I have a dream, a dream that may never come true as long as I hold this job.

Over the past seven years, the Alternative Gift Market at First Presbyterian Church in Napa has been an important fundraiser for many area nonprofits. All of us who work for the Alternative Gift Market are very grateful to everyone who shopped at the market in past years and invite one and all to visit the seventh annual Alternative Gift Market, which takes place today.

In the weeks leading up to election day -- especially in the final four days -- I saw a tremendous amount of Yes on Prop. 8 support building throughout northern California. I was in a number of different cities in the election's final days, and in each city I came across a large curbside gathering of placard-waving Yes on 8 supporters.

Attacks in the story comments attached to each NapaValleyRegister.com article take many forms — all of them disturbing since this should be a forum for community debate — and I find it sad to realize how many people cannot debate a topic without attacking the messenger.

It is mighty hard to tell what’s going on these days with Copia, Napa’s troubled center for wine, food and the arts.

Dear editor, As I sat and listened to the acceptance speech of president-elect Barack Obama, I was reminded that four years ago at the Democratic National Convention when he spoke, I hoped this young black man would one day run for president. Little did I know that one day it would be true and that I would live to see it happen.

Dear editor, Barack Obama’s victory offers much food for thought and commentary. The airwaves, TV stations, newspapers and blogs will slice and dice the election results and provide a host of theories as to why he won and what his triumph portends, but I offer here a few ideas of my own.

The Bush Administration had a bad habit of not thinking through the consequences of many of its actions, or not caring, and one of them was what is the eventual outcome going to be of torturing prisoners of war? It was inflicted on many of them, many of whom have turned out to be innocent, at least of terrorism.

Would you ever eat Thanksgiving dinner at a restaurant? Or is this a holiday that must be celebrated at home?

The race is over, Barack Obama will be the next president, so now is the time for the next question.

Barack Obama is the your next President of the United States.