EDITORIAL: New council must deal with Pinheiro
This editorial expresses the opinion of The Westside Express editorial board. The longer Los Banos...
Read More
Category: Opinion
Reader hopes Nov. 5 election will bring needed change for Los Banos
After 23 years of living in Los Banos, I’ve learned the electorate can make very savvy decisions about our schools and city. I’m confident the Three Amigos, Mayor Paul Llanez and councilmembers Brett Jones, and...
Read MoreOur city is mired in too many ugly secrets
BY KATHY BALLARDLos Banos Resident Back in 2021, Brett Jones wanted his buddy Josh Pinheiro to be hired as Los Banos city manager. It didn’t matter that he had no experience in government. Or that he had little experience...
Read MoreAlpha and Omega: Goodbye to the editor of my first and last story
I’m writing to say goodbye to a man most readers of The Westside Express never knew. Cal Tatum, who edited some of the stories published in this newspaper, died last week in Arizona. We were never close friends, but he was more...
Read MoreGoodbye, Westside Express readers; hello, University of California Berkeley
Growing up in Los Banos, it was difficult for me to get past the small-town mindset thinking that there is so much better elsewhere. I didn’t see much opportunity for me to connect with other people or even see that there was...
Read MoreStarting a new school year
As summer comes to an end, it’s time to get back into routine for school. On Aug. 13 I went back to school only this time, I’m a senior. If I could go back and tell myself high school would go by quicker than...
Read MoreWestside Express subscriber likes articles on California
As a native Californian, I must say that Dennis Wyatt’s richly researched articles on California duly edified me. Those about the San Joaquin River and California highways extended my knowledge of both on top of what I already...
Read MoreFirebaugh school district investigation ‘much ado about nothing’
“Boobies?” Really? “Chonies?” Seriously? Can you say, “Much ado about nothing?” The hub-bub involving the Firebaugh/Las Deltas Unified School District and more specifically, superintendent Roy Mendiola, has been going on for...
Read MoreCity gives special treatment of some businesses
Editor, The Express, I am concerned about the preferential treatment given to a new business located in a historical theater building, while other new businesses in town do not receive the same level of promotion. As taxpayers,...
Read MoreThe importance of ethics and the challenges of local governments
By GREG WELLMAN Given levels of animosity between political parties at the federal level, one wonders whether a sense of right or wrong still exists in the minds and hearts of those calling the shots. In other words, do...
Read More
THE SAN JOAQUIN RIVER
Seven miles into the Ansel Adams Wilderness I got my first view of Thousand Island Lake from the...
Read More
$5 bass bounty could help threatened salmon & reduce need for $20B tunnel
The Bureau of Reclamation has made a strong case to declare the non-native bass Public Enemy No. 1...
Read More