A few years ago, many readers commented how much they enjoyed my column about holiday baking and requested that I make this an annual tradition. Though my holiday baking has since expanded into the entire month of December so that more family and friends can enjoy the fruits of my labor, the true spirit of the message remains. I promise to stay knee-deep in flour, sugar and spices, and wish all a sweet holiday season and new year.
We live in the greatest country in the entire world. It has many inequalities and a number of negative attributes, but these are an exception, not the norm.
This is a story about a tree and the spirit of Christmas generated by one local neighborhood.
Much has been written in the Boulder City Review opinion pieces recently about “scientific research” and factual data regarding in the COVID-19 pandemic and efforts to prevent and treat the disease. This includes (false) claims from other opinion authors that research has shown that masks are “ineffective at preventing the spread of COVID” (Savord, Oct. 27, and that vaccinated people transmit the virus to others “at a higher rate, and with more serious symptoms” than a person with natural antibodies (Ishihara, Nov. 24).
This holiday season I’m contemplating technology. I purchased Alexa devices because I was tired of yelling across the house at mealtimes. They also function as alarm clocks, fact checkers, personal meteorologists, multiroom speakers, audiobook narrators, escape room docents and, when we’re feeling lazy, a conduit for family scripture time. All from the convenience of a little device. It almost seems too much for one little dot, and the problem is that many times it is.
In addition to small-town charm, Boulder City’s spectacular quality-of-life amenities are among the main things that attract people to live here and visit us.
I enjoyed sitting outdoors while dining at various restaurants this fall as we experienced one of the most splendid Indian summers ever in Boulder City. On Sunday, Nov. 28, I was sitting with my wife, Fonda, enjoying another beautiful day when a couple arrived at an adjoining table. They both had gray hair so they were at least in their 50s or 60s.
By definition, a vaccine is “a preparation that is used to stimulate the body’s immune response against diseases,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
This is the season of Thanksgiving and my hope is that everyone had a good day and a good meal. That has not always been easy during this year of the pandemic. Many of us have had losses or illness that made the year so difficult. We are indeed living in a time that has impacted all of us in ways large and small.
I appreciated the recent commentary by Daniel Benyshek regarding vaccine and mask mandates. He points out the “dutiful responsibility” that freedom-loving Americans should embrace, and I agree wholeheartedly.
I wanted to take this opportunity to share more information with our Boulder City neighbors about the city of Henderson’s proposed annexation of portions of Eldorado Valley, located along the southeast boundary of Henderson and south of Railroad Pass.
In the movie “Forrest Gump,” the titular character says, “My mama always said, ‘Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.’”
Despite the overwhelming consensus of the American professional medical community (including the American Medical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Nurses Association, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institutes of Health) that advocate for COVID-19 vaccination and basic disease prevention behaviors such as mask wearing in public in order to lessen the savage toll of the coronavirus pandemic, some Americans remain skeptical of the necessity, safety and efficacy of these public health measures. Indeed, it is likely that no amount of expert medical advice or corroborative scientific data will convince these skeptics and conspiracy theorists otherwise.
Following events in Boulder City can sometimes feel like riding the wave machine at a water park. Lots of highs and lows. Some of us are just along for the ride. Some are determined to get to the front, pushing and shoving as we go. Then, some of us like standing on the edge and blowing a whistle.
