The latest production at Theatre on the Square in downtown Tacoma was well worth the block-long walk from my car in the rain. I met up with my cousin, Lavinia Hart in the lobby and we proceeded up the stairs to our seats. As we sat down, Lavinia looked around and marveled at the stage […]
Fighting Against Human Slavery: Truckers Against Trafficking
Human trafficking is not something that just happens a world away. It happens right here, right now; not only in our cities and towns, but rural areas, too. Human slavery is going on right now in all 50 states. Human trafficking is the modern name for the trade of humans. People are being held against […]
Across the Fence: Alhambra on the Neckar
Remember that I still owe you an article about the Zoological and Botanical Gardens in my German hometown of Stuttgart? Because I had been raving about the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle a while ago, which reminded me of this marvelous institution that was such a great destination during my childhood and teenage years. It […]
No Reason to Return – Knapp's Restaurant Review
Our Sunday morning breakfast group chose to dine at Knapp’s Restaurant in the Proctor District. I was so excited. They have long been a favorite restaurant for breakfast. Their hash browns were my ideal: dark brown and crispy. They had great bacon and sausage served with excellent toast and lots of Smucker’s jam/jelly choices. Their […]
Westside Story – The Inventor – Part II
If you missed my previous column titled, Westside Story – The Inventor – Part I, click the link to be taken back in time. In 1967 I purchased a Charmglow natural gas grill which I have owned for over 50 years. I recently concluded allowing my son-in-law to grill with a BBQ that is older […]
Foxes and Other Wildlife from Lakewood to Alaska
A while back, I sat talking with my friend, Dave Jones, the old Alaskan story teller. He owns Alpenview Lodge on Kodiak Island and lives in Pierce County when not at the lodge. Many people come to his lodge to fish for salmon and steelhead on the local rivers or they try their hands at […]
Letter: Odds and ends
On my office desk at work there’s a tiny wooden box, open at the top, containing 13 “Forever” postage stamps, three safety pins, a ring I found, a single spacer for laying tile, a dime and a penny. There’s also a spare clicker – a duplicate of the one mounted in my truck – that […]
Westside Story – The Inventor – Part I
Have you ever asked yourself why Ben Sclair does not publish Westside Story articles more frequently? Let me try to explain the cause of the inordinate lulls between Westside Story columns. It is not Ben’s fault. A rock-solid reason that sounds fairly impressive is that I have engulfed myself in a whirlwind cycle of high […]
Across the Fence: A Time to Write
Have you made your annual Christmas card list already? Don’t think it’s too early for that; because if you are crafting yours and if some of them go overseas, you want to be ahead of the postal cut-off date. But I’m also talking of a different kind writing. Another long winter season lies ahead in […]