UPDATE ON OUR COMMUNITY EFFORTS
by Maria Giusto

As a viable company on the rise in the publishing business, 4 Points Press has broken ground and entered onto the scene of community service. Even though our 4pointspress.org website has not yet made its formal debut, we have nonetheless, as part of our original plan, finally gotten our feet wet.

THE BIG TAX REFUND
by Marie Villarreal

I need a point of view this month! Do I have one? Of course I have one! My problem is that I always have one. So where do I start?

OUR SNIPER AND GRIPPER IS BACK!    by Charlie "Chuck" Odessa

Joe Pump says:
You should be careful of what you wish for. You just might get it. I've been complaining to the water company since I moved here that my pressure wasn't high enough. They would come up my house and put a pressure meter on the outside faucet and it would read 30 lbs. I was told that they only had to give me between 25 and 35 lbs. A couple of years ago they put a new water main up the hill. Now the pressure is 95 lbs.

OCTO CLUB - JOSEPHINE ROMANO LYDEN, RENOWNED ARTIST AND EDUCATOR    by Martin "Marty" Crenshaw

Josephine. Romano Lyden began her artistic career with the Federal Government in Los Angeles, under the auspices of the Index of American Design of Washington, D.C., which is part of the National Gallery of Art and the Smithsonian Institute. During that time, she painted many watercolor illustrations of Early American Crafts and Art Objects taking her inspiration from the Los Angeles County Museum of Fine Art and the historical relics of various California Missions, such as those of Santa Barbara, San Fernando, San Juan Capistrano, etc. Among her most important productions were her fine watercolor paintings of the famous Early American Mollie Bentley Dolls (circa 1886).

THE MEDITERRANEAN VEGETABLE WAY    by Alcamo "Al" Passagento

Basically, I consider myself a vegetarian. Because of my concern for my cholesterol count, meat is not high on my agenda. I've been known to go weeks without consuming so much as a hamburger. Admittedly, by leaning more towards the Mediterranean style of cooking and eating, I expect health benefits. Yet, despite all my years as a vegetarian, I have become overweight; actually going from a low adult weight of160 pounds to an appalling 250 pounds (yes, honestly I'm slightly over 6 feet) in the last ten years.

MORE STORY ENHANCERS    by Marie Villarreal

As Don Hewitt, of "60 Minutes" fame says, in his new book, "Ideas for stories are a dime a dozen but people who execute those ideas are a precious commodity. The formula is simple and its reduced to four words every kid in the world knows: TELL A STORY. Put words into pictures and tell your story with a flair. It's that easy."

LATENT WRITERS WRITING CLASS    by Genviev Pannos

I was exercising at my local recreation park one day, two weeks ago. Huffing, puffing and limping, I made my way to the shaded overhang of the building and the water fountain beneath it. After drinking my fill, I soaked my towel in the cool water that lay shallow in the bottom of the bowl. While wiping my face and neck attempting to cool down my body temperature, I noticed a flyer pasted to one of the nearby doors that led into a crafts room.

TESTIMONY TO A CHEVROLET    by Mac Meguire

One of my readers bolled me over with his E-mail! He wasn't looking for advice, as I had first thought, he was looking for kudos (praise)!

DEADENING OF THE AMERICAN INTELLECT    by Jericho Van Orman

Finally I'm tired! I'm tired of nighttime sitcoms, daytime personality fare, and soaps, which have bored me for years now. I'm disgusted with dedicated total sports shows and quasi news channels that are selling the same information with different faces, which are maddening for a geek like me.

TRAINING COURSES NOW AVAILABLE FOR MEN    by By S. Ben Piazza (Taken from inputs of his cohorts, Cary, Bart, Tony, Stan & Yvonne)

STRATEGIES    by Ha3ry Giusto

As I was wondering what to write, a pamphlet came across my eyes in a gift shop. Its title was "Winning Strategies". That got my dander up enough to research the subject.

PICPOCKETEERS    by Nathaniel "Nate" Yaekel

Do pickpockets target tourists? Yes, of course they do. If you were a pickpocket, wouldn't you prefer a victim who will be leaving town in a few days, who is unable to speak the local language, and who was unwilling to return to be a witness should you be arrested or put to trial?

Historic Italian Hall - THE QUEEN: NO LONGER IN RAGS    by Maria Giusto Villarreal
substituting for Garrison "Garry" Minstone

The Queen of the Southern California Italian community, the Historic Italian Hall, destined to be their heritage museum, will not much longer have to wear the shredded rags of her past decline nor will she any longer have to be held a prisoner of neglect. The active members of the Historic Italian Hall Foundation have tirelessly labored through the process of bringing the hall to the culmination of its design stage and they are currently looking forward to putting those architectural plans into action.