“We were like the allies landing at Normandy. ‘This is suicide,’ muttered one of our teammates, a guy dressed head to toe in black-and-silver camouflage. My son… Read more “A day of "shooting"”

Way back when I first started this blog, I was a bit obsessed with all the dead squirrels I kept coming across in my neighborhood. In those… Read more “Watching death”

So, as my few readers may guessed, I’ve been on a bit of a journey o’ life this past year. It’s got a lot of complicated subplots… Read more “The gratitude list: how an army program teaches that the list is a step towards mental fitness”

Ever hear of Rhabdomyolysis? Me neither, not until the condition landed me back in the hospital nearly two weeks ago. Rhabdomyolysis: It sounds like some disease that… Read more “Medical mystery”

It’s an intriguing idea: to invite George Lucas’ Lucasfilm Ltd. to build a film studio in Shadelands Business Park. City Manager Ken Nordhoff has sent a letter… Read more “What planet should George Lucas place in Walnut Creek?”

In the days after the Walnut Creek City Council approved a new nuisance-based ordinance for regulating establishments that dispense alcohol, two businesses seemed determined to put the… Read more “Fights, crowd control problems at downtown bars”

 UPDATE: The Mayor of Claycord reports that Mike Dunn AKA Radar has been able to get his health coverage back, thanks to the generous donations of businesses… Read more “Claycord’s plea for help for local photojournalist”

The victims might know the robbers — or vice versa. Think about it: Do the victims of home invasions ever turn out to be targeted at random?… Read more “The thing about home invasion robberies …”

Over the past week, I was talking to a senior at one of our area’s super-competitive high schools. The young woman had survived AP classes and the… Read more “Not just about sex: Spring Awakening raises timely questions about how we educate our kids”

The Planning Commission will once again this Thursday evening look at Broadway Plaza’s major long-range expansion plans, which include adding up to 300,000 square feet of new… Read more “Broadway Plaza’s grand plans: Close Broadway Plaza Street. Fine with me”