The Transit Villages Specific Plan document is way too long winded to adequately summarize in a short Community News comment, but a quick skeptical view might be in the public interest. If you like a really expensive surprise now and then, you probably don’t want to know anything about the p…

There’s a lot of talk about climate change, but that’s only one of the four horsemen of the global apocalypse.

The risk of wildfires across California and the west is at a critical point, made worse by the ongoing drought and poor forest management practices that have left more than 80 million acres of national forests overgrown, fire prone, and in dire need of active management. Now, our businesses …

This year’s legislative session – my first – is coming to a close, and I’d like to share some of what I’ve learned and accomplished. Representing Senate District 23 has been fascinating, enlightening and rewarding.

Phillosophically Speaking

When it comes to being first in the nation, California is at the top of the list in many categories. The number of state and national parks? Proudly, California has more than any other state (270 and 9, respectively).

The Friends of Redlands and Redlanders for Responsible Growth Management were disappointed but not surprised by the City Council’s vote to postpone a vote on our measure until November 2022, some 15 months without resolution of an issue which will determine the future of our town.

Dogs howled. Children hid in their homes. Adults were shocked and some even said they were sickened by the sighting and the humming sound — all this according to the widespread, eyewitness reports in the days following that memorable evening.

There has been much discussion about equity and Critical Race Theory (CRT) recently. I expressed my thoughts about equity in an earlier commentary where in a school setting “need” rather than “race” was the determining factor in receiving additional resources.

Once upon a time in the beautiful city of Redlands, a city council approved a high-rise building downtown. It is the only one of its kind that intrusively interrupts the landscape.

The University of Redlands has shaped my life. I graduated 21 years ago with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, married my college sweetheart and am now raising a family here in town. I have also devoted much of my career to the university, where I lead enrollment and finance op…

Re: “Find a compromise to replace the Redlands Mall,” Redlands Community News editorial, July 16.

Small business is the backbone of California’s economy. We’ve heard that, but what does it mean?

Thanks to the Redlands Community News for this opportunity to share thoughts in response to pieces by Donna West and Harriett Clark that have appeared in recent issues. They brought important attention to the vexing issues of race, equality and education American society. They spoke from dee…

Instead of spending yet another Earth Day bemoaning grim news about our endangered environment, I walked out to my garage, grabbed my gripper tool — the one with the trigger and the arms at the end like the cleanup crews use at Disneyland — and spent a couple of hours thinking globally while…

Is the Redlands City Council really going to spend $655,000 on an election it will lose?

Thanks to the Redlands Community News for this opportunity to share thoughts in response to pieces by Donna West and Harriett Clark that have appeared in recent issues. They brought important attention to the vexing issues of race, equality and education in American society. They spoke from …

There’s a monster under the bed and we should be very afraid.

U.S. Rep. Pete Aguilar, a Democrat from Redlands, has been appointed by House Speaker  Nancy Pelosi to the Select Committee to Investigate the Jan. 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol.

 As we approach the Fourth of July, our thoughts turn to fireworks, picnics, flags furling in the breeze, parades with bands playing patriotic music and gatherings with family and friends.  

I was impressed by the comments of Harriet Clark printed in the Redlands Community News on May 28. She made many valuable points that resonate with me and others.  

I am strongly against high-rise buildings in downtown Redlands. I am even more strongly against the disingenuous ballot initiative foisted on the city by the so-called Friends of Redlands and Redlands for Responsible Growth Management.

Individuals are not responsible for the color of skin they were born into. That would be group labeling.

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,