A Child Outside on Her Own—the Horror! It’s one thing to keep a watchful eye on your young children, but is it necessary to keep them inside and constantly within your line of sight? Mother of three Andrea Sarvardy does not see us ever returning to a “go where you like and be home by dinner” mindset, but something’s got to give. She hopes kids will “explore their world, have some adventures we know nothing about.”

When Santa Monica Was Still Oshkosh By the Sea. When Ernie Powell first moved to Santa Monica in 1973, it was a town without traffic jams or movie stars. But as developers started moving in, Powell fought to keep locals in their homes. Powell writes, “If you enjoy a walk to the end of the Pier or along the coastline, you can credit the successful fights to enhance coastal access for everyone.”

‘Big Government’ Kept My House From Burning. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) estimates that the average impact of regulations on the cost of a single-family home in California is $32,000. While these costs might seem unnecessary, political science professor Sean Q. Kelly explains that they probably saved his home from burning down in the Camarillo Springs fire.

Why We Keep Saying ‘Geronimo!’ Geronimo was not an Indian chief and only led a following of about 30 people. So why was his name the code name used for Osama Bin Laden, and why is he the best-known Indian of all time? Historian Robert Utley tells us the real story.

Futurist Syd Mead. Before appearing on a Zócalo/Getty panel about the Los Angeles of the future, Syd Mead, who designed the futuristic world of Blade Runner and has worked on Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Tron, 2010, Aliens, and Mission: Impossible III, shared his insights on lessons learned in the U.S. Army, Pasadena in 1975, and robot pets.

Next week …

Gregory Rodriguez on why he’ll miss Antonio Villaraigosa.

Josephine Fenster on race relations in high school versus race relations in college.