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Veterans Fair Flyer v4 6 13 12

My first kayak river run took place in six hours over 20 miles of Cache Creek, a state wild and scenic river.

It was ever-so-scenic, with canyons, rock uplifted from ancient ocean beds in vertical stripes and curves, 1906 earthquake landslides coming down to water's edge, gray pines and blue oaks outlined against a blue sky.

And wild, too. The stream was swift and cold on Memorial Day, a challenge for this novice kayaker - and a fun, if more routine first run of the season for the experienced paddlers in our group of seven.

Competition in our global economy is increasing, and a college education is getting more expensive. This is counterintuitive. If our nation is going to remain competitive in our global economy, then we must continue producing the world's best entrepreneurs and innovators. And if we are going to continue producing the world's best entrepreneurs and innovators, then a college education must be an affordable option for working families.

half-century ago, the 400-mile stretch of Highway 101 between San Francisco and the Oregon border was a two-lane roadway that meandered through dozens of small towns. During summer months, it was clogged with logging trucks and vacationers' trailers.

Mile-by-mile, at no small cost, almost all of Highway 101 was upgraded, mostly to freeway, allowing traffic to move more smoothly and rapidly. But a few bottlenecks remained.

The ongoing turmoil over management of Lake Berryessa's resorts reached the floor of Congress on Thursday night, as Napa County's Rep. Mike Thompson secured bipartisan pledges to find a fix.

While short on specifics, Thompson's three-minute remarks before a House Appropriations subcommittee will surely step up pressure on the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) as it enters mediation with the contractor operating five of the seven resorts at the lake.