Quantcast
Channel: Tacoma Weekly
Viewing all 8311 articles
Browse latest View live

The Things We Like

0
0

TACOMA DIARIES 8

Check out season eight of Tacoma Diaries. The premiere episode "Marriage - The Sequel" is now online at http://youtube/7cPbJZ8l8l0  and  www.tacomadiaries.com. This season will see Steve and Mike newly married, prompting more than minor difficulties for all involved. New actresses joining the regular cast are Gretchen Boyt and Amanda Hugginkise and they bring many years of experience in local theater productions to this long running, web-based comedy series.

CHEAP TRICK

Cheap Trick will rock at the Washington State Fair on Sept. 11. Two classic albums will be performed live with orchestra: “At Budokan” and “Sgt. Pepper Live.” Tickets are $55, $45, $35 and $25 with reserved seating, and include fair gate admission, unless noted. Tickets start selling June 8 at 10 a.m. at http://www.thefair.com/concerts or by phone (888) 559-FAIR (3247).

PAC AVE STREET FAIR

The Pacific Avenue Business District will hold its annual street fair and car show on June 9, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Stewart Middle School, located at South 59th Street and Pacific Avenue. There will be vendor and information booths, entertainment, food, and trophies and dash plaques will be awarded to the hottest cars.

BEALE STREET WINNERS

The South Sound Blues Association held its annual Back to Beale Street Competition June 2 at Jazzbones. Dynamic boogie-woogie keyboardist Arthur Migliazza advance in the solo/duo category. SSBA will send him to Memphis' prestigious International Blues Challenge in January. Crazy Texas Gypsies, Randy Oxford Band, Palmer Junction and Cody Rentas Band advanced in the bands category. A winner will be chosen to go to Memphis on July 4 at Tacoma's Freedom Fair. 

SHYAN SELAH

Shyan Selah & the Republic of Sound will headline Stonegate Pizza, 5421 South Tacoma Way, on June 8. The genre-blurring band – which blends elements of rock, pop and hip-hop – will be joined by Xola Malik, the artist formerly known as Sir Mix-A-Lot protege Kid Sensation. Music will start after 8 p.m., and you must be 21 or older to get in. Check http://www.shyanselah.com to learn more.


Arts & Entertainment: New book’s appeal proving strong among readers of all ages

0
0

South Sound writer S.E. Shell has written a charming new children’s book that is proving to be a hit with young readers and adults alike. “Coffee with Orange Sherbert” has been out on retail bookshelves for only a few months, but it quickly received a five-star rating on Amazon and was listed as a bestseller for the first week of February this year by the American Booksellers Association.

On June 8, Shell and the book’s illustrator, award-winning Gig Harbor artist Mary Elizabeth Smith, will be at Café Brosseau in Proctor District signing copies from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

A former journalist, this is Shell’s first book. “Writing a book was basically a natural extension of what I do,” she said, noting how the tale parallels some of her own life experiences. “This story’s been in me for a long time.”

“Coffee with Orange Sherbert” tells the heartwarming story of a friendly ginger tabby cat named Orange Sherbert who lives amid the wharves and docks in the waterfront town of Brookings along the Oregon coast. A popular kitty, everyone seems to love “Sherbie” and takes care of him. As written in the story, Sherbie got his name, and spelling (Sherbert), from children who knew him at the local ice cream shop. Since the kids liked to pronounce the popular flavor "sher-bert," that was what they called him and it stuck.

“Writing a book was basically a natural extension of what I do. This story’s been in me for a long time.”- S.E. Shell, author of "Coffee with Orange Sherbert"

One day Sherbie meets a young woman who is new in town, a newspaper reporter starting her new job. A transplant from the “big city” and now in a very small town, the standoffish locals eye her with suspicion. This makes the girl feel very lonely – until she meets Sherbie. “Sometimes she sees, when the harbor closes down at night, that he’s very lonely too,” Shell explained. “She finds solace in this cat. They’re like kindred spirits.” The two pals begin meeting at the local coffee shop early each morning, and a magical bond develops between them. It is not long before tragedy strikes, offering a big surprise for readers, but it seems nothing can come between Sherbie and his friend leading to a very happy ending for everyone.

Alienation, prejudice, finding friendship in strange places and comfort with a new friend… Everyone knows these feelings, and these are the larger lessons in “Coffee with Orange Sherbert” that make the book appealing to all ages. In fact, Shell said many have purchased the book to send to United States military soldiers overseas. Readings at area schools have been a hit as well.

“We’ve done several readings at schools and kids love the book,” Shell said. “Animals don’t care what city you’re from or if you’re new in town – they’re unbiased. And everyone can relate to finding a friend.”

Beautifully illustrated with picturesque harbors and seaside life, “Coffee with Orange Sherbert” is as engaging to look at as it is to read. Smith’s watercolors bring life to the characters and visually set the tone for the book’s gentle beauty. A limited edition run of the book sports another version of the cover by 14-year-old Tova Beck of Gig Harbor.

Painting since she was 5 years old, Smith runs her own graphic design business (http://www.harborart.com) and today is a graphic designer for the Washington State Fair. Her paintings have won awards in national, regional and local art shows and she has been in laudable juried shows that include the Northwest Watercolor Society’s National Exhibition, the annual Puget Sound Area Exhibition at the Frye Art Museum and the Maritime Invitational Art Exhibition in Seattle.

Smith said she appreciated the artistic license Shell afforded her from the start of the project. “It was the freedom to come up with a look that I developed in my mind from reading (Shell’s) descriptions. She liked my painting style and gave me the freedom to create what I thought the scene would include,” Smith said.

“I really scored when I got hold of her,” Shell said of Smith. “One of her specialties is drawing harbor scenes. When I went looking for an illustrator, this is something I looked for. She just nailed it.”

Throughout June, Smith is showcasing her new works at Gig Harbor’s Kimball Espresso Gallery (6950 Kimball Dr.) and will have a reception on June 16 at 4 p.m., combined with a “Coffee with Orange Sherbert” book signing.

The Pierce County Library System is carrying the book in all 18 of their branches. The book is available at Pacific Northwest Shop in Proctor, and in Gig Harbor at Mostly Books and the BoatShop, both on Harborview Drive. The book is also available at http://www.amazon.com, http://www.barnesandnoble.com and http://www.fastpencil.com. The hardback retails for $18.99 and the paperback is $14.99. For more information, visit http://www.osherbertbooks.com and on Facebook.

Recent fire incidents

Police Blotter

0
0

SHOOTING RULED JUSTIFIED

A fatal shooting of a woman by a Tacoma police offer last December was justified, Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist announced on June 3. The incident occurred in a home where a woman had called 911 to report her daughter, Sophia Strickland, had fired two shots. Strickland was upstairs when officers arrived. She ignored orders to drop the handgun she held. She pointed it at officer Sean Ovens, who opened fire and hit Strickland in the chest. She died at the scene. It is believed the shots Strickland fired initially may have been an unsuccessful suicide attempt. Blood tests showed she had a potentially lethal amount of methamphetamine in her system.

FIRE AT BUS STOP

Officers went to the intersection of Pacific Avenue and South 56th Street on June 1 to respond to a report of a fire. A man at a bus stop told them he started a fire because he was cold and to protest cuts to transit service. He was arrested for investigation of arson.

YOUNG BOY DIES

A 2-year-old boy died after he was allegedly ran over by a car driven by his mother on June 1. Hazayah Ward was in the driveway of a home near the intersection of South 87th and South Alaska streets. His mother was backing her car out of the driveway. The child was taken to Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The incident is under investigation.

WARRANT ISSUED FOR BOYFRIEND

A warrant has been issued for the arrest of a Tacoma man accused of throwing scalding water on his girlfriend. Prosecutors have charged Michael Turner with second-degree assault and unlawful imprisonment for an incident that occurred on May 14 at an apartment where the couple lived in the 200 block of South 80th Street. Turner was drunk and arguing with his girlfriend. He allegedly threw a pot of boiling water at the woman, who suffered serious burns to her chest. He tried to stop her from leaving and told her to stop screaming. She escaped and went to a neighbor, who called 911. Turner was gone when officers arrived. Their children were not harmed.

Tacoma/Pierce County Crimestoppers is offering up to $1,000 for information that leads to Turner’s arrest. Tips can be offered by calling (253) 591-5959.

City Briefs

0
0

ADVOCATES CALL FOR PAID SICK LEAVE

A group seeking to make paid sick leave mandatory for employers in the city kicked off a campaign with a rally on May 30 at Pierce County Central Labor Council’s headquarters. Healthy Tacoma Coalition is lining up support at city hall for an ordinance that, if enacted into law, would require employers to grant paid sick leave. Those working for an employer with less than 10 employees would earn one hour of paid time for every 30 hours worked, for up to 40 hours in a year. Those working for an employer with more than 10 employees would accrue one hour of paid time for every 30 hours worked, for up to 72 hours. Employers with more than 250 workers would provide one hour for every 15 hours worked for up to 108 hours.

Alma Gutierrez discussed problems she encountered at a restaurant where she worked for nine years. She was not allowed to leave work when one of her children had a medical emergency at school and was taken to a hospital. And after having surgery, Gutierrez was ordered to work the next day or risk losing her job. “This is very real.”

Other cities with such policies include Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, New York City and Washington, D.C. “I think it is high time Tacoma does too,” said Tacoma City Councilmember Anders Ibsen.

OLD TOWN DOCK REOPENS WITH CELEBRATION

The City of Tacoma and Metro Parks Tacoma have teamed up to restore Old Town Dock, and their work will be celebrated at the grand reopening on June 16, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The City of Tacoma Arts Commission will dedicate a new interactive public artwork and Pearl Django will provide acoustical entertainment to complement the beautiful scenery.

In addition to the new artwork, visitors to the restored historic dock can enjoy breathtaking views from the new benches, improved lighting, and those arriving by water now have access to two slips that can moor vessels up to 40 feet and 60 feet and low, free-board floats extending off the main dock to accommodate kayakers. The salmon population down below will appreciate the dock grating, which increases light penetration beneath and around the dock by 30 percent. 

Artwork on the dock offers a unique learning experience. “Droplets,” by artist Chandler O'Leary, is an illustrated scavenger hunt at the Dock – a challenge to discover the history, importance and beauty of this location. Each of the 24 vignettes is like a window, providing a glimpse of the sheer number of true stories that have unfolded on or near this site over the years.

Old Town Dock has been host and witness to a wide variety of industries, events, neighborhood dynamics, natural history, celebrations, tragedies and everyday narratives – all on one small patch of land. These stories are as commonplace as raindrops, yet as precious as the water that sustains and defines our city. How many “Droplets can you find?”

WEYERHAEUSER FAMILY GIVES $1 MILLION TO MOG

Museum of Glass (MOG) has announced a gift of $1 million from the Weyerhaeuser Family to start the George Weyerhaeuser, Jr. Memorial Endowment Fund for the museum. An additional $500,000 has been pledged in matching funds for gifts up to $100,000 each to the museum’s endowment.

“This amazingly generous gift is a fitting tribute to George Weyerhaeuser, Jr.,” notes MOG Executive Director Susan Warner. “For me, George was a professional colleague and mentor, and most importantly, a friend. George was a magnificent trustee for museum of Glass and was deeply committed to the museum and its mission. He served on the museum’s board from 1999 until his death, and served as board chair from 2004 to 2008. George provided sage counsel to the museum’s first two directors, and to me when I became executive director in 2012. I miss him deeply.”

LEMAY CELEBRATES FIRST ANNIVERSARY

A crowd of more than 500 museum supporters turned out June 1, to celebrate the first anniversary of LeMay – America’s Car Museum (ACM).  Titled “Jazz!” the ‘40s and ‘50s-themed gala/dinner included live music, auctions and the first public viewing of the museum’s new exhibit, “Legends of Motorsports: The NASCAR Story.”

"Now that year one is history, our over-arching goal is to maintain momentum and continue to grow and evolve as an attraction," said ACM President and CEO David Madeira. “And if the excitement at this gala is an indicator, we’re off to a sensational start.  We raised more than $300,000, which is vital to our future, because philanthropy helps us fund key programs and exhibits.”

More than 250,000 people from 50 states and 26 countries visited the four-level, 165,000-square-foot museum during its first year of operation. To maintain its forward movement, Madeira says the plan is to continually refresh the museum with new events and exhibits “that celebrate America’s love affair with the automobile.” As such, upcoming ACM happenings include the Summer Drive-In Series on the museum’s outdoor Haub Family Field (Back to the Future is June 15); the 60th Anniversary of Corvette display (debuting Aug. 9); the second annual Vintage Motorcycle Festival (Aug. 24 and 25) and the U.S. Bank Kirkland Concours d’Elegance (Sept. 8).

PTA RECOGNIZE OUTSTANDING VOLUNTEERS, EDUCATORS

At Tacoma Council PTA’s Awards Banquet held May 29 at Truman Middle School, past and present volunteers, advocates and educators were honored for their outstanding contributions to children in our community. Tacoma Council PTA presented two Outstanding Educator Awards, an All-City Golden Acorn Award, an Outstanding Advocate Award and an Honorary Life Membership Award. Local unit PTAs also recognized and honored their award recipients at the banquet. The special volunteers were joined at the annually held banquet by local unit PTA officers, principals, Tacoma Schools Superintendent Carla Santorno, school board members Debbie Winskill and Karen Vialle and past award recipients from the 1970s to the present.

When a PTA presents awards, the recipient receives an award pin and a special certificate. A financial contribution is made in the recipient’s name to the Washington State PTA Scholarship fund, which provides $1,000 to $2,000 grants to Washington high school seniors pursuing post-high school education.

The following is a list of Tacoma PTA Local Units that presented awards during the banquet: Fawcett, Sheridan, Sherman, Skyline, Whitman and Whittier Elementary Schools; Truman and First Creek Middle Schools; and Foss High School.

Tacoma Council PTA President Kellie Bennett presented an Honorary Life Membership Award to Marilyn Beale. Beale has always kept children “in the center” of all she does. She is a substitute teacher in the district. She has been involved with Tacoma’s PTAs since 1969, was a Tacoma Council PTA president from1989-1991 and remains active with PTA, currently serving on the Tacoma Council PTA Board as Reflections co-chair.

The council’s Golden Acorn Award was awarded to Jamie Devereaux, the outgoing president of Gray Middle School PTA. She has been involved with the PTA since the early 1990s and has served in leadership roles at four Tacoma PTAs over the years, as well as at the Council PTA level.

Highly Capable teacher Kathleen Casper was presented an Outstanding Educator Award for her work with students, foster children, and her advocacy in the community. Casper received the 2012 Golden Apple Award from KCTS, Channel 9, and was one of the honorees of Business Examiner Media Group’s “40 Under Forty” program that recognizes those making significant contributions to the South Sound community.

Tacoma Council PTA awarded Shari Shelton an Outstanding Educator Award. Shelton was recognized for her many contributions to students across the school district as well as her pivotal role in ensuring student artwork is regularly featured in Tacoma Weekly.

This year’s All-City Outstanding Advocate Award was given to Jennifer Boutell for her advocacy efforts for students and the community. She is known for her work with the PTA, Parents and Friends for Tacoma Public Schools, the No on I-1240 campaign, assistance in school bond and levy campaigns as well as her internet presence, which includes http://www.Tacomamama.com.

PIERCE TRANSIT ADJUSTS BUS SCHEDULES

Effective June 9, Pierce Transit bus service and shuttle service for people with disabilities will have several changes made to current schedules. In an effort to maintain as much service as possible, some reduction needs to be made now before the major service cuts occur on Sept. 29.

Beginning June 9, a number of routes will begin later in the morning and end earlier in the evening. In addition, during weekday peak hours, some routes may have fewer trips. This service change impacts a number of routes on all days of service, so it is important for riders to check individual route schedules for exact times. These changes reflect an approximate 4 percent reduction from the current service level.

Detailed route-by-route information about the June 9 and the Sept. 29 service changes is now available on the Pierce Transit website at http://www.piercetransit.org or by calling Customer Service at (253) 581-8000. The Pierce Transit route and “The Bus Stops Here” schedule book and Rider Alerts are available on-board buses, at Bus Shops, and at the regular distribution sites.

“These reductions, which continue the system-wide downsizing of service, are a result of the recession and the two-time rejection of Proposition 1, which would have increased funding for Pierce Transit,” stated Pierce Transit CEO Lynne Griffith. “We continue our commitment to finding everyday efficiencies and seeking new revenue sources in order to provide as much service for our customers as resources allow.”

GOODWILL OPENS STATE-OF-THE-ART STORE

Goodwill held a June 6 grand opening of a new 25,000-square-foot store in the heart of South Tacoma’s Hosmer district. Opening festivities continue through Sunday, June 9, with live entertainment, face painting, food and drink. New customers can enter in-store during the same period to win a new flat screen TV, $250 Goodwill shopping spree, and grocery store gift cards.

“This new retail location will offer an improved thrift shopping opportunity that we term fashion forward merchandising – a step up from traditional thrift retail without any raise in prices,” said Terry Hayes, president and CEO of Tacoma Goodwill. “This will be a win-win for consumers and the area unemployed as revenue from this store will generate job center training and placement for 50 Tacoma residents each year.”

The new store is a bargain and treasure hunters dream featuring major departments for clothing, housewares, glassware, books/media, toys and furniture. The new store manager, Gloria Eubanks, has more than 30 years of retail experience, including retail management at the Bon Marche’/Macy’s and Meier & Frank.

“This new opening represents exciting new employment and job training for residents in south Tacoma,” said Tacoma Councilmember Joe Lonergan. “Our city adds 25 new area jobs in store retail, management, warehouse, custodial and maintenance positions, while retail revenue will generate additional Goodwill job center training and placement for our city.”

The South Tacoma Goodwill is the newest of 32 stores in southwest and central Washington raising revenue for free job placement, career training and education for low income and underserved people. Goodwill boutiques, retail stores and outlets, along with partnerships with more than 800 regional businesses and funding partners, are helping nearly 9,000 area residents and families to connect with a higher quality of life.

“The chamber is very happy to report that 25 new area jobs will translate into approximately $503,000 in store wages and benefits for families, which also means paychecks that are spent in our area businesses,” said Tom Pierson, President and CEO of the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber. And each new employee that comes off of unemployment and other programs saves business and individual taxpayers about $13,000 per year.”

FIRST CHRONICLE GIVES VOICE TO MIXED-RACE AMERICANS

Until now, no one has examined the collective stories of the 20th century’s older, mixed-raced Americans. “Stories of younger people of mixed heritage are out there,” says sociologist, professor and author Cathy J. Tashiro. But, “Standing on Both Feet: Voices of Older Mixed Race Americans” takes the story one step further, analyzing how previous generations worked to find their place in decades when their very existence violated entrenched societal beliefs and legally enforced color lines.

As a healthcare provider, sociologist and researcher, Tashiro has published articles and has presented at international conventions giving her first person perspective on mixed race identity, health disparities, and social justice. She is associate professor emeritus at the University of Washington Tacoma’s Healthcare Leadership and Nursing Program.

In “Standing on Both Feet: Voices of Older Mixed Race Americans,” Tashiro interweaves the experiences of 20 people born between 1902 and 1951 who are mixed African American/Caucasian or Asian American/Caucasian. The book’s title refers to a frequent theme in their stories – a life with one foot in each culture; but a society that checked the box of racial identity for them based largely on rigid definitions of race.

“I heard many secrets during my interviews,” says Tashiro. “Until the 1967 Supreme Court decision, many mixed-raced couples defied the law to marry. Their racially ambiguous children faced everything from hostility to awe and the ‘what are you?’ questions familiar to Americans of mixed ancestry – even today.

“I discovered that what was happening in society when a person was coming of age shaped their options, identities and family relationships.” In the book’s final chapter, Tashiro uses her research to predict trends for the rapidly-growing numbers of mixed-race Americans.

“Like the people in my book, I am of mixed race. My parents got together at the end of World War II when there was a lot of anti-Japanese sentiment. My mother was disowned by my white grandfather for a time, for marrying my father. We are living witnesses from a time when people like me didn’t often have their experiences validated or named, to an era with a mixed-race president. But even he self-identifies as black and is widely known as ‘America’s first black president,’ which has created controversy and proves the enduring power of ideas about race.”

Tashiro will lead a discussion on her book and the broader issue of mixed-race Americans June 14th at Elliott Bay Company, 1521 10th Avenue, Seattle, 7 p.m. This event will commemorate the 8th year of Loving Day marking the anniversary of Loving v. Virginia, the June 12, 1967 U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized interracial marriage. Tashiro’s appearance is co-sponsored by MAVIN, a Seattle non-profit working to build healthier communities by educating about mixed heritage experiences. 

LOCAL LEADERS JOIN WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL

WorkForce Central announces several new appointments to the Tacoma-Pierce County Workforce Development Council (WDC) and the WDC Youth Council. The Pierce County WDC is one of 12 workforce development boards in Washington, which joins a network of 600 nationwide. The purpose of these organizations is to oversee the implementation, local planning and management of the federal Workforce Investment Act. Working on behalf of and in coordination with the local elected officials, the Pierce County council represents a broad cross section of the local community interested in workforce development issues.

The new WDC members are Jo Ann Baria, Vice President Workforce Education in Economic and Professional Development for Pierce College District; Anne Goranson, Regional Director at Washington State Employment Security Department; Deb Shanafelt, Career and Technical Education Director at Clover Park School District and Dr. Ron Langrell, President of Bates Technical College.

New members of the WDC Youth Council are Nerissa Woodruff, AmeriCorps*VISTA Volunteer with the WA Department of Social and Health Services, Juvenile Rehabilitation Administration; Michelle Ledbetter, Director of Pierce County Skills Center and My'Kaila Young, Lincoln High School senior who will serve as the council's Youth Ambassador.

These leaders join others in business, education, government, labor and community organizations to work collaboratively to bring innovative training, education and business solutions to further the economic growth of Tacoma and Pierce County. This public and private partnership convenes to identify skill and training gaps within the local workforce and to develop strategies to address those gaps. The end goal is the development of a job-ready workforce.

"Pierce County's local leaders recognize that workforce development programs are valuable tools with long-term benefits for the economic growth of the region," stated Linda Nguyen, CEO of WorkForce Central. "More and more company executives are citing a skilled, trainable workforce as a primary reason for relocating to the area. We are fortunate so many of the region's leaders are willing to join the WDC and the WDC Youth Council to develop value-added services to build this quality workforce."

APPLICANTS SOUGHT FOR CITY EVENTS AND RECOGNITIONS COMMITTEE

The Tacoma City Council is looking for nine members for a newly established City Events and Recognitions Committee (CERC). The CERC serves as an advisory and action committee on matters pertaining to city-hosted events and special recognition programs. The committee is responsible for planning, reviewing and evaluating events, engaging the community in its fundraising efforts, and soliciting corporate and private sponsorships to leverage funds for city-hosted events such as the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration and the City of Destiny Awards.

The nine members appointed to the CERC will consist of Tacoma residents, with representatives from each of Tacoma's five Council Districts, and bring a range of perspectives and expertise that focus on the City’s commitment to celebrate civic engagement and special observations.

Regularly scheduled meeting dates and times have not yet been established for this committee. Applications must be submitted to the City Clerk’s Office by Friday, June 21, 2013. To apply, visit http://www.cityoftacoma.org/cbcapplication or contact April Larsen at (253) 591-5167, City Clerk’s Office, Room 220, Municipal Building, 747 Market St., Tacoma, WA 98402.

COUNCIL SEEKS APPLICANTS FOR TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION

The Tacoma City Council is looking for 11 members for the newly established Transportation Commission. The Transportation Commission will advise the council on transportation-related matters such as short-term and long-range transportation planning, compliance with local, regional and federal transportation regulations, bike, pedestrian and mass transit-related planning initiatives and parking and capital improvement plans.

The commission will consist of 11 members – nine voting members appointed by the City Council who are city residents, with representatives from each of the city’s five Council Districts, who bring a range of perspectives and expertise that focus on the city’s long-term vision for mobility options throughout the city, and two non-voting members appointed by the City Manager. It is recommended that the members appointed reflect the following categories of special interest/discipline: professional engineering sector, construction/private business sector, bike and pedestrian/mass transit sector, planning/urban growth sector, environmental/sustainability sector, general community and ADA community.

Regularly scheduled meeting dates and times have not yet been established for this commission.

Applications must be submitted to the City Clerk’s Office by Friday, June 21, 2013. To apply, please visit http://www.cityoftacoma.org/cbcapplication or contact April Larsen at (253) 591-5167, City Clerk’s Office, Room 220, Municipal Building, 747 Market St., Tacoma, WA 98402.

PLANNING COMMISSION APPLICATIONS DUE JUNE 14

The Planning Commission has three openings available for Tacoma residents: (1) a position for someone residing in Council District 4 (Eastside), (2) a position for someone with expertise in environmental issues, and (3) a position for someone with a background in architecture, historic preservation and/or urban design.

The term period for each of these volunteer positions is July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2016. An application form is available online, and applications are due by no later than June 14, 2013.

The Planning Commission advises the City Council on issues related to the City’s Comprehensive Plan, mixed-use centers development, land use and development regulations, transportation, capital facilities and other planning studies. Members meet at 4 p.m. on the first and third Wednesdays of each month in Tacoma Municipal Building North (733 Market St., Room 16).

Those with questions about the application process, or who need an accommodation in the application process, may contact the City Clerk's Office at alarsen@cityoftacoma.org or (253) 591-5167. People with hearing or speech impairments may contact the City Clerk’s Office through Washington Relay Services (800) 833-6388 (TTY or ASCII), (800) 833-6386 (VCO) or (877) 833-6341 (STS). The City Clerk’s Office is located in the Tacoma Municipal Building (747 Market St., Room 220), and is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday–Friday, excluding holidays.

FERN HILL READERS EXPLORE CAMPUS LIFE

On May 31, students from University of Washington Tacoma (UWT) who serve as tutors at Fern Hill Elementary School met their students on the UWT campus to give them a personal tour of the campus and host them for lunch. The Fern Hill students also got the opportunity to attend a mock classroom lecture, experiencing what it feels like to graduate from high school and move on to higher learning.

Communities in Schools of Tacoma worked this year for the first time with UWT Professor Dr. Marcy Stein who has been able to successfully match aspiring teachers with at-risk students at Fern Hill. The result: students whose reading skills dramatically improve, and tutors who leave the program with substantial experience in their field of choice. It is a unique and exciting opportunity, according to reading tutor Catherine Wilmot, who says of her experience: "Kids are excited to do well when they are encouraged to do well. Learning how to encourage students to get excited about learning and goal-setting was an amazing experience and I feel one step closer towards the kind of teacher that I'm setting out to be."

The Fern Hill students have responded equally enthusiastically. According to Fern Hill student Phuong Pham, "We learned new skills on how to write every day." Fellow student Michael Schweich agrees, explaining that, "The more you read the better you get." The program even helps students succeed in their school’s Accelerated Reading program.

“All students who participated in our CIS UWT extended day reading program this year made some growth in the area of reading. We are excited to see this support was beneficial. Both the students who participated and the tutors committed a huge chunk of time to this intervention; 4 days a week October through May,” said Tammy Larsen, principal of Fern Hill Elementary School.

For more information about how Communities In Schools works with students to help them stay in school and achieve in life, please contact them at 253-571-1114. You can also go to their website and Facebook page at http://www.tacoma.communitiesinschools.org and http://www.facebook.com/CISofTacoma.

PIERCE COUNTY READS CELEBRATES SUCCESS

Approximately 500 people laughed and learned from New York Times best selling author Paula McLain at the final 2013 Pierce County READS’ event on May 17. 

This year’s Pierce County READS book, the award-winning “The Paris Wife,” by McLain, flew off of the shelves at Pierce County Libraries and community partner libraries and bookstores. In all people checked out 4,684 print, e-book and audiobook copies of “The Paris Wife” from Pierce County Library during the nine-week community one book program.

McLain shared with the audience how she researched and wrote the book primarily from a Starbucks in Cleveland, Ohio. She used Google maps to see Paris, where she had never travelled. Since her book hit the New York Times best seller list and sold more than one million copies, she has traveled to the streets of Paris and has now seen first-hand the sights she described in her book.

“The Paris Wife” weaves an intriguing account of one of the world’s greatest authors, Ernest Hemingway, seen through the eyes of his first wife, Hadley Richardson. As McLain has traveled and talked about the book she has met Richardson’s family who has given her great praise for the personal and telling story.

Hundreds of people participated in 40 free events, where they learn how to write and get their books published, plan trips to Paris, and make art deco jewelry. Throughout the program, people donated nonperishable food items to a Pierce County READS’ community partner, Emergency Food Network.

SLEVIN APPOINTED ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES DIRECTOR

Tacoma City Manager T.C. Broadnax has announced the appointment of Michael P. Slevin III to the permanent position of Environmental Services Director. Slevin has been serving on an interim basis for the past eight months, and will step into his new role effective June 3, 2013.

“Our Environmental Services team handles important work in some very core areas,” said Broadnax. “I am confident that Mike’s experience and demonstrated leadership in these areas will help them continue to provide an outstanding level of service to Tacoma's residents.”

“I am very excited and pleased to be appointed as the new Environmental Services Director,” said Slevin. “I have spent the last 18 years working on projects to provide value and a safe environment for the citizens and rate payers of Tacoma. I look forward to providing the best leadership and service I possibly can.”

Over his 18-year career with the city, Slevin was part of the teams responsible for several major capital projects including the Foss Waterway superfund cleanup, Tacoma Landfill superfund cleanup, Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center construction, Central Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrades, Center for Urban Waters construction and Pacific Plaza redevelopment. He also managed several major sustainability programs and initiatives for the City, relating to its TAGRO biosolids program, every other week garbage collection, community gardens, food waste collection, stormwater low impact development, compressed natural gas, alternative fuels and open spaces.

Slevin graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from Washington State University, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Washington. He is a licensed professional civil engineer in Washington state, and a graduate of the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School Water and Wastewater Leadership Center. He was recently named a University of Washington Tacoma Milgard School of Business Distinguished Alumnus.

Retired from the Washington Army National Guard after 28 years of active and reserve service, Slevin completed three overseas combat tours – Desert Storm, Iraq and Afghanistan. He was awarded two Bronze Star medals for his actions during combat deployments.

Walk for a Cause June 22

0
0

After working in the nonprofit arena for decades, Carl Jones understands the subtle challenges and obstacles these organizations face every day. Fundraising is always a priority, but many of these groups lack the expertise needed to maximize these efforts.

Enter Jones and his Community Walks organization, focused solely on helping local nonprofits raise money by recruiting friends and family to participate in events to raise money for a cause of their choice.

On June 22, during the inaugural Tacoma Walks event at Cheney Stadium, the community is invited to register and walk on behalf of one of about 10 nonprofits participating in the festivities.

“It’s always a struggle for small to mid-sized nonprofits to get the word out about their missions,” Jones said. “They may not have the expertise to raise much money, but we do.”

Jones plans to hold similar events throughout the state next year to grow his reach and impact as many nonprofits as possible. “If an organization misses the event this year, they can take advantage next year,” he said, adding that he is already planning next year’s event with the Rainiers.

Anyone interested in attending and raising money for any of the nonprofits involved can register online at http://www.tacomawalks.com. The entry fee is $20, and includes a commemorative t-shirt, free admission to watch the Tacoma Rainiers take on the Fresno Grizzlies, along with a free ballpark meal.

Registration begins at 3 p.m., and the walk starts at 4 p.m., with food and entertainment following at 6 p.m.

For more information about the event, visit http://www.tacomawalks.com, or e-mail carl@communitywalks.net.

Rainiers outlast Sacramento in 14 innings

0
0

Despite a seemingly revolving door in the clubhouse, the Tacoma Rainiers continue to figure out how to win games – no matter how long it takes. Brandon Maurer allowed one run in six and two-thirds innings in his Triple-A debut, and Abraham Almonte delivered a walk-off single in the bottom of the 14th inning to give the Rainiers a 2-1 win over Sacramento on June 3 at Cheney Stadium in their longest game of the season.

With runners at first and second and one out, Almonte – in his first at-bat after coming on as a pinch runner in the 13th inning – drove the first pitch from Sacramento reliever Mike Ekstrom into left field, and shortstop Brad Miller scored from second to end the game, which lasted four hours and 35 minutes.

“That goes to show you…with all the changes, we’ve been able to keep the team concept. These guys are playing together, they’re playing hard, they’re playing as a team.” -John Stearns -Rainiers Manager

“He has just been outstanding,” said Rainiers manager John Stearns of Almonte, who was hitting .478 with 12 RBIs in his 16 games with Tacoma to that point. “That was a tremendous hit he had to win the game. He continues to impress.”

Maurer, who was demoted to Tacoma on May 30, after making 10 starts with the Mariners, allowed just one hit through six innings – a run-scoring single by Daric Barton in the second inning to put the River Cats up 1-0. But he settled down to retire 13 of the next 14 batters, and finished with seven strikeouts.

“He was very, very good,” said Rainiers manager John Stearns. “(And) our bullpen, you can’t say enough.”

The Rainiers’ offense threatened several times but failed to capitalize off Sacramento starter and former Rainier Justin Thomas. Thomas retired Eric Thames on a fly out to left with runners at second and third and two outs in the fourth, and fielded Stefen Romero’s grounder in the fifth with the bases loaded and two outs to end that threat.

The Rainiers finally equalized on a somewhat controversial call, as Brandon Bantz led off Tacoma’s seventh with a drive over the left field fence off reliever Paul Smyth that was ruled a fair ball. Sacramento manager Steve Scarsone then had a long argument with the umpires, but the call stood, and Scarsone was ejected.

The bullpen held Sacramento in check, as Bobby LaFromboise had relieved Maurer in the top of the seventh and escaped a first-and-third situation by picking off Hiroyuki Nakajima at first base. The River Cats loaded the bases off Brian Moran in the 10th, but Carlos Peguero came up with a nice catch on a liner by Grant Green and nailed Nakajima at home plate to escape the inning. Forrest Snow relieved Moran in the 11th and pitched three scoreless innings – allowing three hits and one walk with four strikeouts – to eventually pick up the win.

“(There are) a lot of heroes on the team, and it’s one of those games where we’re really happy we could pull it out,” Stearns said.

The win put the Rainiers at 36-23, giving them a 3.5-game lead on second-place Colorado Springs. With a boost from players like Maurer and Dustin Ackley, and the return of first baseman Rich Poythress – who arrived just before the game from Double-A and was in the starting lineup – they are proving they can continue the momentum despite the ever-changing lineup. The Rainiers had made 60 transactions in 57 games on the season up to that point.

“That goes to show you…with all the changes, we’ve been able to keep the team concept,” Stearns said. “These guys are playing together, they’re playing hard, they’re playing as a team. You’ve got to tip your cap to them, because they’re doing a heck of a job under adverse conditions.”

A New Home - Nativity House to relocate to church site.

0
0

Demolishing a church is a delicate business.

The baptisms, weddings, ordinations and funerals blessed in it remain in the memories of people who once worshipped in it. The congregation may have moved to a new sanctuary, but the old is part of its history.

That is why Catholic Community Services has, with grace and delicacy, invited members of Allen AME Church to say goodbye to the brick church the congregation dedicated in 1928 and sold in 1988.

On the site at South 14th Street and Yakima Avenue, CCS will build the Nativity House. That project will combine three programs: Hospitality Kitchen, Nativity House and Tacoma Avenue Shelter. It will add 50 secure apartments – with services – for people who have lived on the street or in shelters for years.

On June 5, some of those people mingled with church and government officials, volunteers and donors at a groundbreaking ceremony. Within the next few weeks, the salvage and abatement crews, the dozers and munchers will come for the church.

Last week, CCS Executive Director Denny Hunthausen invited Allen AME Pastor Spencer Francis Barrett and church members to come to the church, say farewell and identify the objects they would like to keep from it.

“I love this place,” Barrett said, standing in the side yard, looking up at the square turret.

He had attended services and was ordained there. It is a big chunk of his congregation’s history.

“Allen has been on the Hilltop since before Washington was a state,” he said.

The congregation, formed in 1890, met in rented rooms, then a saloon, a site on ‘G’ Street and a wooden church at 1407 S. Yakima Ave. until that was torn down to make way for the brick building dedicated on Aug. 4, 1929. That event’s program opened to a picture of George Moore.

“Donor and builder of this church,” his brief biography read. “The cost of construction is $11,000, which was unconditionally given and is fully paid. Mr. Moore is an ex-soldier, having served with the 25th United States Infantry. As a deputy sheriff he served in Grant County, New Mexico. He was once a cowpuncher in Montana. Mr. Moore pays more taxes than any other colored citizen in Pierce County.”

The stained-glass window dedicated to George and Mary Moore, the cornerstone, front doors and about 250 bricks will move up the hill to the current church at 1223 Martin Luther King Jr. Way.

In March 1988, the congregation marched up the hill from Yakima to the larger sanctuary on MLK. They had bought the building the month before from Key to Life Assembly of God, whose pastor said street crime had driven his congregation away and he was moving to Northeast Tacoma.

Allen AME members settled in, addressed the problems they found there and became a force for social and youth services on the Hilltop.

They sold the old church to St. Leo Parish. CCS leased it, brought it up to code, installed a sprinkler system and opened Kids Place Child Care Center in 1991.

“That functioned for roughly 10 years,” Hunthausen said.

Since then, The Food Connection, based in the CCS headquarters across the alley, has used the old church for storage. Freezers and fridges and pallets of food back up against children’s murals on the walls of the old sanctuary.

“This ground has served the needs of the community for a good long time,” Hunthausen said.

Barrett agreed. He sees the blessings that ground has brought living on in The New Nativity House.

“Allen has always been a church that has helped the community,” he said. “The new facility will reflect the same spirit of reaching out and helping others.”


2013 Tacoma Weekly All-City Baseball Team

0
0

While no local baseball squads made it past the first round of districts this year, there still was no shortage of impressive players on local diamonds. We take a look back at some of the top talent in the city with our All-City Baseball Team.

Bellarmine Prep junior Harry Stenberg was one of the more dominant pitchers locally this season, posting a deceptive 3-4 record, but carrying a 1.93 earned run average (ERA) in 50 innings. He added 48 strikeouts on the year, and was impressive in shutting out Auburn Riverside for over six innings in the district playoffs.

Wilson junior Brady O’Keefe earned a selection at pitcher after posting a 3-3 record with a 1.84 ERA over more than 29 innings this year, with 26 strikeouts.

Stadium junior Matt Gunn gets a nod at catcher after hitting .426 with a team-high seven doubles and adding two homers and 18 runs batted in (RBIs).

Wilson catcher Nate Sandoval provided some key leadership this season as the Rams’ lone senior, and was solid in batting .276 with two homers and nine RBIs.

Stadium teammate Jake Vieth headlines the infielders after putting up a .431 batting average, with three homers and 21 RBIs. The junior first baseman also tallied 15 walks and struck out just three times while also posting a 2.15 ERA in 26 innings on the mound.

Bellarmine Prep senior third baseman George Foley put up a .414 batting average and a .549 on base percentage, pacing the Lions’ offense with three homers and 20 RBIs.

Tacoma Baptist senior shortstop Matt Hallstrom was the catalyst at the top of the lineup for the Crusaders, hitting .444 with a .563 on base percentage and 27 runs scored, eight doubles, 12 RBIs and 17 stolen bases.

In the same manner, Life Christian sophomore Drex Davis could do it all for the Eagles, hitting .333 with 14 RBIs while adding 15 stolen bases, 20 runs and a .518 on base percentage.

Wilson sophomore second baseman Matt Stortini made quite a name with his glove this season, committing no errors in league play while also contributing offensively with a .313 batting average.

Lincoln sophomore infielder Collin Ford was one of several bright spots this season for the Abes, hitting .297 and scoring 14 runs in looking to become one of the cornerstones for the future.

Mount Tahoma’s Kasey Kenyon rounds out the infielders, as the junior hit .421 on the year for the Thunderbirds.

Bellarmine Prep junior Brandon Thompson put up one of the strongest overall seasons for the outfielders, tallying a .449 batting average, with 22 runs scored and 13 RBIs.

Teammate Nathan Heath was solid as well in center for the Lions, showing good range defensively and hitting .354 with 22 runs scored and eight stolen bases.

Stadium senior Michael Van Orden also gets a nod after putting up a .382 batting average, leading the Tigers with 26 hits while scoring 16 runs and stealing seven bases.

Wilson sophomore Santana Johnson rounds out the group of outfielders after batting .484, stealing 10 bases and scoring 11 runs for the Rams.

As every team needs players that can do it all defensively, so does the All-City Team, with two players that played outfield, catcher, infield and pitcher this season. Life Christian junior Taylor Roelofs put together a solid season while moving around defensively, hitting .408 with 19 RBIs, 18 runs scored and 22 stolen bases.

Foss junior Ryan Phillips was another jack-of-all-trades, filling in wherever needed for the Falcons while hitting .327 and striking out only three times on the year.

2013 TACOMA WEEKLY ALL-CITY BASEBALL TEAM

P – BRADY O’KEEFE – JR – WILSON

P – HARRY STENBERG – JR – BELLARMINE PREP

C – MATT GUNN – JR – STADIUM

C – NATE SANDOVAL – SR – WILSON

IF – DREX DAVIS – SO – LIFE CHRISTIAN

IF – GEORGE FOLEY – SR – BELLARMINE PREP

IF – COLLIN FORD – SO – LINCOLN

IF – MATT HALLSTROM – SR – TACOMA BAPTIST

IF – KASEY KENYON – JR – MOUNT TAHOMA

IF – MATT STORTINI – SO – WILSON

IF – JAKE VIETH – JR – STADIUM

OF – NATHAN HEATH – SR – BELLARMINE PREP

OF – BRANDON THOMPSON – JR – BELLARMINE PREP

OF – MICHAEL VAN ORDEN – JR – STADIUM

OF – SANTANA JOHNSON – SO – WILSON

UT – TAYLOR ROELOFS – JR – LIFE CHRISTIAN

UT – RYAN PHILLIPS – JR – FOSS

Arts & Entertainment: Steamroller prints on display in Woolworth Windows

0
0

For most of us, the steamroller evokes images of steamy piles of dark asphalt flattened into long slabs of road surface. For a growing segment of the citizenry of our City of Destiny, however, the steamroller is now also viewed as a utensil (albeit a big one) in the printmaker’s tool chest: a huge, heavy press that can be used for the making of large sized prints.

Steamroller printing has become something of a cult phenomenon, popping up here and there generally as part of festivals that celebrate printmaking and letterpress printing. Steamroller prints are made when artists cut images into big slabs of linoleum and lay them on the pavement. Paper is spread over the block and layers of carpet protect the paper from the wheels of the steamroller.

San Francisco’s “Roadworks Steamroller Printing Festival” has been going on for a decade. The students at University of Montana use a steamroller to print huge banners on sheets of cloth for a Day of the Dead parade that has been observed for the last 12 years. The making of steamroller prints is often part of “Wayzgoose” (a medieval name for an annual banquet given by a master printer for his employees) festivals that celebrate printing and letterhead press. Such is the case with the San Francisco event and with the “Steamroller Smackdown” that is part of the Wayzgoose festival at Seattle’s School of Visual Concepts.

Tacoma’s 9th annual Wayzgoose festival was held in April at King’s Books. For the past six years, steamroller printmaking has been a central feature of the festival. The prints made at this year’s Wayzgoose are currently on display in the Woolworth Windows at South 11th Street and Broadway. The use of a steamroller allows for large size prints to be made. These prints are on 3-foot by 3-foot sheets of paper. Ten of them hang on display to visitors and passersby. Stadium High School Printmaking, Maggie Roberts, Audra Lymon, Beautiful Angle, Chris Sharp, The Cartoonist’s League of Absurd Washingtonians (CLAW), Ric Matthies, Chandler O’Leary with Jessica Spring, Charles Wright Academy Printmaking, and Pacific Lutheran University Printmaking made the prints. According to R.R. Anderson of CLAW, only four copies of each print are made via the steamroller method. One print from each set is auctioned off to raise money for future Wayzgoose festivals.

All of the prints are striking by virtue of their size and the air of authority inherent to the print medium itself. One of the finest is the print by Chandler O’Leary and Jessica Spring who teamed up to do a version on Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus.” Here, the goddess is shown standing on the Tacoma Dome that is imaged with an Andy Warhol flower painted on top. Other Tacoma landmarks are seen in the background.

Also appearing in the Woolworth Windows are more Summer 2013 installations: Beth Johnson’s giant, papier Mache dragons, Jennifer Zwick’s surreal “Bed Dress” (a kind of gothic garment that is attached to a bed so that the wearer need never leave bed in order to go about their day), and Rachael Dotson’s well executed, tall blue figures who stand with their various hand-held electronic devices while their heads are lost in the clouds. The latter is a pithy commentary on the perpetual state of fogginess that comes from the contemporary obsession with having more and more information that is qualitatively diminished in proportion to its quantity. The installations are on view through Aug. 15.

Sidebar: Adventus Films Short Showcase at The Tollbooth Gallery

While in the vicinity of the Woolworth Windows, check out the award-winning short films “Scamp” and “A Man, Buried” that will be screening in The Tollbooth Gallery, the street kiosk turned art gallery.  The Tollbooth Gallery is part of the Tacoma Spaceworks program and is curated by Kat Ogden and Emilie Rommel Shimkus. Visitors will also get an exclusive sneak peak at Adventus Films' trailers for upcoming films "Enmity Gauge" and "The Resolution." Adventus Films is half Chris Joseph Taylor, a former Marine and cinematographer, and Rick Walters, a soldier turned filmmaker. These Tollbooth Gallery installments run through June 14.

Arts & Entertainment: Jazz @ TMP salutes ‘Sweet & Hot’ New Orleans

0
0

Each June, Tacoma Musical Playhouse pays homage to a different aspect of jazz and its history with its Jazz @ TMP showcases. The focus was on the big band era with their Swing Daze and Swing Daze 2 concerts in 2008 and 2009, followed by tributes to jazz divas, Latin jazz and iconic crooners in subsequent years.

“It's always been kind of an educational thing,” said Tacoma trumpet player Lance Buller, who books TMP's annual jazz gala. “It's entertainment, but I've always sort of wanted to have a little part of the show to explain a little facet of jazz – a different style. This year I thought ‘Hey, man, go back to the basics.’”

This year's showcase will emphasize New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz, on June 15. Sweet & Hot will trace the genre back to its roots in ragtime and blues and feature a headlining performance by Marilyn Keller and the Portland-based Black Swan Classic Jazz Band, with music starting at 8 p.m.

“New Orleans was the city that had the first opera house in the country; it wasn't New York, it wasn't Boston,” Buller said. “New Orleans had the first opera house. Culturally, it was a sophisticated city that way. And, like Wynton Marsalis said, it's just a gumbo – things all coming together just at the right time. That's what this show is going to show.”

Sweet & Hot is also one of the final shows at Tacoma Musical Playhouse before it undergoes at $1.2 million facelift. The 360-seat venue – located at 7116 Sixth Ave., in Tacoma – will undergo renovations following the June 16 performance by Memorie Singers.

“The main difference is the orchestra will be onstage in its own loft area, so we'll be able to add all of those seats back in,” explained managing artistic director Jon Rake. “Then we'll have better access for handicap seating. We're also moving our sound booth. We're creating a crossover for the actors in the back so they don't have to go outside.”

Rake said TMP's summer production of Ragtime will be held at Curtis High School, 8425 40th St. W., in University Place. The playhouse will reopen in time for its 20th season to kick off in October.

Tickets for Sweet & Hot show are $25 and are available through the TMP box office, at 7116 Sixth Ave., in Tacoma; (253) 565-6867 or http://www.tmp.org for further details.

Make a Scene: Nolan Garrett finishes his first CD

0
0

Tacoma guitar sensation Nolan Garrett is getting ready to release his first full-length CD much to the delight of the throngs of fans the 15-year-old has attracted over the years. On June 21, he’ll unveil the CD at an all-ages release party at Jazzbones, 8 p.m., $10 cover.

Titled “All the Time,” this CD is sure to not only satisfy those who already love Garrett and his music, but also open up a whole new world of listeners for him as he continues to stretch and grow as an artist yet always anchored in his lead and rhythm guitar work that makes just about anyone who hears him play to sit up and take notice.

“It feels good,” Garrett told Tacoma Weekly about finally having the CD completed. “It’s been a year in the making…one of those things where I can’t believe it’s done. A lot of hard work went into it, and I’m ready for it to come out.”

Rock/funk quartet Vividal, a young Port Orchard band with their own solid following, will be opening Garrett’s CD release party. Garrett will perform and sign CDs, which will be for sale at the event for $10. Afterward, “All the Time” will be available for $15 at http://www.nolangarrett.net. Tracks will also be available on iTunes.

“It’s just going to be fun. My goal is to pack Jazzbones downstairs and upstairs,” Garrett said. Two members of Tacoma band Monsters in the Dark will be joining him onstage – keyboardist Ray Hayden and sax player Paul Sawtell.

'All the Time' to be released to the public on June 21

"When I was given the opportunity to play in Nolan's band, my immediate answer was a resounding yes,” Hayden said. “I truly believe in his music, talent and vision as a young artist. Performing live with Nolan shaves, oh, about 20 years off my life. Come see this kid before he hits the road – you won't regret it. It’s going to be a great show!"

Featuring 11 original tracks written or co-written by Garrett, “All the Time” was produced in Los Angeles by Jeff Kossack of Other Hand Recording. Garrett, who was staying at the famed Sunset Marquis hotel during the weekend of 2012’s Grammy Awards, was practicing his guitar poolside when he was approached by Kossack and the legendary Cyndi Lauper, who was particularly intrigued by his playing.

“I was just sitting there working on my practice routines in my own little space,” Garrett recalled. “I did that for about eight hours. I didn’t know who (Lauper) was when she first came up, and she said, ‘You’ve been playing that guitar all day. Have you finally learned to play a song?’” Garrett then played his song “Don’t Criticize Me” (which he included on “All the Time”) for Lauper and Kossack and things took off from there. Garrett returned to L.A. five times to record “All the Time” with Kossack.

“It’s so professional down there. It was a real learning experience,” Garrett said.

The variety of music on “All the Time” reveals just how diverse and talented this straight-A School of the Arts (SOTA) student is. A mixture of funk, blues, rock and slow songs, the CD includes an eclectic blend of musical genres, which has become Garrett’s trademark. His biggest influences include Jimi Hendrix, Paul McCartney and John Mayer, and his music reflects elements of each of these artists’ styles coupled with his own twist and flair. “People say, ‘he’s in all these genres,’ but I just write what I feel,” Garrett said.

While songs like “Don’t Criticize Me” give the CD a certain amount of bluesy swagger, it’s Garrett’s slower songs that bring out his heart and soul in the most wonderful ways. His voice sounds youthful and vulnerable when he sings the slow stuff, and when he’s singing harder/funkier tunes his voice takes on a harder and more forceful tone that perfectly suits the music.

The lyrics to his music also matter, as the words reflect the young man’s life experiences that he shares with listeners. For example, on the title track he sings a chorus to just be yourself: “My picture ain’t perfect in your mind/ and neither are you and that’s all right/ I wouldn’t even start to try/ just worry about living your life/ through all this I hope you see/ no one should tell you how to be/ I wouldn’t even start to try/ we don’t gotta be perfect all the time.”

In April, Garrett performed at the celebrated Whiskey A Go-Go in West Hollywood and has been invited back for a second show on June 22. Here in Tacoma, be sure to catch him next month at the Old Town Blues Festival on July 13 and Art on the Ave on July 14.

First Victory for Tacoma Trauma

0
0

A strong defensive effort, led by four interceptions by defensive back Zakiya Shaw, earned Tacoma Trauma the first victory in team history on June 1 at Curtis High School. The Trauma, in their first year of competition in the Women’s Football Alliance, defeated the Everett Reign 24-0.

The teams struggled to sustain drives in the first quarter, which ended with no scoring.

Trauma running back Dee Smithingell caught a pass and made a long gain in the second quarter, but a penalty nullified the effort.

On Everett’s next drive, Trauma linebacker Mikisa Johnson intercepted a pass and ran it back to the Reign 18-yard-line. That set up a four-yard touchdown run by Smithingell. Tacoma went for two points, with running back Patricia O’Connell taking the handoff into the end zone.

Tacoma’s next drive ended when Everett’s Alexia Escamilla intercepted a pass. Shaw responded by picking off a pass. The Trauma’s last shot at scoring in the half ended when Escamilla picked off a pass.

Johnson showed great form early in the third quarter when she broke through the line and sacked the Everett quarterback.

Shaw gave the fans something to cheer about when she grabbed her second interception and returned it 80 yards for a touchdown. Smithingell ran the ball in for two points to put Tacoma up 16-0.

She had an encore performance on Everett’s next drive, picking off a pass and taking it to the end zone. O’Connell ran the ball in for two points.

Everett’s next drive stalled after a long run was called back due to a penalty.

Everett was driving early in the fourth quarter when Trauma defensive back Brandi Ockenfels intercepted a pass.

Shaw got her final interception later in the quarter.

“I am real happy for the girls,” head coach Dennis Stone said of his players. Of the 23 players, only six have played the sport prior to this season.

Tacoma returned two of its six interceptions for touchdowns. Stone noted the team’s goal is to score on half of interceptions.

With only 19 players available for this game, many on the Tacoma squad played offense and defense. Shaw is a wide receiver on offense and participates on special teams. Stone noted she is in very good shape and was on the field for most of the contest.

Stone, who used to be assistant coach on defense for the Pierce County Bengals, said he prefers coaching women to men. “They have nothing but heart.”

He also acknowledged the dedication of his assistant coaches, Tom Pugh, Mike Vernoy and Michele Volk.

The Trauma wrap up their season with a road game against the Seattle Majestics at 6 p.m. on June 8.

Zoobilee online auction is underway

0
0

In advance of Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium’s annual Zoobilee gala fundraiser on July 19, an online auction is now underway to give people a way to contribute in supporting the zoo’s education and conservation efforts, as well as providing for operating costs of PDZA throughout the year.

“We know the passion our community has for Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium,” said Zoo Society Executive Director Larry Norvell. “The online auction gives everyone the opportunity to financially support the zoo and aquarium and get a great deal on items donated by over 100 companies and individuals in our community that have the same passion for our zoo and aquarium.”

Bidding officially began on June 3 for the 90 items on the auction block, and more will be added each week throughout the auction’s run to July 5, when bidding closes at 11:45 p.m.

There is something for everyone – exclusive PDZA experiences, concert tickets, sports tickets, restaurant gift certificates, passes to local museums and attractions and more.

Get to the online auction by visiting http://www.zoobilee.org or by going directly to the auction site at http://auctions.readysetauction.com/zoobilee. Participants will be asked to set up a free account to bid on items. Every item will have a “Win it Now” price if you want to make sure the item is yours.

“By bidding in the online auction, you will be supporting the zoo’s education programs, its support for conservation and research of threatened and endangered species, and, of course, its provision of excellent healthcare for animals,” said Zoobilee Chair and Zoo Society Board Member Dianne Conway. “And you can do all of this by bidding even if you don’t win, as you will be forcing someone else to pay more. So bid early and often!”

Featured items:

A behind-the-scenes experience with E.T., the walrus at PDZA, good for four people. This is your chance for a personal meet and greet with one of PDZA’s most beloved animals.

A seven-night stay in Villa 12 at Ocean Oasis in Mexico, located in the Ocean Oasis gated community. This 2-bedroom, 2.5 bath villa, community pool and BBQ is within walking distance of Malecon with lots of restaurants and shopping. Ocean Oasis is located in La Paz, Mexico on the baja about 120 miles from Cabo. A great place for relaxing and fishing.

A wine and cheese tasting for eight at 208 Garfield in Parkland. Each person will get their own wine flight, red or white, and a local cheese plate to share. 208 Garfield only serves wine and beer from Washington or Oregon. The closest winery is less than 40 miles and all of their wines travel less than 300 miles to reach your glass! Their menu was inspired by simple comfort food from Spain, Italy and Scandinavia and they seek locally grown and produced ingredients to make their versions of these recipes come to life. Their baked goods, soups and dressings are made from scratch using top quality ingredients.

Garden Makeover Package. Experience your own personal tour of Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium’s horticulture collection guided by the Zoo’s gifted horticulturist, Bryon Jones. Immediately following your tour at PDZA the fun continues with an at-home consultation on how to make your garden look spectacular! Paired with your newfound garden knowledge – you can head on down to Gardensphere in North Tacoma and spend the included $100 gift certificate.Seattle Mariners Game Day Package. Two tickets to the Monday, August 26th Mariners game at 7:10pm. Includes a parking pass and $8.00 in concessions for each ticket. Terrace Club seating is in Section 236, Row 4, seats 1 and 2. This package also includes a $50 gift card to enjoy FX McRory's Steak Chop and Oyster House.

A ZOOM Zip-line Experience for four at PDZA. Experience Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium's newest attraction. ZOOM features two different courses, a Super Kid version that's relatively low to the ground and a higher Discovery circuit that rises thirty feet into the trees. Each requires some degree of agility and tests participants’ mental and physical toughness.

PDZA Animal Photography. For the first time ever, you will have a chance to purchase some of the amazing photographs taken by PDZA’s own Zoo Photographer. Prints will be available at a fixed price and will be available as a 5x7 or an 8x10.

Tickets for Zoobilee are still available. They are $225 each and there is a $25 discount available for Zoo Members and Vision Keepers. Zoobilee will be held at PDZA on Friday, July 19 at 6 p.m. This is the 23rd annual Zoobilee, and the theme this year is Jewels of the Arctic. Call (253) 404-3651 to purchase tickets.

Volunteers for Zoobilee are needed as well. There are many different volunteer positions to choose from including guest activity support, gourmet food and beverage service, auction support, event set-up and clean up and tons more. Positions are available on Friday, July 19 and in the weeks leading up to Zoobilee. Visit http://www.zoobilee.org for more information and to access the volunteer application and job descriptions. You can also call (253) 404-3651 or email volunteers@thezoosociety.org.

Tickets for the Zoobilee Grand Raffle are also on sale for a chance to win some fabulous prizes. Grand prize is a 10-day luxury cruise for two aboard Holland America Cruise Line, second prize is a stylish luxury Tag Heuer Carrera Automatic Chronograph watch from Ben Bridge Jewelers and third prize is an iPad 4 with Retina Display, 32GB Wi-Fi and cellular compatible from Propel Insurance. Tickets are only $10. For more information about raffle tickets call (253) 404-3657.

FISH Food benefit nets big bucks for food banks


2013 Tacoma Weekly All-City Softball Team

0
0

Both the Bellarmine Prep and Wilson softball teams continued their recent success with solid postseason runs this year, displaying potent offenses and some solid pitching. A number of their players highlight this year’s All-City Team, as we look back at some of this year’s top performers in Tacoma high schools.

Once again, Courtney Schwan carried the load for Bellarmine Prep on the mound this season, helping lead the Lions back to the state playoffs with an 11-11 record and a 2.84 earned run average (ERA) in 128 innings. The fire-throwing junior also tallied 122 strikeouts and was dominant with the bat, hitting .393 with four homers and 28 runs batted in (RBIs).

Lions junior teammate Rachel Barcena provided a second dominant presence on the mound for the Lions, compiling a 2.95 ERA in over 59 innings, with an astounding 90 strikeouts. Barcena came up clutch in the district playoffs, overcoming a rocky start to shut down Gig Harbor and clinch the Lions’ second straight trip to the state tournament.

Wilson junior Stephanie Granger stepped up to lead the Rams’ pitching staff, going 7-5 with a 2.52 ERA in 83.3 innings, with 90 strikeouts. She helped Wilson back to the district playoffs by shutting down North Thurston on the mound in the Narrows 3A championship game and driving in two runs.

Wilson senior catcher Carsen Stanley also earns a nod after moving to the position this year and playing solid defense, while batting .390 with four triples, two homers and 21 RBIs.

Mount Tahoma senior catcher Bailee Larson earned her third straight selection to the All-City Team, continuing to provide the pop for the Thunderbirds and coming up with three runs batted in against both Wilson and Bellarmine Prep this season.

Foss senior catcher Pow Onmun helped provide scoring opportunities for the Falcons this season, notching 22 hits and batting .440 while scoring 12 runs.

Wilson senior shortstop Darian Grimm headlines the list of infielders, taking over as a key offensive leader for the Rams with a .411 average, six doubles, four homers and 21 RBIs.

Rams senior teammate Julie Davis stepped in to man third base for much of the year and was another key offensively, tallying 16 RBIs along with a .375 batting average.

Bellarmine Prep senior first baseman Alex DeStephano added to the offensive firepower for the Lions, putting up a .372 batting average with six doubles and 18 RBIs.

Lions second baseman Becca Sorensen showed the ability to both score and produce runs toward the top of the lineup, batting .306 with two homers and 15 RBIs, while scoring 25 runs and leading the team with 17 walks.

Lincoln senior first baseman Maryssa Tippett closed out her impressive career with another powerful season, crushing five home runs to lead the Abes' offense while also contributing significantly on the mound.

Foss freshman Michaela Phillips showed her potential early for the Falcons, batting .361 this season with two homers and a triple while also posting a .980 fielding percentage in committing just two errors.

Wilson center fielder Kaysha Fox rounded out a dominant career at the top of the lineup, earning the Narrows 3A most valuable position player while posting a .533 average. The senior scored a team-high 30 runs while adding eight triples and three home runs.

Bellarmine Prep freshman Alyssa McKiernan, meanwhile, burst onto the scene in a big way for the Lions, leading the team with 47 hits, 37 runs scored and a .480 average. She also posted a team record nine homeruns and a team-high 29 RBIs, providing solid potential for the future.

Lions senior left fielder Rachel Sorensen also earned a nod, putting up a .329 batting average with 12 RBIs for the Lions while committing just one error in the field.

2013 TACOMA WEEKLY ALL-CITY SOFTBALL TEAM

P – RACHEL BARCENA – SR – BELLARMINE PREP

P – STEPHANIE GRANGER – JR – WILSON

P – COURTNEY SCHWAN – JR – BELLARMINE PREP

C – BAILEE LARSON – SR – MOUNT TAHOMA

C – POW ONMUN – SR – FOSS

C – CARSEN STANLEY – SR – WILSON

IF – JULIE DAVIS – SR – WILSON

IF – ALEX DESTEPHANO – SR – BELLARMINE PREP

IF – DARIAN GRIMM – SR – WILSON

IF – MICHAELA PHILLIPS – FR – FOSS

IF – BECCA SORENSEN – SO – BELLARMINE PREP

IF – MARYSSA TIPPETT – SR – LINCOLN

OF – KAYSHA FOX – SR – WILSON

OF – ALYSSA McKIERNAN – FR – BELLARMINE PREP

OF – RACHEL SORENSEN – SR – BELLARMINE PREP

Local Restaurants: Stroll and snack at area farmers markets

0
0

Farmers markets can make the perfect “snack outing” as you stroll through all the good things to eat the vendors have on display. Just about every day this week, farmers markets will take place throughout Pierce County, bringing some of the area’s freshest produce to be found, along with meats, fish and homemade goodies like artisan cheeses, honey, breads, and a lot more. Check out the list below to find your closest market, and shop local this week!

Thursday markets:

Broadway Farmers Market

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursdays through October

South 9th Street and Broadway

http://www.tacomafarmersmarket.com

Saturday markets:

Proctor Farmers Market

9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays, March-Dec.;

10 a.m. to 1 p.m. second Saturdays Jan./Feb.

Corner of North 27th and Proctor streets

http://www.proctorfarmersmarket.com

Puyallup Farmers’ Market

9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays through Oct. 12

Puyallup’s Pioneer Park and in the Pioneer Park Pavilion, 330 S. Meridian Ave. http://www.puyallupmainstreet.com

Sunday markets:

South Tacoma Market

11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays, April–September

STAR Center, 3873 S. 66th St.

http://www.tacomafarmersmarket.com

Tuesday markets:

6th Avenue Farmers Market

3-7 p.m. Tuesdays, May–September

6th Avenue and North Pine Street

http://www.tacomafarmersmarket.com

Lakewood Farmers Market

11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays through Sept. 17

Lakewood City Hall, 6000 Main St. S.W.

http://www.cityoflakewood.us/farmersmarket

Wednesday markets:

Steilacoom Farmers Market

3-7 p.m. Wednesdays, June 15-Sept. 7

Lafayette and Wilkes streets

http://www.steilacoomfarmersmarket.org

Buckets full of outdoor ideas at The Urban Gardener

0
0

If you don’t really require it for your garden, The Urban Gardener probably has it. The shop at 1101 A Street, by the Murray Morgan Bridge, does not carry potting soil, racks of seeds or the magic potions that exterminate tent caterpillars.

But if your garden would be prettier with it, if you would be happier with it, Christy Scerra has it.

She’s filled her corner shop with gloves of bamboo or nitrile, hand-made bird houses, Haitian wall sculptures, gnome soaps – and antiques.

Scerra, who had an antique shop on Antique Row, has moved her goods into garden world. If you fancy a vintage plow, or a zinc baby bathtub, she can provide. She intends the bits she’s collected, recycled and “upcycled” to be touches of grace or whimsy in home gardens that are becoming homier all the time.

In Tacoma, gardening isn’t a chore. It’s exercise, entertainment, a way of life as much as a way of eating. Prime example: Jillian Renick, 3.

"It's essential, reconnecting with our roots. I like the idea of growing food" - Kristy Scerra The Urban Gardener

Jillian was growing cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, radishes, bell peppers and watermelon before she could form a complete sentence. Her mother, Amy Renick, got Jillian’s green thumb digging into a bucket garden.

“My dad had this bucket garden for years, so we went and hunted down buckets,” Amy said. “I got them on Craig’s List or for free, which was nice.”

For a cracked and punctured galvanized bucket, there is no more dignified retirement than as a kid-scale mini-garden.”

At her friend Christy’s new shop, Jillian found exactly what she wanted: A white wooden birdhouse, a deal at $8. It made her happy, and her garden will be prettier with it.

Scerra, who is also a garden designer, loves the idea of a child forming her own ideas of what a garden should be.

She likes the idea of workplace gardens, too.

When her friend, and fellow garden designer, Karen Hegarty dropped into the shop, they traded ideas on workplace gardens.

“Part of the feel is to be outside, just to have a bench where you can sit in the shade,” Hegarty said. “You could create a kind of enclosure, a protected feeling. I think shade is important, so you would want a deciduous tree. You want textures and colors and smells that invite hummingbirds.”

“A little grassy area where you can sit,” Scerra agreed. “It’s essential, reconnecting with our roots. I like the idea of growing food.”

Herbs, she said, would be ideal, particularly for a garden for which no one person is responsible. Rosemary, lavender, sage, thyme and oregano all have their own scents, shapes, textures and colors, and they don’t mind being ignored.

“All gardeners are nurturers or neglecters,” Scerra said. “I’m a neglecter, so I like herbs.”

If she had the space, she said, she would, like Hegarty, start with the bench and the shade. She would like some grass, too. She would put some plants into the ground, and place pots amid them, for height and variety.

Hanging baskets, perhaps filled with lettuce, could hide walls, add interest.

Or, in the grand tradition of Jillian Renick and her grandfather, you could go with buckets full of food and flowers, with maybe a bird house for the songs sparrows.

How does your workplace garden grow?

Are you and your employer up for the challenge of a workplace garden? If so, we want to hear from you.

Tell us the kind of space you have, the work you do, and why you think a garden is a good fit.

Let us know how you decided the size and form. Are you going raised bed or in-ground? What is your planting medium? Will you go with food, flowers or a combination? What will you do with the things you grow?

What’s your position on garden art? Do you fear gnomes? How about clown gnomes?

Over the summer, we will share tips and award prizes.

Let us know what you’re growing at work at kathleen@tacomaweekly.com.

With Metal Thieves Like Ours, We Activate our Tacoma Quirk Response

0
0

Big gaps have developed in the black metal fence bordering Salishan along Portland Avenue.

“Holy Cow!” motorists are saying. “That is brazen!”

“We’ve gotta catch these guys,” neighborhood crime fighters are telling their friends. “This is too much.”

Like a pack of Pavlov’s dogs, we are leaping at the conclusion we’ve been conditioned to reach. That reflex is a Tacoma Quirk.

We see big swaths of nothing where once there was metal, and we know what’s up: Metal thieves at work.

Metal thieves stole the Boy Scout statue from in front of the organization’s district headquarters.

Metal thieves stripped down the Murray Morgan Bridge, one of the most visible sights in T-Town.

Metal thieves pulled anything that can be melted from Swan Creek Park’s The Gathering Place, made of recycled historic copper and brass.

Metal thieves raided The Pagoda before a teen torched it.

Metal thieves peel brass plaques off any historic site they spy.

We have the experience to point us toward the nefarious.

But these guys, we think, they’re something else. How’d they get the sections of fence out of there? How’d they saw them off? Even in the middle of the night, someone on the busy road, in the nearby apartments, must have noticed.

And who would buy the fencing without proof that it wasn’t stolen?

We move on to our capture plan: Cameras. Surveillance pajama parties. Readerboard alerts.

We know the drill, and we are properly primed – unlike the missing fence.

Turns out it has not been stolen.

Had we been driving Portland Avenue at the right time during the right workday, we’d have seen legitimate crews removing sections of fence that had begun to rust.

The fence was still under warranty, said Tacoma Housing Authority Executive Director Michael Mirra. The agency is holding the manufacturer to its guarantee and has returned the defective product, saving us all money down the road.

That’s good news.

But we didn’t overreact. We would not have over-reacted if we’d called the law or THA if we’d seen the workers taking down the fence.

Some metal thieves have gotten smart, Mirra said. They dress in what look like official clothes and drive what look like official vehicles and take what they want when they want it.

Who knows? If we’ve got our Pavlovian Quirk primed, we might bring some of them to justice.

Our Views: Sick leave ideas should be taken cautiously

0
0

Tacoma City Council should steer clear of enacting a law that mandates sick leave policies for businesses operating within the city. Healthy Tacoma, a coalition of labor activists, is pushing for a rule that would require employers with fewer than 10 workers to grant their workers one hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked, for up to 40 hours of paid time off a year. A business with more than 10 workers would have to grant up to 72 hours, or nine work days, of paid time off. Employers with more than 250 workers are looking at 108 hours, or 13.5 days a year. This would be on top of any vacation time the company offers.

Such a policy could be a burden on small, independent businesses. A similar law enacted in Seattle recently has generated controversy. The Seattle law not only impacts businesses located in the Emerald City. It also applies to businesses that are based in other cities that have employees who spend part of their work time in Seattle, such as delivering a package, making a sales call or attending a seminar. The Seattle law led to bills in the Legislature, backed by Republicans and business groups, that sought to weaken it. A bill that would have expanded Seattle’s policy to the entire state did not make it to a vote in the Legislature. Were the council to pass a sick-leave ordinance, an individual or group could use the power of referendum to try to overturn it.

The proposal for Tacoma does more than address missing work due to illness. The second part of “Paid Sick and Safe Time” addresses domestic violence. A victim of domestic violence could miss work to go to court to obtain a restraining order and get paid for that time. The need for someone in that situation to seek protection through the legal system is understandable. But it seems ill placed to put the burden on an employer. A boss has no input on whom his or her workers choose to enter into a relationship with, so why should the employer pay an employee for time spent in a courtroom dealing with issues unrelated to employment? And would this also apply to the wide range of other reasons people need to go to court?

The activists in Healthy Tacoma seek to convince enough members of the city council (meaning lining up five votes) to achieve a political goal. Those advocating for this policy have their political efforts in full swing. They are encouraging supporters to make phone calls and send e-mails and post cards to council members, urging our elected city officials to take action.

The council should refuse to play ball. Healthy Tacoma, just as other groups, can use the initiative process to put this on the ballot for all voters in the city to decide. However, that entails the time needed to gather signatures and educate the public on the topic, as well as the money that must be raised to run a successful political campaign.

If this policy is that important to them, Healthy Tacoma can go that route. The council needs to focus on running the city government, not trying to set burdensome policies for businesses.

Viewing all 8311 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images