Poodle Dog Restaurant general manager Charles Amner told me once that he calculated how many butterhorns the famous Fife diner had served in just the previous 30+ years. That’d be more than 1 million. That was before the restaurant shut down in March 2020 when pandemic restrictions limited restaurant service. Can we please just get […]
Across the Fence: A German Voice in America
The first time I heard about The German Radio in San Francisco was about a year ago. The radio station was looking for German immigrant stories, and my Californian Facebook-friend Karen told them about me. The connection was made, and a few days later I had radio host Pamela Lenz Sommer on the phone. As […]
South Hill gets another much needed locally owned eatery
Pour Me Bar & Bistro has opened. The 21-and-older-only restaurant and bar opened last week on the border of Graham and Puyallup/South Hill (Graham-allup? Graham-Hill?). That’s an area with a small but growing locally-owned restaurant scene. Hot tip: Oliver’s Fish and Chips in Graham announced it will reopen soon. Check its social media for updates. […]
Safe Parking Coming to Pierce County Communities
Most everyone has heard about people living in their cars, trucks, vans, or RVs. Those people are just one towaway from complete collapse and perhaps even worse. The Safe Parking program coming to Pierce County will offer a secure space to sleep overnight for vehicle residents and much more. Community volunteer Jan Runbeck explains, how […]
Nice House for Rent – A Short Story
I’m always looking for a nice house to rent. A decent house, not a fancy one, with a backyard and a carport. Apple trees would make it almost perfect. I look in decent neighborhoods, not too nice, not too rough . . . just decent. It was a nice mid-morning day. As I drove down […]
Westside Story – Job Application
Did you see the Associated Press, Police 1 Bizarre Beat article detailing a story about a man who snatched a tip jar after applying for a job at the victim business? On August 26, 2020, an employee of the PIzza D’Oro in North Catasauqua, Pennsylvania, reported to police that a man stole the tip jar […]
Westside Story – The Great Escape
My story today is about a prison break at the Gwinnett County jail in the state of Georgia. The photo below is of the six prisoners who escaped. To avoid judging the six prisoners too quickly and too harshly, allow me to provide some additional facts. Before providing the promised facts, this is an excellent […]
Letter: Ditto the daisy
She had purchased a pack of miscellaneous seeds for a dollar. Suddenly, overnight seemingly, a Jack-and-the-Beanstalk sequel, three sunflowers – as they would turn out to be although mystifying they were initially – burst on the scene, one, even before it blossomed, reaching a whopping 76 inches, above the window. Though five-times shorter than the […]
Westside Story – Cooper's Hawk
One of the things I enjoy doing with Westside Story is sharing life’s marvels, beauty, acts of kindness, positive human relations, and upbeat stories. My sister, Peg, is an active and accomplished commissioned photographer. Peg sends me photos of wildlife and other specimens of nature whenever she captures something of interest and beauty with her […]