This has been a wonderful year for Fillmore High School.

I attended the most impressive FHS graduation of all I have witnessed during my almost-30 years in our city. The planning itself seemed perfect, the graduates positive and mature, and their teachers proud. Special thanks must go to School Superintendent Dr. Adrian E. Palazuelos for his outstanding overall leadership. We have also been blessed with an outstanding School Board. Fillmore High School has never looked better.

What a great year! Thank you all.

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Well, it looks like it's time to ask for our other, matching, "snorkel" outside mailbox to be restored. The city responded very quickly to provide a new island at the rear of the post office. They removed the old concrete, painted the curb, added bollards to protect the boxes, and finished it all off with reflective tape. Now it's time to replace the box on the northbound side, as it was for 30 years. That way, the northbound traffic doesn't have to make a long, awkward circle around to access the existing southbound box.

Well, if you want both boxes restored as before you have to sound off with letters to the editor and calls to the Postmaster.

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There seems to be too much elation after president Trump's meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Anyone familiar with Kim's family history knows it has been a history of monstrous human rights violations. Several escapees have written books about life in the Hermit Kingdom. Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West, would be a good place to begin.

Most of the world, at least the Western part, has hope that peace between North and South Korea will finally materialize. At present, only a cease fire agreement is recognized. But I just cannot believe that Kim would give away his only leverage (nuclear weapons) against the U.S., Japan and his other perceived enemies, for a promise of Western prosperity. Nor should we provide that prosperity for him on his promise to hand over his nuclear weapons. I can't see how the U.S. can get beyond this standoff as a practical matter. Would we do it piecemeal? Would it be something like a nuclear swap meet - OK, we'll take two of your bombs for a casino and a thousand miles of road pavement? We'll begin construction as you roll out the first bomb. Hmm, wonder how long such a transaction would take.

Kim is said to have produced 20 to 60 nuclear warheads, with the missiles to carry them to America's shores. Kim has also progressed from mere atomic bombs to the hydrogen bomb, which can be a 1,000-times more destructive. In this case trust can have no part in negotiations. The U.S. is demanding "complete, verifiable, irreversible denuclearization" of North Korea. In other words, Kim must give up his bombs and missiles, and tell us where his testing and storage facilities are. Again, how quickly could this be done, even with Trump managing the deal?

Kim's success has been facilitated by Russia and China over some 40 years. His weapons alone give him leverage and prestige in the world. He has showcased his hydrogen bombs and fired his missiles over Japan to demonstrate their ability.

Would he just hide some of his nukes? They're not very big, and Iran would sell what's left of its soul to buy some of them. Would his military go along with such a deal, or would they simply assassinate him? What about his vast stores of chemical-biological weapons? How could any of this be completely, verifiably, and irreversibly denuclearized and detoxified?

I hope this can be done, but I must say I don't think it can.

I believe in miracles - and I think it would take one to bring true peace here.