Imagine Tacoma – Tear it Down (Take Two)

The City of Tacoma Goes Tweet Tweet (10. October 2008, 16:04 by Derek Young) ~ Tweet?

For all you twitterers out there, the City of Tacoma is venturing out into the world of social media and Twitter. It’s an experiment, from what we hear. So, if you’re so inclined, follow the City of Tacoma!

Link to Twitter

The Whole Truth in Downtown Next Week (10. October 2008, 15:45 by Derek Young) ~ Could Be Interesting

We just received word that the City has issued a film permit to allow a movie company to use the old courthouse above the Post Office on A Street from October 13th through the 22nd. The movie is called The Whole Truth and … that’s about all we know about it.

They are already moving in props, but on Monday the trucks, gondolas (with lights), and generators will be parked ‘permanently’ around the Post Office. All filming will be inside the building, but Court A will be closed to traffic.

If you happen to be leaning out your living room window with a camera … accidentally taking pictures … tell us what you see.

Local Commenter Goes National ... (10. October 2008, 15:32 by Derek Young) ~ Just So You Know

We often say that we’re always amazed by the reach and relevance of many of our commenters. One in particular, seems to have been quiet for a while. Now, we discover, he’s been busy …

We wondered why he’s been so quiet lately.

Jump To It

Tacoma Fire Hosts Open Houses Saturday (10. October 2008, 15:24 by Caitlin) ~ See The Big Red Truck

Tacoma and Fircrest residents can celebrate Fire Prevention Week by visiting six neighborhood fire stations tomorrow.

This year’s theme, and probably an ongoing theme, is Prevent Home Fires. Six stations will be open, equipment will be on display, and firefighters will answer questions about escape planning, fire safety, and disaster preparedness.

Maybe they’ll even turn on the siren?

Details
Saturday, October 11, 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

The following stations will host open houses:

Station 3 – 206 Browns Point Blvd., NE Tacoma
Station 4 – 1453 S. 12th, Hilltop
Station 11 – 3802 McKinley Ave., McKinley Hill
Station 13 – 3825 N. 25th, Proctor
Station 16 – 7217 6th Ave., Skyline/West End District
Station 17 – 302 Regents Blvd., Fircrest

Refreshments will be served.
For more information on the activities hosted at each station, call the Tacoma Fire Department Fire Prevention Bureau at 253.591.5740.

UWT Gets A New Space ( 9. October 2008, 14:07 by Whitney) ~ Ooohhh... Pretty

UWT grew a little more this year. Not just in record enrollment numbers but also in physical space. Philip Hall was recently completed and it filled in one of the remaining vacant storefronts on Pacific Ave. We took a peek inside and liked what we saw.

The new William W. Philip Hall, accommodates 300 to 500 and provides a venue for lectures, concerts, banquets and student activities, and will also be available for community events. The modern building pays homage to its location with sweeping views of Pacific Ave and the historical campus. The brick walls have been refinished and their signs from the past preserved. The Pacific Ave side proudly bears the name “UW Tacoma”.

The storefront on Pacific has already been rented by a used book store that will focus on first editions and other harder to find books. The next construction project on campus will be the Joy building, the last vacant building on Pacific in between Grassi’s and BKB.

A FEW PHOTOS AFTER THE JUMP

(Continued)

"Observations & Perceptions" ( 9. October 2008, 14:02 by Caitlin) ~ Looking & Seeing

On October 16th (Third Thursday!), Observations & Perceptions will open at The Fulcrum Gallery.

This group show will include five artists, all exploring the transition between the act of looking and seeing through different mediums. The show will feature the socially poignant commentary of Jeremy Gregory, the optical mechanics of Oliver Doriss’s voids, Galen McCarty-Turner’s collective piece about his Tacoma environments, Elise Richman’s exploration in contrast and the three dimensions, and Conor McClellan’s Snow Globes, a mix of found object and cultural icons.

Details
Opening Reception: Thursday, October 16th, 6:00 – 10:00 p.m.
Artist Talk: Sunday, October 26th, 6:00 p.m.
For more information, visit Fulcrum.OliverDoriss.com

Observations & Perceptions will run October 16th – November 16th

Fulcrum Gallery
1308 Martin Luther King Jr. Way
Open 7 days a week by appointment
Saturdays and Sundays 12:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Thursdays 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.

Playdate with The Children's Museum of Tacoma ( 9. October 2008, 09:13 by Caitlin) ~ Are You 5? Invite Your Parents!

The Children’s Museum of Tacoma offering a new and free program for kids, 5 and younger, and their parents. And you all know how much we love free.

Play to Learn Pierce County
Sessions include fun play and learning activities for kids and information for adults. Come play and help the kids get ready for school.

Details
For children 5 years and younger and their parents.
October 19 – December 19, 10:00 – 11:30 a.m.

Tuesdays at People’s Neighborhood Resource Center, 1602 S MLK Jr Way
Wednesdays at Graham Library, 9202 224th St E, Graham
Thursdays at Lakewood Library, 6300 Wildaire Rd SW, Lakewood
Fridays at Parkland/Spanaway Library, 13718 Pacific Ave S

This is a drop-in program. Call 253.627.6031 ext. 232 for more information.

Drink and Pledge Drive at Doyle's ( 8. October 2008, 14:25 by Caitlin) ~ Guinness for the Greater Good

Doyle’s is once again helping out KUOW 94.9 by donating $1 from every pint of Guinness sold from October 6th through the 16th. Doyles is looking to break the 1,000 pint mark this year, so get to it and raise a pint for public radio.

And yes, we know KUOW is in Seattle, but they do have KXOT in the South Sound.

Details
October 6 – 16
Raise a Pint For Public Radio
Doyle’s Public House
208 Saint Helens Avenue
For more information, visit DoylesPublicHouse.com

Tour of Urban Living 2008 ( 8. October 2008, 11:43 by Derek Young) ~ Where Should We Live?

The 6th Annual Tour of Urban Living is this weekend. Here’s your opportunity to get out and see condos, townhomes, and apartments that can give you a true Tacoma urban experience. Take a hard hat tour of the properties under construction, check out the finished showrooms or view available units. Now, as these projects are finally finishing and (albeit slowly) filling, check them out. Whatever the economy is doing, there’s still a Tacoma urban lifestyle that is rising from the empty lots of just a few years ago. Maybe you’re in the market now. Maybe you will be in a few years. Whatever the case, this always seem to be a fun weekend to get out, peek behind the doors, and see what’s going on in this town.

This year’s tour is a bit thinner than previous years. There are just twelve properties including the two rental properties. We have our definite favorites.

A map of the self-guided tour, including a list of participating properties, merchants and sponsors, is available online at www.downtowntacomaliving.com For more information, call (253) 591-5117.

Details
Saturday and Sunday
October 11th and 12th, 2008
10 am to 5 pm

Download the Flyer

A list of properties after the jump.

(Continued)

Best of Western Washington 2008 ( 8. October 2008, 09:44 by Derek Young) ~ Vote Now!

The Evening Magazine Best of Western Washington contest for 2008 has less than a week left. Voting will close at 6:59 PM on October 13th.

What’s our favorite nominee?

Tollefson Plaza (Biggest Public Eyesore)

Well, of course, we like the Grand Cinema, Maxwell’s, Doyle’s, Pacific Grill, the Tacoma Art Museum, and so many others. Best wedding cake? Celebrity Cake Studio.

We’re not used to seeing such good Tacoma representation. Now that we’re appearing … let’s own it and start voting for your T-Town favorites. Jake has quite the list going in the forum. Add more as necessary.

Check out the complete list and vote for your favorites.

Link to King5

Thank you to Jake for getting this thread started in the forum.

Classical Tuesdays in Old Town ( 8. October 2008, 09:35 by Caitlin) ~ Get Down in Old Town

Next Tuesday will mark the beginning of another series of free concerts brought to you by Classical Tuesdays in Old Town.

October 14th will feature 19th Century North Indian Classical Music performed by Srivani Jade, accompanied by tabla, harmonium, and tanpura.

There will be a free concert on the second Tuesday of the month from October to February. Predominantly hiring Tacoma and South Puget Sound musicians, the series will feature a wide variety of performers over the season.

Details
October 14, 7:00 p.m.
Slavonian Hall
306 N 30th St.

For more information visit ClassicalTuesdays.blogspot.com

Enjoy a night out in Old Town and a free concert the second Tuesday of each month now until February.

City Council Meeting - Oct 7, 2008 ( 8. October 2008, 07:41 by Nick) ~ Canine Council

Last night we had a special visit from none other than McGruff, the crime dog. While ostensibly in attendance to hear Mayor Baarsma proclaim October “crime prevention month,” we all knew he was actually there to keep the citizens’ forum in line. McGruff has a penchant for taking a bite out of unruly civic orators.

APPOINTMENTS
Resolution 37613 Appointed Lillian Hunter to the Tacoma Public Library Board of Trustees through October 4, 2013. Hunter is currently the principal of the Oakland Alternative High School, and has worked as a school teacher and administrator for many years.

RESOLUTIONS
Purchase Resolution 37614 Awards a $337,564 contract to Western Peterbilt for two low cab forward chassis trucks with roll-off box hoists. Sounds fancy.

Resolution 37615 Approves extending the Tacoma Water service area to include 72.5 new acres to provide direct water service to a new development. Apparently the developer can’t get sufficient fireflow from a private company, and there’s a city main nearby.

Resolution 37616 – Vote held until next week
This vote on whether to grant a new housing development an 8-year tax break was delayed a week for further review. We’ll bring you full details then.

Resolution 37617 Authorizes a $68,000 agreement with First Five Fundamentals to support child care referral services for Pierce Country parent and child care providers. First Five Fundamentals was formerly known as the Early Learning Consortium.

That wraps it up. Not too much excitement tonight, except when McGruff body-slammed a commenter who went over the time limit (just kidding. maybe.).

Social Media: The New Word-of-Mouth ( 7. October 2008, 16:43 by Caitlin) ~ Make the Internets Work for You

The City of Tacoma is offering the free Economic Gardening Workshop, Social Media: The New Word-of-Mouth, to explain the power and possibilities available to businesses that use wikis, blogs, social networks, and other Web 2.0 technology. This stuff all sounds vaguely familiar …

The speaker at each session will be Tina Janni, Business Advisor at the Business & Management Training Center.

Details
Choose one of the following sessions:
Thursday, October 23
5:30 – 7:00 p.m.
Friday, October 24
7:30 – 9:00 p.m.

Bates Technical College, Clyde Hupp Board Room, 3rd Floor
1101 S. Yakima Ave.

RSVP by October 21 Call Kala Dralle at 253.573.2523 or email kdralle@cityoftacoma.org

Ruston Town Council Meeting - Oct 6, 2008 ( 7. October 2008, 09:32 by Caitlin) ~ Mayors: Inquire Within

Everyone was quite civil in Ruston this week which was a … little different from the last meeting three weeks ago.

After some basic business of police budgets, planning, and FEMA flood insurance, the council moved on to discussion.

Councilman Albertson was still able to administer a few jabs to Mayor pro-tem Huson with the presentation of discussions on 1) the Mayor pro-tem only spending eight hours a week on town business and 2) the disclosure of the negotiations Mayor pro-tem Huson had with the Tacoma City Manager about Tacoma taking over all of Ruston’s public services last July.

The truth was rather anticlimactic. It turns out that the Mayor pro-tem actually treats Ruston like a part-time job in addition to his regular full-time job. As for service negotiations, Councilwoman Hunt, then Mayor Everding, and then Councilman Huson did meet with Eric Anderson, but Everding was in charge of most of the discussion. There was nothing decided then, and nothing in the works now. Councilman Albertson looked a little disappointed.

Also, Ruston is still looking for a mayor. Councilman Stebner showed interest in becoming the mayor pro-tem after Huson returns to his councilman status October 31st. There has only been one verbal application (it’s that easy, apparently) for the permanent position. Any takers?