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Local Columns

Authentic faith inherently political

Sometimes I imagine heaven as the church basement of my childhood. I grew up in a picturesque Southern California town nestled in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, where our bustling non‑denominational evangelical church seemed to anchor the community. The church basement was ...

Conducting amateur archeology

have been doing a bit of amateur archeology lately, digging deep, excavating through layers of an all-but-forgotten past. This process is sometimes painful as it causes me to review the awful fashion and haircut choices I made when I was growing up. Digging through old family photos can ...

A Bad Bunny with a good message

I like Bad Bunny. There, I said it. I lost a few readers there. I don’t speak Spanish. My daughter Abby does. (Shout out to Abby’s high school Spanish teacher, Gail Bromenschenkel. You done good!) Abby has lived in Spain, Guatemala, and Colombia. Many of her friends are Spanish ...

Local election process shows that election officials have integrity

This November there will be a midterm election, and already there’s talk about the potential for disputed results. It’s a disturbing trend in national politics, one that has coincided with Donald Trump’s leadership of the Republican Party. I’m offended by how he continues to question ...

On the porch

As mentioned a few weeks ago, this year, the United States will commemorate and celebrate the 250th anniversary (the “Semiquincentennial” of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. This anniversary presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to share the whole history of our ...

Country school kids – Charlie Hettling – the Hettling family and farm

As mentioned a few weeks ago, this year, the United States will commemorate and celebrate the 250th anniversary (the “Semiquincentennial” of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. This anniversary presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to share the whole history of our ...