A Starbucks is under construction in my hometown of Olney, Illinois, on Route 130. Nearest Starbucks? 44 miles away in Effingham.

Woman at the next restaurant booth is telling her husband that The Phoenician Scheme (the new Wes Anderson) is “the dumbest movie of the century.” 🙃

My latest: I write about seeing MLB games in Houston and St. Louis, on a vacation that began with an amusingly worded U of Redlands ad at ONT, in my welcome-back column. dailybulletin.com/2025/07/22/tra…

A mini-column in place of a real column today. I'll be back Sunday! dailybulletin.com/2025/07/24/ret…

My latest: Cole's French Dip in LA is suddenly in demand now that it's closing. I try to go for one last meal and find a line down the block! Here's some history of the 117yo bar and eatery that claims to have invented the French dip (as does Philippe). dailybulletin.com/2025/07/27/col…

My latest: I tour Lummis House, the rustic 1908 home built in Highland Park by writer, librarian and civic booster Charles Fletcher Lummis. It's open two days a week for free tours. He walked across the country from Ohio to LA in 1884-5. dailybulletin.com/2025/07/29/lum…

My latest: Tesla Supercharger station in Upland shuts down as San Bernardino County pulls the plug. Why? The 64 chargers failed a Weights and Measures inspection and were covered in white shrouds starting July 9. dailybulletin.com/2025/07/31/tes…

My latest: In Pomona, arts-based affordable housing coming to East Mission Blvd. 75-unit complex will reserve 15 units as live-work spaces for artists and boast art gallery at ground level. Next door, 38 townhomes are under construction. dailybulletin.com/2025/08/03/in-…

What I read in July: a comic novel about a man who works for very niche magazines, short stories by a Golden Age SF writer, essays about pop songs and articles + photos about the Mojave Desert. insidesocal.com/davidallen/202…

My latest: O'Day Short Elementary is dedicated in Fontana, righting a historical wrong. School name honors Black family killed by vigilantes in 1945 for crossing the city's color line. “Today we are choosing justice over silence,” schools supe says. sbsun.com/2025/08/05/oda…

Here at Dodger Stadium representing St. Louis Cardinals, somewhat subtly

My latest: With the passing of Bill Elwell of famous LA roadside stand Bill's Burgers, I write about my pilgrimage there six years ago. And I attend Wednesday's Dodgers-Cardinals day game, which has an unexpected outcome (i.e., the Cardinals didn't lose). dailybulletin.com/2025/08/07/rem…

My latest: 'Cheers' was partly inspired by the Redlands bar Gay 90s, where co-creator Les Charles drank and tended bar while attending University of Redlands. Norm was reputed to be drawn from a regular there. Also: two more items from Redlands. redlandsdailyfacts.com/2025/08/10/che…

My latest: In 1995, couple may have been the first to wed at Ontario's Graber Olives. Also: retrospectives showcase the paintings of Karl Benjamin, and a piece of speculative fiction about the IE of 2047 invoked a certain real-life figure. dailybulletin.com/2025/08/12/in-…

My latest: On a whim, I check out the line at DTLA's Cole's French Dip last Sunday, only to find there is no line. So I breeze in, enjoy one last (?) meal and observe the scene inside LA's oldest restaurant, due to close next month. dailynews.com/2025/08/14/at-…

My latest: Upland's Tesla Supercharger station, dark for five weeks, is back up. Chargers had been covered in white sheaths after SB County said the amperage stickers were incorrect. "Look at it, it's awesome," one driver says of the 64-charger lot. dailybulletin.com/2025/08/16/tes…

My latest: Deal for Ontario's Graber Olives fails, leaving future in doubt. As developer backs out of partnership, plans to can olives for the first time since 2022 are now in question. Says one Graber: "We're running out of time." dailybulletin.com/2025/08/18/dea…

Leaving my Daily Bulletin behind at FlyONT!