NEW TIGER ARRIVES AT ZOO
Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium is welcomed a new Sumatran tiger on Wednesday and staff hope his presence will result in new cubs.
Malosi, a male tiger from Honolulu Zoo in Hawaii, is coming to Tacoma to breed with Jaya, the zoo's female tiger and mother of the two tiger cubs born in 2010. Malosi – whose name means strong and powerful in Samoan – is three years old. He has not yet fathered a litter of cubs.
"We're very excited about Malosi's arrival and the pair's potential to produce cubs," said general curator Karen Goodrowe Beck. "The Sumatran tiger is critically endangered and we are working hard to protect and boost the population of this extraordinary species."
Goodrowe Beck coordinates the North American Sumatran tiger Species Survival Plan as part of a global effort to ensure the long-term sustainability and health of zoo-based tigers by creating the best possible breeding pairs.
There are about 200 Sumatran tigers in zoos around the world, including 70 in the United States. Point Defiance Zoo has three of the tigers: Jaya, her year-and-half old cub Bima and his father Bali.
This tiger sub-species is native to the Indonesian island of Sumatra. But poaching and habitat loss have caused the wild tiger population to dwindle to fewer than 300. Breeding tigers helps sustain the zoo-based population and raise public awareness about the importance of conserving the tigers in the wild
SUMMIT AWARD NOMINATIONS
Port of Tacoma seeks nominations of customers and tenants for the Summit Awards. These recognize leadership in three categories. Business Magnet recognizes port customers or members of the supply chain, such as shipping companies and logistics providers, for development efforts and investments that lead to new business opportunities. Livable Community is for customers or tenants who have a project or program that demonstrates positive contributions to Pierce County through social responsibility. Criteria include philanthropy, community service, employee volunteering and public outreach. Environmental Stewardship is for customers or tenants who have a project or program that supports sustainability and honors biodiversity and the interconnected nature of industry, people, wildlife and natural systems. Nomination forms can be found at www.portoftacoma.com/summits. They are due by 5 p.m. on Feb. 17. They can be e-mailed to lkvidera@portoftacoma.com or faxed to (253) 593-4534. The awards will be presented on April 24 during the port's annual customer breakfast.
LEGISLATIVE TOWN HALL
State Representatives Jeanne Darneille and Laurie Jinkins and State Senator Debbie Regala, all Democrats from Tacoma, will host a town hall meeting for residents of the 27th Legislative District. They will discuss the challenges faced by the Legislature entering the 2012 session, the accomplishments of the first half and goals for the second half of the session. The legislators will take questions and suggestions from the audience. It will take place at 10 a.m. on Feb. 18 at the Tacoma campus of Evergreen State College, located at 1201 6th Ave.
NALLEY VALLEY UPDATE
Work on the Nalley Valley viaduct project will move to South Tacoma Way this week. Crews are expected to be doing demolition through the end of this month. South Tacoma Way may be reduced to one lane in each direction at times. There may be single-lane closures on Center Street to allow trucks to haul demolition debris from the job site.
VISITATION HONORS MCCARTHY
Tacoma resident John McCarthy, class of 1963, has been chosen as distinguished alumnus of Visitation Catholic School. He has been a judge in Pierce County Superior Court since 1997. From 1992 to 1997 he was a judge in Pierce County District Court. He served on Port of Tacoma Commission from 1983 to 1992 and practiced law from 1975 until becoming a judge.
He has served on the board of Boys & Girls Clubs of South Puget Sound and Broadway Center for the Performing Arts. He has volunteered at Mount Rainier National Park and been an official for high school football and basketball. His wife Pat serves as Pierce County executive. They have four children and seven grandchildren.
Located in South Tacoma, Visitation was established in 1925. It instructs children from kindergarten through eighth grade.
LAST DAY OF SCHOOL
Tacoma Public Schools has announced that students will attend school June 20-22 to make up for the three school days lost to snow in January. Tacoma School Board previously approved those dates as official snow make-up days as part of a series of calendar revisions made last September. At this time, the district will not seek permission or apply for a waiver from the state to avoid making up those schools days lost to snow.
"Our highest priority is giving our students as much instruction as we can," Superintendent-elect (Interim) Carla Santorno said. "That is why, after looking at all our options and considering the length of the school year, we are opting for the extension through June 22."
However, should the district lose any additional school days to inclement weather, Santorno said she would reconsider asking the state superintendent of public instruction for a waiver to prevent the Tacoma school year from running beyond June 22, and into another week of summer.
MURALS PROJECT SEEKS SITES
If your neighborhood is a victim of blight and vandalism, the city government wants to hear from you. Tacoma Murals Project seeks community groups who would like a mural painted at a specific site in their neighborhood. The neighbors will pair teams of trained and qualified artists with selected groups and the artist teams will design and implement murals that reflect the research collected from the surrounding community.
The project requires participation by residents who are committed to their neighborhoods and agree to be actively involved and open to the creative ideas of the assigned artist team. Selected applicants will be provided with a funded mural, including supplies and artist compensation; a mural-artist team to design and implement a mural; technical assistance and general promotion of the project. In return, the selected applicants will be a resource to the artist team for research, stories and content; assist in community coordination; agree to maintain the mural after completion; and contribute in-kind resources or cash to support associated meetings with residents and a mural dedication.
Proposed mural walls must be on commercial or public property and located within the official city limits of Tacoma. Priority will be given to sites located in Community Based Services areas within Tacoma and/or sites in areas without a good representation of public art. Permission of property owners is required. Those interested in applying may download the Tacoma Murals Project, Call to Community Groups, at www.tacomaculture.org/arts/opportunities.asp. More information and examples of past murals may be found at www.tacomaculture.org/arts/murals.asp. Information is also available by calling (253) 591-5191 or by e-mailing nstrom-avila@cityoftacoma.org. Deadline for submissions is April 2.
LEMAY BRINGS ON OFFICIAL RACE TRACK
State Farm Presents LeMay – America's Car Museum (ACM) and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca (MRLS) have entered into a reciprocal marketing agreement that provides advertising and display opportunities for the museum during events at the raceway in Monterey, Calif., with similar opportunities for MRLS at the new automotive museum opening in Tacoma in June.
Under the five-year agreement, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca will become the "Official Race Track of America's Car Museum," receiving advertising opportunities in museum publications and access to ACM's Club Auto satellite facilities.
"Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is one of the world's great racing circuits," said Dominic Dobson, chief development officer for ACM and a former Indy Car racer who has competed at MRLS. "Motorsports enthusiasts from around the world come to races there, and this is an audience we'd like to attract to the museum. This partnership will benefit both parties tremendously."
The four-level, 165,000-square foot ACM will officially open in Tacoma Saturday, June 2 and be home to 500 cars, exhibits and more. The museum campus features a theater, banquet facilities, a café and a 3.5-acre outdoor show field. ACM anticipates more than 425,000 visitors will tour the facility annually.
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca hosts some of racing's most prominent events, including the American LeMans Series Monterey, presented by Patrón; the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion; and the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix MotoGP race. MRLS is home to the treacherous "Corkscrew," a left turn/right turn combination that drops 109 feet between turns eight and nine.
The MLRS promotional agreement includes exhibit space for ACM during specified event weekends at Mazda Raceway, where ACM will be able to display vehicles and provide information to spectators about the Museum and its upcoming events and exhibits.
"This agreement partners two of the top automotive venues on the West Coast, so there is a natural synergy between our organizations," said Gill Campbell, CEO and general manager of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
