Contributor – Melvin R. Van Iderstein, Jr. Covid-19 is overrunning us as it totally weaves itself in and around every facet of our lives. Staying in place and quarantining ourselves does have the benefit of providing us with the opportunity to contemplate the issues of the day. One of my loyal readers, Melvin R. Van […]
Puget Sound Pizza in Tacoma is opening a second location. Here are details
As I told you back in February, Tacoma’s Puget Sound Pizza is expanding. The Spanaway location of Puget Sound Pizza opens tomorrow (Sept. 2) at its new home at 124 146th St. S., which used to be home to Gateway Cottage. The original Puget Sound Pizza location in Tacoma’s St. Helens neighborhood will continue to […]
Letter: A mayhem motivational manual
For those who support “the mass expropriation of property, mass shoplifting during a moment of upheaval or riot” you’ll be happy to know you have a fellow agitator in Vicky Osterweil who’s written a mayhem motivational manual of sorts which she titles “In Defense of Looting.” Natalie Escobar interviewed the czar of chaos upon the […]
Westside Story – Native Son Becomes Film Star
Today is a proud day in the life of my Westside Story readers. My friends predicted it would be a snowy day in August before I could ever hope to land a part in a movie. The next thing they knew, I was spotted in a film trailer. My full-length film, Lemonheads, has been selected […]
Our friend, Justice Helen Whitener
Almost three years ago Peg and I attended a fund-raising dinner for Catherine Place, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping women. Here is their mission: “We are committed to addressing the particular needs of women who are materially poor, in transition, or facing the daily challenges associated with poverty, loss, violence, immigration and illness.” We […]
Letter: Could you live here?
Perhaps you’ve seen the invitation. You’d have to go without cable, phone, internet, electricity, water, and indoor plumbing. But, in my opinion, my gosh, I’m there in a heartbeat. Because here’s where you’d be, and the 10-inch band of wallpaper bordered in strips of cedar that circumscribe the walls in my purposefully designed rustic office […]
Westside Story – A Sign of The Time
This morning I thought I would write a fascinating column comparing Donald Trump and Joe Biden. Not long after beginning my first draft, I became acutely aware my readers already suffer from an overdose of daily news on this very topic. Having scrapped Joe and Donald, I am left to ponder, “What shall I write […]
Tacoma’s favorite homegrown ice cream shop is expanding – again
Ice Cream Social is on the move, and it’s expanding. The Tacoma-based 8-year-old ice cream company founded by Layla Isaac operates two scoop shops. Isaac opened her first retail store in Tacoma’s Sixth Avenue neighborhood in 2014, which is steps away from the farmers market where she previously operated her locally grown ice cream empire […]
Racism, Riots, and Recognition of our Problem
Here we go, again. Black man shot . . . by police . . . unarmed . . . in the back. One has to wonder if our police officers across the nation are just down right stupid, badly trained, simply afraid . . . or actually racists. “This certainly is not the first time […]