What I like most about the Westside is... I love a lot of things about the Westside, especially its history, charming schools and century-old houses and churches, and the friendly ex-changes between folks. For me; personally, friendships I’ve made on the Westside have been lasting ones. Like my family and me, many of my friends came here and have settled for the long haul. Over the years, I have had the pleasure of working for some of the Westside businesses. The shop owners are great people. Also, I love that we have everything we need in our area and rarely have to go elsewhere in town except to work. The best part is seeing Pikes Peak when I head back home, west on Uintah. It’s awe-inspiring. Selling our move to the Westside 25 years ago to our boys was easy because of the number of neat and fun parks to play in. The schools are much smaller here but better equipped than the ones they attended on the other side of town. Now we have our own community center in the old Buena Vista School. This is a great place to call home.
If I could change anything about the Westside, it would be... The only thing I would wish for would be wider streets and more parking for our out-of-town (or in-town for that matter) visitors. But these would take some doing so I am not worried about it much.
A good movie I’ve seen recently is... I have seen lots of new releases, but the other night I saw “Pete’s Dragon” on cable (remember it? Must be over 20 years old and is a kid’s movie), and I sure did enjoy it.
I'd like to discover... I would like to discover a way for all of us to experience happiness and peace of mind for at least a little bit of time each day. Seems we have just too much to worry about nowadays.
If I could meet someone famous, I’d like to meet... I don’t want to meet anyone famous. I know plenty of regular people who have silently done great things.
The next time I travel, I’m going... The next time I travel it will be to Italy where my mother’s family is from. Her mother immigrated to America with her brother at the age of 23 to be a nanny to her nephew.
My favorite childhood memory is... When I was 2 years old, we went to Hawaii with the Air Force and came back when I was 7. Therefore I had no recollection of snow, and one night my mother gave my brothers and me new mittens and told us to go outside and hold our hands out and look up. Until then I could not remember anything more miraculous.
My favorite summer pastime is... I like to be outside in the evenings during the summer having a cool drink and maybe getting in a little weeding (just mine!). I look forward to when the gardens start producing and I can do canning and freezing.
Something good I’ve read is... It was good to take a break from serious reading and read a very good book by W. Bruce Cameron called “A Dog’s Purpose: A Novel for Humans.” I recommend it to anyone who has a dog they love very much.
My pet peeve is... My pet peeves are trash on the ground when a trash can is nearby, drivers who don’t signal and the fact that few people write thank-you notes anymore.
If I won the lottery I’d... I’d share with my kids and family. Pay some bills and donate to Westside charities such as Billie Spielman and Westside CARES.
Meet a Westsider” is a regular feature in the Westside Pioneer. If you would like to be a Meet-a-Westsider (or know someone who should be), please give us a call at 471-6776.
