Written almost a quarter century ago, Occidental writer Chester Aaron’s novelized account of the Warsaw uprising during World War II is enjoying a second wave of recognition.

Chester Aaron says that when he wrote Gideon, in 1985, as a book for younger readers, he was motivated by a desire in part to overcome their lack of knowledge and understanding of some darker aspects of history that had played out within their parent’s lifetimes,

Even though he has come to terms with the horrors of the war, Aaron says that when he relates his experiences to young students now, they often react angrily.

Are ghosts real? The Sonoma County Paranormal Institute hasn’t been able to prove that…yet…but they have encounterd some strange things that defy explanation.

  While not a trained physicist, Craig Appel of the Sonoma County Paranormal Institute, takes a rigorous scientific approach to his ghostly investigations.

The goal of the SCPI’s investigations is not necessarily to find ghosts or other unnatural beings, but to seek out explanations for strange and mysterious phenomena. A successful investigation, says Appel, is one that ends with clear answers.

The Sonoma County Paranormal Institute is a non-profit investigative organization, whose inquiries are neither amatuer or expert. They do not change for their services, and invite anyone who suspects they have encountered something ghostly to fill out this form to request an investigation.

What we don’t know about insects could—and just about does—fill an entire planet. But what we do know makes for an interesting event tomorrow on the  Sonoma State University campus.

Insecta-palooza is a catchy name for the event, but Frederique Laviopierre (right)  confides that it wasn’t the one they started with.

When she came to KRCB to talk about this event, Laviopierre brought along a six-legged companion she introduced as her favorite bug, at least for right now.

The images below are examples of the Australian stick bug, isloated to give you a good look at left, and a young one in its natural environment at the right.

These images of the Australian stick bug are taken from the webpage of  another fan of the insects, which has more pictures and additional information here.

The Redwood Empire Food Bank has seen their client base grow by 40% over the past two years, and has added some innovative new ways to serve them.

The development of the Redwood Empire Food Bank’s new “3 Squares” prepackaged meals, explains Executive Director David Goodman, grew out of a large donation of a single ingredient.

The “3  Squares” meals are now being offered in three flavors: Black Bean Chili, Pasta with Marinara Sauce, and  Spanish Rice. They were deliberately made not to be microwavable, Goodman adds, but to reinforce the idea of dinner as an event for the family to share.

What segment of California’s population is healthiest?  It’s probably not what you would think.

As Alameda County’s Public Health Officer, Dr. Anthony Iton (left) directed efforts to correlate data from death certificates, parole offices, income reports from the national census and other sources and see where they overlapped in his county. And he found a high correspondence to the areas where poverty is most prevalent.

Taking their cue from the social support systems that many immigrant families enjoy, Dr. Iton suggests that public health departments also instigate informal gatherings of residents in impoverished neighborhoods, as an additional tool for improving their collective well-being.

Dr.  Iton  also co-authored this report (pdf, 87 pages) detailing the relative medical and social factors that shape health outcomes among the population of Alameda County. Similar results apply in Sonoma County and much of California.