The issue: Union fundraiser spends 85 percent of collections on salaries and other expenses. Our opinion: A disgraceful practice that unions should cease and lawmakers should investigate. ...more

December 13, 2009

Bidding for Beach Rights Here we go again ... more of the same! Our illustrious County Commissioners discovering yet another way to put their hands in the cookie jar groveling around for those last crumbs in the bottom. Pine Island has been a complete, workable, beautiful little paradise for our area for 18 years, so now it's been discussed to open the bids for a new operator. Parks Director Pat Fagan quotes in one paragraph "it needs to be looked at with economic conditions to see if we can get more money," then admits "sometimes it's not always about the money" in reference to Willie Kochounian being a top-notch vendor and having no public complaints. So which is it County Commissioners? Have you just discovered another way to make more money from us common folk for the "county coffers" you refer to? Or does 18 years of good rapport and service speak for itself? ...more

March 12, 2009

About this time of year, my daughters usually get the urge to do some baking for family and friends. ...more

December 14, 2008

About this time of year, my daughters usually get the urge to do some baking for family and friends. I get the urge to NOT have another holiday-related task while facing an already strapped budget. This cookie recipe is the one exception. In the spirit of our TBO.com holiday foods database, "Feast On The Cheap," it meets all the criteria for the three of us. ...more

December 12, 2008

Democrats fared well on the national scene Tuesday. But don't tell that to incumbent Democratic county commissioners Chris Kingsley and Diane Rowden, who were voted out of office and replaced by two self-avowed fiscal conservative Republicans: James Adkins and John Druzbick. ...more

November 6, 2008

If you can stand (and generate) the heat, you can whip up a dandy stir-fry. ...more

July 29, 2008