Has Underage Drinking Problem Changed in Six Decades?
Recently, headlines in this newspaper recounted stories of high schoolers partying with liquor at parents homes. Now, the Morgan Hill City Council wants a stronger "social host" law to fine an adult who hosts a party with three or more underage revelers drinking alcohol.
Mothers are Still the Best Educators of Preschool Children
Starting in the late 1940s, most public school systems in the U.S. included the kindergarten program as a part of their regular 12-year sequence. Kindergarten (translation: a child's garden) was intended to build certain skills that would better prepare children to function as group members. In the early 1960s, the Ford Foundation developed programs to serve pre-kindergarten children who resided in low-income urban areas. They were designed to enhance nurturing activities that would put them on even footing with their pre-kindergarten peers. Initially, this effort only included the summer session that preceded the kindergarten year. One of the programs became know as Head Start.
Stress Reduction: Good for What Ails You
Recently we enjoyed some gloriously balmy days in our corner of the world, which means it must be January. Well, no – all that glory and balm had nothing to do with the fact that it is January. Soon enough we got back to freezing off major body parts while begging our significant others to hoist the thermostat upward just one minuscule degree because doing so couldn't possibly cost more than, say, the federal budget deficit.
Democracy Requires Speaking Out Against Self Righteous
As fellow members of the Morgan Hill Times Editorial Board, Lisa Pampuch and I are often at odds with one another. It was with great pleasure that I read her recent column on separation of church and state and found myself in complete agreement with her.
A Family Remembers Brutal Slaying Victim
Our family recently got together for a nice lunch. The first time since Christmas. We, our children and grandchildren, gathered at our twin son's home in San Jose. The only one missing was the other twin in Michigan, who happened to call and we all talked to him. He had been home for Christmas. It was a fun time. Get-togethers are really so nice.
Making New Year’s Resolutions Inspired by Gerald Ford
While 2006 was a year of great growth and learning for me, both personally and professionally, I am happy to see it go. It was a tough year for many locally as we struggled with the (in some cases, very) premature loss of some beloved members of our community due to malice or inattentiveness, and nationally, as we struggled through the loss and injury of soldiers involved in wars on two fronts that become ever more difficult to sustain, financially, practically, and morally.
Sweeping New Year’s Resolutions Under the Rug
There is definitely too much pressure on people to make meaningful New Year's resolutions these days. And it's always the same old stuff – massive, life-altering pledges guaranteed to consume your last drop of self-control: lose weight, spend less, save more, organize your home, stop (fill in the blank) drinking, smoking, driving in the carpool lane with an inflatable doll named "Greta."
