Through the Years

By: Veronica Leighton

 

Do you feel the same way as I feel? Time goes by so fast, and there’s no way to stop it. Can’t believe that it’s halfway through the year and funny to recall some familiar phrases in some households around this time of the year, “OMG, it’s Christmas again soon? But some Christmas lights, trees and decors are still up!” For many of us, who have struggled to keep well and alive through the Covid-19 pandemic and followed all the lockdown health orders to survive together with our family, glad to see that we are now beginning to enjoy some carefree moments void of restrictions and “back to normal” activities, since the lifting of lockdowns in many areas. But there’s another caution to watch out for as a reported oncoming new deadly variant named Delta might hit us worse than before, if you are listening to the news, fake or not. Please read Veronica’s Vibes on page 5.

We salute and honor in this issue the historic celebration of the July 4th American Independence Day with fond reminiscences of the Philippines American Friendship Day through the years. It’s now past, but I hope you have enjoyed celebrating this special patriotic holiday. Please read our July Editorial on this page, and also enjoy our 4th of July pictorial inside page and some of your favorite columnists’ special articles about this wonderful July month.

We feature on our cover a very familiar face as he has been gracing our VT pages as a regular columnist, Mr. Ryan Tejero. Ryan, our Club Presidents columnist and a favorite, is a very popular VT staffer as he has been an active community leader and been making waves in other Filipino American communities outside Chicago and beyond with his charismatic and dynamic presence.

In addition, happy to send congratulatory wishes to Ryan for his 20th anniversary with the Via Times. He recalls, “meeting you personally at the UPAAGC meeting, and after a week, I found myself already writing for the illustrious Via Times Newsmag.” Yes, it happened that fast and the admiration and respect for each other has been mutual.

Another congratulatory wishes to Ryan for his recent award, Outstanding Asian American 2021 by US Pinoys for Good Governance Michigan for “promoting “ a positive image of leaders and organizations through journalism towards a stronger Filipino and Asian community. ” Please enjoy our cover and inside page write-up on page 3.

We can endearingly call this issue, “through the years,” as it brought us to that wonderful nostalgia- time down memory lane. ##

Veronica and Ryan, taken at one of the gala nights of the fabulous Chicago Filipino Asian American Hall of Fame, a notable project of Via Times and CPRTV for 25 years (before Covid).