The City of Lakewood is considering expanding its Multi-Family Tax Exemption (MFTE) program, a policy that could significantly reshape the character of our community in specific parts of Gravelly Lake Drive and unspecified parts of Oakbrook, Springbrook and Tillicum. The Lakewood Planning Commission, which advises the City Council, is holding a public hearing on Feb. […]
To Ponder
Letter: Government Over Budget
Submitted by KM Hills. Some of you may have read this article in the News Tribune. The article noted that Pierce County is requesting additional funds, from the State, to provide essential services. One of the essential services is for public mental health and therapeutic courts, even though both were to be funded by the […]
Let’s Talk! – Skydiving
Are you ready to switch off your screens and ponder or discuss another writing/conversation prompt during dinner tonight? You want to know about my thoughts on it? Here’s my take: Have you ever been to a place where they do parachuting or skydiving? I have. There are a few around Western Washington, and the people […]
Letter: The Post-War Military Bloat: A Legacy of Self-Justification
Submitted by Gregory Alderete. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan led to a massive expansion of the U.S. military, but when these conflicts ended, the force was never adequately downsized. Instead of returning to pre-war levels, the military retained much of its bloated infrastructure, leading to an inefficient, self-justifying bureaucracy. As a result, organizations and […]
Across the Fence: Darmstadtium
Admittedly, chemistry has never been my forte, though in ninth grade I started out quite passionate and strong about it. Nothing prepared me for a chemical element of the name of Darmstadtium (pronounce: darm’shtutty-oom), but I would have recognized immediately that this Germanism was to be found on the periodical table. Why? Because Darmstadt is […]
Ida, short for Nothing Else
A Short Story… Ida, really short for nothing, raised giggles and became quite a hit in school, mostly because of the black and white films of the 1940s. Ida Lupino had been a major film and TV star. Ida wasn’t a name thought up by her parents for the film star of raw emotion, tough-talking, […]
In the Book Nook with … Fia Sylvan
Author Fia Sylvan currently lives in Western Oregon, but is from the East Coast originally. She currently works in healthcare, doing physical therapy. Prior to this, she spent a decade working in construction and horticulture, dabbled in caretaking, retail and food service, horseback riding instruction, and dog training. She started writing when she was about […]
Letter: The real heroes
Submitted by Greg Alderete. The Grammys and Oscars have long been celebrated as the pinnacle of achievement in music and film, but in a world facing real struggles, should they be our highest honors? Every year, celebrities—already wealthy and famous—gather to applaud each other in lavish ceremonies, while the true heroes of society go unrecognized. […]
Letter: Emily’s Little Snowman
By David Anderson (Emily’s grandfather). This was his world and he wondered what they were doing out there. The little snowman wouldn’t have seen them at all in the very, very early morning except for a blinking light moving swiftly across the water. Wraith-like the shadowy, indistinguishable form emerged through the falling snow, drawing closer […]