It looks like a serious activity, but for many it’s a fun day in the sun.

“We’re just playing around on tractors today,” Montesano’s Al Gillman said with a laugh. “I like to call them big-boy toys. It’s just a way to have a good time.”

Gillman’s big-boy toy is a 1955 Oliver Super 77. And he was showing off his green, rumbling machine during a tractor pull Saturday at a festival at Wilcox Family Farms in Roy.

The best way to show off a tractor, he said, is by dragging a heavy sled until the weight overpowers the engine.

The competition is largely something fun to do on the weekends, Gillman said.

“I always have a good time at something like this,” he said. “It’s tough not to.”

The festival, which attracted about 300 people by mid-day Saturday, offered more than just tractor pulls. Buses took spectators on tours of the farm’s grounds. Hay rides ferried children around the fields. Vintage tractors, fire engines and cars were on display. And trailers served up ice cream, lemonade, barbecue and a constant hum from generators.

Many of the visitors – who came from as far away as Renton and Poulsbo – are members of the Rainier Two-Cylinder Club, a vintage tractor association. They organized and ran Saturday’s competition, which continues today and is held in honor of Larry Nelson, a longtime club member who died in October 2006.

“We wanted to do something to honor him,” said Larry Fugle, the club’s activities director. Each of the award ribbons carries a photo button adorned with an image of Nelson atop a John Deere tractor.

Seventy-nine people entered Saturday’s competition, which required each tractor to pull a 36,000-pound, progressive-resistance sled. There are several categories based on the weight of the tractor and its initial speed.

The pull was the first for Auburn’s Greg Lichty, who has spent the past year rebuilding a 1937 John Deere Unstyled A. He admitted he didn’t know much about the strategy of tractor pulls – the distance each tractor reaches depends on several factors, from how much air pressure each tire receives to the fine-tuning of the engine – before this weekend.

And after his performance, he laughed that he still wasn’t an expert.

“What did I learn?” he said. “Not much, to be honest. But I’ll get back on and go at it again.”

Not all vintage tractor enthusiasts took part in the competition.

Larry and Clara Hammel live just across the street from Wilcox Family Farms. Clara said both are “big tractor fans” and were impressed by the selection on display.

“We’ve just always been farmers and like the old tractors,” Larry said. “We’re just here to walk around, watch the pulls and see what they have.”

The Prantil family of Poulsbo checked out the dozens of cars on display, like a blue and black 1928 Nash and the black Ford Model T.

And even though Colebe Prantil is 4, he wasn’t too young to appreciate the flawless chrome bumper of a blue-green 1955 Buick. The child loves older vehicles, his father, 38-year-old Christian Prantil said, and he’s already learning how to drive a smaller Farmall A tractor.

The festival was fun for mom and dad, too.

“I always tell people I was born in the wrong era,” Christian Prantil said. “The antique cars and tractors bring me to that as close as possible.”

From videographer Joe Barrentine:

I'm heading out to Roy today for a farming festival.

Want to be a member of Tacoma’s Human Rights Commission? Now’s your chance.

The city is searching for people to apply for the two open positions. It’s open to “anyone willing to serve for a three-year term.” According to a press release, the city is seeking people from underrepresented neighborhoods, like Northeast Tacoma and the South End. It is also encouraging Hispanics, blacks and Pacific Islanders to apply.

For more information, visit the commission’s Web site or contact Cynthia Leingang at 253-594-7848. Deadline for applications is July 25.

Click below to read the press release:

=> Read more!

Increasing gang violence and meth use has prompted Sen. Patty Murray to return from the other Washington and visit Tacoma.

She’ll be meeting with the “area’s top law enforcement official and concerned citizens about the problems the city and county face with increased gang violence and meth use,” her office e-mailed.

If you’re interested, she’ll be at the Tacoma Police Department headquarters at 3701 S. Pine St. on Tuesday at 10:30 a.m.

Click below to read the press release:

=> Read more!

One of Taste of Tacoma’s selling points is that there’s a little something for everyone. So while I’ve given you my recommendations, they are just opinions. And they’re coming from a guy who thinks vegan is a curse word and wants massive federal funding to avoid another mad-cow disease scare.

I asked three people at the festival about what they enjoyed. Gig Harbor’s Gary Peterson, 69, was munching on a plate of barbecue beef from Pac Island Grill Hawaiian Style BBQ and gave it a thumbs-up. The 69-year-old said a dessert of strawberry shortcake is an annual event.

Tacoma’s Oscar Butler was arriving at the festival in mid-afternoon and said he was heading directly to the Katie Downs booth, where he planned to buy two slices of the thick pepperoni pizza. He also said he hoped to buy some “fair food,” like an elephant ear or funnel cake.

Charles Ping of Sumner tried some French treats at Crepe Tyme. He especially liked the crepes with strawberries. A cool lemonade helped cool him off, he said.

“It’s really tough to go wrong here,” he said.

There's a reason Ed Murrieta has his job and I have mine. We ate the same the same grub, and I'm left slobbering about the idea of hot dogs, cheese and bacon being combined into one bite.

Ed, meanwhile, breaks it down like culinary science.

As seen in Tacoma:

(Thanks, Nadia!)

I’m way, way too full to eat anything else right now. But if I had to start from scratch and wanted a big meal, here’s what I’d go with: start with the Tijuana dog from Asado as a starter, the ribs from Famous Dave’s as your entrée and then plish it down with the Red Bull smoothie from Inta Fruit.

And let it all settle with a few Blue Moons in the beer garden.

For the final tasting at the Taste of Tacoma, we checked out a few of the drink places. Inta Juice has a smoothie with several kinds of fruit and Red Bull.

Red Bull in a smoothie. This is how the United States became the world's sole superpower.

The closest Inta Fruit, the folks working the stand tell me, is in Federal Way. I think that means it's time for The News Tribune to reopen its bureau in south King County.

Bob bought a strawberry lemonade from the stand next to Inta Fruit. It was way sweet but had real strawberries in it. It hit the spot on a somewhat warm day.

And we're done here. Ed's heading back to the office. I'm heading to the beer garden to write. I think we all need a place to nap.

Bob and Ed came back with barbecue ribs. I purchased a grilled chicken pita and a crab cake.

The ribs couldn't have looked any different. The serving from Billy McHale's (left in picture) was meaty. Famous Dave's looked small and neat -- but Billy couldn't touch the taste Dave's ribs.

Billy's ribs were kind of bland. The ones from Dave's were outstanding. And they got even better when you put some of their awesome Devil Spit sauce.

The grilled chicken sandwich from Outback Jack's was smothered in grilled onions and peppers. Bad news for this guy, who thinks less vegetables is better. I thought the chicken could use a little more marinating. But Bob liked it. Maybe I just want a mountain of spices on everything.

The crab cake from the New Orleans Cookery (a catering company that doesn't actually have a restaurant) was crispy but didn't have a lot of crab. So it was basically like a crab-flavored hush puppy -- but I wasn't complaning. It sat atop a bed of dirty rice missing the ground beef I'm used to but covered in a tasty sauce that had me scooping up every last grain.

Now only if someone sold New Orleans-style snowballs.

Ed, his cousin Bob and I are sitting in the beer garden. We’ve each grabbed a few items and are passing each around.

Here’s what your humble blogger thinks:

Tijuana dog from Asado: This was the first thing I bought. It’s a hot dog wrapped in bacon and smothered in cheese. Yes, you read that correctly. Tears came to my eyes. Saliva came to my mouth. And soon, cholesterol clogged my arteries. This was amazing. The English language does not have words to properly describe how tasty this was. Bill Shakespeare himself would be at a loss for words.

Red beans and rice from Southern Kitchen: This was actually a bit of a letdown. I have a pretty high standard: the Monday-evening meals my mom made when I grew up in the suburbs of New Orleans. It needed more spices, especially salt. The rice was a tad too mushy. Southern Kitchen is usually a big hit, but this was a swing-and-miss.

Chorizo from Masa: Bob picked this up. Spicy. Yummy. The taste kind of sticks with you.

I ran into the Weekly Volcano's own Steph DeRosa. You know her -- she's the only one who uses her real name when she writes for the weekly. She's chowing down on gumbo. Can't argue with that.

She's also drinking beer on the job. That must be one of the perks of working for a weekly.

Ticket window isn't open yet. The natives are getting restless.

I've reported about the Flight of Hope program that sends boxes of relief supplies on empty planes from Boeing Field in Seattle to China, where they're distributed to ailing Sichuan Province.

Yesterday I received some e-mails from people on the ground (via organizer Jimmy Chen and state Sen. Jim Kastama). Check 'em out:

=> Read more!

Just received a forward of this e-mail from Rep. Dennis Flannigan, D-Tacoma. Know anyone who fits the description?

Friends,

This is an a political inquiry. I'm looking for your short list of thinkers and dooers in Tacoma and Pierce County. Worth knowing because they're bright, creative and when they're in the room, the world seems virtually be reborn.

Think of them as the three people you'd call together to save the hemisphere, or improve education, or create a low cost, non-oil based fuel, or whatever. People with ideas that exceed the normal. People able to think straight, not Left or Right, or my way or the highway. People who "get it," as the phrase goes. I'm asking for three names - I ask that they not be your relatives, a boss, or someone in your employ. This is not about friends, but smart accomplished people. Give me three names of folks you would want in the room with you as you tackled the next great problem.

Email your list to me, dennis.flannigan@gmail.com I'll send you what I learn.

Please let me know why the people you choose make your list. What are their attributes? Why did they make your list?

I don't even know what I'll do with the list. It is not about politics, so please don't worry about that. It is, I believe, pure Research and Development. I'm trying to see who can really analyze, create and produce solutions to difficult problems - of any stripe..

Please add their phone, email or other information about reaching them. Further, pass this on. My world is limited. It is limited by age (68), so there are few young people getting this request. It is mostly Caucasian, so many other cultures are under requested. While the list is not all progressive folks, it needs more business, more Republicans, more academics and scientists. Probably more women, more tech folks, more artists, more entrepreneurs and people of faith to be current. So, pass the email on.

With that in mind, please send the request on to some of the bright minds you know. Particularly, I hope you'll send it to people who I wouldn't know, but solve problems in creative and effective ways. I don't know many engineers, so that group would be good to get engaged in listing those who inspire them.

Again, three names of people who could jump start any group chasing a solution to tough problems. What do I offer back? Well, I'll collect the names and comments, and send them on to everyone who responds. I'll omit the sender's name, but not the comments and people suggested.

Thank you,


Dennis Flannigan

Let’s get something established early: Ed Murrieta I am not.

But a food critic? I am today. At least at Taste of Tacoma.

Ed and I are going to hit up the booths at the annual food-and-other-good-stuff festival in Point Defiance Park. Check back throughout the day for updates.

There will also be more Tall Ships, China earthquake relief and an installment of Learn to Spell, Washington.

Tim DeLong calls it a battle than can never truly be won.

Crews can pave a street, but eventually someone will cut into it to reach underground cables. Water will inevitably seep into the asphalt and weaken it. Years of countless vehicles driving over it will break apart the roadway, bit-by-bit. And even though it might take years, a pothole will form.

And the street needs paving again.

“We get calls and can respond and patch a pothole or pave a street,” said DeLong, the supervisor of the residential paving program. “But it won’t last. It never does. That’s just the way it is, and it’s become a way of life for us.”

The paving process can begin long before a new road is installed.

Public works splits the city into eight districts. The streets in each district are studied to determine what is in most need of paving. And then it sometimes becomes a waiting game. Crews can’t pave when it’s raining – a distinct problem in Western Washington. That has been a problem at times this year, DeLong said.

Before roadwork begins, a prep crew notifies the neighbors about the construction, which can be noisy and leave an acrid smell. Workers remove gutter boxes and pull string across what will be the center line of the new road.

Cars must be removed the day of roadwork. The new road is set atop the old one. And if all goes as planned, crews finish about three or four residential blocks in a day.

They hope to pave about 120 blocks citywide this year.

=> Read more!

I talked with Tall Ships Tacoma spokesman Matthew Erlich about the festival’s planned attendance of 700,000. Exactly how, I asked, did they arrive at that number?

The answer: They looked at 2005’s attendance.

Organizers planned for 400,000 people during the inaugural festival, Erlich said, but no one kept an official attendance. Based on police estimates at the Parade of Sail, the length of lines and the number of personal watercraft in the area, organizers estimated between 700,000-800,000 people attended the event.

“We hope the number of 700,000 visits will be met,” Erlich said, “and I’m pretty confident there will be that number of visitors coming to the festival.”

Bad news, bloggers. In case you haven't heard, blogosphere favorite Robert "The Traveller" Hill is off November's ballot for Pierce County sheriff.

Working on a flurry of stuff, including finishing up a story for Sunday's paper about Tall Ships Tacoma. (That starts next week, folks.)

From the Wilson High School Web site:

(Thanks, Lori!)

The Stewart Heights Safe Streets organization e-mailed with what it calls a “small victory."

But it looks like that small victory isn’t leading to much.

Here’s what he wrote:

I got a call on Friday that there were gang folks painting the restroom buildings at Stewart Heights Park. We got photos, and the police responded quickly. Five of the seven were captured and arrested.

Unfortunately, three were released. The two that were charged appear to be getting of lightly by the prosecutor. This is sad because all the work that was done to provide evidence.

We would like to see this case be made an example of to help deter future graffiti work. Letting these people off lightly only opens the door for more graffiti.

And here are the photos:

=> Read more!

As seen at a University Place Walgreens:

(But in all fairness, that's a pretty good deal.)

It's been a while since I've posted a Learn to spell, Washington item. I'll do that in a few minutes.

And I'm still working on Tall Ships stuff today.

TV Tacoma, the city’s cable outlet, will broadcast the Tall Ships Tacoma Parade of Sail live on July 3.

The broadcast will begin at 11 a.m., according to a city press release. Each ship and facts about the vessels will be shown as they sail into the Thea Foss Waterway to begin the festival.

It will also be webcast live at tvtacoma.com and replayed over the next four days.

Lorraine Ralston of Tall Ships Tacoma called me back with a few numbers that could be of interest.

■ There will be 550 people working security at the festival. That’s a combination of volunteers, contract security officers and public agency employees (like the Tacoma Police Department, Coast Guard, etc.)

■ The organization signed up more than 200 people for memberships – more than double their original goal of 100.

I've just written something for tomorrow's paper about the ending (for most) of the quarantine at the Northwest Detention Center on Tacoma's Tideflats.

Click below to read it:

=> Read more!

I just finished talking with David Doxtater, the executive director of Tall Ships Tacoma. They’re in the home stretch of preparing for July’s festival. The office was certainly busier than any other time I’ve visited, and Doxtater told me he recently moved into a Tacoma hotel so he can spend more time in the office and less time in his car commuting from Bainbridge Island.

Jason Hagey and I are working on a story for this weekend that catches the readers up with what the latest is with the event planning.

The number of ships is down to 31 from 32. The Army Reserve barge has dropped out. Event spokeswoman Lorraine Ralston said its place in the festival was tentative from the start, but the other 31 are still on schedule to pull into the Thea Foss Waterway on July 3.

“We’re bringing in a broader range of ships,” Doxtater said. “We have premium ships. We’ll have the Nina, the Bounty, the Kaisei, the Eagle.”

The anchor will be the Eagle, a 295-foot U.S. Coast Guard cutter. And it wasn't easy to book its appearance.

“We really led the charge,” he said. “We rallied the other (West Coast) Tall Ships events this summer. We got some congressmen involved. We went back to D.C. and did some lobbying. We helped convince them switch their schedule to the West Coast. They weren’t really planning to come here.”

=> Read more!

I’m heading to the Tall Ships Tacoma office today. I’ll be meeting with some of the head honchos there to discuss how the organization is preparing in the final run-up to July’s festival.

Daniel Garnica sat in the bed of the pickup truck sipping a plastic cup full of Sprite. The drink helps calm his nerves before he performs. A few minutes before he rides a bull, he said, is when the anxiety begins to set in.

“I always get a little nervous,” the 11-year-old from Snohomish said Saturday. “Not really scared. Just nervous.”

Thumping music blared from speakers inside the dusty arena in Puyallup. Men in cowboy hats and boots rode atop horses. Others sat in their trucks and applied red and blue paint to their faces. Spectators filed into the stands.

But Garnica focused his attention on Barbie, a snarling bull that the sixth-grader was minutes away from riding in a Mexican rodeo at the Puyallup Fairgrounds.

Garnica has been riding bulls for three years. It’s family tradition; his father and uncles ride bulls, and his family practices in an old arena on their five-acre ranch. He rides about three times a month and enters around Western Washington.

“It impresses the girls,” said the smiling Garnica, wearing blue jeans, a blue button-down shirt and a white cowboy hat.

=> Read more!

I'll be at a Mexican rodeo in Puyallup today. Yee-haw!

Andre Mosesly has endured more than any 2-year-old should. Sixteen surgeries, including one to remove his kidneys. A feeding tube. Dialysis treatments almost every day.

The medical struggles – brought on by a rare disease usually found in Finnish children – have forced Andre to miss the simple pleasures of growing up, like making friends and attending parties.

But a transplant surgery with the potential to save his life is just a few weeks away, and his parents want to celebrate.

About 300 people are expected to attend a party in Andre’s honor today(sat) at People’s Park on Tacoma’s Hilltop. The celebration, which runs from 11 a.m.-4 p.m., will feature dancers, singers, magicians, an inflatable obstacle course, an 18-foot slide, a fire truck and refreshments.

“I wanted to do something big – for Andre and for the community,” said Korbett Mosesly, Andre’s father and a liberal-arts student at The Evergreen State College. “He’s just been through a lot.”

So have the parents, though they rarely complain about it.

=> Read more!

Just saw these shots from the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon in San Diego. Rumor has it a running Elvis will be sighted around Tacoma and at some area 5Ks and 10Ks.

He's already been seen running through Wright Park.

Just a rumor, though…

I snapped this aerial shot of Northeast Tacoma. Just kind of an interesting layout:

I’m meeting with Korbett Mosesly today. I’m hoping to get something in tomorrow’s paper about the party/fundraiser he’s having at People’s Park on Tacoma’s Hilltop.

(And I do need to make it out to a Frost Park chalk-off one of these days…)

Korbett Mosesly has done a lot for the community in Tacoma and Pierce County. On Saturday, he’s hoping the community can give back.

His 1-year-old son, Andre, was born with congenital nephrotic syndrome, a rare kidney disease. He has dialysis five or six times a week at Children’s Hospital in Seattle. He’s undergone surgeries and albumin infusions. And he’s awaiting a transplant.

The family is holding a party at People’s Park in the Hilltop this Saturday from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. There will be music, an obstacle course for kids, a fire truck and more. They’re trying to raise funds for the transplant surgery and future treatment. He’s also setting up a special account at (I believe) Bank of America tomorrow.

Click below to read the e-mail Korbett sent out:

=> Read more!

Joe Barrentine and I covered the arrival of several World War II-era aircraft yesterday.

On the way back from Pasco, I rode in a B-24 Liberator. Joe rode in a single-engine plane to take some photos. This was the view from my plane with a point-and-shoot camera:

And here is what Joe, using a nice lens, shot of the B-24.

Not too shabby, eh?

I received lots of feedback on yesterday's Rosemary Dye story. There were more calls, e-mail and voicemail than any other story I've written, and the comments neared the story I wrote last year about a police officer shooting a dog.

But only one had me laughing until I got hiccups. One reader met with an alcohol support group yesterday, and they began discussing my story. That's when this gem landed in my inbox:

...a new counselor only skimmed it and told everyone that a local astronaut OD'd.

I know it was likely an honest mistake, but it was so far off base that I laughed for a solid 10 minutes. (For the record, she was a pilot. And she didn't OD.)

I'm going to write up my day with the paving crew and do some other work on our forthcoming potholes package today.

It’s been more than 60 years since Ken Wheeler flew bombing raids over Axis-held Europe, but the B-17 Flying Fortress hasn’t changed much.

“You smell the smells of the airplane,” he said. “You hear the sounds of those engines. It’s just a nostalgic trip.”

Wheeler dressed Wednesday like he walked straight out of World War II. He sported his olive-gray flight suit and a matching jacket adorned, both adorned with flight wings, silver oak leaf pin, patches from the Military Airlift Command and the 7th Troop Carrier Squadron.

He dusted off his uniform to celebrate a flight of the B-17 and three other vintage warplanes to the Tacoma Narrows Airport. It’s part of the Collings Foundation’s Wings of Freedom Tour that continues today and Friday.

Visitors to the airport can also the B-17, the B-24 Liberator, B-25 Mitchell or P-51 Mustang. Flights aboard the airplanes, which tour the country to honor the flight crews that helped win the air battle against the Axis Powers. Flights aboard the warplanes are also offered.

=> Read more!

It’s been a few weeks since I asked, and I got some really good responses. I realize the first message might have been a tad cryptic; basically I’m trying to snap photos of the best places in town to show some friends overseas who will likely never visit. (That’s why I was on Ruston Way hamming it up for the camera with a Tanzanian flag in my hand this weekend.)

Here’s the list I’m hoping to check off this summer:

● Narrows Bridge from Titlow Beach
● Narrows Bridge from Jackson Street
● Mount Rainier from the parking lot of Tacoma Central
● Mount Rainier from the Fox Island bridge
● Mount Rainier from University Place
● Mount Rainier from the road leading into Orting
● Downtown at twilight
● Downtown from Commencement Bay Coffee Company
● Downtown from overgrown railroad tracks on the East Side
● Downtown from the Cliff House restaurant
● Downtown from the freeway spur
● Downtown from Browns Point Road
● Downtown from the 14th floor of St. Joseph Hospital
● Titlow Beach at sunset
● Fireman’s Park
● Wright Park from Tacoma General Hospital
● Rain over Tideflats/sunshine over downtown
● Gig Harbor marina
● Gig Harbor from Point Defiance Park
● Stadium High School
● Rose Garden and Pagoda at Point Defiance Park¹
● Spanaway Lake
● American Lake
● Commencement Bay at the mouth of the Puyallup River
● Stanley and Seafort’s at sunset
● Sunset at Owen Beach
● Strawberry Hill
● Commencement Bay from the corner of North Stevens and North 49th streets in Tacoma.
● Tacoma from the old gravel pit on Maury Island
● Vashon Island from Ruston Way at sunset
● Browns Point from Ruston Way at sunset
● Chambers Bay
● The Tacoma Yacht Club from the ferry Rhododendron
● Lovely old homes in the North End

^{1 – In all fairness, I’ll have plenty of these when I get married in this spot next month}

Joe and I are at the executive terminal at Tacoma Narrows Airport. We’re awaiting our flight to Pasco.

This is the five-seater we’re going up in:

Here’s the plan for today. I’m going to get on a flight at Tacoma Narrows Airport, fly to Pasco, get on another plane and fly back to Tacoma.

That’s because photographer Joe Barrentine and I are going to be flying on a B-17 Flying Fortress. It’s part of The Collings Foundation’s vintage, World War II-era aircraft tour stop in Tacoma.

If you’re a war buff or a bird nerd, stay tuned for some cool multimedia stuff.

Just got this release from the City Club of Tacoma. It's good news for Pat McGregor, who has done a lot in the Whitman area.

City Club of Tacoma has selected Pat McGregor as its 2008 Dennis Seinfeld Leadership Award winner. This annual award is given to an individual who best demonstrates the qualities and values of a community leader, but is not yet well-known or established as a recognized leader. McGregor and his fellow nominees will be honored publicly at City Club’s annual leadership luncheon tomorrow, June 18 at noon at the Landmark Convention Center.

“Like a dog to a bone,” according to one endorser, Pat McGregor has rallied Tacoma’s Whitman Area Neighbors group to overcome alcohol impact, gang activity, prostitution, and general apathy and neglect. He was arguably the No. 1 influence for passage of the South End Alcohol Impact Area, which has dramatically reduced “drunk in public” incidents. He has played a key role in fighting aggressive panhandling. He has organized many communitywide cleanups and works with Whitman School and the district to engage the school in the community and to help reduce vandalism. “He is a real team builder,” wrote another nominator. When not volunteering in his community, McGregor is a sixth-grade teacher at Chief Leschi School in Puyallup.

I was chatting with several people last week about anger at the gas pump. Alas, a story won't be forthcoming, but I thought this is a cool story that I'd like to share:

I was in the convenience store portion of my local Chevron station one morning roughly two weeks ago to buy milk, and a young man was buying $6.00 worth of gas – he was using four $1 bills and a bunch of change to do so.

I could see the stress on his face and, for whatever reason, I just said to the clerk, “Put another $20 on his pump number.” The kid almost started to cry – he said he wasn’t sure the $6 was even going to get him to and from work that day, but the job was new and he desperately needed to get to it in order to keep it.

I really felt sorry for this soul and I wound up nearly filling his tank (this is very unlike me), giving the clerk $50 rather than the original $20, while he stood there in disbelief. Apparently after I left, and he was done pumping his gas, he went back into the store and asked them if they knew me. They told him that yes, I was an occasional customer, but they did not know my name.

I went into the store Tuesday morning of this week because, when trying to pump my own gas, my card would not process through the pump – the first time this has EVER happened to me. The owner was VERY happy to see me – he had an envelope for me with my $50 in cash and a note from the young man which reads: “Thank you to my guardian angel. I got my first paycheck on Friday and I need to pay you back for your kindness. You saved my job – and my life. I will try hard to pay this forward to somebody else in need. I will never forget you and I hope to see you again so that I can say this to your face.” And he signed it with his name and address.

Turns out he is a neighbor of sorts (several blocks away) and I feel sure that I will, indeed, see him again someday.

There is some strange cosmic reason that my card could not be read that day causing me to walk into the store – and there is some strange cosmic reason that my uncharacteristic ‘good deed’ got such a strong and positive payback.

I just know that I will follow my ‘gut’ a whole lot more in the future. Hopefully, my story will encourage others to ‘pay forward’ their own good fortune from time to time to someone in need in these uncertain economic times.

Since I wrote about neighbors who dislike the new, gigantic Emerald Queen Casino sign on Interstate 5, I'd like to provide a different view. This one is from real estate agent Aaron Beckord, who works a lot on the East Side:

I can see the new sign from several of my rental houses and I like it.

All up and down the highways of the United States are billboards and signs, most of them fairly ugly. While the EQC is bright and eye-catching, I think it is done in a modern, professional way and I hope it brings lots of business to the Puyallup Nation.

The EQC brings millions of dollars into Pierce County and is one of the largest and best drivers of our local economy. Thousands of jobs are created, most with above-average wages and benefits. While it is a topic of conversation on the Eastside I have not heard from anybody who does not like it.

I'm going to be out with a Tacoma public works crew doing street paving today. It's part of a larger package coming out next month on potholes around town.

For the record, the color of hair dye Jennifer Yates uses is simply called “flaming.”
It’s bright red. Really, really bright.

“It’s just part of a mid-life crisis,” the 36-year-old nurse from Port Angeles laughed.

Jogging is part of the same mid-life crisis, she said. She started running again last fall.

But Yates focused Saturday on finishing the 5-kilometer course. It was the first time in which she competed, and she did so after pulling an overnight shift in the neonatal intensive care unit at Tacoma General Hospital.

“I just came straight here,” she said. “The hills weren’t as bad as I thought, but it’s still a pretty good workout.”

So what’s the next step in the mid-life crisis?

“I might get a tattoo next month,” she said.

Marcy Grantor not only jogged the 5-kilometer race, but the Seattle woman pushed a stroller carrying her 2-year-old daughter, Malia.

That’s a lot for someone who hates running.

But Grantor and her husband, Mark, were hoping to raise awareness of a fundraising bike tour they’re helping to put on in August, so Marcy hit the pavement.

Mark is the event manager for the Courage Classic, a three-day, 172-mile race from Snoqualmie to Skykomish that winds through three mountain passes. The proceeds benefit Mary Bridge Children's Hospital.

The couple each wore cycling jerseys bearing the event’s logo.

Pushing the stroller got tough on the final ascent to the finish line, she said.

“At first you’re like, ‘I can use this for stability,’” she said. “But when you’re going up the hills, it’s like you have to work double-time. It’s tough.”

For those who don’t keep track of pseudo-holidays, today is Flag Day.

Tacoma’s Yannick Fourage (right during a 2004 race) looked the part. He sported a red-white-and-blue wig, a similarly colored tie-dyed tank top and carried a miniature American flag with him as he ran the 12-kilometer race at Sound to Narrows.

“I’ve been wearing wigs for about the past 10 years,” he said. “It’s just for fun. It gets some smiles going, especially near the end when it gets tough.”

Fourage, 45, has run Sound to Narrows every year since 1978, making Saturday’s race his 31st.

“This was the first road race I ever participated in, and I told myself I’d be back,” he said. “And I’ve been back every year since.”

Some say distance running is a young man’s activity. Rich Wall disagrees.

The Lakewood man easily finished the Sound to Narrows 12-kilometer race Saturday – two weeks before his 69th birthday.

And it’s a tough 12 kilometers. The course winds through Tacoma’s West End and Point Defiance Park before finishing with a grueling dash up Vassault Hill.

It’s the 15th time Wall has competed in Sound to Narrows. He often competes in 10- and 12-kilometer races around the Tacoma area and began running during his time with the Army’s Special Forces units.

“Once you get in the habit and the training down, you gotta keep at it,” he said. “If you don’t use it, you lose it. So I run.”

But retirement didn’t mean an end to jogging.

“My best marathon times are when I was in my 40s,” he said. “Your slow-twitch muscles, if you keep them up, don’t deteriorate. Your fast-twitch muscles go with age. I don’t have speed, but I have endurance.”

They reworked their schedule and arrived at Vassault Playfield earlier than most.

The reason? Last year’s second-place finish wasn’t good enough for the 562nd Engineering Company.

The Fort Lewis-based unit won the 2008 Sound to Narrows military race, and it finished in martial style. The 45 runners, led by one soldier carrying the unit’s flag, marched in formation across the finish. As they waited the results, they stood at parade rest in front of the emcee’s stage.

“We’re out here for unit cohesion and team-building,” Capt. Dan Hayden said, adding that the soldiers joked and had a good time during their run.

The company, unit of the 5th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, was supposed to be enjoying a four-day weekend. Instead, they shuffled their schedule and moved the extra days off to next week so the race didn’t cut into any plans.

“Frankly, last year, we got second place,” Hayden said, “and we just wanted to win this year. We reworked things to make it happen.”

I'm at Sound to Narrows. Check back for updates throughout the morning.

I've updated the Categories: Tacoma

More love for Chambers Bay in University Place. This time, it's from Golf Digest.

It has gems like this:

It's uncanny how much John Ladenburg resembles former Dallas Cowboys coach Barry Switzer.

and

For better and worse, Chambers Bay reminded me of Shaquille O'Neal when he played college basketball at LSU.

I've tweaked (OK, overhauled) my story about Boeing's Flight of Hope program. It should run this weekend.

Click below to read an early edition:

=> Read more!

The Sea Scout Ship Odyssey is celebrating its 70th birthday with daylong festivities in downtown Tacoma on Saturday.

The Odyssey, an 88½-foot yawl that will participate in next month’s Tall Ships Tacoma festival, will be docked in the Thea Foss Waterway in front of the Museum of Glass. The celebration is held in conjunction with an exhibit on maritime history at the Washington State History Museum.

Events include:

• 11 a.m.-1:45 p.m.: A chance for the public to view and tour the boat for free.

• 2-4 p.m.: A sailing open to the public. Tickets are $25.

• 4-5 p.m.: Boat tours and a performance by the Shifty Sailors, a sea shanty and maritime music group.

• 5-7 p.m.: A charter sail with the Shifty Sailors

Again, I’m heading out to try to find folks who nearly came to blows at a gas pump. And later, I’ll be on the East Side talking to residents about the new Emerald Queen Casino sign.

Pam Lee likes to wake up the old-fashioned way. When enough outside light enters her room, she gets up and starts her day.

The Emerald Queen Casino’s newest sign along Interstate 5 is complicating things.

“The light shines through the windows a lot of times,” she said. “And it keeps me up at night.”

Pam and her husband, Mitt, live on the 1600 block of East 31st Street in Tacoma. The casino’s proximity means the neighborhood is rarely the quietest in town – they can hear the thumping of bass from concerts, and big events pull in a lot of traffic – but the 140-foot-tall sign boasting 3,200 square feet of LED-powered message space is interrupting their daily routine.

“It’s just distracting,” Mitt said.

Noah McDonald, a 21-year-old who lives across the street from the Lees, said the lights from the sign haven’t really bothered him, but it’s become a bit of an eyesore.

But even this eyesore has a practical use.

“It’s practically in my backyard,” he said, “But when I’m giving people directions to my house, I just tell them ‘Look for the big TV.’”

The folks at Boeing sent these snapshots from Saturday's relief flight to China.

Jimmy Chen (from left), vice chair of the Washington-Sichuan Friendship Association; Qing Ai, managing director of China Aviation Supplies Import and Export Group Corporation American Office; James Kwong, Commercial Airplanes sales program manager for China and East Asia; and Jiang Pan, vice general manager of Shenzhen Airlines Flight Department, assist Boeing employees as they load Shenzhen Airlines' new 737-800 with cone masks to help people in the earthquake-stricken areas of Sichuan Province in China.

The Boeing Company, Shenzhen Airlines and the Washington-Sichuan Friendship Association gathered with several of Washington state's elected officials and others from the Pierce County schools at Boeing Field in Seattle on Saturday.

What do you think of the giant Emerald Queen Casino sign? I'm hoping to hit the street and ask people today.

Click below to read the early edition of my Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design story:

=> Read more!

University Place – or, namely, Pierce County’s brand-new Chambers Bay Golf Course – found its way into a column in the San Diego Union-Tribune about the United States Golf Association’s selection of U.S. Open sites.

Think the course won the 2015 Open because its links-style course should have the pros struggling to maintain par? Think again, Tim Sullivan says:

Size matters. And quite a lot. Chambers Bay, a 230-acre course that opened just last year in University Place, Wash., was awarded the 2015 Open largely based on the sheer scale of the facility. With room to accommodate as many as 70,000 spectators and the corporate tents, Chambers Bay is sure to appeal to the USGA's accountants if not to its traditionalists.

I'll be posting an early edition of my Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design story here shortly.

I just talked to TPD’s Shawn Gustason about the effect of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design renovations on McCormick Park.

Just a year ago, it was a hive of criminal activity.

“The problems there stemmed around the transient problem,” he said. “Loitering, using drugs and prostitution were our major problems in the park.”

Gustason went on to describe how someone at a neighboring business videotaped something that, well, I won’t write in case you’re reading this over lunch. But let’s just say it didn’t make the park the most inviting place.

Many of the problems came from poor lighting and overgrowth of bushes.

“Before they did the changes, you couldn’t even really see in the park from Fawcett,” he said.

He said he hasn’t seen any homeless loitering in the park since the CPTED renovations began.

“If you take away the environment, they won’t be there,” he said.

He’s clearly a fan of CPTED.

“We don’t have anything on hand, but right now they’re about nonexistent,” he said. “We used to be there all the time. I don’t think we’ve been at the park in months.”

The Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design approach isn’t just in public places.

The department is working on brochures they plan to distribute around the city that encourages people to take steps to make their home and their neighborhoods safer.

Advice includes steps like starting a neighborhood watch, placing alarm stickers on your windows, marking all your valuables (making it harder for burglars to re-sell) and installing adequate outdoor lighting.

I just met with Mike Teskey. He’s a program specialist with Tacoma’s Public Works department, and he’s a specialist on Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design.

He showed me the improvements the city is doing on McCormick Park on the 900 block of Fawcett Avenue. It’s receiving about $40,000 of renovations in hopes that it’ll curb crime and encourage the neighborhood to take more ownership in the green space. It’s part of a $200,000 CPTED allocation for Public Works.

Other CPTED projects include fencing around homeless encampments, fencing under bridges, plans for parts of the Thea Foss Waterway and improvements to the park near the intersection of St. Helens Avenue, Market Street and South Seventh Street.

“Basically what we’re asking is what we can do with environmental design to help lessen crime,” he said. “We’re trying to establish a CPTED culture in Tacoma, and we believe we can help that by starting with our own properties.”

Public works is collaborating with the police department and other agencies on the project.

McCormick Park and Tacoma Park have recently had issues with drug dealers, intimidation and homeless sleeping inside on the benches. That’s why they’re the city pilot project for CPTED renovations.

“People feel safer if more people actively use the space,” he said. “And the more legitimate users use the space, the less the bad guy wants to use it.”

=> Read more!

Here's something I think could be fun to work on: Have y'all experienced angry people at gas stations? One of my coworkers was filling up at an ampm a few days ago and noticed people getting much more verbal with their displeasure over rising gas prices.

Dunno if it'll turn into anything, but let me know if you've seen this.

Jimmy Chen entered the lounge with a white bag slung over his right shoulder and a wide smile on his face.

Everyone inside the room quieted and gravitated toward Chen. The man exerted a contagious energy; soon, most of the bleary-eyed 20 or so people sitting around tables perked up.

Chen displayed the contents of the bag: stacks of multicolored paper. One had ribbon glued to it. Another a crayon drawing of the Chinese and American flags. Chen nodded as he showed off the boxes and folders full of cards and letters – more than 800, all written by Pierce County elementary- and middle-school students destined for the earthquake-damaged areas of southwestern China.

Outside, a much larger shipment destined for Sichuan province sat on the Boeing Field tarmac.

A new 737-800 bearing the white, gold and red livery of Shenzhen Airlines was jammed with 6,000 pounds of facemasks and coveralls. Boxes filled the cargo holds and overhead bins.

When the jet finishes its delivery flight into Shenzhen, the supplies will be distributed via aid workers to those who need it the most almost a month after the quake killed more than 70,000 people and displaced millions.

The flight is the second in a new Boeing program dubbed Flight of Hope. The aviation manufacturer is partnering with Chinese airlines to pack new jets with supplies as they head from the south Seattle airport to their destinations.

=> Read more!

I'm heading to Boeing Field this morning. Jimmy Chen, a Puyallup businessman and co=chair of the Washington-Sichuan Province Friendship Association, has helped gather enough supplies to send a relief flight to the earthquake-devastated parts of China.

I just left Pierce College's Fort Steilacoom branch. It seems like the wind, rain and cold stifled a lot of the protest (though I did see a couple of faculty members wearing khaki shorts and fleeces as I was driving away).

While I was sitting in the cafeteria, I got a call from Amanda Haines, the college’s communications specialist. She said this all started when the state legislature passed rules tightening security procedures at community colleges. A new uniform might be part of a new security procedure set to go into effect in August.

But, she said, everything is still being tested out and nothing’s finalized.

“If he doesn’t like it, he doesn’t like it, and we’ll deal with issues as they come up,” she said. “But right now, we’re just asking people to try them out. He’s by no means required to wear pants right now.”

I'm heading over to the Pierce College Lakewood campus. We've received word of a faculty protest. Apparently a security guard wore shorts every day to work; someone at a higher pay grade told him he had to wear pants or he'd be fired.

Many faculty members are wearing shorts today in some kind of khaki solidarity.

As you can tell, I'm having some fun with some data sets. Here's a breakdown by charge of the more than 55,000 traffic infractions in Tacoma last year.

I’m continuing my reporting on the death of Rosemary Dye, and I’ll see if I can make it to Ruston for the fifth time in four days today.

The City of Tacoma, Pierce County, Metro Parks Tacoma and the Tacoma School District are looking for input on the future of the public property near the intersection of South 19th and South Tyler streets.

Cheney Stadium, Foss High School, Heidelberg Field, Metro Parks headquarters and the Boy Scouts building currently sit on the property.

Two meetings to discuss future developments or improvements are scheduled for later this month. They are:

■ June 19 at 5:30 p.m. at Foss High School (2112 S. Tyler St.)
■ June 23 at 6 p.m. at the Boy Scouts building (4802 S. 19th St.)

The press release reminds Tacomans that “currently no development options or plans have been created.”

Want to leave your mark on Tacoma? If you're an artist, here's your chance.

This just landed in my inbox from the city:

The City of Tacoma and the Tacoma Arts Commission are developing a juried, online public artist registry of visual artists who are interested in creating public art.

This free, public-service registry will be a valuable resource for architects, designers, public and private organizations, and community groups that wish to identify and contact artists for commissioning or purchasing works of public art. The registry will function as a public resource directory for privately commissioned artwork.

Artists who work within the categories of functional and architectural artist-made elements, public art and fine art, and graphic design are encouraged to apply. The deadline for submissions is Aug. 8.

Applicants must be a resident of Tacoma and at least 18 years old. All applications will be juried and accepted artists will have their information uploaded to the online artist registry which will be a part of www.tacomaculture.org.

Artists interested in applying for the registry should download the guidelines and application form at www.tacomaculture.org/arts/opportunities.asp. Artists may also request an application form by e-mailing nstrom-avila@cityoftacoma.org or calling (253) 591-5191.

Here's the same sex offender data, but listed by municipality instead of ZIP code.

Jeanie Peterson of the Hilltop Action Coalition sent out data from the Department of Corrections listing registered sex offenders in Pierce County by ZIP code.

Tacoma's South End and East Side seem to have the highest number.

I've thrown the data into visualization software, and here it is:

I love covering Ruston politics. It’s always a good source of entertainment – and the occasional story.

Here are three things that didn’t make today's article about last night’s special session:

■ Former Councilwoman Karen Pickett, who runs the Ruston Home blog, was passing around photocopies explaining the state’s open-meetings act. The portion explaining the ban on communicating about official business outside of official meetings was highlighted. “I’m just handing it out,” she said.

■ Councilman Wayne Stebner arrived 20 minutes early and cracked jokes – many aimed at himself – while waiting for the meeting to begin.

■ Councilman Bradley Huson, like always, came dressed for the occasion. Hit suit came complete with a pocket square and a flower pinned to his lapel.

I'm going to continue reporting my story on Rosemary Dye, the Tacoma woman who died last month in Ruston. Hers truly is a tragic story.

Ruston’s newest mayor is no stranger to the town’s political scene.

Two days after Michael Transue resigned, the town council appointed Bob Everding, a retired college dean who had served on the council until January.

The five-member council needed less than 20 minutes of a special session Wednesday to appoint Everding, who was elected to the council in 2005 but resigned with two years left on his term.

“I worked with him for two years, and he did an awesome job as a councilmember,” said Councilman Wayne Stebner. “And there’s no question he’ll do an awesome job as a mayor.”

Everding declined to talk with a reporter from The News Tribune, saying he wanted time for everything to sink in before commenting publicly.

=> Read more!

Question: What are you most looking forward to next?

Discussion: Many are headed to college and are eager to begin that phase of their life. Others waxed poetically about being happy in life after school.

Quotable: “I’m not too worried about what I’m going to do. That’s all going to work itself out. That’s just details. The important things are the experiences I’ll have, especially in college. I’m just excited to meet new people, make new friends, being in a new environment. Just experiencing life.” – Mark Ragheb, Puyallup High School

Question: Who are your heroes?

Discussion: Few said any kind of celebrity or public officials; instead, most said they looked up to family members and teachers.

Quotable: “My parents. They made a big difference in my life. I always saw them working and working. I used to wonder why they worked so much and not spending time with me. But I’ve figured out that they do it because of me. They taught me you need to work to reach your goals.” – Freddy Sanchez, Foss High School

Question: What do you think about illegal downloading of music?

Discussion: About half said they download music. The ones who did acknowledged it was illegal but said they did so anyway.

Quotable: “I don’t do it because it causes a lot of viruses. I used to do it on my old computer, and it ruined it with all the viruses.” – Amy Pudists, Wilson High School

Question: How does technology define you?

Discussion: Almost all own cell phones. All use the Internet. The graduates seem really plugged-in.

Quotable: “My issue with cell phones and texting is that it eliminates one-on-one interaction with people. When you text somebody, you don’t see their face. You don’t see their emotions.” – Tim Ramos, Bellarmine Prep

Question: Would you know more about the wars if there was a draft?

Discussion: Most nodded their heads, and the few that spoke said it would make it much more personal.

Quotable: “It doesn’t really affect us right now. I know a lot of people are affected by the war, but it’s in minute ways like taxes. When if affects your personal security, people will pay attention because it affects them.” – Bryan Blackburn, Spanaway Lake High School

Question: How much do you know about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan?

Discussion: Only a few students spoke up, and none tried to guess how many service members have died in Iraq.

Quotable: “I know about bombings. I know that 40,000 pounds of bombs were dropped after a group of rebels attacked the troops. Although it was a minor attack, the U.S. military made a huge attack on the rebels.” – Freddy Sanchez, Foss High School

Question: Is the news media biased?

Discussion: Almost all raised their hands when asked, but few could say how the media is biased, and what particular news outlets were biased.

Quotable: “It’s unfortunate that the media will portray what we want to see. It’s distressing that, as a society, we’re more interested in (celebrity news). The media won’t change until we change what we’re interested in. … If they put the Iraq war on, we’ll turn the TV off because we’re not interested.” – Mark Ragheb, Puyallup High School

Question: Is it important to follow international news?

Discussion: Most agreed that it is. Events in other countries often have a direct effect on local communities. And even if it doesn’t, many think it’s still essential to follow stories of human rights.

Quotable: “Everything going around the world in some way affect our nation. We can’t assume we’re some safe little island in the middle of the world. We have to pay attention, be aware and be proactive to certain situations.” – Sam Lynch, Rogers High School

Question: Where do you get your news from?

Discussion: There was lots of diversity on this answer. Most get at least some of their news from the Internet, but many still use other traditional sources like the newspaper, television and radio

Quotable: “Mine’s off the Internet. I go tot AOL, and it has all the things that’s going on in the United States. It’s faster, you find out everything else and it’s easy.” – Brianna Bennett, Federal Way High School

Question: When do peer counseling programs infringe on personal freedoms, like privacy?

Discussion: Many agreed it was a fine line, and that relationships need trust if they’re going to succeed.

Quotable: “We’re already finding flaws with it before it’s really been tried. It’s not fully integrated into any school, and we’re already picking out the flaws before we find any positive benefits.” – David Zhang, Curtis High School

Question: Should we allow firearms on college campuses?

Discussion: This idea didn’t have any supporters among the graduates.

Quotable: “That’s a little bit too extreme. How do you decide who’s allowed to have guns and who’s not? If you allow everyone to have guns, that might get a little out of hand. That’s just a little too extreme.” – Mark Ragheb, Puyallup High School

Question: Whose responsibility is school safety?

Discussion: The students believed students had to share a large part of responsibility. Some bristled at the idea of stricter security standards, like metal detectors.

Quotable: “It’s our own responsibility – not getting in trouble, stay away from people who like trouble. When you do something like become part of a gang, that’s a choice.” – Freddy Sanchez, Foss High School

Question: Are there any suggestions for improving the WASL?

Discussion: Some suggested alternatives like more classes that could take the place of the test or a standardized way of grading classes that would help make the WASL unnecessary.

Quotable: “They should offer an alternative, because there are some kids who are just really bad test-takers. I know some people who have taken it two times, three times, and they just can’t pass it. Some kids get sick when they take the test. They know the material, but they just can’t take the test.” – Wamiatha Kiambuthi, Bethel High School

Question: Is the Washington Assessment of Student Learning necessary?

Discussion: There was lots of griping about the WASL. Some said teachers teach only for the test, while others lamented the fact that they’ve already forgotten some of the material by the time they take it.

Quotable: “The main problem with the WASL is the attitude toward it. Like the SAT, it’s a standardized test to measure intelligence. The mindset we have toward the SAT is that it’s a more prestigious test that you take to get into the college, while with the WASL, even the teachers are putting it down. If the teachers are talking down about the WASL, students sure won’t try.” – Sam Turner, White River High School

Question: What’s wrong with our electoral system?

Discussion: Apparently, a lot is wrong. Students listed a host of problems like the primary system, the electoral college, the overemphasis on race and gender and that voters’ voices can get lost after elections.

Quotable: “The front-loading of primaries plays too big of a role during election season. In years past and in the Republican primary this year, the race was already decided before half the states even voted. A great restructuring of the primary system – where states vote at the same time to choose the candidates – would be a better system that what we have now.” – David Zhang, Curtis High School

Question: What part should race play in selection of a political candidate?

Discussion: It was unanimous: They agreed voters shouldn’t base their selection solely on a candidate’s race. But, many said, race is an issue that can’t be avoided or ignored in modern-day society.

Quotable: “You can’t ignore the issue just because that’s how our country is. It shouldn’t be the most deciding factor – it should be their character and philosophy – but race is such a controversial issue, and you can’t ignore that in an election.” – Mark Ragheb, Puyallup High School

Question: What part should faith or religion play in selection of a political candidate?

Discussion: Some students said it’s a reflection of who the candidate is. Others said it’s almost totally irrelevant. But most said it shouldn’t be the only factor to consider.

Quotable: “We shouldn’t really vote for a candidate based on what other people say. Let the candidates themselves express what they are. How can anyone know the candidate as well as the candidate knows himself or herself?” – David Zhang, Curtis High School

Question: What was the most challenging thing of your high school career?

Discussion: Many students agreed that finding time to fit in school, homework, employment, social activities – and maybe a few hours of sleep – can be daunting.

Quotable: “It’s about balancing school, family and everything else you’re participating in. At some point, there’s a point where you say, ‘Well, I am doing all this work because I feel like I’m achieving this purpose – like college – but I still need to live, I still need to enjoy life.’ It’s about finding that precious balance about figuring out what I need to do for myself.” – Sam Lynch, Rogers High School

I’m going to be at the Ruston Town Council meeting tonight to see who the council selects as its new mayor.

But before that, it was my task earlier this month to sit in on a roundtable discussion of this year’s All-Star graduates. They tackled everything from the WASL to media bias to the Iraq war. I’m going to post the issue, the discussion and one of the best quotes from each topic throughout the day. I hope you enjoy, and feel free to join in.

Ruston’s circus-like political theater has led to another early departure of an elected official.

Mayor Michael Transue, who has been involved in tense arguments with the Town Council over the future of the town, announced his resignation at Monday night’s council meeting.

Transue, who has held office since 2005, had more than a year left in his term.

"Our town government is presently functioning neither cohesively nor in a fashion that benefits the good people of our town," Transue wrote in his resignation letter, which was distributed at the meeting. "A hostile, rancorous and sometimes ill-manned environment permeates many of our Town Council meetings and study sessions.

"I have worked hard to guide this council and our community and to provide thoughtful insight, but to little avail."

The council will hold a special meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday to name an interim mayor.

=> Read more!

Think light rail from Tacoma to Sea-Tac is a good idea?

If so, the Des Moines City Council agrees with you.

I got word late last night that Ruston Mayor Michael Transue resigned. (Click here for a primer on the town's politics.)

After that, I'll be out and about.

The world was a lot different in 1892.

Grover Cleveland defeated Benjamin Harrison to win the presidency. Author J.R.R. Tolkien was born, and poet Walt Whitman died.

And the doors to what eventually became Steilacoom’s Pioneer Middle School first opened.

The school has since undergone several renovations and additions while educating thousands of the town’s children. But a school fit for the 19th century doesn’t quite work in the 21st, so hundreds of former and current students and teachers and other community members gathered in Pioneer’s gymnasium on Saturday to bid farewell to the school, which is closing this month.

A new Pioneer Middle School – one boasting 106,000 square feet and costing $34.6 million – will open this fall in DuPont.

“The memory of the school lives on not in the walls, but in your heart,” Al Lawrence, the chairman of the Steilacoom Historical School District board, told the audience.

=> Read more!