By Michael Randall Much of Donald Trump’s political rise is due to his shameless cunning. As any budding dictator knows, Trump had to create specific targets of hatred for “his people” to…
Category: Guest Column
BOOK REVIEW: The Death of Politics by Peter Wehner
OIOpublisher By Jim Heffernan I’m not sure why I did not read this book three years ago when I first bought it. Maybe I was caught up in tribalism and thought a…
WORDS OF WISDOM: Tillamook County’s Needs by the Numbers
By Neal Lemery A friend asked me the other day what they might do to help the community. They wondered if we had significant poverty and other social issues. I told them…
THE OCEANSIDER: The World’s Best Fourth of July Parade
EDITOR’S NOTE: Thanks so much to Jerry Keene for his coverage of the Oceanside 4th of July parade. See below for more photos provided the the Oceanside Neighbors group. We really appreciate…
WHAT DOES FREEDOM MEAN TO YOU? I’ve been thinking … Liberty to me
EDITOR’S NOTE: Given the state of federal government and the upcoming 4th of July holiday, I took a prompt that NPR sent out to readers “What does Freedom Mean to You?” and…
What Does Freedom Mean to You? WORDS OF WISDOM – On Freedom
EDITOR’S NOTE: Given the state of federal government and the upcoming 4th of July holiday, I took a prompt that NPR sent out to readers “What does Freedom Mean to You?” and…
BOOK REVIEW: Abundance by Ezra Klein & Derek Thompson
By Jim Heffernan I was attracted to this book by a New York Times review with the headline, “Can Democrats Learn to Dream Big Again?” I think that reviewer was wrong to…
THE OCEANSIDER: Community Coalition Invites Input on Option to Independently Incorporate Northern Oceanside as “Oceanside Village”
By Jerry Keene, Editor The Oceansider The Oceanside Village Initiative Envisions Capturing $500,000 in TLT from Village Short-Term Rentals for Local Roads and Improvements In the bare-knuckled campaign against incorporation in 2022, leaders from Oceanside’s southern…
WORDS OF WISDOM: Thinking About Fathers’ Day
EDITOR’S NOTE: With the Pioneer’s server upgrade, we missed Neal Lemery’s “words of wisdom” from June 13, 2025. It’s always a good time to reflect on what it means to be a…
WORDS OF WISDOM: Boycotts and Protests in our Community Garden
By Neal Lemery Another election season is upon us, with an infusion of lawn signs for local school boards and bond measures, overflowing town hall meetings, and an abundance of social media…