Wilson maintained its early position atop the Narrows 3A standings, holding off a late

charge from a quickly improving Mount Tahoma squad for a 2-1 win over the Thunderbirds

March 26 at Stadium Bowl.

“Credit to them, they played tough and they made it hard for us to break them down,” said

Wilson head coach Jason Gjertsen. “We’re glad to get the win, but that’s definitely not our

best game.”

After having several close calls early, the Rams got on the board in the 30th minute when

Hirvin Canchola-Corral brought down a header from 30 yards out and sent a one-touch drive toward goal. Thunderbirds’ keeper Jose Reyes got a hand on the ball, but it deflected off the crossbar and in to give Wilson a 1-0 lead at the half.

“Not too many keepers are going to stop that,” Gjertsen said of the brilliant strike.

The Thunderbirds’ Brian Wambaa nearly equalized four minutes into the second half, as his low shot from the top of the box momentarily slipped through the hands of Wilson keeper Matvey Shitik, who was able to recover and smother it. Wilson then doubled their lead in the 61st minute, as Canchola-Corral sent a pass outside to wing Munassar Saleh, who weaved through several defenders on the left side and slammed it past Reyes.

“He played well,” said Gjertsen of Saleh. “Ideally that’s our system is get the ball wide…that’s a strength he has is (one on one). He can take people on.”

But Mount Tahoma halved the deficit nine minutes later when Wambaa outran the

Rams’ defense on the right side and slipped a ball past Shitik. Using their speed up top to create some late pressure, the Thunderbirds nearly got the equalizer with five seconds remaining in the game, as a cross narrowly missed the head of forward Ian Karanja in front of goal.

“You need to capitalize on your chances and you need to not make mistakes,” said Mount

Tahoma head coach Scott Nelson, noting the Thunderbirds’ several close losses in their

inaugural season in the Narrows 3A. “Unfortunately, when we’ve made mistakes the other

team has capitalized. I really feel like all these games that we’ve lost have been close games

that we could have gotten something out of. That’s just part of the maturing process.”

Wilson improves to 4-0 in league play and will take on Foss at Lincoln Bowl on March 29

at 7 p.m., while Mount Tahoma drops to 1-3 in the Narrows 3A and will host Timberline on

March 29 at 6:30 p.m.

By Jeremy Helling

STRONG SECOND HALF LEADS LIONS PAST SOUTH KITSAP

Replacing an experienced group of seniors – not to mention several top goal scorers – is never an easy task. That’s what is facing Bellarmine coach Joe Waters this season, and after a slow start the young Lions have begun to find the back of the net with a bit of regularity. It was no different as Bellarmine on March 25, as the Lions dominated South Kitsap on both ends of the pitch and cruised to a 3-1 win to even their Narrows 4A record at 2-2, only four points behind league leader Gig Harbor.

“Our midfield worked very hard today and our defenders did a great job of overlapping, too,” said Waters, who put the Lions’ league season to this point in perspective. “We lost two hard-fought one-goal games to both Gig Harbor and Central Kitsap. Our young side is improving with every game.”

The Lions’ play on both sides of the pitch was so complete that had they converted several missed chances, the margin of victory could have been even more than the 3-1 final score. Bellarmine opened the scoring in the 28th minute when Shane Hallahan headed in a perfect cross from Jack Casey to give the Lions a 1-0 lead.

“It was a great effort tonight, and we’re getting great leadership from our seniors,” said Hallahan. “Our confidence is growing with each match. I’m looking forward to the rest of the season.”

After South Kitsap got the equalizer off a penalty kick in the 34th minute to tie it 1-1 at the half, Bellarmine came out of the locker room and reestablished dominance in the second half. The Lions would take the lead for good in the 55th minute as Drew Barker beat the Wolves’ defense and drilled a shot in the corner of the net for a 2-1 lead. The Bellarmine defenders, who kept the front of the net clear for most of the night, continued to do so for the rest of the match as they continued to apply the pressure to the South Kitsap back line.

The Lions got the clincher in the 68th minute when Brendan Hartley raced down the right side untouched, cut to the middle of the field and drilled a shot into the left side of the net to make it 3-1.

“We’ve come together with this young squad after a slow start,” Waters said. “These young kids are really beginning to trust each other.”

The Lions will now have a long layoff for during Spring Break, and will return to action when they host Gig Harbor on April 10 at 5 p.m.

By Steve Mullen

Bellarmine Prep freshman Alyssa McKiernan is already making her mark in big games. With the Lions down a couple of key bats, the first-year shortstop singled in a run and later walked and scored on Courtney Schwan’s single to help give Bellarmine a 2-1 win over Gig Harbor at home on March 25.

“(I’m) just doing what I know how to do,” McKiernan said, quickly crediting the rest of the squad for helping her get acclimated. “It’s a lot of fun being with the girls and getting to know them. The seniors are doing a good job with leadership, and making it so everyone is welcome.”

Two of those seniors, shortstop Alexa Ostrander and first baseman Alex DeStephano, were out due to illness and injury to force McKiernan into the third spot of the lineup. The Lions also were facing Gig Harbor pitcher Anna Hitt, who struck out the first four Bellarmine Prep batters and gave up just three hits and three walks while striking out 12 on the day.

The Lions had a good chance to score in the second inning with runners on second and third with two outs, but Hitt struck out freshman Ashlynn Ota – filling in at first for DeStephano – to escape the threat. McKiernan came through with two outs the following inning, singling to score Abby McDonald from second base for a 1-0 lead.

“She’s not really playing like a freshman right now,” said Bellarmine Prep head coach Craig Coovert of McKiernan. “She’s just a smart player, and she’s going to be a great asset to this team this year and in future years at Bellarmine.”

Schwan, meanwhile, retired the first 10 Gig Harbor hitters before giving up three hits in the fourth, including Aubrey Lindberg’s game-tying single to score Anna Overland. The Tides threatened to take the lead in the sixth, as Megan Riggs led off with a single and Tess Parker followed by reaching on an error to put runners on second and third with no outs. But Schwan retired Overland on a pop out and Corinne Luke on a line out, and escaped the inning by getting Hitt to ground out after intentionally walking Lindberg to load the bases.

McKiernan then walked with one out in the bottom of the sixth, stole second base and advanced to third on a wild pitch before Schwan blooped a single over the shortstop to bring in the eventual winning run.

“It’s nice to get this out of the way early in the season and get the confidence up, so we know we can do it again and do it against all the teams in the league,” McKiernan said.

Schwan picked up the complete-game win in giving up the lone run on five hits, with two walks and five strikeouts. The win put the Lions at 2-1 in league play, as their overall record sits at 2-4.

“We still have a lot of getting healthy to do, but it’s nice to steal a win like this when we’re down,” Coovert said.

LINCOLN GETS WALK-OFF WIN OVER TACOMA BAPTIST

Senior pitcher Maryssa Tippett hit two two-run homeruns and was 3-for-4 with five runs batted in, and Lincoln took a 10-9 walk-off win over Tacoma Baptist on March 26 at the SERA Athletic Fields.

Tied 9-9 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, the Abes’ Ashley Alexander and Sasheta Green drew walks, and Heidi Leeper was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Kayla Aronholt then stepped up and lined a pitch into center field to drive in Alexander, giving Lincoln its first win of the season.

“It was very exciting,” said Lincoln head coach Ron Aguirre. “The girls are coming together after four hard weeks of practice…we’ve learned a lot in the last four weeks about each other. It’s been a very positive experience.”

Tippett had helped give the Abes a 7-3 lead with her first two-run homer – a blast to left center field – as part of a six-run second inning that also included run-scoring singles by Maryelle Montes and Adrina Patrick. But Tacoma Baptist responded to take a 9-7 lead with five runs in the fourth, as pitcher Jenny Brooks had a two-run single in the inning and Becca Cerka and Piper Havens followed with back-to-back run-scoring triples. But Tippett responded again in the bottom of the inning, drilling another pitch from Brooks into left center for her second homer to tie the game.

“She’s our leader,” said Aguirre of Tippett. “She’s got the maturity, the experience, the composure. She has helped me as well as helped the team.”

The Crusaders had a chance to take the lead in the top of the seventh when Havens led off with a single, Hannah Hagala followed with a walk and the duo advanced to second and third with just one out. But Tippett notched back-to-back strikeouts to escape the threat, leading to the dramatics in the bottom of the inning.

Mayor Marilyn Strickland joined neighborhood residents and employees of 6th Avenue businesses on March 23 to welcome three new establishments to the popular commercial corridor.

The mayor participated in the first ribbon cuttings at Ubiquitous Journey, a spice shop. Owned by Robin Liss, it sells a variety of products such as roasted pork rub and Oriental stir-fry seasoning.

Next stop was Lizzy Mayz Furniture Boutique, owned by Jennifer Gintz. It sells rediscovered, repurposed furniture, as well as new furniture and gifts. “Congratulations,” Strickland said as she cut the ribbon. “Welcome to the neighborhood.”

Then everyone went across the street to Grateful Goods, a thrift store. The mayor and others browsed through the various unique items.

“It is great to see consumers shopping for unique, local products.” - Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland

“It is exciting to see new businesses open,” Strickland said, adding that all are owned by women. “It is great to see consumers shopping for unique, local products.”

Natasha Thayer, co-owner of Studio 6 Ballroom, noted Ubiquitous Journey had been located in Puyallup before it took over the space formerly occupied by Café Dei. Thayer said the owner of the business wanted to maintain some elements of Café Dei, such as its lattes, and hired one of its employees.

There used to be a spice merchant next to Studio 6 Ballroom. “We are happy to see a spice store,” Thayer remarked.

A number of businesses have either opened up recently on 6th Avenue or will in the near future. Thayer, who is on the board of 6th Avenue Business District and recently became its interim manager, is pleased to see vacant space filling up.

She said the business group has been very proactive in promoting 6th Avenue as a great place to set up show. Landlords have also been very proactive and quite conscious of selecting tenants who fit well with the vibe of the neighborhood.

Other 6th Avenue business that have either recently opened, or will open soon, are: Mandelin’s Consignment Boutique, Annette B’s; Legendary Doughnuts, 6th Avenue Photography, Beaute Bar, HM Spa & Salon, Blush Beaute Bar & Organic Spa and Ice Cream Social.

A proposed six-story, mixed-use project in Proctor District intends to up the vitality of the district, but it is being met with some opposition.

The project, Proctor 28, will include 135 apartments and 12,000 square feet of retail space at street level. It would be located at the intersection of Proctor and North 28th Streets.

It is the latest version of the project proposed by Bill Evans, owner of the nearby Pacific Northwest Shop, and his business partner Erling Kuester. They have brought in Rick Moses, a real estate developer from Southern California. Moses recently tried to create a mixed-use development adjacent to the old Elks Temple downtown, but he and his business partner ended up not pursuing it.

The parcel eyed for Proctor 28 currently has a one-story commercial building and small parking lot. It includes two restaurants, Babblin’ Babs Bistro and Happy Teriyaki Wok, and Corcoran Lock & Safe.

Bob Corcoran has owned his locksmith business at this location for more than 20 years. He said he has less than a year left on his current lease, but has a notarized five-year extension. “I want it, so I better get it or I will take this to court,” he said.

Corcoran said he contacted the landlord, who lives in New Mexico, last year. Corcoran said if the landlord were willing to pay him a certain amount, he would agree to move out by Jan. 1 and drop his lease renewal option.

Corcoran said the landlord’s son got in touch with Evans and Kuester, and the three decided to get Moses involved in plans for the six-story building. He said Moses met Corcoran in Corcoran’s lawyer’s office to discuss the project.

Corcoran said he now plans to stay in business at this location. “They do not care about anyone but themselves,” Corcoran said. “I do not want anything to do with them.”

Moses, and Evans, could not be immediately reached for comment. Could such a project be feasible in the current economy? One successful local developer thinks it could. Blaine Johnson converted the old YMCA building across the street from city hall into a condominium building and built a new residential structure, the Roberson, next to it.

Johnson thinks the project has potential. “It is always a challenge with commercial space to attract tenants who can support the leases,” he said. Johnson feels the residential units definitely meet a market demand. “It is an attractive neighborhood,” he said, one of several business districts in town that are ideal for people who to shop and dine near where they live. “Proctor fits right in to that.”

The retail component is less certain.

Searching for a way to put an end to an eight-game losing streak, the Puget Sound baseball team turned to a tried and true old formula – pitching, pitching and more pitching. Behind a solid weekend from their starters, the Loggers swept their crosstown rivals in a three-game series at home on March 23-24 to creep to within three games of league-leading Linfield. And the Loggers will get a chance to move even closer as they travel to face the Wildcats on March 29-30.

Needless to say, Loggers head coach Brian Billings breathed more than just a sigh of relief. “This losing streak was weighing pretty heavy on us, but to sweep PLU and get back in the race, it’s pretty big going down to Linfield this weekend,” he said.

In the series-opening twin bill on March 23, Matt Robinson scattered eight hits in a complete-game effort as the Loggers edged the Lutes by a score of 3-1. In the nightcap, Jarrod Beiser, Steve Wagar and Lucas Stone combined on a seven-hitter as UPS beat the Lutes 4-2.

Nathan Aguiar took the hill in the series finale for the Loggers on March 24, and along with the recent solid mound performances for UPS, the bats awoke that afternoon as well in a 6-3 win. Aguiar got the Loggers off to a great start with four and one-third innings of no-hit baseball, and UPS tallied three runs in the second inning, one in the third and two in the fourth for a 6-0 lead. The Loggers chased PLU starter Chris Bishop after just three and two-thirds innings.

But the Lutes would start to solve Aguiar in the fifth inning with one out, as Marcus McClurkin doubled down the right field line for Pacific Lutheran’s first hit. And with runners on first and second, Garrett Brown singled in McClurkin for the first PLU run. Alec Beal later singled to score both Daniel Altchech and Brown, cutting the Loggers’ lead to 6-3.

The turning point in the game came in the seventh inning, when Wagar – who came on to replace Aguiar and recorded the final out in the sixth inning – faced a tough situation. But with runners on second and third and one out, Wagar got the Lutes’ Nicholas Hall on a grounder to force McClurkin at the plate, and struck out both Alec Beal and Carson McCord to end the threat.

“I just had to come in and throw strikes,” Wagar said. “It was a big shot in the arm for our team.”

Stone took over for Wagar in the eighth to set down the Lutes in order, and soon after the losing streak became a faded memory as the Loggers began to look forward to opportunities ahead.

“It was nice to see the bats come alive in this series, and the pitching was just outstanding,” Billings said.

With the Linfield series looming large, the Loggers’ focus now on getting back into the Northwest Conference race.

“Linfield is a great team that is near the top of the standings every year, so we’ll have to go down there and bring our ‘A’ games for the entire series,” Wagar said.

FRENZEL, WORMWOOD REPRESENT UPS

University of Puget Sound men’s swimmer Derek Frenzel and women’s swimmer Tracy Wormwood capped their seasons on March 20-23 at the NCAA Division III Championships in Houston, Texas.

Frenzel took 16th place in the 1,650 free on March 23, finishing in 16 minutes and 27.02 seconds to earn All-America Honorable Mention in the event. This is the second All-America Honorable Mention of Frenzel’s career after he earned the same honor in the 200 fly last year. He also took 23rd in the 200 fly on March 22, and placed 30th in the 500 free on March 20.

Wormwood not only finished her season, but swam the last event of her career on March 23 in the 200 breast. She placed 20th in the event with a time of two minutes and 22.13 seconds in her final swim. She also took 17th in the 100 breast on March 22 in a time of one minute and 5.21 seconds, and placed 28th in the 400 IM on March 21. Wormwood certainly left her mark on the program as she completed her fourth career trip to the NCAA championship meet. Her career included multiple Northwest Conference titles as well as All-America Honorable Mention.

PLU MEN SECOND AT INVITATIONAL

Led by junior Wilson High School grad Kyle Peart, the Pacific Lutheran men’s track and field team placed second out of 12 teams at the Lewis & Clark Invitational on March 23.

Peart placed second in the shot put, third in the hammer throw and fifth in the discus to account for 18 of the Lutes’ 78 points, as they came up just six points short of champion Clackamas Community College. Teammate Tevon Stephens-Brown, also a Wilson graduate, placed third in the shot put and fourth in the hammer.

I.V. Reeves placed second in the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.29 seconds and also took third in the triple jump, while David Fisher took third in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 56.17 seconds and also placed sixth in the 400-meter dash. The Lutes’ 4X400-meter relay team placed third, while the 4X100-relay team took fourth place.

The Lutes’ women placed seventh out of 13 teams at the event, as Samantha Potter took second in the shot put and fourth in the discus and Katie Jahnsen took fifth in the hammer throw and sixth in the javelin.

The Lutes next compete at the Peyton Scoring Meet at the University of Puget Sound on March 30.

TITANS WIN FOUR AT HOME

The Tacoma Community College baseball team won four games at the Spring Invite at Minnitti Field on the TCC campus on March 23-24, running their overall record to 11-3 on the season.

The Titans topped Bellevue College 4-2 in their opener on March 23, as third baseman Joe Geaney had a two-run single in the second inning and Ben Circeo added an RBI in the fifth to pace the offense. Starter Buck Hale picked up the win in pitching six innings, allowing just one run on five hits, with three walks and seven strikeouts.

TCC followed it up with a 5-2 win over Lane later in the day, as Jon Reece was 2-for-4 with three RBIs and Connor Cloyd added two more RBIs for the Titans. They continued to get solid pitching from starter Mitch McQueen, who allowed just two runs on seven hits in seven and one-third innings, with one walk and eight strikeouts.

The Titans blasted Southwest Oregon 14-4 in their opener on March 24, as Cloyd was 2-for-3 with a double and three RBIs. Second baseman Evan Peterson scored four runs and added two RBIs along with left fielder J.J. Pino, and TCC overcame a 4-3 deficit by tallying 11 runs in the fifth inning.

They closed the weekend with a walk-off 3-2 win over Everett later in the day, as Jake Ross hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning and C.J. Hicks followed three batters later with a single to score Geaney. Starter Lukas Hinton had given the Titans seven more quality innings on the mound, allowing two runs on five hits, with one walk and no strikeouts.

The Titans start up division play this weekend when they host Pierce College in a doubleheader at 1 p.m. on March 29, then travel to face Pierce in another doubleheader on March 30 at 1 p.m.

BATTLE AT THE BOAT RESULTS

Zahir Raheem topped Santos Pakau by technical knockout in the second round of the main event of Battle at the Boat 91 at the Emerald Queen Casino on March 23. In the semi-main event, Dave Petryk scored a win over Virgil Green by virtue of a judges’ decision, as the two battled it out to the end over six rounds.

The undercard was headlined by fan favorite Zach Cooper, who defeated Josh Solis in the third round with a knockout. Antonio Neal, Kelvin Medley and Ricardo Maldonado all earned victories in their professional debuts in other undercard bouts. Neal started the show off fast, defeating Robert Yager by landing a knockout just over a minute into the first round. Medley had a close four-round fight, defeating Julian Dutkel via majority decision. Maldonado started his boxing career off fast with a unanimous decision victory over Dex Montenegro.  

Halquist Productions’ next event, CageSport XXIV, is scheduled for April 27 at the Emerald Queen Casino, while Battle at the Boat 92 is scheduled for June 1.

RUN TO HONOR FALLEN JBLM ARMY RANGER

Puget Sound runners and walkers can honor the legacy of Pac-12 and NFL great Pat Tillman by participating in Pat’s Run Shadow Run on April 20 at 9 a.m. The Western Washington Shadow Run will begin in Tacoma at Thea’s Park, 405 Dock St., by the downtown waterfront.

Pat’s Run Shadow Runs are fun 4.2-mile runs symbolic of the number 42 Tillman wore while attending Arizona State University. Proceeds from this Shadow Run directly support the Tillman Military Scholars program. To date, 230 Tillman Military Scholars representing 34 states and attending 71 academic institutions, including the University of Washington, have been awarded more than $3.2 million in scholarship money.

To participate in the Shadow Run, you must register in advance online. To sign-up and for more information about the benefit run, visit the Pat’s Run website at http://www.PatTillmanFoundation.org.

ASU Alumni Association’s Seattle Club will hold a no-host event at The Swiss Restaurant & Pub, 1904 Jefferson Ave. in Tacoma, after the race to celebrate Tillman’s legacy in the community during his time serving in the Army at Joint Base Lewis McChord.

If you would like to sign up to volunteer at the race, or if your company would like to sponsor this community event, please contact Run Chair Tara Boucher at (805) 252-7120.

Look for daily blog updates, photos at: glasssisters.tumblr.com

We are going to visit our new sister. Would you like to come?

Tacoma delegates are setting off early next week for our newest Sister City – Biot, a medieval walled city not too far from Cannes and Nice in the South of France.

They will watch masters blow glass in studios built centuries ago from volcanic tufa. They will march in the living history of the Knights Templars Festival, “Biot et les Templiers, 2013.” They will dip their bread in fresh-pressed olive oil and their toes in the Mediterranean Sea. They will dine and sleep in the 500-year-old Hotel des Arcades.

And they have invited you to accompany them through Tacoma Weekly stories in the paper, on Tacomaweekly.com, on our Facebook page, and on Glass Sisters, the Tumblr blog (http://glasssisters.tumblr.com/) we have built to chronicle the cultural and economic exchange – and the fun.

Count on seeing Biot through the posts of Catherine Sarnat, Agnes Jensen, Bill Baarsma, Lauren Walker, Ben Cobb, Chris Porter, Gwen Porter and Sarah Gilbert.

Thanks to the non-profit Tacoma Sister Cities Committee, I will be going with the delegates as scribe, photographer and Internet wrangler.

(Yes, accountable Tacomans, you are wise to ask: No one on the trip is using city of Tacoma money.)

We will be packing lightly, except for goodwill, which is the point of Sister Cities internationally says Debbie Bingham, Sister Cities coordinator in Tacoma’s Community and Economic Development Department.

“After World War II, President (Dwight D.) Eisenhower had the idea that governments aren’t going to make peace. People are,” Bingham said. “Peace though people.”

Tacoman Sylvia Sass helped develop the national program in 1956, then served on Tacoma’s Sister City Committee when it entered an agreement with Kitakyushu, Japan, in 1959.

“It was a huge event to go to Japan in 1959,” Bingham said, referring to the war and the American occupation of Japan that followed.

Since then, Tacoma has established formal relationships with Aalesund, Norway; Cienfuegos, Cuba; Davao City, the Philippines; El Jajida, Morocco; Fuzhou, China; George, South Africa; Gunsan, South Korea; Kiryat-Motzkin, Israel; Taichung, Taiwan and Vladivostok, Russia.

Most are port cities with serious trade ties.

Biot, our 12th Sister City, has a brighter bond: glass. Biot’s dates to the last time a now-dormant volcano left a useful layer of fine clay, sand and manganese from which people have been making glass and pottery since the 12th century.

Tacoma’s goes all the way back to Dale Chihuly.

Biot claims its place as France’s capitol of glass art.

Ditto Tacoma and the U.S.A.

Each city has mountains on one side, salt water on the other and extra doses of natural beauty in the middle. Each city is wired, and not just on good coffee. We are hubs of high-tech and education.

Huguette Marsicano, who loves both cities, put all of that together and launched a campaign.

Bingham is still awed by Marsicano’s work.

“She e-mailed the mayor’s staff and when they met, she had this whole Powerpoint presentation on how we could be Sister Cities,” Bingham said.

Marsicano followed up with presentations and applications to the Sister City committees here and in Biot. On Dec. 8, 2011, Biot’s municipal council voted for the arrangement. On April 10, 2012, Tacoma City Council did the same. On Oct. 4, the first Biot delegation came to Tacoma and mayors Jean-Pierre Dermit and Marilyn Strickland signed the official paperwork, even with a slight variation in terms.

In Biot, they refer not to a Sister City relationship, but to a Jumelage, which translates roughly to “twinning.”

As Tammy Vince Cruz, Tacoma Weekly’s graphic artist and designer of our Glass Sisters blog, said, “Jumelage, that sounds delicious.”

It does. Expect food to be a happy element in Glass Sisters.

Biot is a couple of miles from the Mediterranean Sea, and the restaurants hosting the delegates are eager to demonstrate just how delicious their food its.

We were relieved to learn that, when they were here last October, the delegates from Biot photographed, and posted, the Northwest dishes they enjoyed.

I say relieved, because Bingham has sent us protocol guidelines. In France, good manners do not forbid shooting salmon. They do frown on leaving food on the plate and consider it gauche to request a doggie bag.

The residents of Biot dress with style, the protocol list says, and they enjoy excellent manners. That would be when they are not dressing in armor and knocking each other off horses. Here is a peek at the Knights Templars festival: http://www.biot.fr/modules/news/article.php?storyid=416.

Ready?

Good. As the 10th episode of Dr. Who would say, “Allons-y!”

CHASE ENDS IN ARRESTS

A police officer pursued a vehicle with two suspects in a robbery and burglary on South 12th Street on March 24. The suspects’ car hit a curb and light pole, spun around and hit another curb. The suspects fled on foot and the police car hit their car. They were caught and taken into custody.

MAN SHOT NEAR MALL

A man was shot on March 23 and entered the Krispy Kreme doughnut shop at 4302 Tacoma Mall Blvd. He suffered injuries that were not life threatening.

MOTORIST DIES DOWNTOWN

Tacoma resident Samuel Davis died in a car wreck on March 19. It occurred where South Tacoma Way meets Pacific Avenue. It appears Davis had a medical emergency while driving on Delin Street, causing him to lose control of the vehicle and go down an embankment.

DAYCARE WORKER ATTACKED

A man attacked a female employee of a daycare center on March 18. The incident happened at Tender Heart Learning Center, located at 8018 Pacific Ave. The man was waiting outside when the woman arrived to open the business. He told her he wanted to enroll his child. The woman let him inside to fill out paperwork. He beat her severely. Another employee arrived and interrupted the assault. The man fled.

Officers arrived and learned the woman had extensive injuries. Evidence suggested a violent sexual assault had occurred.

She was unable to provide specific details of what occurred. She was transported to a hospital with serious injuries. Officers obtained a suspect description from another employee and the victim’s suspect. A SWAT team arrested Andrake Dion Morris, 18, that evening. Detectives are investigating other crimes he may be involved with. They are violent, sexual and predatory in nature. Other law enforcement agencies have been contacted to determine if there are other unsolved crimes Morris may be responsible for.

Morris is charged with rape, residential burglary and robbery.

Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist acknowledged the good police work that led to the arrest. “This is an ongoing investigation involving multiple allegations,” Lindquist said. “We will keep the community posted on progress.”

Morris is being held on $2 million bail. He is charged with first-degree attempted rape, three counts of indecent liberties, two counts of first-degree robbery, two counts of second-degree assault, second-degree attempted kidnapping, residential burglary, third-degree theft and second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm. Not guilty pleas were entered on his behalf. Prosecutors allege his crime spree dates back to at least August. Charging papers show he is suspected of attacking five women since last March in Lakewood and Tacoma.

Last week, a member of my extended family received last rites. He is old, frail and still with us. But knowing that the Catholic Church has given him this blessing set my family and me to thinking about how to honor him.

He and his late wife were good at many things, from business to faith to community. But they were best at family.

They shared their love, discipline and energy with their birth children and their chosen children, the ones who came into their home as foster and adopted members of the family.

Some came damaged by neglect and abuse, but he and his family stood by them when they fell, even failed. That strength and patience has been the rope they grabbed as they struggled to a place of peace and stability.

Flowers, though lovely, are not the right match for this man. A donation to his church would be a good choice.

But I think direct aid is more his style. We are going with Charlie’s Dinosaur. We are packing a big duffel bag with necessities, and a few niceties, for a teen boy.

We are writing a note to go with it, sending our hope that this child finds the love and support to guide him, by example, to a safe and healthy future.

About the drive

Child abuse and neglect cases are some of the hardest on Pierce County Sheriff’s deputies. Though they are all awful, the deaths of Charlie and Braden Powell at their father’s hand was one of the worst. Who could make sense of a parent murdering his own boys?

After they found a picture Charlie made of a happy dinosaur, five detectives saw it as the mascot of an effort to help the kids they still can. They founded Charlie’s Dinosaur as a non-profit to help children moving out of abuse and into foster care.

There is an awkward time in that process, said Detective Sgt. Theresa Berg. The children rarely have clean clothes, toiletries or anything to pass the time in the few days when they are in meetings, hearings and temporary care. Charlie’s Dinosaur fills in that blank with a backpack or rolling suitcase filled with new necessities.

The detectives are allowing us to help fill those bags during Tacoma Weekly’s Charlie’s Dinosaur Drive for Foster Kids. The list of things the children need, and the places to bring them, are next to this story.

Dino Donation Sites

Pierce County Sheriff’s Department in the County/City Building

All Pierce County Sheriff’s substations

All Tacoma Police Department substations

Tacoma Weekly, 2588 Pacific Highway, Fife.

* Backpacks

* Rolling luggage

* Pajamas (no nightgowns or shorties)

* Hair dryers

* Jeans and tops

* Zip-front hoodies

* Coats

* Toiletries, including shampoo, conditioner, deodorant and body wash

* Combs and brushes

* Art supplies and books

After watching Seattle add one streetcar line after another connecting its neighborhoods, it is exciting to see the City of Tacoma finally take steps to extend Sound Transit’s 1.5-mile Tacoma Link light rail. However, we should be diligent to make sure that Tacoma’s extension is based on best practices rather than politics or other collateral interests.

The benefit of a streetcar network is its high reliability and smooth ride, its broad appeal to a wide spectrum of users and its demonstrated ability to help create more walkable and vibrant neighborhoods.

In order to maximize ridership and the success of the Link extension, the new route should be designed to connect as many people as possible while using the least amount of track. Hence, if there is any logic behind the design of the Link extension, the first new route would be to Stadium District, which is the highest density neighborhood in the city and would require only a mile of additional track.

Similarly, the next neighborhood connected should be the one reaching the most people relative to the amount of rail line required.

The Link extension will only be considered successful if it results in a high ridership. The City of Tacoma will certainly not be successful in approaching voters for more funds for additional Link extensions if there are few passengers on the new route.

Further, just because arbitrary decisions were made designing the current Link route, we should not blindly move forward on an arbitrary route. The new route extension should branch off north of downtown and use the Market Street corridor through the University of Washington-Tacoma, as this has far more development potential for density.

Finally, Sound Transit and residents of Tacoma should reject any effort to try to run the Link up to Sea-Tac. Connecting Tacoma’s neighborhoods is the only possible option that would benefit the City of Destiny. Running the line north would do nothing to enhance the vibrancy of Tacoma’s neighborhoods and only make the city a place to travel through as quickly as possible.

Tacoma should also reject the option of making the Link merely a bus line or bus rapid transit. Ridership on bus rapid transit systems is far smaller and less diverse than a streetcar system and has far less prestige. Bus rapid transit would also require all passengers to exit the existing Link system and board a bus.

Cities such as Portland and Seattle have never tried to use buses in place of their light-rail network. Tacomans should reject any such proposal and refuse to be shortchanged as well.

Tacoma residents should expect that many people will attempt to have the Link extension in their district, regardless of how circuitous the route or whether the numbers support it, in hopes that development and jobs will arrive in their neighborhood. Although it may be politically expedient to comply with the loudest voices, such an approach will not build a vibrant and cost-efficient transit system.

Tacoma will benefit greatly from a Link extension in the city so long as best practices carry the day rather that politics.

Morgan Alexander, the owner of Amocat Cafe and Tacoma Brewing Co., is president of Tacoma Streetcar, which he founded in 2000. Erik Bjornson is an attorney in downtown Tacoma who often writes on downtown issues.

As a Go Red For Women Ambassador with the American Heart Association and a You’re The Cure advocate, I’m passionate about raising stroke and heart disease awareness in our community. At age 37, I survived a life-threatening hemorrhagic stroke four months prior to my wedding.

My life changed in a matter of minutes as Michael helplessly watched me slip away as I described my signs of stroke to him. I had dizziness; loss of coordination, headache and my speech was slightly affected. I saw the look of fear in his eyes when I said I had lost of feeling in my entire left side of my body. He said, “Karen you’re telling me you’re having a stroke.” He saved my life by getting me help right away.

I had my whole life ahead of me and I wasn’t going to settle for what was called “my new normal.” I was determined to reclaim my life. I proudly say I’m a young adult stroke survivor as I share my story to inspire others to lead a healthy lifestyle to reduce their risks of stroke or heart disease.

In 2009, I founded an online support group for young adult stroke survivors called Reclaiming Ourselves, Our Journey On The Road To Recovery. With hundreds of members from all over the world, we share stories, experiences and challenges while inspiring each other with our successes.

My life is led as an example to others not to give up. You’re encouraged to dream big and celebrate successes. Six years ago, I was fighting for my life. Today, I’m competing in the Mrs. Washington International 2013 pageant as Mrs. Pierce County International 2013. The pageant celebrates the married woman with a strong platform and who encourages participation in her community. As Go Red For Ambassador of the Year 2012, I live my platform every day.

You can follow my journey on the quest for the crown at http://www.Facebook.com/MrsPierceCounty. For information about the pageant, go to http://www.MrsWashingtinInternational.com.

Did you know stroke is the #4 leading cause of death in the United States and the #1 leading cause of adult disability? With healthy lifestyle choices, such as a good diet, nutrition and exercise the risk of having a stroke is reduced.

I urge you to learn the warning signs of a stroke.

Think F.A.S.T.

Face: Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?

Arms: Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?

Speech: Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Is their speech slurred or strange?

Time: If you observe any of these signs, call 9-1-1 immediately. Time lost is brain lost.

Make it your mission to educate yourself on the warning signs of stroke, so you can save the ones you love. Make it your mission to educate the ones you love, so they can save you.

Karen Dionne, 37, is Mrs. Pierce County International 2013, Go Red For Women Ambassador of the Year 2012 and stroke survivor.

Dear Editor

I first came to know Booth Gardner when he was the Pierce County executive. I remember studying a management book, which focused on management by walking around. Booth actively lived by this philosophy – if he was driving his car and saw someone filling a pothole, he would stop and talk to them. He was always very animated, personable and genuinely interested in what people had to say.

Booth took this approach and philosophy to the governor’s office. When he would show up at a meeting or at one of our state agencies, he was not there to find out what was bad, but to find out how he could help make it better.

He never fit into any molds – Booth did things his own way. He recognized the importance of investments in our students and in early childhood education decades before anyone else even considered it. He was also an advocate of expanding critical social services and health reform. His voice on behalf of all Washingtonians will be greatly missed.”

State Senator Jeannie Darneille

(D-Tacoma)

Dear Editor,

Just wanted to say thanks for the write up on an old friend Paula Tutmarc-Johnson (“Arts community mourns loss of Paula Tutmarc-Johnson,” TW 3/15).

I worked with Paula back in 1968-71. We played a lot of gigs around the Northwest and opened for the Beach Boys. We also wrote many songs and recorded an album in Nashville at RCA Victor studios. Those were interesting (and different) times to be sure. We kept in touch through the years, then I lost touch. We rediscovered each other on Facebook a couple of years ago and I was so happy after all these years to see her and her husband Jerry and Bonnie with Paula’s cousin Beverly Minkler.

We shared such a passion for music and song writing. She was a very creative force and will be missed. And though she may not have “made it” the way we think of in contemporary times, she touched many lives and will be missed. Ironically, my dad, Al Fabre, played with Bonnie and Paul Tutmarc after he got back from Europe after World War II. I have known Bonnie and Paula pretty much all my life. Thanks again for publishing a remembrance to Paula.

René Fabre

Renton

Recent news items about bomb threats at local hospitals and sporadic gunshots in residential neighborhoods reinforce the notion that we live in dangerous times.

Bad people are out there to do us harm for a host of reasons. And like it or not, the potential threats of organized bands of these bad people wanting to do damage and bring horror to our small slice of the earth are real.

Tacoma sits at the center of what terrorists, or others who wish to hamper the nation with little effort, would set their sights.

The Tideflats are home to sizable shipping operations that not only feed and clothe Washingtonians, but Alaskans and pretty much a chunk of the West Coast with retail goods of all sorts. It is also home to military transports to places around the globe since Joint Base Lewis McChord sits nearby. Even the threat of a bomb delivered to those otherwise sandy patches of earth could bring those operations to a halt while the threat is investigated and defused.

That’s why federal, state and local law enforcement “boys with their toys” fire up the bomb-sniffing robot, jump into their hazardous material suits and hold training drills like the one last week at the TOTE terminal at Port of Tacoma. A real bomb threat could come, and everyone must bring their A game when it does.

This particular drill followed the scenario that two bombs were found along the Blair Waterway. The training exercise meant that the area’s first responders would be stretched to handle two emergencies simultaneously. Communication among the alphabet soup of agencies was tested more than the technical skills of detonating the “bombs” since incident observers had to juggle incoming reports from two sites while also funneling out updates to their sister agencies.

Otherwise simple updates could get confusing, for example, if voices over the radios aren’t easily recognizable. Tacoma Police officers or FBI and Homeland Security agents all have their own lingo that needed common understanding as well. Officers are used to talking to other officers in their agency, not folks with badges they might never have seen before. Such drills smooth those introductions and standardize the “cop jargon.”

With the physical drill now over, the real work begins. Observers will brief the agents about their performance and areas of improvement and will again bring the agents together so they grow more familiar with each other.

No one wants to have a law enforcement agent receive news of a bomb threat only to ask, “Who is this?” while the minutes tick away.

Changing the starting time of Pierce County Council meetings from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays is an idea worthy of consideration. Councilmember Connie Ladenburg, a Tacoma Democrat, recently proposed this change. Her reasoning is that since many people work on weekdays until 5 p.m., starting meetings at 3 p.m. limits the ability of the public to attend and offer testimony on issues before the council. Her fellow Tacoma Democrat, Councilmember Rick Talbert, is co-sponsoring her proposal.

Ladenburg and Talbert both served eight years on Tacoma City Council. While that body holds various committee meetings and study sessions on various dates at various times, its main meetings begins at 5 p.m. on Tuesday. Attendance at those meetings varies, but they sometimes draw overflow crowds if a hot-button issue is before the council. They have observed the lively public discourse that can occur when people have an opportunity to attend meetings and participate in the process.

Changing the start time to 5 p.m. would result in slight cost increases for maintaining security screening at one entrance of the County/City Building and having a sheriff’s deputy on hand for the meetings. The council’s budget analyst estimates this at an additional $13,000 a year.

The Rules and Operations Committee voted 2-1 to postpone a decision until April 15, in order for the council to study the extra costs and possible start times.

The additional cost, as estimated, is miniscule when compared to the big financial picture of county government. Given that Pierce County Council positions are considered full-time jobs with generous compensation, expecting members to work into the evening once a week is reasonable.

If start times are changed to 5 p.m. and it is apparent that attendance has not noticeably increased, the decision could be reversed. At this point, we feel the council should adopt Ladenburg’s proposal.

An alphabet soup of local, state and federal agencies conducted a simulated improvised explosive device exercise at the Port of Tacoma on March 22. FBI, TPD, DOE, ILWU, SWAT and TOTE all attended. Nothing blew up that wasn’t supposed to during the drill.

The drill involved two scenarios along the Blair Waterway where IEDs will be discovered and disposed of before they could “detonate” as a way to practice for when a real call comes.

Alongside the technical work of driving the bomb retrieving robot and firing up the scanning equipment, a big part of the exercise involved the management of communications gear and incident updates among agencies.

Along with emergency responder agencies, those involved in the drill included several Port of Tacoma terminals and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, Tacoma Police Department, 10th Civil Support Team, APM Terminal, Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Department of Energy, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Husky Terminal,

Olympic Container Terminal, Pacific NW Terminal, Pierce County Department of Emergency Management, Pierce County Sheriff ’s Department, Pierce County Terminal, Regional Intelligence Group, South Sound 911, Tacoma Fire Department, Totem Ocean Trailer Express, Transportation Security Administration, United States Coast Guard, Washington State Department of Ecology, Washington State Fusion Center, and the Washington State Patrol Bomb Squad.

This exercise was funded through the Port Security Grant program of the federal Department of Homeland Security.

- By Steve Dunkelber

Walking into The Right Spot around lunch time, it is clear that the customers inside are not only regulars – but they also appear to be friends with staff members and even each other. This is certainly not uncommon, according to owner Len Ekenman. And that is just how he wants to keep it. He and wife Elaine have created a family atmosphere that has attracted and retained a steady flow of customers throughout the years – and in good times and bad. “We’ve had generations of Fife families come in here, and we love that it has become a true gathering place,” he said.

Len’s parents bought the business in 1973, and he immediately jumped on board. He and Elaine bought the business, then called the White Spot Tavern, in 1980 and their two sons, Stig and Owen, have each worked more than 10 years as cook, bartender, janitor and managers in the family business.

This Fife staple has hosted wedding receptions, baby showers, family parties, funeral gatherings and more. Customers truly see the Right Spot as a part of their lives, as do employees. Several Right Spot workers have enjoyed 20 to 25-year careers working for the Ekenmans.

The restaurant’s menu features a wide variety of traditional bar food from fish and chips (hand dipped in a batter made in-house) to specialty pizzas. And with hand-pressed hamburgers, the Right Spot is the place to go if you are a fan of a good, juicy burger made with quality ingredients. “We keep everything as fresh as possible,” Len said. “Our fries are cut fresh every day, and everything is made to order.”

The Right Spot also sponsors a number of pool and dart teams – some have been playing there for as long as 30 years. “We have the greatest customers, and they have truly become friends over the years,” Len said.

Len and Elaine have worked hard to give back to the community that has supported their business for so many years, by participating in a number of charitable efforts including scholarships for local high school students and more. “We try to help the community that’s been so kind to us,” Elaine said.

The Right Spot, located at 5119 Pacific Highway East in Fife, also offers two happy hours a day, from 3-7 p.m. and 9-11:30 p.m. (and all day on Sundays), featuring discounts on beverages and appetizers.

Gifts are part of the Sister Cities tradition.

When the generous delegates from Biot, in the south of France, visited Tacoma last fall, they brought glass art and a box of silly red wax lips for a gag photo.

The glass, including a lippy fish, is part of the Tacoma Sister City collection of art and books. The wax lips, who knows?

Now it is time for a group of dedicated Tacomans to pack their bags and jump on a plane bound for France, as a delegation of T-Town’s Sister Cities representatives make their way to Biot on April 4. Tacoma’s delegation invited this reporter to join them as a journalist to document their visit. The people of Biot are looking forward to Tacoma Weekly sharing pictures and stories of their walled medieval city with you.

(No worries, no public money is involved on the Tacoma end.)

This is what we know about Biot so far: It is lovely, on a hill a couple of miles from the Mediterranean Sea. It is the capitol of art glass in France. The newer city nearby is the tech center of France. Most of the residents of the old city are prosperous, and the government addresses most social problems. Biot will hold its annual Knights Templar festival while we are there.

So, what do you give – in addition to Almond Roca – to a city that has everything?

Because we are a city of gardens, edible and floral, I plan to bring packets of Ed Hume seeds.

Because we are a city of givers and doers, I am collecting T-shirts from volunteer efforts. (Picture Polar Plunge tees on the Riviera.)

Because we are complex and diverse, ingenious and tenacious, I would like to bring a letter from you, too. Consider this your invitation to tell the mayor, journalists, innkeepers, artists and families of Biot about the people of Tacoma.

Just finish this sentence: “We are…”

Post your thoughts, or e-mail them to me, to kathleen@tacomaweekly.com. If you leave your name and a contact number, you can also phone it in at (253) 922-5317. We will run the finished letter in the Weekly, and we will share it (and a translation of it) with the journalists in Biot.

Merci, mes amis.