When a bride-to-be says 'yes' and begins to make plans for her wedding, down-turned economy aside, feelings of stress and being overwhelmed take on new meanings. | Full Story

The Ted Falasco Arts Center held its last concert of its season series Saturday as it hosted a group from Stanford University. | Full Story

The Los Baños High School Interact Club held an event, the first of its kind for the club, on campus over the weekend. "A Night in Paris" was a fashion show, hosted by the Interact Club members, and supported Children's Hospital Central California in Madera. | Full Story

A little British film called "An Education" swept through independent theaters in mid-summer winning the praise of critics on both sides of the Atlantic but made little headway with mainstream American audiences. Nominated for Best Picture of the Year and Best Lead Actress by the Academy comes as little surprise to regular cinephiles but leaves all the rest thinking "huh?" | Full Story

Jim Cook, one of my beloved veterans and color guard member is standing guard now in heaven. I have known Jim and his devoted wife, Annette, for many years and am deeply saddened by his passing. Jim was always good to his word, and his handshake was his bond. The community has lost a local hero. | Full Story

2 Samuel 5:22-23a: Once more the Philistines came up and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; so David inquired of the LORD, and he answered. | Full Story

Kathryn Bigelow's film "The Hurt Locker" takes place amongst the uncertain chaos that is Baghdad, but is less a film about the conflict in Iraq than a deeply visceral meditation of armed conflict and the toll that it takes on the men whom are directly involved. | Full Story

In the 1870s, Billy Wright arrived in the San Joaquin Valley; he looked over the valley and declared, "Someday I am going to own all this!" This is exactly what he tried to do. | Full Story

Seventh-Day Adventist School in Los Baños helped attempt a statewide jump rope challenge to claim a new Guinness World Record Monday. Throughout California, 2,000 schools and 80,000 students participated in the attempt of the most people jumping/skipping rope at same time. The adventist school, with 40 students, was excited to be part of a much larger group, Principal Marilee Dalton said. | Full Story

A new slate of officers for the Los Baños Genealogical Society was sworn in at their January Business/Board meeting. Each officer swore to promote personal research, help others with common ancestors or areas of growth, promote knowledge of history and progress through group effort. | Full Story

As a young Christian in my teens I was always involved in ministry. In fact, the very first ministry I ever headed up was a rest home ministry. | Full Story

The Los Baños High School History Society honored Charles Sawyer at its inaugural Hall of Fame dinner on Saturday. Sawyer has been Los Baños' resident historian for years and many communtiy members' 'go-to' guy for facts only a man of his wisdom would remember. | Full Story

To minimize classroom disruptions, Los Baños High School will not accept any Valentine's Day related deliveries at the school during the week of Feb. 8. The school understands that many of us are accustomed to sending our loved ones balloons, flowers, and other tangible expressions of our feelings during Valentine's Day. The school encourages those wishing to do so to send their gifts to their loved ones on Valentine's Day, Sunday, Feb. 14. | Full Story

I had a friend, Freda, who would often send me a note with that line and perhaps a few other words, but the amount of news is not what mattered. What mattered so much to me was that she had stopped from her busy life just to think of me. It made me feel warm, and special. So dear reader, comes this column to you to say Happy New Year, hope you are fine, enjoying the rain, and that sunshine has come your way. | Full Story

Providing an opportunity for someone in need is almost as fulfilling as accepting the opportunity. | Full Story