The parade having ended, we were walking along, my hand in hers, her other hand clutching a bouquet of daffodils. Strolling leisurely down the street lined with beautiful houses and well-kept yards, we both saw it at the same time – a heart in the path leading up to the home. A crack in the […]
To Ponder
Letter: Today Matters
As we gathered our picnic lunch, blankets in which to wrap in case it was cold at the beach, and chatted happily about a day together exploring, I saw where the spiders had found a home in my father’s Model A. Once the pride of his workmanship, the lovingly and painstakingly restored – even painted […]
Gary Washington Tells No Tales – A Lakewood Story
Although we were not great friends, Gary Washington was an individual you could count on and look up to. I had once asked him for help in junior high. After sitting and watching a mean little jackass bully both boys and girls I asked for Gary’s help. I don’t know that Gary exercised his body, […]
Letter: The Hidden Health Risks of Biosolids in Residential Areas
Submitted by Greg Alderete. The use of biosolids—treated human sewage sludge—as fertilizer is often promoted as an eco-friendly way to recycle waste. However, spreading biosolids in or near residential areas poses serious medical and environmental risks that are too often ignored. Even after treatment, biosolids can contain harmful pathogens like E. coli, Salmonella, and viruses […]
Book Review: Heaven and Hell: My Life in the Eagles (1974–2001) by Don Felder
Submitted by Greg Alderete. After reading Don Felder’s Heaven and Hell, one thing is certain: you will never hear an Eagles song the same way again. This isn’t just another behind-the-scenes rock memoir. It’s a raw, unflinching account of what it was like to be both a central figure in one of America’s most iconic […]
Letter: Government workforce reductions
Submitted by Greg Alderete. I have seen firsthand how organizations expand rapidly in times of crisis, only to face painful reductions once the mission shifts. In the military, this cycle played out after Vietnam and again after Desert Storm. The post-war drawdowns were necessary but often brutal. However, they were not random. The military has […]
Letter: Ignorance Isn’t Always Bliss: What Those Blue Yard Signs Are Trying to Tell You Before It’s Too Late
Most people in Lakewood care about our community. And if not their community, most people care about what happens up and down their street. A city proposal to give developers a tax break to replace small businesses, tree groves and the abandoned library site with box apartments should get everyone’s attention. It has – to […]
Let’s Talk! – Stepping Stones
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: Do you like being in nature? Do you prefer smaller paths to those that are paved with asphalt? Then, you – like I – might […]
Letter: What Beauty Springs from Things Seen and Unseen
It was difficult to distinguish between heaven and earth. The fading light in the sky above was softly reflected in the water below. Wispy blue and pink puffy clouds; dark, impassive, forested shorelines; exact color matches from an artist’s brush, all were mirrored on this divine painter’s canvas. Though at first, I couldn’t see them […]