Veronica Zimmermann, our daughter, died in a space of four short seconds on Oct. 26, 2008. The first three seconds were at a speed of 78 mph, and the impact into a telephone pole lasted one second.

When my sister Amy called me at my desk in the newsroom and gave me the word that I’d better get to Los Angeles, my wife, my wife’s hound and I packed in a second and sped south.

“Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!” The sound of my husband’s deep-voiced yell of shock and surprise pulled me out of my reading reverie. And then he did it again, even longer and louder, “Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!” I jumped up from my dining room chair and headed to where my husband was standing in shock staring into the kids’ play area (what for most people is their den).

Summer School

In reply to Ms. Page’s comment (“Examining role of the Bible in public life,” June 8) on my letter to the editor (“Debating the proper role of the Bible,” May 22).

Drive drunk, hit a petestrian and kill him, and what do you get?

It is exciting news that the Altamura family aggressively is seeking to lease its commercial holdings in downtown Napa.

Dear editor, In reference to the article, “Forgotten no more” (June 21), I hope that the students are taught about the racism that existed in the Great War. My uncle, Randolph Gaston Payne, refused to be part of the U.S. military since, being one-quarter African, he would be discriminated against. Black men served in segregated units in the armed forces and, consequently, my uncle served the duration of World War I in Leavenworth Prison.

Dear editor, I noticed a startling disconnect between Iris Barrie’s June 19 letter calling for the suppression of speech against abortion and the headline over it: “Demonstrators infringe on others’ rights.”

Dear editor, To the Land Trust of Napa County: I am writing to express my gratitude for the program that Michael Lauher has established at Connolly Ranch. For the past five years, the traditional kindergarten classes at Pueblo Vista Elementary School have taken part in classroom visits by Michael and have visited Connolly Ranch. I have found Michael’s visits informative and, in turn, they create excitement in the children for our visit to the ranch.

No matter how things turn out in Iran in the immediate future, a huge statement has been made by the Iranian people that they want more freedom, and my belief is that in the future we will see the manifestation of their courageous actions.

Everyone has a person who influenced their lives above all others. Just about everyone I know can identify someone who has been instrumental in making them the person that they are -- from the grandpa who taught him how to ride a bike, to the elderly neighbor who taught her how to make really good brownies. We all have someone who has been a constant source of support, a good shoulder to cry on, and an endless supply of good advice.

What politically-themed issue makes you want to scream?

As Jillian Jones stated in her June 17 article, Former Napa Police Chief Dan Monez is considering a run for supervisor next year against Brad Wagenknecht, the slow-growth advocate who has represented District 1 for the last 11 years.

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