My friend and mentor, George McIntosh died at his Bow, Washington home Sunday November 5, 2023. He leaves his wife Ann and his children. George was 99 years of age, having been born November 22, 1923 and would have been 100 years only seventeen days later on November 22nd. George has been a friend since I became a lawyer and was my mentor in my profession and life. In 1959, David Welts and I took the oath in front of…
November 4th is the anniversary of the death of my father, Paul Nicholas Luvera Sr. He was born on March 25, 1898, he died in Anacortes, Washington on November 4, 1990 at the age of 92. I’ve published details of his extraordinary life many times. See https://paulluverajournalonline.com/weblog/2013/11/dad-1.html for a complete history of his life. Dad was born in Reggio Calabria, Italy, the son of Niccola and Fillippa Luvera. His father and oldest brother left for Canada where they worked for…
The presidential candidates have been hard at work. The second Republican presidential debate has taken place. Donald Trump wasn’t there, but we know the campaign platform both have been promoting to encourage their election. President Biden focuses on the theme that his administration has made the country a better democracy and more prosperous. He warns that his re-election is key to preserving democratic institutions from Donad Trump and the Republicans. Donald Trump, on the other hand, promises to remake the…
Jamelle Bouie wrote an opinion column on September 8, 2023, in the New York Times. The title was “A Breathtaking Contempt for the People of Wisconsin.” It outlined how Wisconsin Republicans have had the legislature in their iron grip through gerrymandering the voting districts dating from the 2010 elections. As an example, in 2018 Republicans and Democrats essentially split the statewide vote, but Republicans won 64 percent of the seats in the Assembly. As a result of gerrymander, Wisconsin Republicans…
The first Republican primary debate was show on Fox News on August 23, 2023, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was moderated by Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum. The candidates who qualified were Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former Vice President Mike Pence, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, conservative entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson. I confess that I did not have the…
I was born and raised in Anacortes, Washington. My parents lived there until their deaths and my two sisters chose to live there as well. I’ve read and subscribed to the Anacortes newspapers my entire life. I continued to subscribe to the Anacortes American after moving to Gig Harbor over twenty-five years ago. The history of the town’s newspapers is outlined by the Elaine Walker and the Anacortes History Museum with photographs. They report the Anacortes American newspaper was first…
On August 8, 1953 my maternal grandmother, Marija Babarovich died in Anacortes, Washington at age 90. It was the year of my high school graduation at Anacortes. She was born September 21, 1863 in Splitska, Brac, Croatia. She was a woman of great courage, faith and personal sacrifice. Her husband, my grandfather, Peter, had died the year I was born in 1935 at Anacortes. I remember her vividly. A tall, erect woman with hair piled high on her head, she…
Over a period of years there has been an erosion of the Constitutional balance of power in the United States. This is related to an expansion of executive power, where presidents have exerted authority beyond the bounds outlined in the Constitution. This includes the use of executive orders to bypass Congress, the expansion of executive agencies with regulatory powers, and the assertion of broad national security powers, such as surveillance programs, drone strikes, and military interventions. The legislative branch, particularly…
On an early Friday morning, July 7th 2000, my mother Mary Thelma Babarovich, died in her sleep at the San Juan Care Center. Her death was not unexpected. After all, she was born on December 28, 1905 and was ninety four years old when she died. She had been in failing health for some time. Her passing was, in fact, a personal blessing to her as she had been ready to meet her maker for some time. She and dad…
Purse seine fishing has been a important part of Northwest history for a century. Purse seine fishing involves releasing one end of a net off the stern of fishing boats with a smaller power skiff attached to the other end. The purpose is to locate salmon and form a circle around them. The two ends of the net are brought together when the power skiff pulls up to the larger fishing boat. The net is hauled to the deck piling…
