Spoking My Mind: Bicycle, come what May
May. For the unenlightened, it’s the fifth month, a time between the seasons of “It’s too cold!” and “It’s too hot!”
To the enlightened, however, it’s our month! National Bike Month! Thirty-one days to celebrate our two-wheeled, pedal-powered pals! As in previous Mays, Cycle Guy...
Spoking My Mind: Resolutions, rural rides and a reception
A Happy New Gear to you! May 2023 add mile after mile of wonderful new bicycle adventures! Three items for you as we kick it off:
1. Is “A New Me in ’23” one of your resolutions? Weight loss, more cycling, new distance goals: whatever...
Guest View: Successful reading skills upgrade offers a lesson for politicians
A decade ago, California’s political apparatus finally recognized a yawning achievement gap in its public schools, separating poor and English-learner students from their more privileged classmates.
While overall, California’s nearly 6 million K-12 students were not faring very well in state and federal tests of...
Guest view: Film fest brings online cinema, family fun to South Valley
By Mattie Scariot
The Poppy Jasper International Film Festival will take place virtually from Wednesday, April 7 to Tuesday, April 20 this year. This longtime, internationally acclaimed, local festival in Morgan Hill, San Martin, Gilroy, Hollister and San Juan Bautista will feature fantastic films, panels,...
Religion: Summer and creation
Summer is my favorite season. Everything feels rich and lush. The days are long and the sunshine warms my soul. I see the beauty of so many flowers with vibrant colors. The sky seems a little bluer to me. Everywhere around me I am...
Guest view: Giving thanks on Thanksgiving
As we draw nearer to Thanksgiving, I am reminded of this holiday’s origins and significance. There are some interesting and noteworthy parallels with today’s world, two years after Covid-19 began.
While Thanksgiving has only been a national holiday since it was established in 1863 by...
Guest View, Mark Turner: Thank you, Chief Scot Smithee
By Mark Turner
To Chief Scot Smithee, thank you for a job well done.
I can’t imagine it’s an easy job being a cop. There are a lot of challenges that go along with being a member of law enforcement, especially these days. While the cop...
Guest View: Eligible voters need protections
With our nation’s democracy facing existential threats, California’s duty to protect and empower every eligible voter in the state has never been more urgent. Although we often lead the nation with innovative laws designed to defend voting rights, thousands of eligible voters continue to...
Guest View: SRO funds should be invested to better serve students
As communities across the country grapple with racial injustice and a broken criminal justice system that is fed by a school-to-prison pipeline, leaders are taking a closer look at the impact of school police or resource officers. More and more school districts are taking...
Religion: We are better than this
My great-grandfather was a bishop in a small Christian denomination who got his start preaching on street corners. Crowds gathered to hear his message of God’s love. Eventually he founded a church in Dayton, Ohio’s poorest district, leading standing-room-only services. I admire my great-grandfather,...






















