Stuart Watkins Did you know that the Ute people were the first tribes in the American Southwest to use horses? I did not, but according to Native American World and an article by Aleksandra Micura, this is factual. She also reported the Ute language, which belongs to the Uto-Aztecan family, is one of the oldest…
Christianne Dettmann We’re often told life should be lived with no regrets—that we should never look back wishing we had done some things differently. As I write this, I wrestled just over one year ago with the decision to end my FEMA career prematurely, based on circumstances beyond my control. I left a role I…
Richard D. Wells Richard (Rick) D. Wells, 81, of Tucson, Ariz., died peacefully surrounded by his loved ones on Feb. 1, 2026. Rick was born in Philadelphia, Pa., on Sept. 8, 1944 to George and Katherine (Campbell) Wells. He grew up in the Olney section of Philadelphia before relocating to Tucson in 2002. Rick attended…
Diana Smith Born and raised in Wallingford, Conn., Leslie Hawkins began taking annual camping trips with her family. She vividly remembers her first glimpse of the Rocky Mountains soaring on the horizon on a trip that took her to Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Dinosaur National Monument, Devils Tower, and the Badlands. Leslie attended Hood College in…
Irina Zlatogorova This was my third time interviewing Stuart Watkins, a well-known member of the SaddleBrooke Writers Group, about his published work. This time, however, the focus was different. Stuart served as both co-creator and editor of The Santiago de Cuba, written by his friend William Pitt, Jr. As a result, my questions centered less…
Mary Jo Bellner Swartzberg The Golden Years! Why couldn’t the term be the Platinum Years? After all, platinum is more valuable than gold, and seniors are very valuable. Right? The term the Golden Years gained in popularity in the mid-20th century because of the rise in retirement, as a concept of post-World War II, and…