Paige Tsai. Branden Figueroa. Lauren Waldenburg. Marco Delaroche. Gianna Wright. Lilyana Gonzalez. 

“I NEED cheese and crackers!”

The other day I was in the middle of a wood working project and I had a problem – how to make a piece of wood completely flat and square with hand tools. I thought: What would Mr. L'Hommedieu say? Mr. L'Hommedieu was my 7th grade shop teacher at IS 74 in Bayside, Queens. He taught wood shop, and metal shop. I learned how to make a lamp, a metal box and assorted other things. I can trace my love of wood work back to him, although it took nearly 15 years to discover that I have a knack for working with my hands and that I enjoy it immensely.

Last March the Register held a contest to “Win Your Own Blog.” Of course I entered, I’m opinionated, well informed on some topics, a good bluffer on others. I like the give and take of the online and I am passionate about my beliefs, particularly when it comes to education. I thought that would make a good blog topic. Well, the very capable Ms. Phoebe Harper won. However, Dan Ross e-mailed me a few days later and said he could be persuaded to have a blog about education.

Leon Brauning expresses his concern about the recently recommended increases in the rates for solid waste and recycling collection, water and other services (“Garbage rate hike a sign of Napa’s insolence,” May 28). While none of us enjoys paying more money for anything we want or need, sometimes there are good reasons why products or services increase in cost. I’d like to add some thoughts on this issue.

Nothing turns the attention of Napans toward fire danger like a wind-blown column of smoke rising from the outskirts of town.

Dear editor, The gay community has been on the wrong side of the gun control debate for years. Gun owners have been on the wrong side of the same-sex marriage debate for years.

Dear editor, In reference to your article on the St. Helena Unified School District board of trustees recall, Ines De Luna said, “Like much of our community, our board members were born and raised in St. Helena, we have a true stake in the success of our district for all of our children.”

Dear editor, I know you are an environmentalist, but would you sacrifice the rights of the people to protect the environment? Well, our state Sen. Patricia Wiggins, D- Santa Rosa, has. She influenced her senate colleagues into voting for a bill to stop gold dredging in our streams and rivers without proof of damage to the streams or rivers. There is no evidence to back her claims of damage from dredging.

Dear editor, Be sure to thank Supervisor Dillon.

The vote against the Lake Luciana project today flies in the face of County rules for acceptable uses in the open space area of the agricultural watershed, and was a mistake.

English is the hardest language to learn. It's a tacitly accepted fact that English, with all its rules (and millions of exceptions) is a very difficult language, sometimes to a point where even native English-speakers have considerable trouble.

What politically-themed issue makes you want to scream?

Fire out your thoughts here on your topic of the day that is not covered through a Register.com article or opinion item.