“He who laughs last, laughs longest.” – English proverb Why on earth would someone want the last laugh? Laughing last and alone, to show victory over someone else, well, that is just …

I mentioned a few weeks ago that celebrated local author Mary Daheim had died. She had been the voice for the ghost town of Alpine, Washington, a title I have inherited. I also mentioned that …

We watch the news and see children in Ukraine clutching their favorite toy as they are forced to leave home. They and their parents are fleeing from the advancing Russian army. And it evokes …

Congratulations to all of the new graduates! What a wonderful achievement and a milestone in your young life. As you plan and prepare to enter into your next phase in life, I hope you get the …

In my March column I referenced the dawn of every school year for students and families, more specifically at Pathfinder Kindergarten Center, and the first welcoming to school for a group …

A great episode of "Seinfeld" has Elaine being asked to host a famous Russian author in New York. Her publishing company is handling his new book. As they are tooling around in a taxi, Elaine …

This coming Aug. 4, those who served in our country's oldest federal government organization will be celebrating their 1790 founding. Even with their long 231-years-old U.S. Coast Guard's history, …

I was looking through my old files to find something that I could post on the "Remembering Alpine Washington" Facebook page. I found an old interview granted by Mary Daheim. I also found that I …

Editor’s note: The Beacon is revisiting Worship columns by some of our retired writers. This piece that ran Feb. 20, 2008 is by Mark Smith, former senior pastor of Mukilteo Presbyterian …

Ours is a water planet. Seventy percent is ocean and, when seen from space, we are a blue-and-white marble. What happens in the oceans is important to us land dwellers – and not just for giving …

One of the great things about living in the Pacific Northwest is the availability of outdoor sports. That plus our temperate climate allows us to participate in a wide range of outdoor activities …

For a lot of us, our phones’ alert signal will be going off early on the morning of June 4, 2022. The “pop-up” will, reinforce it’s the day we have been on “pin and needles” waiting for …

I was lucky to grow up with two parents who challenged my use of language and encouraged me to analyze what others said. When I was just 11, my parents gave me a thesaurus (yes, I still have it) …

I am mourning the loss of a good friend. My high school friend Dean, who died unexpectedly recently at age 53, was a Gulf War Marine veteran. He also studied film in Paris and spent decades …

Photo courtesy of Mukilteo School District Kameda Toko mug Cuts - Double Layered by Toko Kameda Escapism by Toko Kameda Kamiak's Kameda earns accolades for her …

The Mukilteo Historical Society gift shop is on the light station grounds in Quarters B, which was previously the assistant lighthouse keeper's family residence. The revenue from the gift shop …