News
Puzzles can be a challenge to complete. "Each individual is a piece of the puzzle," began Mario Padilla, the newly elected president of American Federation of Government (AFGE) local 1504. An Air Force veteran of 24 years, Padilla is now a civilian employee assigned to the vehicle operations element of the 627th
News Front
There are some major changes coming to Camp Murray's Building 16, and the month long renovations currently underway are a sign of what's to come in the future for servicemembers who frequent any of the three organizations that are housed there. American Lake Credit Union (ALCU), Vic's Espresso and Eats, and
News Front
When the Seattle Sea Gals Variety Show comes to the Carey Theater Saturday, Dec. 12, it will be the 10th one that AAFES manager Patrick McGhee and his staff have brought to Joint Base Lewis-McChord. The show itself is a fun-filled variety show, a sort of mini-Radio City Rockette's show
Stage
I confess that I was nervous going into Tacoma Little Theatre's production of A Christmas Story. Somehow, even though the 1983 film (upon which this play is based) plays on a non-stop loop on TV during the holiday season, I had somehow avoided seeing it during my 26 years on
Arts
One of three new exhibitions in the Haub Family Galleries at Tacoma Art Museum is "(Re)Presenting Native Americans." The other two are "Artists Drawn to the West" and "Northwest Cowboys in Art." The Native American show features paintings and a single sculpture depicting the lives of Native Americans from the
Reviews
South 12th in Tacoma is very much a collection of houses and assorted businesses, so to succeed, the business really needs to be of great quality. The Mandolin, located near Proctor and S. 12th has divided the building into an impressive balance of both the Japanese art of sushi and
Arts
Here's a question for you: What can one possibly learn about climate change from the records of an 18th century expeditionary voyage to the Arctic? At noon, Thursday, Dec. 17, the former director of the Washington State Historical Society, David Nicandri, will explore this question and other interesting revelations from his
Music
After so many years of writing about music, the one thing that still fascinates me is the myriad ways in which bands have found to combine genres and era into a bizarre soup. As far as pop music is concerned, there has always been a bungee chord effect that finds
Music
It's all about the power of a song. That's what singer-songwriter Thom Shepherd learned when a song changed the course of his life. He'd moved to Nashville after college with the idea of making it as a touring performer, but after a few years without any breakthrough successes as a staff
Attractions
Nestled somewhat off the beaten track in Shelton, a town just west of Olympia, sits a glowing Christmas surprise. Homeowner Stephen Spring, the one-man operation that is the Christmas Wonderland, has been cultivating this attraction for 15 years, though in its current form it has been in operation for only
News Front
Sometimes a family may have a death in the family where they need to travel home and cannot afford to do so, which causes additional expenses to cover in connection with the funeral. Sometimes families have spouses, children or even servicemembers that may have special needs, such as educational or medical
News Front
Listening to Christmas music during the holiday season is one way festivities are celebrated this time of the year. The 133D Army National Guard Band celebrated this revered tradition by putting on a free concert that combined classic Christmas melodies with American patriotism for their annual Red, White and Blue
Military Life
Flying things is fun. If your children already enjoy paper airplanes, rubber band gliders, and flying discs and rings of all kinds, this may be the year to try out a model rocket. First stop, your local hobby shop for a look at rockets with such names as Rocket-Star, Show Stopper,
Military Life
Christmas can be the most frustrating holiday of all. You want to give thoughtful, memorable gifts to everyone on your list, but as the holiday draws closer, you begin to realize that you have no idea what to get for your dad, or your Auntie Anne, or your Cousin Timmy,
Military Life
Shopping is an intrinsic part of the holiday season - long lines at big box stores, boughs of plastic holly decking out the malls, and - if you're lucky - punching someone out so you get that last 60-inch LCD Samsung big screen. At least, that is if you go
Military Life
The Christmas holiday is almost upon us, which means if you haven't already done your holiday shopping, now is the time to get cracking. One of the best places to bring in the holidays is downtown Sumner. With its string of quaint shops lining Main Street - offering everything from clothing
Attractions
The Christmas season is upon us - that joyful season of light in the darkest part of winter. To help celebrate, the W.W. Seymour Botanical Conservatory, located in Wright Park on South G Street in Tacoma, presents some great opportunities for celebration and merry making with two very special events:
Attractions
Santa spends most of his time at the North Pole, where he's not easily accessible to anyone who doesn't have magic reindeer. Perhaps he's shy. After all, he visits in the dead of night, when everyone is asleep. And if you're awake at that time, he's probably not going to bring
News Front
An explosion at a chemical weapons site wounded three soldiers and killed another. Moments later, a seven-soldier chemical reconnaissance and decontamination team arrived in full chemical warfare gear, entered the blast area, and began to assess the threat and the casualties. Satisfied with the results, first aid and decontamination procedures began. "We're in
News Front
The Association of the United States Army (AUSA) is well known in the military community for their unwavering support and appreciation for servicemembers of every branch of the Armed Forces. While many of the events hosted by local chapters of the AUSA are well known and publicized, some of what
