In 1887, Nellie Bly, the intrepid real-life Lois Lane of her day, feigned insanity and had herself committed to what was then called a lunatic asylum so she could write about its appalling conditions from the inside out. Her series of articles produced a book called “Ten Days in a Mad-House,…

Historian Larry Burgess, director emeritus of A. K. Smiley Library, has long lamented the state of Redlands’ trees. In a talk 10 years ago, he called our Redlands historic trees under assault. I checked back with Burgess, and little has changed.

One of the biggest challenges that our businesses and workers faced was the abrupt government shutdowns last year. Changes were happening regularly and taking effect immediately, leaving already struggling employers scrambling to review and comply with orders that may require significant and…

As we begin to see some light at the end of this tunnel (or at least some relief at the end of a needle), we can all look back at some events that have saddened us, frustrated us, encouraged us or simply amused us — and I’m certainly no exception.

The new administration is off to a roaring start on the critical issue of climate change, an issue they promised to take action on — and, not a moment too soon, as we watch more and more extreme weather events strike across the country.

April is California Arts, Culture and Creativity Month, a time to celebrate the boundless beauty and richness the arts bring to our lives.

Each day, more than 700,000 social workers nationwide make life better for others. They empower people with the skills and encouragement they need to overcome life’s challenges.

In the strongest possible terms, I am condemning US Rep. Pete Aguilar’s proposed legislation insinuating that our great American military is infiltrated with white supremacists, nationalists and domestic terrorists.

Assemblyman James C. Ramos, Democrat from Highland, released this statement on Tuesday following Gov. Gavin Newsom’s State of the State address:

When I look at the issue of letting kids play sports again, I view it through both of my filters, that of a legislator and of a mother. That is why it is clear to me that parents should be allowed to decide if it is the right time for their children to get back onto the recreational field an…

San Bernardino County has been the standard-bearer for administering the COVID-19 vaccine to our residents. The county has utilized more than 97% of the doses we have received from the state while many other counties struggle to use more than 85%.

Re: “A Redlands mother calls for unity,” Juliet Wozniak, Jan. 29.

Three days before the president incited a deadly attack on the Capitol, my colleagues and I swore an oath to defend our Constitution. In that oath, I swore “that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.”

I would like to express some thoughts about the proposals under consideration to make changes to the historic way of selecting our Redlands mayor.

The governor’s spending plan is a balanced and focused priority list of what we need to address now:

In the early days of 2020 — at a time when the only Coronas I’d heard of were the name of a beer and my hometown — I sent out an email to friends with some of my “visions” for 2020. Since none of them came to pass in 2020, I thought I’d give it another go in 2021.

The Friends of Redlands have studied the General Plan 2035, Downtown Specific Plan and Transit Villages Specific Plan Draft with the objective of informing the residents of Redlands about the City Council and city planning objectives for our city.

Despite the rather disconcerting results of the presidential election — which shouldn’t have been even remotely close, let alone as close as it was — the country continues to catch up to those of us who’ve always attempted to take a rational approach to some of the contentious issues and pro…

Dear Rusty: It is common knowledge that over the decades politicians have taken billions if not trillions of dollars out of the Social Security fund to finance other government programs. This information is never published or addressed and having the government repay this money back to SS is…

Imagine that you could be sitting comfortably in your living room enjoying all the amazing Christmas art that Redlands has to offer to get into the Christmas spirit. Behold! Your wishes have been granted.

I am humbled by the expression of genuine love displayed by our community and Redlanders living all over the United States in support of Redlands locally owned businesses this year.

In the Dec. 4 edition of the Redlands Community News, I saw a startling photograph. Mary, Joseph and the Wise Men were reclining on their backs on the steps of a downtown church. It made me laugh out loud. That trip on donkey-back to Bethlehem must have been grueling. I could just imagine Ma…

As a lifelong resident of the Inland Empire, I have grown more and more alarmed about the dangers that climate change brings to our area and for a future for our grandchildren.

As a parent of a high school senior, it is difficult to watch a child suffer during these unprecedented times, knowing one of the most memorable times of a senior’s life has been stripped away from them.

My fellow Redlanders,

On Sept. 18, 2020, we lost a giant. The passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was an immeasurable loss for our country. Throughout her career, Justice Bader Ginsburg rightfully earned folk-hero status. Known for her fearless and unapologetic defenses of women’s rights, she was…

It’s been a year since my first column appeared here and to say many remarkable events have happened since then would be the expected cliché, but, nevertheless, it’s true. Of course that many events will happen in a year is inevitable, but, as I supposed you’ve noticed, 2020 will go down as …

For the past 12 years, Redlands has operated with balanced budgets, always living within our means, using recurring revenues to meet recurring expenses. During that time, the city steadily reduced its debt and built reserves for a rainy day.

Since we announced our new Fund for Local News last week, the donations in support of the Community News have been filling our mailbox. All I can say is “Wow! Thank you very much!”

The nation’s Centers for Disease Control recently released the results of a survey studying the impact of the pandemic on mental health. Their findings were startling. The CDC survey revealed that more than 40 percent of the survey’s respondents reported COVID-19 had created mental stress in…

My column in April about my runs through downtown Redlands during the height of the COVID clampdowns noted with irony several “essential” businesses that were still open, including a liquor store and a vaping shop. Several readers were particularly struck by the vaping shop, open at a time w…

Re: “Surveys support one-cent sales tax increase,” Redlands Community News,  July 31.

You could say there have been some silver linings to the pandemic we are all now living through. Our homes have never been cleaner, we have finally found time to clean out closets and garages and the shop local movement has been getting a boost, evidenced by cities all over America encouragi…

Assemblyman James C. Ramos, D-Highland, and Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, last Thursday asked the Legislature’s administrative committees to obtain input from an advisory group that includes historians and California Native Americans before determining the fate of the Junípero Serra st…

Just eight days after the U.S. Census Bureau released the digital 2020 Census survey, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a Stay at Home Order due to the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 exposed a crisis that has been prevalent for decades in hard-to-count communities, and that is the lack of …

Late 1949, dad buys the Holland bakery. We move into a modest home on East Highland Avenue. We escape Los Angeles for a wonderland of orange, palm and pepper trees.

Another night, another round of these inconsiderate boneheads in Redlands setting off fireworks and M80s (apparently it’s happening nationwide), upsetting our dogs and disturbing the peace — sometimes well after midnight — and all a month before the Fourth!

Last week’s commentary by John Berry of the Redlands Tea Party Patriots deserves a response. Mr. Berry set the tone by writing, “What started as a racial justice protest has devolved into violent mobs wantonly destroying public property as well as vandalizing statues of ... great American ic…

On Saturday, the Redlands Tea Party Patriots will lead a “Defend Our Police and Defend America” rally because it’s time somebody stood against the bullies.

Like many of you, I watched with an overwhelming sense of horror and dismay the shocking video of the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer while other officers looked on and did nothing.

Friends of Redlands has been studying the city’s General Plan Downtown Specific Plan and the Transit Villages Specific Plan Draft. The Transit Villages Plan for parking is insufficient for the success of downtown.

Dear Redlands community,

In reaction to my April column about the runs I’ve taken through downtown Redlands and the various sights I’ve seen when so many businesses are experiencing those “viral vacancies,” some readers told me that they were struck by the irony that a liquor store and a vaping shop were still open …

This crisis has shown us how much we need our local small businesses. They provide valuable services and products and are often a social “hub” for the community. We need to “shop local” as much as we can, even if that means paying a premium for the convenience of shopping local.

Problems are solved by facing them squarely. Last week, Gov. Newsom outlined the magnitude of the state’s deficit and proposed a multiyear, strategic approach that works to protect the most vulnerable, students, and our public health and safety systems. The Legislature now begins the work of…

Our state and nation have implemented extraordinary measures in the face of the coronavirus. We are forever grateful to our health-care workers and all those on the frontlines.

The San Bernardino County district attorney's office is not a proponent of the release of inmates solely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and we do not support the release of county jail inmates awaiting the court process.