Probably the first time I saw actor Brendan Gleeson was in “Braveheart.” Playing an angry Scottish/Irish warrior with a face smeared with blue make-up, he seemed to melt into the crowd of English haters. It was an excellent movie, however. I’ve never seen a bad film featuring Gleeson. The first time I really fell under […]
Chocolate – Film Review
I grew up watching a lot of Martial arts films, and as much as I love the genre, it’s not immune to its brand of formulaic trappings. Mobs of goons are always getting decimated by a single person, and fighters use the environment as weapons. Oftentimes there’s a villain that the main character faces off […]
An Affordable Buying Spree – Neighborhood Improvement Movement
How would you like to take part in an Affordable Buying Spree? All you have to do is visit St Vinnies either in Tacoma or Puyallup and buy what you think your neighbors might need. Amidst the pandemic, we never really know the financial circumstances or our neighbors, so why not be generous? Look over […]
Goodbye Al Burrage
Submitted by Don and Peg Doman. Our friend Al Burrage passed away on July 30th. He had been ill for sometime. We had been trying to catch up and see him for the last six months. His brother John sent me the sad news the next day. We had been friends with Al for forty-five […]
Westside Story – Vote August 4, 2020
August 4, 2020, is our Washington State political primary. Every vote counts, especially yours. Choosing the leader of our Pierce County Sheriff’s Department is an important vote to get right because the sheriff’s department can impact on each of us as Pierce County citizens in a number of ways. We have four candidates to choose […]
Westside Story – Accidental Article
August 1, 2020, I sent what I consider a heartfelt email to Lakewood’s Deputy Mayor Jason Whalen with a copy to my wife. My wife responded with, “Good note.” A bit later in the morning, the idea for incorporating my note in a Westside Story came to me. Sharing my thinking and experience related to […]
North End Tavern is getting a new life – in Ruston
Two years after he started work on the new home for his North End Tavern, Ron Kerns is still at it. The name is now North End on Pearl and when it’s done, it’ll be at least three times larger than its original perch in the Proctor neighborhood. The transformation has been remarkable at 5037 […]
BBQ Pete’s is still opening in Lakewood. Here’s an update
In January, I wrote about BBQ Pete’s expanding to Lakewood. At the time, an opening was estimated for the spring. And then the pandemic hit. That slowed progress, but BBQ Pete’s fans will be happy to hear they’ll likely be able to enjoy the return of BBQ Pete’s ribs sometime later this summer, if all […]
Across the Fence: German Girl in America
Submitted by Susanne Bacon. I can’t remember when I had my first encounter with the website of German Girl in America on Facebook. It might have been as early as 2014. Ever since I have been checking out the blog on the internet, and over the years, its creator, Karen Lodder Carlson, and I have […]