For the past 17 years the Lakewood First Lions Club has partnered with the City of Lakewood to assist in the city’s efforts to help children more efficiently complete their visits to Santa during the annual December Christmas Tree Lighting Festival. Pictured left to right are Lion members DeAnne Bennett, Sue Bailey, Joe (honorary Lion […]
Letter: Lakewood Police Use-of-Force Policy Under Review
By David Anderson Seattle’s Police Department just completed sweeping changes to theirs. According to an announcement made at the December 5th meeting of the Tillicum Woodbrook Neighborhood Association by Bryan Thomas, Chair of Lakewood’s Public Safety Advisory Committee (PSAC), the Lakewood Police Department’s Use of Force Policy (UFP) is under further review.
Westside Story – Black Friday at Starbucks
Story & Photo – Joseph Boyle, Raconteur I wrote this story one time before, but then tragedy struck. I pushed the wrong button on my laptop and poof, all my work was gone to some unknown location in cyberspace. My friend, Gary, who taught writing in secondary school for over 30 years is comfortable being […]
Letter: A Community’s Rights-of-Way Right-to-Know
By David Anderson The numbers more than add up. And that’s the problem. One of many contingencies affecting the issuance of a right-of-way (ROW) permit by the City of Lakewood to Camp Murray for the latter to relocate its controversial main entry gate was evidence from the Washington Military Department (WMD) that there would be […]
Letter: Baloney – Why Education is Failing Our Kids
By David Anderson A visit to the principle’s (purposeful) office is in order. Add me to the list of the inane, the archaic, the stodgy – those who believe U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan is mostly wrong with his list of “lessons of these international rankings” that show America’s educational lethargy if not demise.
Westside Story – Budding Young Artist
By Joseph Boyle – Raconteur The other day I was hanging out at Starbucks when I was contacted by a young woman who asked if she could show me her photography portfolio. The woman’s name is Samantha Lynn Sheehan. She goes by Sam and works as a Starbucks barista. Sam disappeared and quickly reappeared from […]
Letter: Lakewood City Council’s Three-Hour Tour
By David Anderson “Gilligan’s Island” started off with a three-hour tour. The seven members of the Lakewood City Council have been invited by Major General Bret D. Dougherty to a “two-to-three hour tour” of Camp Murray sometime in February or March, 2014 according to City Manager John Caulfield who briefed the council to that end […]
Letter: Keep this Quiet
By David Anderson A 12th Man health warning. What is louder than a pneumatic riveter at four feet? How about 12 decibels beyond the threshold of pain and 50 more than the onset of hearing loss? Do you know what produces a more intrusive and pervasive sound than that cascading from stage to mosh pit at a raucous rock concert, […]
Westside Story – Koffee Klatch
Story & Photo – Joseph Boyle, Raconteur A little over a dozen years ago, Wally Baade struck up a conversation with Hank Brown at the Starbucks on 100th street in Lakewood. The two men sat down together with their hot tasty beverages and continued conversing. The rest is history as this two person conversation blossomed […]