Columnists

M y parents named me Walter Stanislav Cieplik Jr. and I’m not quite sure how I got old. Well. Let’s just say, approaching middle age. I was named after my

If we don’t stop to consider and appreciate the wonder of “ordinary life” surrounding us, we’re missing the whole point of it all. Life, I hope, is about giving and

As the weather turns a bitter cold at night and waves of winter storms re-christen our brown hills with bright green, our seasonal climate change begs us to wonder about

By David Hegg In the days following Thanksgiving I read an insightful article on the irony of Black Friday sales. The author lamented that, just one day after reminding ourselves

As the upcoming 2024 upcoming election cycle draws near, I hear politicians and pundits talking about how COVID-19 is “over” and how people should just “move on.” This is a

DEAREST PRESIDENT XI JINPING — Top of the morning to you, amigo. Howzithanging? Representing the citizens of the riparian and gentrified community of SClarita, California, home to braindead yuppies without

I was thinking the other day how we really live in a bubble here in Santa Clarita.  With two wars, an immigration crisis, inflation, corruption, a border crisis, homelessness, political

It’s helpful during holidays to stop and put our lives and living conditions into proper perspective.   You and I are under a lot of influences in our lives –

By David Hegg In society, respect plays an essential role. At its foundation, respect means to act in alignment with certain societal rules, even when to do so is to

The letter is signed, “Just a Deputy.”  It’s gotten a bit of media attention since it started circulating in the law enforcement community about a week ago, not long after

Fentanyl is poisoning and killing 300 Americans every single day. There are 11,000 illegal crossings at our southern border every single day. These are not talking points – it’s a

It is beyond wearying trying to keep up with the shenanigans of the politicians and bureaucrats without number that plague the American landscape. I just spent several hours trying to

Hello friends of the Santa Clarita Valley, and greetings from Texas. Yes, you read that correctly, I have relocated to Texas. Not for the reasons that are always tossed around

I have worked in the accounting profession since 1973. After 50 years, I thought I had seen it all, but recently I have noticed a new trend — taxpayers experiencing

By David Hegg Anyone who has ever written a research paper, especially those who have gained a post-high school degree, has been instructed in the relationship between meaning and context.

I’ll never forget the day Vanessa and I dropped our son off at college, what a bittersweet moment it was. We were so proud of the young man whom we

A month ago, Hamas launched an unprecedented and barbaric act against innocent Israeli civilians. Since that attack, not only has Israel had to deal with unimaginable horrors, but we have

I just recently discovered that the correct term is “Daylight Saving” (singular) — NOT — “Daylight Savings” (plural). It matters little to me. I no longer wear a watch because my

Age is a hot topic right now. Especially, “older, old age.”   President Joe Biden is getting hit with more than his fair share of rotten tomatoes on this one.

N aturally, as a young man, I am in the process of figuring out what I want to do with my life. What exactly do I want the next 50