what’s good about our candidate and here’s why he or she deserves your vote to here’s what’s bad about our opponent and here’s why he or she should not get your vote.

Oct. 30, 2012 — A little over a year ago, the Occupy Wall Street movement broke out on the scene and, while we don’t hear as much about it these days, protests continue to crop up world-wide.

Last month one of the Internet groups I subscribe to asked us to share our thoughts on the Occupy movement and to take a survey with three options to choose from:

1. I’m all for it and even participated in some of the events.

2. It’s a nice idea, but I don’t think the protests do anything

3. I don’t support it at all, and disagree with the ideas.

Oct. 23, 2012 — The Nov. 6 election is only two weeks away, and voters will elect a number of public officials and approve or reject a number of initiatives on the ballot.

Calling each election the most important in history may be considered a bit of hyperbole and even a cliché, but in each and every election the voters make decisions that have far-reaching consequences for years to come. This upcoming election is no exception.

Local residents who are registered to vote have received information in the mail regarding the candidates and the issues. The newspaper has offered candidate statements, and a local radio station and other groups have hosted candidate debates or forums.