Recently I took an espresso break with a highly credible person who is as they say, “in the know.” While knocking back my cappuccino, my confidential informant informed me that a number of citizens have been directing highly emotional and loosely supported complaints towards City of Lakewood staff and Lakewood City Council. The critical comments […]
To Ponder
You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown Review
Good grief . . . In the welcome at Centerstage! by Managing Director Angela Bayler and Artistic Director Trista Duval they were constantly interrupted by the characters we would soon meet. The actors did a great job acting like little kids doing their best to deliver messages and remind in character. Sweet. The musical comedy […]
Westside Story – Writer’s Block
Have you ever wondered how it is I never seem to run out of things to write about? Many writers suffer from a condition known as writer’s block. I will let you in on a little secret today. One glass of Burgundy causes any writer’s block standing between me and the printed page to float […]
Wide Awake and Laughing – Review of The Drowsy Chaperone
In the 1979 film “Meatballs” Tripper Harrison (played by Bill Murray) is a camp councilor. The camp loses every competition to a rival camp. The next big game is coming up and Tripper gives his opinion of the rivalry and the camp’s chances: “Sure, Mohawk has beaten us twelve years in a row. Sure, they’re […]
Dead Presidents
In the late 1970s I loved watching a television series called Meeting of the Minds. It was the “brain child” of Steve Allen. It was a make believe round table discussion by historical figures. There were no housewives from Atlanta; there were no comic book heroes; there were no viking intrigues. Meeting of the Minds […]
Across the Fence: Dorothy Wilhelm tells Sound history
If you feel that you have heard all of Puget Sound history and nothing could surprise you anymore – think again! For the other day, I finished reading legendary author and humorist Dorothy Wilhelm’s latest book, “True Tales of Puget Sound”. And I just wish history in school were taught as lively and interspersed with […]
Westside Story – Lakewood Police – Bike Patrol
Sometime this past January 2019, while motoring through the Lakewood Towne Center, I spotted four uniformed Lakewood Police Officers on bicycle patrol. Based on my 20 plus years experience as a police officer chasing evildoers and criminals, I was immediately enthused by the sight of LPD officers stealthily moving through the 99 acres of the […]
Moby Dick; or The Scale . . .
The book “Moby Dick” “is sailor Ishmael’s narrative of the obsessive quest of Ahab, captain of the whaling ship Pequod, for revenge on Moby Dick, the white whale that on the ship’s previous voyage bit off Ahab’s leg at the knee . . . Its reputation as a ‘Great American Novel”‘ was established only in […]
Cutthroat Island: Film Review
Whatever happened to pirate movies? There was a time when pirate movies were everywhere. From the 20’s to the 50’s, we got gems like The Black Pirate, Captain Blood, The Black Swan and The Sea Hound. Not only have these films been well received, but there was a lot of money, star power and effort […]