FEATURE STORY :
The People vs. Thomas Ritchie
Tom Whitefeather pedaled miles through the desert to a courtroom. He tried in earnest to clear his name. He never missed a court date, never once. But they kept him coming back. For a long time, he’d tell you, he managed to feed his kitties without problems. But then his kitties got out of control. Bill Hillyard takes us inside the life of Tom Whitefeather, kitten caretaker in Wonder Valley, California, and looks at hoarding in the desolation of the desert. 

PROFILE : Forget the Bootstraps
The American myth of individualism tells people who are struggling with addiction, abuse, mental illness or poverty to simply pull themselves up by their own bootstraps. While it sounds like a romantic and attractive idea, the reality is that specially designed services and other kinds of support are essential to the process of transformation. Margo Pierce writes the first of an occasional series that will explore what it takes to “Forget the Bootstraps” in order to live a better life.