Steve Dunkelberger has been a journalist in Washington for more than 15 years. He is a historian and book author. He is also a media contest judge for Sigma Delta Chi, the national fraternity for journalists.
2 January 2013
While 2012 comes to a close and prompts a time of reflection on the year that was, Tacoma must also look ahead at the year that will be 2013. There are plenty of big events and changes in the works. Here is a collection of the Top 10 issues to watch as Tacoma flips the calendar to the New Year.
Effects of city…
Read More2 January 2013
Art lovers and downtown boosters faced a problem that only simple brilliance could solve. They faced a chain link construction fence along 6th Avenue and St. Helens Avenue. They hated looking at it, so they set out to spruce it up. Love Tacoma Lane was born. Notes of inspiration, love and hope or just shout-outs to the City…
Read More2 January 2013
Some bad weather earlier this month and some minor repairs found during the renovation have delayed the official opening of the Murray Morgan Bridge another month. It was set to be open before the end of 2012. The new opening date is Feb. 1, with a grand opening ceremony on Feb. 14 complete with fireworks and a car parade.…
Read More19 December 2012
Foss High School officials are aggressively learning a lesson first championed by British Naturalist Charles Darwin more than a century ago. The school either has to evolve and change with the times or die by standing still. School officials gathered parents, neighborhood boosters, business leaders and academics earlier this…
Read More19 December 2012
Emergency Food Network (EFN) is in on pace to set another record it would rather not reach. But it needs help because the non-profit food bank supplier knows more people will need holiday supplies this year than ever before. EFN has already reached more than 1.1 million clients this year, making it well on track to break…
Read More19 December 2012
If anyone is bored at Tacoma’s First Night celebration, they really would be trying hard to stay glum. First Night Tacoma-Pierce County is a family-friendly, arts-centered, alcohol free celebration of New Year's Eve that takes place throughout downtown Tacoma’s theater district. The main event kicks off with the Last…
Read More19 December 2012
Anyone who has watched, participated in, or especially worked behind the scenes of a holiday church pageant will view Lakewood Playhouse’s production of “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” with both Post Traumatic Stress Disorder flashbacks and joyful tears of nostalgia. Director Marty MacKenzie folded the already great…
Read More12 December 2012
The “back to basics” budget Tacoma City Council passed last week clamped down on non-core spending and left some nonprofits facing the question of how they will fun their programs. More than 100 programs sought funding that totaled about $12 million in request for their social services, but only 54 received any funding…
Read More12 December 2012
The “trash talking” about shifting all garbage collection to an every-other-week cycle is over. It’s a done deal. The timing of which neighborhoods make the change, however, is still being worked out. Tacoma City Council has approved a resolution that begins the phasing in of an every-other-week garbage collection program…
Read More12 December 2012
The cure to Tacoma’s financial ills might not be found in Tacoma at all. It might be in Olympia. The City of Destiny has outlined its state legislative agenda for the upcoming session as well as its ongoing wish list from the federal government. Most of the items deal with the flow of money either to the city or ways for…
Read More12 December 2012
Tacoma’s Holiday Boat Parade is ready to set sail. The flotilla will take to the water at about 5 p.m. on Dec. 15 and head along Tacoma’s waterfront in a celebration of both a holiday tradition that dates back to longer than Tacoma Yacht Club members can remember as well as Tacoma’s ties to the sea. The club itself…
Read More5 December 2012
Drop-in sessions for folks looking at potential expansions of Tacoma’s Link Light Rail line are slated for the coming days, but some routes already have their supporters and opponents. Options range from running rail from the North End to downtown, along Hilltop, through the Eastside or along Pacific Highway. The idea now…
Read More5 December 2012
Tacoma has a budget. The unanimous vote by the City Council on Tuesday night came after months of forums followed by number crunching, then workshops followed by number crunching then community outreach sessions and more number crunching, followed by some nips and cuts along the way. Councilmember Victoria Woodard defined…
Read More5 December 2012
DeLong Elementary School physical education teacher Gale Johnson thought Nov. 30 was going to be just another day at the “office,” training his students how to ride unicycles, balance on balls and tumble around mats. But it was no ordinary day, that is if there is ever an “ordinary day” for teachers. “Every day…
Read More28 November 2012
Artists from around the nation are vying for the $185,000 gig to create a “gateway artwork” for the south entry to downtown Tacoma at Pacific Avenue and South 26th Street. This effort is being done to spruce up the nearby Sound Transit train crossing that was created to extend service to South Tacoma and Lakewood. This…
Read More28 November 2012
More than a month has passed since a man forced a gathering of pre-teen girls to the ground with what they thought was a gun. Tacoma Police Department officers, after their brief investigation, concluded the man didn’t commit a crime. Other officers said kicking the man’s leaves the following day might have been, however.
… Read More28 November 2012
The failure of the Pierce Transit sales tax hike outlined by Proposition 1 by less than a single percentage vote earlier this month means the cash-strapped bus agency is now working on the specifics of how to downsize to meet its projected budget. There is also no plan afoot to place a similar package before the voters anytime…
Read More28 November 2012
All of the formal workshops and study sessions for the city’s budget that covers the next two years are done. It is now a matter of a vote set for Dec. 4. Tacoma City Council already approved the creation of a Transportation Benefit District that will now charge $20 for annual car tab renewals to fund $3.4 million in street…
Read More28 November 2012
Few traditions are as solidly placed on holiday calendars for families across America as the seasonal productions of “Nutcracker.” Local calendars are no different. Local “Nutcracker” nuts have four options this season to feed their annual habit that range from traditional to modern to a blend of both. The story follows…
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