The Enterprise carried a fine letter from a Los Banos citizen signed Janet Branvold. Ms. Branvold's letter is bursting with religious bigotry and she makes some very good points. "Our Heavenly Father created this and all that is in it," she assuredly stated. Then she proceeds in her narrow vision to exclude me from all that is "in it." While I appreciate her professed sympathy, I think it is better saved for the likes of Brittany Spears and her 17-hour sanctified marriage or the Pitt-Jolie union that has produced six children but cannot find 15 minutes to confirm their commitment to each other.

Political primer:

The teachable moment came into our classroom a couple of months ago when outta left field, a kid piped up, "Whadda 'bout Freedom?"

Now that I'm in my 60s, I wonder more and more about where I'll be living as I get older.

Veterans' Day is about giving thanks and paying tribute. It is a time of both recognition and reflection in a country whose past and present include the contributions of servicemen and women. Though veterans come from all different backgrounds, their contribution is similar, and therefore it is essential to honor them all -- past, present, and future.

Political primer:

Our school district has discovered that naming a new high school is just as difficult as finding the funds to build one. Recently, the trustees put together a public naming committee that provided three recommendations: Freedom High, Pacheco High and Veterans Memorial High. Letters to the editor and a multitude of coffee shop discussions, all with good opinions, have been discussed over a cup of java.

In this election season, we need to ask our candidates eye-to-eye what their position is on the proposed Community Center. The bid award to start this essential and long overdue facility is delayed until the first of the year after the new bids are received and IF the City Council gives its approval. For some candidates, their 'yes' response today is the politically correct answer to get through the election.

The Enterprise asked each of the candidates for City Council and mayor to answer these four questions:

Election day is near. On Nov. 4, citizens will finally make their choices for president of the U.S., one-third of the 100 U.S. senators, 435 members of the House of Representatives, state and county offices, state propositions, Los Baños mayor and city council, and members of the Los Baños school board. You will have many decisions to make.

Ballot propositions have generated much interest and some controversy in recent elections. Let's look at what propositions are and why there is often controversy surrounding them.

Our flush city council is pursuing an $890,000 addition to the infamous Rail Trail, part of which come from our municipal coffers.

I have been a friend of Diana Ingram for about 15 years. She is running for a seat on the City Council. I believe she would make the best choice for our city. She is extremely fair minded. Diana has a way of seeing every ones views; she can think independently and find a solution to help our city. Diana will not be swayed by special interest; she will always do what is best for our city.

In the current presidential campaign, one term is used frequently, by both sides: "small town values." That, I thought, would be a good topic for this column.

I've been watching this financial crisis, and I think I understand it. Apparently, the president and some members of congress are adamantly determined to use a trillion of our taxpayer dollars to bail out banks which loaned money they didn't have to people who had no imaginable way of paying it back to pay for houses that were priced at about three times their reasonable value. They want to bail out Wall Street firms who knowingly bought the worthless notes. They also want to to bail out the home buyers who knew from the beginning that they would not be able to make the increased payments on their variable rate and "interest only" mortgages when those payments inevitably increased.