GARGOZO MANUSCRIPT

The spring sign-up for kindergarten was at 8 a.m. and I was determined to be the first person in line.  The previous year the line began to form on the day before at 4 p.m.  Figuring it would be best to shave a little off of last year's mark; I showed up with my lawn chair a day early at noon and was the only person there.  I had been recruited by Maria, daughter-in-law, to hold a place in line so my grandson would have a kindergarten to attend come winter.    However, as I was to discover later, being first in line doesn't guarantee a spot in the school.  Assuming there are any openings, the selection process involves a weighted scoring methodology for each applicant that in addition to your place in line takes into account many other factors – gender, ethnicity, location of residence, gang membership(s), arrest record, family income, etc.   I sat in my lawn chair wondering why the Old Testament, other than one male and one female, makes no mention of the...

The worst nuclear accident in U.S. history had once taken place just up the road from the house we bought.  Along with the square footage and number of bedrooms, you would think the seller or the real estate agent might have at least mentioned this in passing.  It wasn’t the first time we had bought a house so we knew enough to check the appliances, the water pressure and the HOA fees; but it never occurred to us to bring along a Geiger counter.  If you were unfamiliar with Simi Valley you’d have no way of knowing that Rocketdyne spent decades perched atop a hill above the valley having a go at mother nature.   Santa Susana Field Lab photo by U.S. Department of Energy. In 1947 the U.S. Government chose the top of one of the Simi Hills to build the Santa Susana Field Laboratory (SSFL) where the development and testing of rocket engines and nuclear reactors could be carried out.  The location that may have seemed somewhat remote at the time now...