Columns

One of life’s great joys are those moments when something unexpected and wonderful happens to us. These high points usually carry with them great excitement and leave in their wake hopeful expectation that it’ll keep happening to us. Of course, they usually don’t. At least not for a long while, at any rate. Notice that I said usually. Sometimes one …

It’s not the most interesting or compelling story of the year from Parker, AZ, but you can never tell what the news outlets are going to find newsworthy. A fireworks show ending in a (not particularly large) brush fire here on Monday night caught the attention of the national press, who reported it with the following headlines after Parker Live …

It’s a phrase I keep hearing over and over again lately. It’s being said about national, international and local events. It’s being said by men, women and yes, even some kids I know. It’s usually said with a large side order of anger or disgust but at times it also comes with sheer resignation. “What a mess!” It seems that …

When I bought my first Ford Ranger (I’m on my second one now) I got some teasing from people telling me that Ford stood for ‘Found On Roadside Dead’, among other things. As it turns out, my two Rangers have been great little trucks, and I’m hanging on to my current one since they don’t make them anymore. All of …

Last month I talked a little bit about how important persistence is in our lives. Nothing worth doing happens without it, that’s for sure. And, come to think of it, nothing much worth doing gets done without at least some of it either! So persistence is a critical factor in all our lives. But – you knew that big “but” …

UPDATE 4/6: The jail just received 70 federal inmates, less than a week after the below article was written. For more information, go HERE. “Door Seven,” Commander Suffle said into his radio. A few moments later a buzzing sound came from the metal door in front of us, and he opened it and showed us through. It was me, Sheriff …

Somewhere around 426 B.C. Herodotus published his greatest work, “The Histories.” More than just a history it’s also an inquiry into many things, including what he called “custom” which is what we call “culture.” “One can see by this what custom can do, and Pindar, in my opinion, was right when he called it king of all.” -Herodotus, The Histories, Book 3 …

As we enter into February a lot of us have settled back into what passes for normal in our lives. The hype of the holiday season is long gone and so is the newness of this year. Not that the year is all that old, mind you, but by now it sure doesn’t feel very new either. So we are …

I was going to write a column about how important it is to be on time in the new year but decided that would be a bad idea given I’m late on this column! Okay, not really, but I am late. Even when you factor Parker Time into the equation I’m still late. There’s a very good reason for that …

It’s that time once again everyone – Christmas is coming soon, whether you like it or are ready for it or not. Most of our Christmases have a lot in common. From year to year we gather with friends and/or family, we eat and possibly drink too much, and of course we exchange gifts as well. The old tradition of …