A recent trip to Portland, Ore., opened my eyes to the possibilities of bicycling as a major component of daily transportation, even in the rain-drenched Pacific Northwest. The city is crisscrossed with paved biking trails and connected by a well-planned mass transit system known as the Max, including special hooks for hanging bikes.

This commentary has been removed from the Press-Banner Web site due to the posting of malicious content. Per Press-Banner policy, personal attacks may warrant articles and comments being removed. E-mail editor Peter Burke at [email protected] with questions.

About 10 years ago, there was an advertisement on TV for the then-new Gillette Mach3 razorblade. It showed a beefed-out guy shaving his face, wearing nothing but a towel, while admiring himself in the bathroom mirror, just as a jet fighter plane flew overhead and a supermodel ran into the room and touched his face.

I was recently told a story about a high school junior who was caught drinking at the school during the Scotts Valley High homecoming game and is now suspended from participating in sports, as well as other school activities, until the season is over.

San Lorenzo Valley High freshman Anna Maxwell and Scotts Valley High sophomore Vanessa Fraser will lead their respective teams at the California cross country state championships in Fresno on Saturday, Nov. 27.

The commentary by Heather West in your Nov. 19 edition (“Sheriff should rethink priorities”) would have been hilarious if it hadn’t been such a pathetic exercise in liberal “logic.”