NW Furniture Bank has been a success story for its donors and its recipients.

Founders Bill and Joelene Lemke took the simple idea of food banks, and transferred them to furniture. Working with loaned warehouse space, they collected furniture from dealers with slightly damaged sofas, manufacturers with too many book shelves and ordinary people looking for a good home for the old dining set. Agencies referred needy clients to the warehouse where, for $50, they can furnish a household.

NW Furniture Bank outgrew the loaned space and now rents a warehouse that was formerly a carpet store at 2650 E. Bay Street. The team was given a truck to use for pick-ups and deliveries. And the inventory, including surplus from IKEA, keeps on coming.

But some donations don't quite fit the main program. People moving into modest apartments might not need high-end vanities, extra-large entertainment centers and serious office furniture. Those items and expensive antiques can do the most good if they're translated into money for rent and gas for the truck.

Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., you can do some of that translating at NW Furniture Bank's "New and Like New" Furniture Sale.

"All proceeds will help support NWFB with operating expenses," Bill Lemke said.

The furniture bank is next to the Soccer center at the Bay Street exits 134 and 135 of of Interstate 5.

To learn more, and get better directions, visit the Web site at nwfurniturebank.org.

The City of Gig Harbor announced today that it’s eliminating six positions to help close a $1.9 million gap in next year’s budget.

The announcement comes less than a year after the city announced it would cut 10 positions and took other measures to cut costs. That included employee furloughs, cutting some $400,000 in administrative costs and allowing almost no employee overtime.

“We’ve looked under every rock,” City Administrator Rob Karlinsey said. “There’s no where left to cut.”

The eliminated positions include the public works director, community development assistants in engineering and building, a builder inspector and a vacant full-time police officer position.

Karlinsey said the cash-strapped city of 7,100 is suffering from a shortage of tax dollars.

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Tacoma Community House is tearing down its old gym, but not before a celebration of the venerable building's history.

TCH will host a "Gymolition" gathering Friday, Aug. 21, from noon to 1 p.m., at the site, 1314 South L South. They've invited anyone who's ever played basketball, bowled, danced, played shuffleboard, repaired computers, served a meal in the gym to share their memories of it.

Preparing for the event, Hana Kato and Candis Carbone found photos of boys in the tumbling class and two TCH basketball teams, The TCH Shrimps.

None of the pictures have names on them, and Kato and Carbone would like to remedy that. Take a look, and if you're in one of the photos, or know one of the boys, please let us know in the comments, and call Kato at 383-3951.

I'm writing a more complete column for Wednesday's paper, and would be happy to hear from you if you have a good story about the gym.