Author Archives: brucesmith49

Going back home for Christmas

Posted on December 19, 2011 by brucesmith49

by Bruce A. Smith  As I write this story, I’m also preparing to get on an airplane tomorrow and fly back to New York to gather up Mom and then on Friday, Dec 23, head to Boston to see my … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Folk tales and stories, Remarkable men and women | 6 Comments

More computer classes coming to local libraries, plus literary discussion groups

Posted on December 19, 2011 by brucesmith49

~  For those of us who do not have ready access to a fifth-grader – and thus are lost in the ever-deepening thickets of technological innovation – the Pierce County Library System is conducting another series of FREE tutorials on a variety … Continue reading →

Posted in Book reviews, Frederickson, Graham News, Parkland, South Hill, Spanaway | Leave a comment

“The Adventures of Nicholas” – a beloved re-telling by a retired Bethel school teacher

Posted on December 18, 2011 by brucesmith49

~ Retired Bethel elementary school teacher Wayne Cooke has been caught up in a huge swell of Christmas Spirit this week and he has sent the Mountain News a remarkable holiday story – it’s actually a tale about a tale.

Posted in Bethel News, Book reviews, Culture, Entertainment, Folk tales and stories, Graham News, Parkland, Spanaway, Spirituality | 6 Comments

Week in Review – eclipse, burn ban off but pollution increases, BSD announces half its students live in poverty

Posted on December 17, 2011 by brucesmith49

by Bruce A. Smith  From sublime celestial wonders to grinding mundane issues like clean air, heat and enough food to eat have filled the lives of Mountain Country residents this week.

Posted in Bethel News, Culture, Eatonville News, Events, Graham News, Nature, Spanaway | 10 Comments

Working for Santa Claus

Posted on December 17, 2011 by brucesmith49

~  After arriving in Yelm from my home in New York in 1991, I decided to go for the adventure of outrageous experience rather than finding a job that paid me enough money to pay the bills.  Yup, I took … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Folk tales and stories, Spirituality | 2 Comments

DB Cooper – Boeing clams up on employment record of skyjacking suspect

Posted on December 15, 2011 by brucesmith49

by Bruce A. Smith Boeing seems to be pulling the curtains closed over Dewey Max Cooper’s employment record at the aircraft manufacturer.   Dewey Cooper is reportedly an accomplice in the 40-year old DB Cooper skyjacking case, as announced by his … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Culture, DB Cooper | 14 Comments

DB Cooper: update on Marla Cooper – examining her credibility and ethical implications to her family if her story is true

Posted on December 12, 2011 by brucesmith49

~ By Bruce A. Smith  It’s been almost two weeks since Marla Cooper made her remarkable announcement on November 30, 2011 that Curtis Eng, the FBI’s case agent in the DB Cooper skyjacking, had told her he was “convinced” that … Continue reading →

Posted in Cops and courts, Culture, DB Cooper | 33 Comments

Newbie in Graham – home for a visit

Posted on December 11, 2011 by brucesmith49

by Paula Morris  This has been quite a year – it’s my first Christmas in my new home in Graham and the first time I “visited” my old digs in Illinois and then flew back “home” to Washington state.  As … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Graham News, Newbie in Graham, Paula Morris | 11 Comments

Profile: Anthony Latoski and his efforts to heal a heart attack with focused thought

Posted on December 9, 2011 by brucesmith49

by Bruce A. Smith  In March 2006, Yelm resident Anthony Latoski suffered a heart attack.  He was 42 years old.

Posted in Culture, People Profiles, Remarkable men and women, Science and Technology, Self Reliance, Spirituality, Yelm News | 3 Comments

Profile: Eldora Sloan and her Readers are Succeeders program

Posted on December 8, 2011 by brucesmith49

By Judy Spiers The bell rang and school was out at Graham Elementary when I recently visited Portable 5 to check on the progress of the Readers Are Succeeders after-school program, conducted by Eldora Sloan and a number of enthusiastic … Continue reading →

Posted in Bethel News, Culture, Graham News, Judy Spiers, People Profiles, Remarkable men and women | 8 Comments