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A Short Indirect Personal Remembrance of Frank Gehry, Tied to my Grandfather

One of my favorite memories of my father’s father — my grandfather, Wes Bonenberger — was the trips we’d take together to different cities; Los Angeles, New York, Boston, San Francisco. His favorite was San Francisco. He loved the look of the city, the way the buildings lay on the land and hugged the rollingContinue reading “A Short Indirect Personal Remembrance of Frank Gehry, Tied to my Grandfather”

Running on Empty

Running has been a big part of my life since I was a kid. At first it was biking — using my dirt bike to get to my friends houses, or going up and down the gravel roads of the idiosyncratic and progress-resistant community I lived in as a child, Killam’s Point in Branford, Connecticut.Continue reading “Running on Empty”

Freezing Senior Citizens’ Property Taxes in Branford

During the election for first selectman, Josh Brooks made an interesting pledge. “I am proposing to freeze property taxes for qualified Branford seniors,” he wrote on his campaign website, and shared on social media. Is such a plan feasible? Yes — other towns have already implemented some version of it. In fact, Branford has an interestingContinue reading “Freezing Senior Citizens’ Property Taxes in Branford”

Leaving the Branford RTM

This started out as a post for social media. Once I started writing, I quickly realized I had more thoughts that I wanted to share than made sense for a post. No surprises there! I am not running for reelection on Branford’s RTM this year. After two two-year terms, I feel that I’ve done aContinue reading “Leaving the Branford RTM”

Preparing for an Emergency or Disaster (Mobile)

Recently, several acquaintances have asked me how to prepare a “go bag” and it got me thinking. There are many resources out there that offer solid recommendations on what to buy for a disaster and why. Some are disaster-specific (how to prepare for an earthquake versus fires versus a hurricane); others are nonspecific, but focusContinue reading “Preparing for an Emergency or Disaster (Mobile)”

Horseshoe Crabs in Branford

The horseshoe crab is one of nature’s oldest fauna, claiming a history that stretches back 250 million years to the early Triassic. For dinosaur fans, that means that a stegosaurus, famed for the gaudy kite-shaped plates on its back and spiked tail, might have seen horseshoe crabs while stomping along a Jurassic era beach. IContinue reading “Horseshoe Crabs in Branford”

Branford’s 2026 Budget

Last week, my town (Branford, Connecticut) passed a budget for the upcoming year (2026, for readers keeping track from the distant and unknowable future). That budget will fund the town’s departments and activities. As Chair of the Public Services Committee, I had an opportunity to (along with the other members of my committee and membersContinue reading “Branford’s 2026 Budget”

Changes to My Social Media Policy

Last year, even before a presidential election that was extremely unpleasant (both in its conduct and outcome), I had resolved to leave Twitter. Under Musk, the platform had become an unflushable toilet bowl filled with lies, insults, slander, propaganda. Mistruth after vomitous mistruth piled up in Twitter until that’s all one could see. After monthsContinue reading “Changes to My Social Media Policy”

What Would it Take To Secure and Militarize the U.S. Border?

People talking about border security do so without seriously intending to fully secure the U.S. border, because to do so would be incredibly costly.

In Search of Faith

1937 was not one of humankind’s better years. The Japanese invaded China and set about massacring POWs and civilians. Warplanes with the Nazi German “Condor Legion” bombed Guernica on behalf of nationalist (fascist) Spain , part of a brutal civil war raging there. Amelia Earhart disappeared over the Atlantic, the Hindenburg airship exploded, and strikingContinue reading “In Search of Faith”