Opinion

There are drought-tolerant, warm season turf grasses that are tougher, require less water/maintenance/fertilizer and, if maintained properly, will equal or exceed artificial grass in quality, safety and perhaps usability. Natural grass fields also have many other health and environmental benefits such as providing oxygen,...

A heartfelt thank you to Los Gatan reporter Drew Penner, who attended our first KCAT Summer Media Film Festival on Aug. 14! Drew, we are grateful for the front page picture of two of our leaders, Noah Hirsch and Owen Fugit, plus your feature...

“Where are you from?” It’s a common question, and one that can be quite loaded for people of diverse ethnicities. On its face, it’s a plain question based on curiosity, filled with nostalgia, or awe. But it could also carry covert racism and hatred, carrying the connotation...

We've got a crisis on our hands, and it's not the latest TikTok trend or an avocado shortage. We're talking about a severe blood drought. The life-giving, accident-saving, surgery-enabling fluid is in shorter supply than toilet paper during the whole pandemic debacle. You might be...

I'm a freshman at Los Gatos High School, and, as part of a Boy Scouts project for Troop 339, I've decided to contact you about a subject of concern: the ongoing housing developments in Los Gatos. Many of Los Gatos’ citizens feel these developments are...

Contributor Jeffrey P. Blum is a family law mediator. Robert Greene’s book “The 48 Laws of Power” instructs us to never criticize our boss. Avoiding criticizing your boss is important for maintaining your position and gaining favor. Criticisms can be perceived as a challenge to...

Urban planning thrives on informed decision-making. However, the increasing influence of game theory—a branch of mathematics that studies strategic interactions—can be a recipe for disaster in the messy world of governance. While game theory offers insights in some areas, relying largely on its models...

The Laurel and Hardy film “Perfect Day” is a masterclass in irony. In about twenty minutes, it captures the unraveling of a well-intentioned Sunday outing. The boys and their wives are dressed and ready for a relaxing picnic. But the car won’t start. Tempers...

While serving on the Palo Alto Human Relations Commission, I became familiar with many regulars who engaged with local government. One man stood out for his persistence. He wasn’t a crank. He was sharp, well-prepared and articulate. Yet, despite his constructive contributions, he became...

Did Blum’s comedic Los Gatan article fill a pothole? My recent Los Gatan piece, a brief foray into levity after a series of my more usual serious columns, featured a few lines about the “Grand Canyon-sized pothole” on the Highway 17 north on-ramp. I even mused,...