You’ve seen him in movies, TV shows and commercials, and maybe even a baseball uniform. Now meet Casey Sander, who ‘went and did it’–first in a heartbreaking try at professional baseball, and then a dramatic, life-altering change in plans that led to nothing but success and acclaim as an actor. And to this day, he cherishes the Tacoma roots that helped him make it.

The topic of masks and wearing them is hotly debated, often in retail chains as iPhone cameras roll. These videos have prompted questions: Was there resistance to masks during the 1918 pandemic? Did they work? How was mask-wearing enforced in the old days? Quick answers: Yes, there was resistance and defiance, masks worked to limit or stall the spread of disease, and mask-wearing was sometimes enforced with fines, arrests, jail time and, in at least one case, gunfire.

We started to notice some changes in my mom’s behavior around eight years ago. She seemed sadder. She was usually pretty much an independent woman, strong and happy. She smiled at all people, and was a friendly and nice lady. My mom enjoyed travel very much. She loved the beach and her city Guadalajara (she lived between Seattle and Guadalajara). Suddenly, she seemed to be unhappy, and kept asking to go back to Mexico and would cry about it. My family thought that she just missed her hometown more than usual, so we thought it was normal.

Your country and state are in the middle of a major pandemic. Tough measures are being undertaken as the death toll mounts. Public events are canceled and hospitals are overwhelmed. It’s tough to get a handle on how the spreading virus works, but you throw at it every tool you can think of. Suddenly, in the middle of it all, the chief medical officer in charge is fired. Is it incompetence? No, it’s politics, of course. That’s what happened in Washington during the Spanish influenza pandemic of 1918-19.