When Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis conceived the TV series entitled “Once Upon A Time,” it was rejected by the networks as “too fantastic.” Their 2004 idea, which despite criticisms would eventually become reality on ABC in 2011, was to interrupt the stories long ago told of many fictional fairy tale characters – among them Snow […]
To Ponder
“Wrongful Conviction”
On Thursday, the 2nd of May, The Rotary Club of Tacoma featured Retired Superior Court Judge Mike Heavey from Seattle as it’s program. On May 2nd Judge Mike Heavey called wrongful convictions a “national disgrace.” I think the audience of sixty agreed completely with Judge Heavey. I liked the video comment of Judge Heavey and […]
A ‘Just-Because’ Love
Did you get flowers yesterday, the first of May, the day traditionally recognized, among other things of course, for love? You thought you had heard the doorbell ring but, not sure – maybe it was after all your imagination – you delayed answering and, too late, discovered the flowers – but not the source – […]
Let’s Talk! – A Sail on the Horizon
The above picture couldn’t have caught my first thought better! That’s exactly what my mind pictured when I found this week’s prompt in the book “A Pocket-Sized Jumble of 500+ Writing Prompts” by my author-friend Tyrean Martinson. A seemingly endless sea broken only by the sails of a majestic sailing ship. But to be honest, […]
Clover Park Student Growth Percentile (SGP): Growing Academically or Falling Behind?
Submitted by John Arbeeny. You probably received the April 2024 issue of Clover Park School District’s (CPSD) “premier monthly community newsletter…Inside Schools” in the mail (click here for PDF version). This issue entitled “Helping Students Grow” features articles on Student Growth Percentile (SGP) as a measure of student growth academically. But what does SGP mean […]
Letter: Today
Today is the first day of the month of May, a day of ancient, more recent, and in many cases forgotten seasonal celebrations, among them May Basket Day. Traditionally, in the instance of someone in love and to express romantic interest, flowers were arranged in a basket, or perhaps watering can, and placed at the […]
Across the Fence: Muesli
Muesli – I grew up on this dish for breakfast that is another Germanism in the English language. My mother changed it up with jam sandwiches for us kids (no peanut butter, mind!). The Swiss term Müesli or German Müsli (pronounced fairly similar as you know it) entered my vocabulary only fairly late. We used […]
Letter: The Wheels on the Bus
They hadn’t been traveling together long, the school bus driver and her aide, but what the two struck up a friendship. If it were the first day of school, the two women – the driver and her aide – would smile and wait patiently as children posed for a picture on the porch by mom […]
In the Book Nook with … Michael Engelhard
Author Michael Engelhard lives in a cabin on the outskirts of Fairbanks, Alaska, among porcupines, moose, and lynxes. This freelance writer used to be a wilderness guide and outdoor instructor in Alaska and the canyon country for 25 years. He has been writing for publication since the late 1990s; his first book was published in […]