Here in Napa, we don’t always feel connected to the outside world.

Very recently, two identical e-mails appeared in my inbox, each forwarded from different sources, both calling for “all airline passengers” to “help cool the overheated oil market and permit the economy to prosper” by the CEOs of no less than 12 different airlines. I learned the unwelcome news that these 12 men (alas, not a single woman among them, but any discussion about the implications of that must wait for another day) have now added their voices in a very public way to the choir at the new Church of Economic Salvation.

Finding information about candidates or topics during election time is easier with the Internet available. We are going to use napavalleyregister.com to make this November’s election as easy as possible to learn all you want about each race on your ballot.

California Schools Superintendent Jack O’Connell unveiled newly calculated high school dropout data this week, pegging the overall rate at 24.2 percent and saying it would end reliance “on complicated formulas to make educated guesses about how many students were graduating and how many were leaving school without diplomas.”

Dear editor, Upon returning to Napa from a quiet, restful weekend in Lake Tahoe, we passed by the fairgrounds to see the activity of the rodeo going on. Our first thoughts were, “Oh no, the pain begins.” However, to our surprise and pleasure, we immediately realized the PA and music had been toned down quite a bit. It wasn’t at all a restless evening as we had anticipated. We want to thank all who were involved in making the positive choice to tone things down. Thank you!

Dear editor, I recently saw the ad in Napa Valley Magazine about the fair in August. Well, I was surprised that the theme is not an American one, like it always has been. Why is it that everything is in Spanish? What happened to the Americans? I, and others, am tired of being walked on and being treated second-class when I was born American and deserve respect. I do not plan on taking my grandchildren to this fair. This is not fair to us who live in Napa and deserve to have the American way.

Dear editor, Kudos to the Napa Graffiti Abatement program! Anyone interested in preserving our quality of life in Napa and removing ugly, destructive, graffiti can program the number into their phone for quick access: 257-9528.

Dear editor, The Napa Valley Writers’ Conference runs Sunday, July 27 to Friday, Aug. 1, at the Upper Valley Campus in St. Helena. Writers will be coming from as far away as Spain for the long-established program. Some of these poets and fiction writers find it difficult to afford lodging in our expensive valley so the conference finds housing for those who require it.

Dear editor, It was a pleasure and an honor to once again be a sponsor of the Fourth of July fireworks at the Veteran’s Memorial Park this year. Thousands of folks came out to enjoy the music, food, parade, children’s activities, and, of course, the fireworks!

As was announced in last week’s Register, I have decided - with the support and encouragement of family, friends and community members - to join the race for American Canyon city council this fall.

This week I read the agreement between the county and American Canyon concerning American Canyon’s borders and other related issues. I advise anyone who is going to vote on it in American Canyon, and anyone in the county who is concerned about growth issues to take a close look at it. There are some issues that trouble me about it, and I can certainly say that it is a pro growth document.

President George W. Bush is due in Napa Thursday afternoon for a private function, and perhaps a public appearance as well.