Category: John Spevak

Wouldn’t it be remarkable if there were someone in Los Banos who cared so much about animals that she would devote her life to finding homes for dogs? As it turns out, there is. Her name is Christine Tercero, and she runs a...

Most Christians know we are well within the season of Lent, which began Feb. 22 on Ash Wednesday. Most will be surprised to learn that for Lent I’ve resolved not to give up anything, but to give more to myself. That’s an...

February is one of the best times of the year for those who live on the Westside. It’s the month of hope and awakening. I didn’t always like February. When I lived in the Midwest, it was a cruel month. After the cold and the...

The Los Banos Empty Bowls meal that will take place Feb. 23 in the Ted Falasco Arts Center has a decade-long history connecting art with service to the community. Tickets for the Thursday evening meal ($20 per person), which can...

In a recent column I noted that writers and editors of The Westside Express (and other newspapers) are required to follow the AP Stylebook. Most of that column was focused on small but important details, like the appropriate use...

The Christmas season is filled with messages of good cheer. Many people are wrapping and opening presents, many families are gathering, and outdoor lights are brightening many homes. This season is a time of joy and hope. The...

“Are we smarter or dumber?” A friend of mine asked me that recently and prompted me to explore that dilemmatic question. My friend was referring to the technology that labels itself smart: smart cell phones, smart TVs, smart...

Receiving kindness from strangers is a special grace. I realized this last month in the San Diego Airport when a young man named Ryan went out of his way to show kindness to me, whom he had never met before. Let me provide some...

The Westside Express has just become younger. The newspaper is losing a venerable senior citizen from its team but gaining a bright young woman with talent and enthusiasm. Last Friday was the last day the veteran...

Election Day is less than a month away. All registered voters on the Westside of Merced County will have the opportunity to cast their ballot. I hope a large number of these actually vote. Voting is something we can’t take...

Three cheers for writers and editors! That’s my own personal cheer but it could also be the motto of the Westside Express (WE). For this brave new experiment in local journalism to have succeeded so far, WE needed, of course,...