Updates from Tacoma Weekly http://www.tacomaweekly.com Those who travel down five blocks of Martin Luther King, Jr. Way may feel the urge to squint, as the area is much brighter than it was in April. Previously overgrown or vacant sidewalk planters are now glowing with bright green grass, marigolds and geraniums. http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1914 http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1914 Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 PDTcjensen@tacomaweekly.com(Clare Jensen) The city of Tacoma will recognize Tacoma's outstanding volunteers at the 22nd annual City of Destiny Awards May 13. Mayor Bill Baarsma and Tacoma City Council will honor four individuals and four groups for their exemplary service at the 7 p.m. ceremony at Jason Lee Middle School, located at 602 N. Sprague Ave. http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1915 http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1915 Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 PDTnews@tacomaweekly.com(Tacoma Weekly) Downtown Tacoma has seen a building boom over the past decade, with developers investing in new office buildings and condominium towers. The commercial districts scattered around the city, in contrast, have seen little of this action. The city of Tacoma began designating these areas as mixed-use centers in 1993. Three years later it is creating zoning regulations for these centers, of which there are now 17. http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1916 http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1916 Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 PDTjlarson@tacomaweekly.com(John Larson) On May 2, the YMCA of Tacoma-Pierce County Friends and Servants outreach program for juvenile offenders hosted the official opening of the Greenhouse Project at Tacoma's Remann Hall. The project is based on a similar program operated by the Mel Korum YMCA in Puyallup, which has assisted that area's juvenile offenders for the past 15 years under the guidance of YMCA Friends and Servants Program Director Bill Bowers. "When the kids come to us, we instill in them three core values: you're valuable, we care about you, and there's hope for a better future," he said. "We hope to get them on a better track in life by raising their self-confidence and giving them mentorship and opportunities they've never had." http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1917 http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1917 Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 PDTnews@tacomaweekly.com(Tiffany Richards) The city of Tacoma may hold off on some capital projects because of a sharp decline in real estate tax revenue. Tacoma City Council was briefed on the topic during its April 29 study session. Finance Director Bob Biles told them this stream of revenue began dropping in October and the city may only collect half of what it projected for 2008. http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1918 http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1918 Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 PDTjlarson@tacomaweekly.com(John Larson) Tacoma could provide planning services to the town of Ruston in the near future. Conversations have been held between representatives of both city governments. On May 5 Ruston Town Council voted to terminate its agreement with the Seattle office of engineering firm Huitt-Zollars, which has provided planning services to the town for years. http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1919 http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1919 Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 PDTjlarson@tacomaweekly.com(John Larson) In more than 100 years Thea Foss Waterway has come full circle. Once a bustling industrial area that connects to the Puget Sound, the Foss gradually turned into a strip of vacant buildings and toxic contaminants. Today, following a $105 million cleanup project, the Foss is once again a vibrant place of business. http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1920 http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1920 Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 PDTnews@tacomaweekly.com(Tacoma Weekly) Area residents who possess library cards from the Pierce County Library System may be able to obtain cards and check out material free of charge from Tacoma Public Library (TPL) beginning July 1. Last month, the board of trustees of TPL voted to enter into a 15-month trial borrowing agreement. The board of the county system approached TPL with the idea in January. They will vote on whether to approve the agreement during its May 14 meeting. http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1921 http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1921 Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 PDTjlarson@tacomaweekly.com(John Larson) For the average person, a day of running errands usually does not mean a day of struggling with communication. For a deaf person, it is rare to go from the grocer to the bank to the post office with the ease and comfort of being able to communicate in his or her native sign language. http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1922 http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1922 Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 PDTcjensen@tacomaweekly.com(Clare Jensen) The Stadium Tigers made the most of their opportunities in the seventh inning of their May 2 contest against Bellarmine. They broke open a deadlocked game with five runs on their way to a 9-4 victory at Heidelberg Field in the Narrows League tournament, which guaranteed them a spot in the West Central District tournament this weekend. Bellarmine began the scoring in the bottom of the first when Cullen Hendrickson hit a single. Mitch Olson hit a double that drove Hendrickson in. http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1899 http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1899 Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 PDTjlarson@tacomaweekly.com(John Larson) It really seems like it's been a long time since I've been able to say this, but the Seattle Mariners made the right move on April 30. By calling up former Rainiers Jeff Clement and Wladimir Balentien to fill some glaring holes in their lineup, the Mariners made a move that could help dust off the slow start to a season that began with so much hope. Now, it's just time for them to remain patient. Maybe Balentien and Clement haven't gotten off to the hottest starts in their time with the big club, but that doesn't mean the Mariners should think about giving up on them anytime soon. After Balentien's breakout season last year and Clement's absolute torching of Pacific Coast League pitching during his time down here in Tacoma to start this season, it was time for the farmhands to have a chance to turn the title of "prospect" into one of "major league regular." http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1900 http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1900 Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 PDTbmiller@tacomaweekly.com(Ben Miller) The first time the Bellarmine Lions and the Stadium Tigers met on the soccer field, it took less than a minute for the Lions to put a goal up on the scoreboard. This time around, in the Narrows League playoffs, it took a little bit longer - but not much. In the 16th minute, John McDonald's head connected on a corner kick by fellow senior Tyler Mernaugh, pushing the ball past Stadium goalkeeper Luke Beardemphl, to put Bellarmine on the board first. That goal ended up being the only one the Lions would need as they won 2-0 to advance to the finals of the Narrows League tournament. http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1901 http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1901 Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 PDTbmiller@tacomaweekly.com(Ben Miller) Momentum is a sporting term used to describe a team on the rise. For a Stadium Tiger squad that started the season 1-4 - including 0-4 in Narrows League play - the Tigers have been on a tear of late, and it continued in the Narrows League tournament. With their 9-4 victory over Bellarmine May 2, the Tigers advanced to play the hard-hitting Central Kitsap Cougars May 3 at Heidelberg Park with the No. 3 and 4 seeds to the West Central District at stake. Behind the complete game, four hit gem from pitcher Seth Timpke, the Tigers defeated Central Kitsap by a score of 4-3 to claim the No. 3 seed to the West Central District playoffs May 10. http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1902 http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1902 Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 PDTnews@tacomaweekly.com(Steve Mullen) The Stadium Tigers saw their undefeated season come to a disappointing end May 2 against Steilacoom. So in their game against the Bellarmine Lions May 6, they were looking to rebound before heading into the playoffs. They did exactly that, and in a big way. Stadium scored an 11-1, five-inning victory over the Lions to clinch an undefeated record in Narrows League play and take a little momentum into the Narrows League playoffs. http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1903 http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1903 Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 PDTbmiller@tacomaweekly.com(Ben Miller) Tacoma Weekly: When did you start doing track? Danielle Hunter: I started running in elementary school - like around fourth grade, I'd say. I don't know why I started. I started running because I saw my sister run, and she ran track so I was always on the sideline like, 'oh, I bet I could win.' So I wanted to get into the sport. http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1904 http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1904 Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 PDTbmiller@tacomaweekly.com(Ben Miller) On May 10 from 1-3 p.m., a grand reopening celebration will be held at Wright Park to unveil to the public all the completed phase one master plan improvements that have been made to the park over the past eight months. Metro Parks Communications Manager Nancy Johnson said that while many park passers-by have noticed the newly-painted, gleaming white statues at the parks entrances - the two lions at the Sixth Avenue entrance and the two ladies known as "Annie and Fannie" on the Division Avenue side - visitors will notice much more once they walk around the 27-acre park. http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1905 http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1905 Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 PDTmattnagle@tacomaweekly.com(Matt Nagle) Guests will spend an elegant evening sampling Tacoma's culinary delights this spring, complete with fine wine and entertainment by members of the Tacoma Symphony Orchestra (TSO). Celebrity Chefs Showcase, a benefit for the Tacoma Symphony Orchestra, will feature four gifted chefs under the age of 30 from Tacoma's finest restaurants. Gourmet entrees will be prepared by Joel Mertens of Asado/Masa, Dan Hutchinson of Brix 25 and ordm;, Aaron Valimont of Pacific Grill and Matt Brandsey of Sea Grill. Each of them will be joined by a special guest celebrity who will assist them in preparing and presenting the entr and eacute;e as well as fine wines specially selected to complement the entrees. http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1906 http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1906 Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 PDTnews@tacomaweekly.com(Tacoma Weekly) The eclectic cooperative of artists who have pooled their talents into Tacoma's Impromptu Gallery have assembled an exhibit entitled "Close Encounters" - a self-assigned spin-off of the Chuck Close exhibit that is currently on display at Tacoma Art Museum (TAM). Punning on Close's name, the Impromptu artists have contributed their own versions of the "close-up." http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1907 http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1907 Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 PDTdave@tacomaweekly.com(Dave R. Davison) Mother's Day is just around the corner, followed by graduations and weddings. This is definitely June Cotner season. Cotner is one of the literary world's most accomplished anthologists. Her gift is to find poems, essays and prayers from a multitude of sources and put them together into wonderful collections. Since beginning her work more than 15 years ago, she has published a total of 23 anthologies. Her most recent are "Miracles of Motherhood - Prayers and Poems for a New Mother" and "To Have and to Hold - Poems, Blessings and Wishes for Newlyweds." http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1908 http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1908 Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 PDTnews@tacomaweekly.com(Karen Westeen) Five Tacoma-area colleges and universities hosted a joint event on the evening of May 6 to both discuss art and give participants and spectators the opportunity read aloud some of their works. Sponsored by the University of Puget Sound (UPS), the University of Washington Tacoma (UWT), Pacific Lutheran University (PLU), Tacoma Community College (TCC) and Pierce College, the event was the first ever gathering of the South Sound's artists, authors and poets in one setting. http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1909 http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1909 Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 PDTnews@tacomaweekly.com(Tiffany Richards) Before roads were commonplace in our region, the steamboats that came to be known as The Mosquito Fleet played a key role in the development of Puget Sound. The Mosquito Fleet was a crucial piece of the transportation infrastructure for approximately 50 years starting in 1880. They began to fade out of relevance as cars, and by 1920 ferries would shuttle cars on the water, pushing them into retirement. Authors Robin Patterson and Jean Cammon Findley chronicle this era in their new book "Mosquito Fleet of South Puget Sound." http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1910 http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1910 Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 PDTjlarson@tacomaweekly.com(John Larson) The Breast Cancer Resource Center (BCRC) in Tacoma reminds us that Washington State has the highest incidence of breast cancer in the country. No other agency in the state provides the unique and critical services that BCRC provides to Pierce, South King, Kitsap and Thurston. BCRC is a grass roots organization founded by breast cancer survivors and local healthcare professionals in 1998 to address the holistic needs of people affected by breast cancer or at-risk for breast cancer. Services are delivered in a warm, caring, supportive environment at no cost to clients. This year, the business owners of the Proctor District, Tacoma, have offered their entire district for an evening of shopping for a cause. On May 8, a fun community fundraising benefit for BCRC, "Puttin' on the Pink," will launch. Participating businesses will open the doors and invite you to shop for the cause. Participating stores will be easy to identify with their PINK BRA displays. Pretty in pink will mean so much more to the people who need it most-those who have been diagnosed with breast cancer, and those seeking the caring support from BCRC of Tacoma. http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1911 http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1911 Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 PDTnews@tacomaweekly.com(Tacoma Weekly) On April 20, local musician Pete Jensen passed away in his sleep at the age of 23. Tight with a lot of local bands in the punk and metal scenes, his friends are planning a tribute show for him May 8 at Hell's Kitchen. http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1912 http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1912 Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 PDTmattnagle@tacomaweekly.com(Matt Nagle) Loose Gravel and the Quarry just released their new album, a labor of love that reflects the good mesh of personalities and sense of fun in the band. It consists of Steve "Loose Gravel" Luhtala on lead vocals, harmonica and guitar, Steve Cooley on guitar and vocals, Johnny Burgess on keyboards and vocals, Rich Nesbitt on bass and vocals and Gary Marcello on drums. http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1913 http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1913 Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 PDTjlarson@tacomaweekly.com(John Larson) Volunteers with Rebuilding Together South Sound (RTSS) and Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA) gathered at the home of long-time Tacoma resident Darlyn Hatfield on April 26 to make the house more energy efficient and improve Hatfield's overall quality of life. "Our combined efforts have an ongoing, positive impact on homeowners in our neighborhood and across the country," said Amy Hoyte, RTSS executive director. "The WSPA's support enables us to help improve the quality of life for many deserving homeowners who can now live more comfortably, safely, and use less energy." http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1889 http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1889 Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 PDTnews@tacomaweekly.com(Tiffany Richards) Tacoma School Board opted for experience when they voted 4-1 to hire Art Jarvis as superintendent during its April 24 meeting. Jarvis has served in the position on an interim basis since last summer. He previously served as superintendent with Enumclaw School District and South Whidbey School District, which board members cited as an advantage over the other finalist, Alan Ingram, chief accountability officer for Oklahoma Public City Schools. Board member Kurt Miller cast the dissenting vote. http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1890 http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1890 Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 PDTjlarson@tacomaweekly.com(John Larson) After years of planning and sending the project out to bid three times, Tacoma City Council voted 5-0 to award a contract for the Broadway local improvement district (LID) on April 29. The contract in the amount of $10.98 million goes to Wm. Dickson Company. Perhaps fitting for a topic that has divided property owners within the area over the cost and method of counting votes, the council's decision followed testimony in favor and against as well as an appeal of the award. http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1891 http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1891 Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 PDTjlarson@tacomaweekly.com(John Larson) At one time, Jeff Henderson was a top-selling drug dealer in San Diego. He was eventually arrested and served nine years in prison. Today, he is executive chef at the renowned Bellagio Hotel and Casino and Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas and one of the most influential chefs in the country. His memoir, "Cooked," just hit the New York Times Bestsellers list. On May 6 Henderson will be in Tacoma to talk about his journey as keynote speaker at Tacoma Goodwill's annual awards breakfast. Every year Goodwill takes time to celebrate the achievements of its most successful clients, those who have worked hard and persisted to overcome barriers to employment, with a celebratory breakfast at Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center. The organization's business partners that hire workers through Goodwill programs are recognized as well. http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1892 http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1892 Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 PDTmattnagle@tacomaweekly.com(Matt Nagle) The Puyallup Tribe of Indians recently committed a generous amount to the Point Defiance Zoo Society's capital campaign - $685,000 over the next five years that the zoo will have to apply for yearly to receive annual payments of $137,000. Caryl Zenker, deputy director of the Zoo Society, called the tribe's gift "an absolutely historic occasion and a terrific partnership." "[There is a] continuing gap between what it costs to rent housing on the private market and the wages our economy is producing," Mirra said. "People line up because the housing assistance THA provides is quite valuable." http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1893 http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1893 Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 PDTmerkkinen@tacomaweekly.com(Meghan Erkkinen) The Puyallup Tribe of Indians recently gifted the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium with the biggest donation in the zoo's history - $685,000 over the next five years. Caryl Zenker, deputy director of the Point Defiance Zoo Society, which accepted the money on behalf of the zoo, called the tribe's gift "an absolutely historic occasion and a terrific partnership." The bulk of the funds, $510,000, have been earmarked as the naming gift for the zoo's upcoming new red wolf exhibit. Some preliminary designs for the exhibit have been completed. "This contribution will allow us to move forward with the process," Zenker said. http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1894 http://www.tacomaweekly.com/article/1894 Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 PDTmattnagle@tacomaweekly.com(Matt Nagle)