Word on the street - Last comments

In response to: Sweep of Alcohol Impact Area finds violations

It appears that some of the people who read this haven't been paying attention, based on the comments. The AIA doesn't ban alcohol, it bans products that are designed with one customer in mind, late stage alcoholics. These are products that no one would want to drink UNLESS the reason for drinking was to get drunk as fast as possible. The products taste terrible, but they have an alcohol content that makes them twice as potent as normal beers and ales. Drinking one of these products is like taking two shots of Wild Turkey, and you only do shooters like that when your goal is inebriation.

These products attack and alcoholic's system, it makes them drunk faster, which makes them more confrontive and showing a lot more symptoms. So, instead of them walking up and 'suggesting' that you give them a quarter, they are coming up to you, gettting inches from your face (if they don't bump into you), spitting alcohol residue from their mouths as they tell you (slurring their words so you can hardly understand them) to give them a dollar! We are stopping no one but teens who get those drunks to buy them booze and Chronic Public Inebriates. Thank you to anyone who worked on this and the first AIA.

In response to: Hopkins on technology and citizen involvement

Great article Scott, take advantage of him while you can, TPD plans on putting him in a squad car in January 2010, Hilltop Action Coalition is against this, he has more experience as a CLO than any officer on the force, and it is many people's feeling that that experience won't be 'wasted' as a patrol officer, but won't be utilized, either. One of the problems is, that Greg is so good at doing his job, and the community supports him so much that it creates envy among other officers and among management. We understand it's hard to measure up to someone who has his experience, and he's worked long and hard to learn who to go to at almost every city department and everywhere else, and he guards those sources, because if everyone uses them, they will get burned out, and he could lose part of what makes him effective. There are so many issues around this, but it's a fact, Greg helped write the book on the model of community policing that we've used on the HIlltop to reduce crime by 82%, and you can't argue with that. He's the best. The thing is, too, is that they are putting the other senior CLO's back in squads too, which includes Robert Luke who's on the South end. Robert worked on the Hilltop for many years (I’m embarrassed I don’t know how many…I think 5 or 7 years), they moved him because other areas needed his help…and he’s been SO helpful that the two police sectors on the south end both want him. They put him in their worst areas and he starts ‘doing his thing’, and things get better, so they move him to another area, and it starts again. He knows more about ‘moving bad guys out of a community’ than almost anyone. He’s great…different than Greg…because he’s not as good at ‘talking’ about what he does, but he’s great at doing it. We used to say that Robert was our own personal bull dog (and we don’t mean that negatively)…when you have a bad problem, you want to get a dog that can handle it, and whether it’s a Rottweiller, a Doberman, or a Bull Dog, Robert is all of that when it comes to knuckleheads. He’s not as good about paperwork, or answering emails, or doing the ‘politics’ of what that job can mean…but he’s excellent where the rubber meets the road. The city will lose both those gems to community policing if management has their way…and this is one time we really disagree with management. We need those with the best skills at these jobs; CLO’s solve the problems other officers don’t have the time or the passion to solve (if they are good). We had the best and our community reaped the benefits of that.

In response to: Final remains of famous Tacoma Escalade headed for the landfill

Well, at least somebodytried something imaginitive! Beats the scattershot, "me too" approach of today. (Why is the new Urban Waters building on the other side of the Foos in the middle of an oil terminal, instead of on the side that needs more commerce and people?)

In response to: Share your thoughts on UP's Curran property Saturday

This blog doesn't list who the consultants were Brent....sounds a bit thin on substance to me ... Why wasn't anything mentioned about having purchased the property (the orchard AND house) with conservation futures, and that the original plan was to preserve BOTH? I've been researching the minutes of City Council meetings (which are all available online by the way, just search 'Curran House' under UPlace council minutes) to see what consultants were used, and after Gary Cooper's original quote of 20K to fix it, a consultant was swiftly found to make a repair quote that would sway the council to tear it down ... all because Debbie K wants a picnic shelter for the Apple Orchard (Hmmm...now that I think about it, that was the same thing she wanted done to the Kobayashi House too, the park that's just about in her back yard I might add....my, what a person can learn through diligent research!) Now, where are the cost estimates to tear down the Curran House, what are the impacts on the local environment and land fills? How much would it cost to pave over and then construct a shelter? What about annual costs to maintain the new structure? I couldn't find anything mentioning that....just a lot of stuff from Debbie K and city staff on not having any costs to the city. Who, then, would pay for tearing it down and constructing a shelter?? I'm thinkin' the city of UPlace tax payers, that's who.

In response to: Off-leash area in University Place opens Thursday

LOL...you can thank Debbie K for "doggedly" pursuing this thing.

In response to: Curran House isn't going anywhere

Chris,

I said it was a News Tribune photo because, as you recall, it ran with the previous story. I will make note of it in the blog post.

Thanks,

Brent

In response to: Fircrest to decide on drive-throughs in commercial core

Fircrest is too uptight, it needs a bikini stand.

In response to: Anderson Island students "nervous and excited."

Hey Brent, I have a question. Since The Gov. has siezed Anderson's new Ferry for the State and the old one is constantly breaking down, running late, etc, etc,.....does Steilacoom give these students any leeway for this inconvience? Or are they penalized for thier attendence because of this?

In response to: Anderson Island students "nervous and excited."

wow ! that's terrible poor kids must have to be up by 4am.

In response to: Fircrest to decide on drive-throughs in commercial core

This is so silly. Fircrest already has a coffee shop with a drive-thru right in its core and it has been there for years. EspressO Yourself is right on Regents Boulevard (1009 Regents Boulevard, near its intersection with Alameida).

In response to: Fircrest to decide on drive-throughs in commercial core

Uh, I just did a quick check on the internet- there are about 9 (NIne) other coffee shops within about a mile of the place in question---a quick drive through the "Business core" and your needs are met!

In response to: Fircrest to decide on drive-throughs in commercial core

A conditional use permit so that the owner of the business is responsible for the maintenance of the adjacent street? Sounds like the city of Fircrest wants to have their cake and eat it too. Isn't that what property and sales tax support? Boeing is leaving Washington because other cities are offering them TANGIBLE benefits. This is a much smaller scale, but gov't morons that prohibit growth are the facilitators of lost revenue. If the coffee shop is in, traffic is up, which means the retail land can be rented for more $$...Think long term strategy, not "will our five residents be upset?"

In response to: Fircrest to decide on drive-throughs in commercial core

I cannot believe the idiots we have running the cities and counties around here. Putting a strip joint on the main drag is a blemish, but adding a drive thru to a respectable business that increases business will only add to the tax base. The idiots running the county want to charge a business hundreds of thousands to do a traffic inpact study on a low traffic road that is capable of doubling traffic with no adverse effects. Plus the business has the capability of holding atleast 10 cars in line on their property, although the chance of that many being in line is about zero. However, it could add hundreds of dollars to the business daily as well as probably double the tax base from the business. It would also create another job. The problem is that the planning people, the health people, the safety people, and many other people are not really contributing to the cause, they are just creating job security for themselves.

In response to: Fircrest to decide on drive-throughs in commercial core

Just in case there wasn't enough traffic on the adjacent residential street of
Princeton; you want to add more???? How smart is this?? All drive thru traffic will be forced to dump out on to the residential street due to the location of the proposed business. What do you do about congestion and blocking traffic if there is ever more than one car in line??? Not a very smart move Fircrest. Think about it !!!

In response to: Fircrest to decide on drive-throughs in commercial core

What a joke!

Makes me remember my adoloescent days in Sumner. For years Sumner did not allow any "fast food" restaurants. There was an ongoing, long term "crisis" about whether or not to allow a McDonalds to locate in the city.

Eventually the McDonalds was built after many years. In a location which does not serve the city at all. But it is close to the High School. So whatever!

Fircrest is a joke. There is no retail going on there whatsoever. If you live in Fircrest, you are doing all of your shopping outside of the city itself. Perhaps Tacoma and University Place should put up toll booths at the exits of the City of Fircrest?

In response to: Fircrest to decide on drive-throughs in commercial core

Fircrest has a commercial core? HA!

In response to: Fircrest to decide on drive-throughs in commercial core

I bet the neighborhood that the Greener Bean sits in would vote that a drive through would create unnecessary noise and congestion. Toxic fumes, bigger carbon footprints and other problems..

In response to: Mrs. LeMay opens doors for lovers of cars - and stuff

A heartfelt "Thank You" to Nancy LeMay, for thirty-two years of hospitality.
This is so much more than a "one day open-house" event. It takes months of planning and organizing, weeks of work, and a good deal of money, to pull off this annual event.
The volunteers come and devote their time, and energy, because they love the cars; and respect the LeMay family. Well, that and the hearty meals that they are provided. People schedule their vacation time around this event, and travel great distances to be here.
Most people would have tried to turn this thing into a profit generating venue, but not the LeMays. The first 22 years it was a "no charge" event. The last 10 years there has been a suggested donation, to help raise money for the Harold E LeMay Museum. Not a penny of the donation goes towards the cost of putting on the show; ticket sells would not even cover the electric bill for one year.
Thank you, Nancy; for once again opening your doors, and your heart, to those of us who appreciate it so much.

In response to: Eddon Boat to open (finally)

Hoppen-Harder Boat would have a better choice. I can just hear people asking, "Who was Mr. Eddon?"

In response to: City Arts magazine features late-Tacoma architect Alan Liddle

Wonderful tribute to Alan Liddle. He truly made Tacoma a better place.