INTERIOR of now-closed Westminster Mall (City of Westminster photo).

Back in the Squabble Again Dept: After some “now-you-see-us-now you don’t” business with the e-newspaper version of The Tribune, we’re back with our regular twice-weekly schedule of Wednesdays and Saturdays.

And we will continue to work hard to serve our communities with fair, reliable news and comment as well as shave off some of the 10 pounds we put on in 2025.

Good Grief, Charlie Brown Dept.: Spotted in the Garden Grove Ulta store on Chapman Avenue: A line of Peanuts-themed cosmetics. Which poses the question(s): Are they for little kids? Are they for Linus or his sister Lucy? And is it possible to put blush makeup on a beagle?

Getting Malled Dept. The closure of Westminster Mall this past fall isn’t what you’d call “good news” for the financial planners at the city. Aside from the dollars-and-sense aspect of it, there’s the wider issue of how do Westminster and other cities in similar circumstances cope with the loss of tax revenue?

“Mixed-use” has been the holy grail, but the result has not always followed the dream.

I have no magic formula myself, but I remember two articles I read about cities that were successful. One author maintained that a craft brewery was the key. The other – perhaps with no tongue in the cheek – argued that cities with attractive amenities were backing the right horse.

The premise is this: cities that have stellar parks, aquatic centers, theaters, impressive libraries, and great public landscaping will attract the kind of resident who will attract the businesses which want to cater to them. In theory, that brings more tax revenue to city hall, which provides more goodies to attract …. you get the idea.

Clearly, this is a chicken-and-egg concept. But it may contain a germ of truth, and let’s face it: malls are dead and – so far, anyway – mixed use has brought mostly mixed results.