Dear Readers,

Here is my postcard to you from Los Angeles and Chicago, where I visited family.

I have a solution to increasing the housing stock from observing locations in LA.

It’s an engineering miracle to see houses perched on hillsides. Therefore, picture houses on the slopes of the Holyoke Range and Mount Sugarloaf. Think of how many homes could be built on the sides of the hills. (We have hills here, LA has mountains.)

I went to the Griffith Observatory on the top of a mountain. What a view! Jimmy Dean and Sal Mineo had a fight at the observatory in the movie “Rebel Without a Cause.”

I saw the site. I took a picture of the Jimmy Dean statue. I have lots of pictures of the Huntington Museum gardens and am willing to share.

Naperville has over 500 community garden plots at one site across the street from Edwards Hospital. The sunflowers are enormous! Some plots are a mix of vegetable and flowers. One had pink flamingos. Others include tables and umbrellas. Unfortunately, didn’t have my iPad with me, so no photos. But I could recognize the crops.

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Hospice of the Fisher Home will host a garden party at their residence and headquarters 1165 North Pleasant St. on Thursday, July 27, from 4:30 to 7 p.m. to launch the annual campaign to raise $500,000, much of which is needed for critical infrastructure repairs at the nine-bed residence.

Staff from the Fisher Home as well as board members and volunteers will describe the mission of the home to provide comprehensive and supportive end-of-life care to people and their families.

Refreshments will be served and the party includes live jazz music. It’s free but consider bringing your checkbook. RSVP: vlaurenitis@fisherhome.org by July 20. Thanks.

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The Amherst Community Band will perform Saturday, July 22 at 6:30 at Sweetser Park. The free concert will be held in the St. Brigid’s Parish Hall in case of rain. Park in the CVS lot to get to the hall. Bring a chair. I will be there.

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Rebecca Mlynarcyk of Plainfield sent me an email about the Concerts at 7 series at the Plainfield Congregational Church, Route 116 ( 356 West Main St.)

The concerts are on four Mondays — Aug. 7, 14, 21 and 28 — and feature top-notch musicians playing the “B’s,” Beethoven, Brahms and Bartok. The concerts are free and handicapped accessible.

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The League of Women Voters, of which I am a member, will hold its back in-person book sale July 28-31 at the Fort River Elementary School. The hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The selection is large and eclectic. The sale also include CDs and books on tape.

Proceeds are used to fund voter registration and education as well as the forums for candidates since the town election will be held this fall.

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Send items for the Lehrer Report to phyllehrer@gmail.com.

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