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Buy Local, Price Local
With the entire state of California drowning, school districts scrambling to keep schools open, municipalities cutting to the bone in an attempt to find one more pocket of untouched reserve, it comes as no surprise that people just don’t have the same kind of cash flow as they once did.




Offering Another Perspective
Dear Editor,




Dawn’s Column – The Breakup
I recently broke up with my hairdresser.




MARG-INS - Letting The Guard Down
There’s something to be said for keeping your defenses up.




FYI - Limit Predation Saves Salmon
“One fish. Two fish … Some are red. And some are blue. Some are old. And some are new. Some are sad. And some are glad. And some are very, very bad.” These lines from a famous Dr. Seuss book also symbolize the current imbalance of native Chinook salmon to non-native predator fish in the Delta waterways.




How To Protect Against Vehicle Burglary
Within the past few weeks the Oakdale Police Department has seen an increase in vehicle burglaries throughout the City of Oakdale. Because of this, vehicle burglaries are becoming one of the most common crimes occurring within the City of Oakdale. Here are some simple helpful tips to avoid becoming a victim of a vehicle burglary.




Swept Up By The Games
They’ve been hard to escape; if you haven’t heard re-caps on the news or found them as you wield the TV remote, chances are you have talked about them at work or with the family over dinner. And there are many stories to tell, as the Winter Olympics in Vancouver play out on the ski slopes, the ice rinks, the skeleton and luge tracks.




Council Action Appreciated
Dear Editor,




Flag Display Is Proper
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Stuff ‘n Nonsense - Cookies And Pickles
There are moments in our lives that remind us — sometimes painfully — that the march of time is resolute. I’m not talking about the inevitable body changes or the pressure of responsibility that seems to increase with each passing year as we age but rather something far more heart-rending. I’m talking about the moment when you realize you won’t always have your loved ...




Mommy Musings - Seeing Differently
I’m not your atypical sports enthusiast.




Macho Madness - Temptation Island
“Whoa,” I thought to myself while looking at a newspaper column photo. “That guy has a big ‘ol mustache, just like me.”




Superintendent’s Spotlight - Passing Of A Role Model




Circling The Toilet
The Oakdale City Council doesn’t like it.




Dawn's Column - Loos, Lace, And The Law
Usually when it comes to our columns, we write about what’s going on in our lives. In a previous column, I made the promise that I wouldn’t write too much about my wedding planning. The problem is, that with the exception of car trouble and my fiancé being stuck on jury duty because he thought he wouldn’t get selected, wedding planning is pretty much what my life’s ...




Whirlwind Two Weeks
Dear Editor,




High School Shows Worth The Trip
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Provide Recreation Opportunities
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Cop Corner
The loquacious Mark Twain once wrote, “If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes and it will change.” After several dry years we’re finally getting some much needed rain. This is great for our area reservoirs and farms but not so great for our area roads.




OPINION - Welcome To Whoville
And so the time has come.




Marg-Ins - Never Ready
I’m rarely stumped for a column topic but this time was a little different. After tossing around a few ideas in my head, I found myself repeatedly coming back to the same thing. It’s not the weather, or some escapade perpetrated by my youngest child … I keep coming back to a feeling of sadness after having experienced a loss. A couple of them, actually.




Mommy Musings - I Saw That …
Thinking fast on your feet is critical in the game of parenting.




Oakdale Community Sharing
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Opinion: Blame The System
Sometimes it helps to get another perspective, to look at a situation from a different point of view. At times, in fact, it might even result in a change of heart, or at least a change of mind.




Stuff N' Nonsense: 2010 At A Glance
I had several ideas floating in my head for my column this month but when it came down to putting those thoughts on paper, I was disenchanted with the possibilities, which then lead me to sit and think of all the things that are happening in my life and what the coming year promises to yield.




Cop Corner: Be Winter Street Smart
Winter is here and the cold weather has set into Oakdale. The change in weather and temperature means there needs to be a change in some of our habits, namely when it comes to our cars. Whether it is our driving, our time allotment, or visibility, please make driving adjustments for this time of the year.




Weighing In On Health Care
Dear Editor,




Sharing The Viewpoint
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Honored And Thankful
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Mommy Musings: The Sands Of Time
A colleague and I were recently having a conversation about how quick time passes, even at a weekly paper. I had just completed covering the birthday of Vera Piccetti who celebrated her 107th birthday. As I took the ceremonial photo of her with her cake I joked that she was my job security. After all, I’d been covering this event since she hit the triple digits in 2003. ...




Macho Madness: Cool Dog Tricks
I recently came across a YouTube video of a dog’s reaction to an earthquake that occurred in Arcata in Northern California earlier this month. The video has gone viral, as they say, and has been viewed over a half million times.




No Government Healthcare
Dear Editor,




Healthcare Questions Remain
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Superintendent’s Spotlight: Good News In Tough Times
I was very pleased to be invited by the Oakdale Chamber of Commerce to present the Oakdale Junior Achievement Award nominees’ profiles at the Annual Awards Banquet. There were seven outstanding Oakdale High School students nominated for this prestigious award. The award was presented the evening of January 15, but at the time I submitted this article, I did not know who won the award.





Universal Healthcare
I’m going to offer an unpopular opinion for a town as conservative as Oakdale.




Safe And Secure, Or Just Exposed?
A recent conversation in the office brought to light that someone had actually seen me in an “anatomically correct” mode at the airport without my knowledge. You see, I was somehow randomly selected to step into this high-tech glass booth at the Las Vegas airport a couple months ago.




The Right Move
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Clearing Up Confusion
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Mommy Musings – Life and Birthdays
I’m a December baby. For those who follow astrology, a Capricorn to be more precise. As a ‘child of the Holiday season,’ revealing my birthday always seems to promote conversation. The comments most common are pretty obvious: You must hate the holidays; Oh … a tax deduction; (more popular in my youth) now replaced by, How did you like that growing up? or You must have been shorted in the gift department at Christmas. Truth ...




Getting Back On Track
Here’s hoping you made it through the holidays safe and sound and only a few pounds heavier.




Holiday Blessings A True Gift
Dear Editor, Another Christmas has passed and soon the decorations and trees will be put away for another year. Yet, the blessings received from a very generous community linger on in the memory of our residents, many expressing this was the best Christmas they have ever had. On behalf of the residents of Oak Valley Care Center, I would personally like to express my thanks to the communities of Oakdale, Riverbank and the surrounding areas. ...




Health Care For All
Dear Editor, We’re the only industrialized country without a public option. We provide some of the best care to our veterans and military, “government run healthcare.” Our schools, fire department, police, are all government run; however when you call the police they don’t ask you if you’re insured or if you can afford to pay. That would be crazy, but that’s exactly what the Republicans want us to think. Since when did Americans start trusting ...




Out With The Old?
The New Year, fast approaching, obviously calls for a column on the subject. But what’s the big deal? At least Christmas brought feasting, drinking and partying; food and warmth and merriment in the middle of winter for pagans and celebration of a savior for Christians.




People Made The Difference
Dear Editor,




One Of A Kind
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Mommy Musings – Keeping Up With …
For those of you not yet hit by the recession and still running the race of keeping up with the Jones’ — well, good for you. Personally, I find myself busy these days trying to keep up with the fat man in the red suit — that’s right, Santa.




Stuff ‘N Nonsense - The Spirit of Christmas
Miles away in a different time zone, where snow buries the yards and Old Man Winter takes up residence for a wintry season, the true spirit of Christmas blossomed in the bosoms of total strangers to the benefit of those close to me — my sister, nephew and brother-in-law.




Remember All Those Lost
Dear Editor,




Share The Wealth
Have you started the Christmas shopping yet? Or are you one of the ultra efficient types that has everything purchased, wrapped, tagged and ready to go?




Macho Madness - Bah Humbug? Not Me!
I’m not a Christmassy kind of guy.







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