News Front
Looking beyond the uniform to understand her soldiers' personal struggles and journeys earned Sgt. 1st Class Erica Graham the Cadre Award for Excellence from the Warrior Care and Transition Program. A reservist, Graham served as a platoon sergeant at Madigan Army Medical Center's Warrior Transition Battalion through this summer, where she
News Front
The thread of service ran strong in Mary Findlay. A military spouse and supporter of the servicemembers at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, and fixture in the town of Steilacoom, passed last weekend. "Hers was a life of service," said Steilacoom Mayor Ron Lucas. "She was often referred to as ‘Miss Mary,' and she
News Front
We know who you are -- in a good way. And you may recognize yourself in the most current demographic breakdown on what the military presence at Joint Base Lewis-McChord means to the regional economic picture and the community profile of the South Puget Sound. A survey of 2,500 JBLM personnel
News Front
KABUL, Afghanistan — A U.S. military working dog was killed during a recent clash in Afghanistan in which an American soldier also died, military officials confirmed Tuesday after the dog’s unofficial biography began circulating on social media. The dog, named Maiko, and Sgt. Leandro A.S. Jasso — who
News Front
Public safety collaboration and interoperability in Pierce County will get the “win” when Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) begins dispatching emergency services using South Sound 911’s regional computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system. The partnership will unite South Sound 911’s 41 local police and fire agencies with the military
Features
Some folks are already near frantic with the holiday festivities underway. The awkward office Christmas party is looming, the mall looks like a special circle of Dante's Inferno, and there's still one more family gathering you have to endure your weird Aunt Sally and her reminding you she used to
Reviews
ANNOUNCER: The Melon Seed Deli in the Oakland neighborhood of Tacoma anchors an area more well known as the area one drives through to get to Home Depot or Target. But this week, Jackie and Dutch make a stop at the deli/frozen yogurt shop.DUTCH: Following a Thanksgiving where I obviously
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THE FILM I’ll hang her up! The Associated Ministries hosts a screening of “It’s a Wonderful Life” tonight at the Blue Mouse Theatre to benefit the Family Emergency Fund. Yeah! Wonderful, yes, but remember that Frank Capra’s postwar holiday classic is about a guy who, for much of the film, is on a
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You’ve seen him around, without a doubt — spinning every Thursday night at The Monsoon Room, or maybe behind the drum kit at The Scuzztones show, or possibly at The Spar in Old Town Tacoma — looking all Keith Moon-ish. He’s DJ Jimmy Sparkles, and he’s one cool cat. The
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Born and bred in Tacoma, Lindsay Hartwell of Juniper Drive has been creating jewelry and other designs on and off for 14 years. “I don’t know if I have one style,” explains Hartwell. “It’s eclectic or artsy — definitely folk art. Each piece is a unique style in and of
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The Buzz While the Internet is a fantastic way to try out new music, I still relish getting in my car and driving to a real store where I interact with live people. I’ve been listening to My Chemical Romance songs, both old and new, on the band’s Web site for
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You’re working two jobs, going to school part-time and trying to have a social life. When will you do laundry? Now. But you’re now faced with the daunting realization that you have eight loads to do. Just getting the stuff bagged up and out to your car is an overwhelming challenge.
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While Natasha has been busy getting grumpy about the holidays, I absolutely love it. This season is one of my favorite times of the year. Just today roommate Ian and I decorated for the season. I broke out my actual Charlie Brown Christmas tree, we strung icicle lights around the mantle, and
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Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Dashing through the snow. We three kings of Orient are. Have yourself a merry little Christmas. I can’t stand that crap. I grew up in a fundamentalist Catholic family, and I was blessed at a very, very young age with the ability to sing soprano, alto and tenor. With those
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Lucas Smiraldo looks like your average middle-aged man with thinning hair and a pudgy mid-section, but he has a fire in him that he needs to release. His chosen form of creative expression is spoken word poetry — something he’s been doing since 2000. He was inspired by the movie
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My initial reaction to Rebecca Raven’s paintings at Childhood’s End Gallery was that they are a little too precious and way too gimmicky. Ten of her 11 gemlike paintings employ variations of a single gimmick. Raven’s pictures are painted in oil on small copper plates that are framed by exquisitely crafted
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Last Saturday I joined a group of fellow gussied-up folks for an evening called Inspired Elegance, a fashion show fund-raiser for Tacoma Art Place, which took place at Stadium Bistro. This night consisted of five amazing courses of fine food and wine and elegant fashions designed by students from the Tacoma
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It’s a busy time in theater, so I’ll get right to it. I wasn’t wowed by Capital Playhouse’s staging of Walter Jones’ “The 1940s Radio Hour.” I wanted to be wowed. It wasn’t a bad show. It was actually entertaining. But I wanted more. The first trouble was the script. The
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meet me in st. louis A staple from the golden age of musical theater, “Meet Me in St. Louis” is making a stop at Tacoma Musical Playhouse. [Narrows Theater, through Dec. 16, 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, $16-$23, 7116 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.565.6867, www.tmp.org] cinderella “Cinderella,” a
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The Seattle Men’s Chorus is bringing its 300-voice ensemble to the Broadway Center’s Rialto Theater for two performances of its 2007 holiday production, “Home for the Holidays.” The shows, set for Saturday, Dec. 8, at 3 and 7:30 p.m., also feature Seattle’s Vaudeville-style solo entertainer, the “definitely eccentric but always