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I walked out of a chemistry lab my freshman year of college, excited to call my family and update them on my newfound independence. What greeted me on the other line was not exciting news, however, it was news that crushed my soul.  “Kaitlyn,” my grandmother...

As my grandkids call me, “Pop Pop,” I find myself navigating the inevitable march of time. While recent health challenges, like hernia surgery and a persistent snoring problem (these are but a few of the conditions I am having to address), have forced me...

We live in a society that often views aging through a lens of decline. From advertisements promising to “reverse the aging process” to assumptions that older adults are disengaged or deteriorating, the cultural script is clear—and frequently wrong. But a growing body of research...

The world of family law is often a battleground. Yet, even in such a demanding arena, some individuals rise above the fray. Bob Hoover, a Santa Clara County family law attorney who practiced for over 60 years before his passing at 93, was one...

Being an introvert and social anxiety are often confused, but they’re not the same. An introvert is a personality trait. Social anxiety is a mental health condition. An introvert might resist going to a party because they get drained from loud music and too much...

It strikes me that the major reason for allowing cannabis dispensaries in Los Gatos would be to generate more revenue. Assuming for argument’s sake that this is correct, there are options for generating revenue other than from allowing cannabis dispensaries in town. I often...

A much-discussed course of action to bring housing affordability to our area is to create more housing. And if we are to build more housing, why does it take so long?  While serving on the San Jose City Council’s Ad-Hoc Committee on Building & Planning,...

I aim for humor in my Los Gatan columns. The kind that elicits a chuckle, maybe a snort, not the kind that has readers questioning my grip on reality (though, fair point, the jury is deliberating on that one). Of course, I also try...

This article serves as a refutation of Jeffrey Blum’s article, “Community, not theory, should be at the heart of Town’s Planning,” which ran in last week’s edition.  Jeffrey Suzuki is a former Planning Commissioner, the current Vice Chair of the Complete Streets and Transportation Commission,...

Gearing up every morning for a job built on danger just comes with being a firefighter. Yet for thousands who hold this job in the Bay Area, the greatest risk may come not from flames or collapsing walls, but from the gear meant to...