Mark Malone at West Point Military AcademyThe Malone family was often spotted on Upper Main as they walked by the tennis court heading to town. They were coming from their Klingelhofer built house up river and short of the Hospital Bridge. Patricia and Dan had jobs in the Bay Area but enjoyed the Downieville setting whenever possible. Katie and Mark were grade school kids when the family was first spotted by the tennis pro who hoped they would also appear on the court. That pro then enjoyed following the family news over the years, especially as young Mark was admitted as a member of the Class of 2023 at the United States Military Academy at West Point. That was logical since the pro’s husband and grandson were USMA graduates.Mark Malone graduated from the De La Salle High School in Concord on his way to West Point. That he was an Eagle Scout was a positive achievement along with a high academic standing helping the challenge of gaining entry. The primary Academy admission pro

At the April 26th Portola City Council meeting, the council decided unanimously to prohibit remote participation that has allowed people to engage with meetings from home (or work) for years. Why would the council choose to limit public participation rather than encouraging different options for people to comment? This move is possibly contrary to state law and will not prevent critics of the council from speaking out, as it is clearly intended to do. What it will do is prevent public participation by those who are older, people with disabilities, people with children or no childcare options, those working night shifts, those who can’t drive (or can’t drive in the dark), those with serious chemical or electrical injuries and sensitivities, those concerned about respiratory diseases as well as caregivers of ill residents (who may not be able to physically appear at the council). Basically, normal, everyday people.Portola City Council is moving in the wrong direction under th

It’s a societal thing. There have been uses for guns over the centuries, all being violent. Guns were used to take over the new continents (at least new to those in the labeled European continent). Guns were also used to subdue and take all of the other continents, for a time. There is a long history.Baring arms is a whole other story that shows the flesh. Human flesh can be utterly decimated by citizenry who use the battle hardware of guns now. Children killed in a mass shooting at their school could not be identified by parents looking at their bodies. They looked at their clothing, their shoes.The main rationalization, much of it reality based, especially in humanly crowded places, where there is easy access to this weaponry is … “I need to protect myself and my family”. Never mind the studies and the statistics that put everyone around more in danger with the accumulation of the number and killing power of the battle tool. A gun in the home is more likely t

Traveling outside the United States is an eye opener. With two trips to Brazil under my belt and a vacation to Italy, I recommend visiting other countries. Your view of the world will no doubt expand, and hopefully add a dose of humility to your standing on this great planet.When I lived in Brazil for a summer, I had become quite ill. Fortunately, my motherin- law in my first marriage had a doctor for a neighbor. This kind soul visited me, and she brought the needed antibiotics ensuring my recovery. When I was finally up and around, and healthy, it was time to stop by her home and offer a heart-felt thank you.I encourage you to travel outside our country, it's a great big world out there!This week we have a boy in Katakwi, Uganda, Emmanuel Otengai, writing his school notes at night using the street lights! Resident of Kampala, Uganda, Umar Mulinde, brings us this photo, stating, "Nothing will stop him!"Honestly, this wore on my conscience. I have procrastinated on the com

There is a certain irony in writing about one of the most rewarding activities of summer during quite possibly the biggest winter storm we’ll see this season. Then again, however, it is never too early to start preparing for the growing season, and all the joys and challenges alike it can bring. This is why I am already preparing to build my gardens for 2023, despite the freezing rain and bitter cold enshrouding us right now, and why I’m sharing the most useful tips on earning your green thumb I’ve gleaned from 15-plus years of solo or assisted gardening in the Lost Sierra.One of the most crucial steps, long before you even break ground or plant your first sprouts, is to do your research on what you’re going to plant, where you’re going to site your garden, and how you’re going to get water and nutrients there. Frequently, these questions will inform each other – let’s say you are, for instance, trying to do as I stubbornly did and grow c

We are living in the richest time of the richest nation that has ever existed on the planet. Were we to choose not to make gazillionaires of a handful of business owners, our scratching out a living would be part-time work. Even so, there are those who keep body and soul together by dumpster diving.We don’t believe this is an option in most of the world.In our experience, hustling a living has always been easy for an able-bodied person. There are few restaurants that don’t need a waiter, dishwasher or pot scrubber. In other lines of work, there are currently literally millions of jobs going wanting.So what explains our unhappiness, the vitriol and victimhood of our politics?Speaking of the presidency, the philosopher F. Lawson Downing observed: “They’re never as good as you hope, and never as bad as you fear.”While we reluctantly agree, it is not a family trait. We have kin who describe the current president in most unchristian terms, comparing that worthy

Yet again, the nefarious if not criminal activities of our one-time president are forcing the country to debate in real time basic beliefs that most Americans have held sacred for 250 years. While frustrating, the process of recalling those basic beliefs may be good for a country of civically illiterate and chronically detached citizens.The question now being pondered is whether a president should be treated differently than you or me. For those who are familiar with the contents of our constitution, the answer ought to be a case of settled law. But since we’ve pretty much exorcised the teaching of civics and/or American history from the curriculum, hardly anyone has. So the debate continues. I happily confess to not being a lawyer. But in my ignorance, the answer seems very clear and not at all debatable. At least for as long as we consider ourselves a democracy. A fundamental principle of American democracy is that none among us has the rights of a king — that everyone fr

In 1896, and again in 2004, books entitled “What’s the Matter With Kansas” became best sellers. Both, the former by Willian Allen White, the latter by Thomas Frank, were critical of the governance of the authors’ home state, although the political winds of the state had shifted diametrically over the intervening 108 years.Both complained that Kansas voters consistently opted against their own best interests. We steal that title to make the following observations of Sierra voters.In our recent election a slim majority (52-48) wanted to further insure Californian’s right to abortion. OK, we realize the papists remain a virulent political force. Nevertheless, by a 63—37 vote Sierra’s voters supported a candidate opposed to any abortion for any reason.We presumed the average age of Sierra County residents is 87, but a brief sojourn into research proves that presumption mistaken. The actual average age is closer to 69 years old.That means half of us