HAPPY FRIDAY NEWSLETTER 2.23.24
Weekly Volcano has three mini-series shows that you can view on our Youtube, Tiktok and Instagram Reels. They are called “Fred Finds” and “Phoenix & Friends” and “The Record Prophet!” You can catch the latest episodes HERE. Make sure to subscribe while you are there!
Our goal is to keep Weekly Volcano free and accessible and it turns out that is pretty expensive. Your contributions will help us upgrade our technology, support our team and keep up on bills. Thank you for supporting the local free press in Tacoma/Pierce County!
Check out more about our fundraiser by clicking on the photo above!
Arts & Entertainment:
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By Victoria Fragoso "Toya"
This multi-genre playlist of Washington-based artists and bands is inspired by how we determine our sense of success, good fortune, and prosperity, as well as finding our place in the world.
Somebody Again by James Coates (Sumner)
Balance by Champagne Sunday (Tacoma)
It’s Okay by The Rallies (Seattle)
Too Hard to Love (Live Version) by Her Mountain Majesty (Seattle)
Up All Night by Batbox (Seattle)
Precious Cargo by Coldboulder (Tacoma)
Wish by Waves Crashing (Olympia)
Fly High by Tara Anne Chugh (Tacoma)
Fears We Hold by Among Authors (Seattle)
Black Cloud by Victoria Fragoso feat. Trusty Sea Creatures (Tacoma)
You can find more local artists such as the band LeLe, Elegant Pleasures, Chris Sloan & the Dirty Birds, SeaStar, Gat Moony, Moose Almighty, James Carr Band, Steve Aliment, Maddie Wolf, Alex Rasmussen, Brittany Danielle, Jess Pillay, Octavia McAloon, and others on the Local Roots Music NW playlist at localrootsmusicnw.com 🖤
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[image] quartets
This Monday, Telemann’s brilliant “Paris Quartets” are to be celebrated in this third program of the 2024 Salish Sea Early Music Festival featuring violinist David Greenberg, harpsichordist Elisabeth Wright, viola da gambist Susie Napper and baroque flutist Jeffrey Cohan. Telemann, one of the most prolific and influential composers of all time, composed his vibrant “Paris Quartets” in Hamburg and then Paris in response to a request in 1730 from the most famous Parisian flute, violin and cello virtuosi and resulted in his most significant journey away from home during his lifetime.
Monday, February 26, 2024 at 7:00 PM:
• Telemann Paris Quartets • with David Greenberg (baroque violin), Elisabeth Wright (harpsichord), Susie Napper (viola da gamba) & Jeffrey Cohan (baroque flute)
St. Luke's Memorial Episcopal Church 3615 N Gove Street in Tacoma www.salishseafestival.org/tacoma
— suggested donation $20 to $30 (a free will offering; please pay as you wish)
2024 Salish Sea Early Music Festival at St. Luke's Memorial Episcopal Church in Tacoma:
— Monday, February 26 at 7:00 PM:
• Telemann Paris Quartets • David Greenberg, baroque violin, harpsichordist Elisabeth Wright, viola da gambist Susie Napper & baroque flutist Jeffrey Cohan
— Monday, March 25 at 7:00 PM
• Haydn & Beyond • Classical chamber music with Lindsey Strand-Polyak on both violin and viola, cellist Adaiha MacAdam-Somer and Jeffrey Cohan, 8-keyed flute
— Monday, April 8 at 7:00 PM
• Cantata & Lieder • soprano Arwyn Myers, harpsichordist Elisabeth Wright and baroque flutist Jeffrey Cohan
— Monday, May 6 at 7:00 PM
• Psalms (1620) & Irish (1720) & Folksong (1820) • Oleg Timofeyev on renaissance lute and 7-string guitar and Jeffrey Cohan on renaissance, baroque and 8-keyed flutes
— Monday, May 27 at 7:00 PM
• Baroque Concerti • harpsichordist Elizaveta Miller, violinist Carrie Krause, violinist Elisabeth Phelps, violist Victoria Gunn, cellist Adaiha MacAdam-Somer & Jeffrey Cohan on baroque flute
— Monday, June 24 at 7:00 PM
• The 18th-Century Harpsichord in Spain • Irene Roldan, solo harpsichord
— Monday, July 1 at 7:00 PM
• Johann Sebastian Bach • harpsichordist Irene Roldan and flutist Jeffrey Cohan
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Donate: https://www.salishseafestival.org/donate.html
Donations may be mailed to: Salish Sea Early Music Festival 13113 S Wildwood Lane, Anacortes, WA 98221
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By Catmere Gardens
Hopefully, by now you’ve got your tools sharpened, your gardening shed in order, pruned your berry bushes, trained your grape vines on their trellis, treated your peach and nectarine trees for leaf curl, and have your seed starting area with your first round of seeds. If not, don’t panic and work your way down your list. Do what you can do inside at night or when the weather is not suited, though in the PNW we get used to gardening in the rain.
March is a good time to have your outdoor planting areas ready to go and your cold frames up to protect your early planting, which can easily be destroyed by one good frost. And those frames will likely stay up until May when we typically see our last frost. I always think of Mother's Day as a good time to get to work planting freely outside in Mother Nature.
INDOORS: Now that we have our seed starting areas going, you want to transplant your brassicas that are ready to go and any other cooler weather crop for your outdoor cold frames. These lists are in no way all-inclusive…
An important note about growing indoors is keeping an eye on moisture, temperature, and light. Some seeds germinate best when soil temps reach 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Seedlings can get thin and spindly if they are working too hard to reach for the light. Also, too much moisture equals molds and other seed/plant-killing problems, so airflow and keeping it moist but not WET is a good rule.
What you can start indoors now: Peppers, Cantaloupes, Cucumbers, Eggplants, Pumpkins, Tomatoes, Watermelons, and Squash. And any brassicas or anything listed in the outdoor list. These are just recommendations.
OUTDOORS: You need to be planting your bare root trees, berry bushes, rhubarb, asparagus, and strawberry plants, fertilizing your flowering ornamental bushes, and pruning your roses. Later in the month plant and divide bulbs. This is also a good time to get a start on your weeding/minimizing those plants that smother and encroach on your garden area.
Technically, a “weed” is in the eye of the beholder, and it might be good to get to know the plants that are growing abundantly already and how they might be utilized. Dandelions are incredibly useful, as are miners’ lettuce, plantain, sorrel and so many other “weeds” that have good uses. Here at Catmere Gardens, we’ve even taken to creating patches of these plants that allow us to enjoy them. You’ll often find me leaving plants like clover and dandelions intermixed among the seeds we have planted. This makes for healthier soils and plants when you avoid monoculture environments.
What can you plant in mid to late March in cold frames: Arugula, Asparagus, Beets, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Chives, Cilantro, Collards, Dill, Fava Beans, Kale, Kohlrabi, Leeks, Lettuce, Onions, Parsley, Parsnips, Peas, Potatoes, Radishes, Salsify, Spinach, Swiss Chard, Turnips, to name some. Take note: for best results wait till after mid-March for cold frame planting.
A note about greenhouses: Some of us are fortunate enough to have a greenhouse structure built and awaiting our seeds. During this time, it is critical to inspect for pests like aphids, and other bugs that will destroy your plants. We have a fairly large greenhouse, so we can incorporate natural pest deterrence like ladybugs and attempt to avoid anything additional in terms of chemicals. A general rule to remember is that what you do to one, you do to all. In attempting to control or eliminate pests you also destroy the ‘good bugs’ so try to make choices that will build a healthy ecosystem.
Well, that should get you through March and keep you busy until April. Check back in a few weeks when we talk about what April's showers will bring to your gardening.
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By Paul Grover
[image] womprats
“Do you like Star Wars?” - James Earl Jones asked of Sheldon, played by Jim Parsons in an episode of The Big Bang Theory.
I liked Star Wars so much that when it came out in 1977, I watched it 50 times over the six months following its initial release. I wasn’t just watching the movie; I was looking for something. I figured George Lucas was some kind of film making genius. Yet I could scarcely imagine that Star Wars would always be a part of my life in some way since it began in 1977. Comic books, books, movies, more movies, prequels, and so many TV shows these days--not to mention Muzak in supermarkets, advertising displays, and a constant stream of toys that is still going strong after 40-45 years. Somebody must like Star Wars--there’s more of it now than there ever was!
But there was something else; George Lucas had, again, awakened in me that same spark I felt watching Planet of the Apes. Planet of the Apes premiered on television in 1973. The fact that I watched it on a 13” inch B&W television didn’t dampen my enthusiasm one iota. For the first time, I understood what the combination of a great story, social commentary, fantastic directing, innovative make-up, costumes, props, sets could do to transport you to a completely different place and time on a thrilling adventure.
It’s this spark that I want to talk about. It’s one of those things that just happens to some people, like falling in love. And one spark can ignite thousands of others. Understand, this is an unstoppable spark for some of us. This is even more evident if you take a look at what’s happening on the fan film side of things.
Because of people like George Lucas, the playing field between amateur and professional filmmakers has been largely leveled. The average person can now purchase cameras and software to create results that rival the pros. What the pros produce out of big budgets, amateurs produce out of pocket. And the amateurs are quickly becoming the pros. It’s more than just learning how to use the tools--it’s costuming, set building, prop making and sometimes make-up and mask making. But more importantly, it’s learning to tell a story.
In the beginning, there was “Hardware Wars”, a straight-up parody of Star Wars that George Lucas liked so much, he added it as a short feature opening for his own film. When something reaches the point of parody, that is indeed a sign that your creation has been accepted into the zeitgeist.
Fast-forward to today in Tacoma, where there are Star Wars fan films being made in your own backyard! You could literally be walking from 40th to 43rd down the alley between Park and “G” street and catch our crew shooting a scene when the garage door is open. This spring and summer, we’re producing a couple of different projects. One is a straight up Star Wars parody. The other is a Star Wars/Star Trek-adjacent parody. (What is it that makes us want to make fun of the things we love? Frankly, I’m a moth attracted to the flame of parody. I literally giggle thinking of what I could make fun of!)
“Womp Rats” is the brainchild of R. Edwin Smith. He and a few friends gather together for an informal Sunday morning sword practice every week. One day, the conversation turned to lightsabers and how many amazing, incredible, beautifully choreographed lightsaber duels there are in fan films. The conversation morphed into how possible it was to produce their own fan film. Smith is an accomplished writer and published science fiction author who is very comfortable at the computer keyboard. He considered the challenge. Research included viewing other fan films to get started. Smith did what I call a “George Costanza”: the opposite of whatever has always been done. For example, there are too many (albeit well done) lightsaber duels, “We won’t have any,” Smith said. “We’ll concentrate on story, character and humor. And we’ll never meet Leia, Luke or Han, though they may be mentioned in passing.”
I felt the corners of my mouth involuntarily rising into a smile as I read the pilot script. Here’s a script with some forward momentum! I couldn’t stop my mind from working on it. Picturing it. Designing the sets, the environments and the situations.
In this story, everyone on the planet Add’Eden is a loser for various reasons. Each of these characters fell through the cracks to find themselves in this place that the war has largely forgotten (this is during the reign of Palpatine). And it’s a real dump. “They’re all doing their level best to carve out some kind of life here,” Smith wrote. Even the Imperial Colonel, who is in charge of the local garrison, wants to keep the Empire out of his business. His business? A gambling table where he and a card shark known as Nix fleece every bounty hunter, smuggler and scoundrel that comes into the place. (Of course the game is Sabacc, helped to be made popular by the movie Solo.)
Smith explains it this way: “Let me briefly go over the amount of work we’re talking about here: Even for just a 30-minute pilot episode, we’re talking about hundreds, maybe thousands of hours of work. To accomplish this, we’ll need a small army.”
Even without lightsabers, there will be some minimal special FX, some practical FX, brilliant scale model work, mask making, puppetry, green screen compositing. We’re planning to use what we’ve learned, but more importantly, learn new techniques and methods for telling stories. We’re not planning to reinvent the wheel, per se. Our vision is something along the lines of an ILM for the PNW--for indie film makers, garage film makers, and inevitably, professional contracts with film companies.
Right now, we’re a collective of about 8-9 people and growing. One of us is becoming acquainted with Blender animation software. Another is learning DaVinci Resolve, a film editing program which is as comprehensive as Blender is for 3D animation. So far, we have one very skilled 3D animator on the team who is also learning 3D animation in virtual space. He said of the program, “It’s very like that children’s book Harold and the Purple Crayon, which he could use to create anything out of thin air.”
Our team is scattered at this point, but we are working towards a common space where we can set up shop for creating things on a little bigger scale. We envision a permanent green screen stage and, when it becomes feasible, a motion capture stage for doing motion picture work, but moving in the direction of our own VR productions. One future project will be a story where you can choose to be one of the characters or be a spectator: you can either sit back on the couch in the room where the action is taking place or be the lead investigator who, after asking some questions of witnesses to, let’s say, a murder, you will examine the crime scene. You will pick up clues and leads; leads that lead you on adventures and side quests.
What comes next for “Womp Rats”? A series of vignettes introducing the characters back stories. “This is what we can accomplish with our current budget and what we already have. We have some fabulous sets to work in and some very professional looking FX. In the absence of lightsabers, I think you’ll be impressed by what we’ve accomplished so far,” says Smith. Even the Cantina interior will have to be depicted collectively--this is where “garage films” gets its name. The green screen/Cantina set is in one garage; the cockpit of the ship depicted in one of the vignettes is in another. “I can squeeze out a space in my garage roughly 10 by 12 feet or something like that. But the planned game room is twice that size. We’ll use a green screen to depict the rest of the Cantina interior.”
“Getting back to the topic of the hundreds of hours of work. We’re relying heavily on the fan community for many of the background aliens, characters, masks, costumes and props. That’s thousands of hours of work, if you look at what the cosplay community has accomplished collectively. That work is done. If you want to display your work, we’d love to have you participate.”
Then there is the “one task” policy. R. Edwin Smith explains, “We understand that there are fans out there that have day jobs competing with the time they want to devote to their craft or cosplay. That leaves mostly weekends to work on your craft. So, for those who want to participate, just complete one task for the production, even if that task is just you with a mask, or in a costume with props that you’ve already made. Most of the time, it will be like a day of participation, maybe two. That’s all we ask of anybody.”
In fact, if anyone has a talent or a similar vision for an I.L.M. in the PNW, then come along. Furthermore, if there is something you want to learn--for example, some cosplayers will want to know how to sculpt and cast their own masks--we can show those just starting out how to accomplish that: where to get the materials, taking you step by step from a sculpture to a finished, full, over-the-head mask. Just join one or both of our Facebook groups!
“Well, we must now get back to making terrible fun of Star Wars.”
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Job Carr Cabin Museum is now accepting applications for the 5/4 Old Town Craft & Music Festival.
Do you create hand-crafted items using traditional methods? We are seeking up to 10 Heritage Crafts Vendors for this event. Heritage Crafts may include local makers, artisans, and crafters who design their own handcrafted products. This may include woodworking, pottery, ceramics, glassblowing, leather working, metal smithing, candle making, paper making, printmaking, jewelry making, calligraphy, etc.
Old Town Craft & Music Fest
Saturday, May 4 - 11am-3pm
Experience a variety of heritage crafts and demonstrations, local music, and family activities in Tacoma's Old Town Park (2350 N 30th St). This free community event features family fun for all ages during Tacoma's Heritage Preservation Month.
This year's expanded event includes two booth categories:
* Community booths are free.
* Heritage Crafts Vendor booths are $40.
Additional details and the booth application are available on our WEBSITE
We hope you'll be able to join the fun at this annual event.
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[image] bridgingworlds
Tacoma, WA: Music has always been a powerful tool for bringing people together and bridging cultural divides. On March 3, the Tacoma Youth Symphony will perform music from composers from two very different parts of the world. The concert will open with Jean Sibelius’ Finlandia with the hymn sung by Finnish soprano, Heidi Kankaanpää. TYS will also explore melodies from African American culture through William Grant Still’s Afro American Symphony. Violinist Svend Rønning will also perform the Violin Concerto by Jean Sibelius. And from right here at home, the Tacoma Youth Symphony Chamber Winds will perform the world premiere of A Tone Poem by TYS clarinetist, Ben Pelandini.
[image] BenP
Ben Pelandini is a senior at Rogers High School in Puyallup. He has played the clarinet in the Tacoma Youth Symphony Association since the 8th grade and has also participated in the PLU concert band, UPS concert band, and the Tacoma Concert Band through their side-by-side program. As a composer he has had works performed by his high school band and the Seattle Wind Symphony. Ben has also studied the piano for 10 years. Ben plans to study composition next year in college.
Violinist Svend Rønning is Chair of the String Division at Pacific Lutheran University where he is Professor of Music and violinist with the Regency String Ensemble. He is also one of the most active performers in the Puget Sound region, serving as Concertmaster of the Symphony Tacoma as well as performing frequently as a soloist, recitalist, chamber musician, and recording artist. Dr. Rønning also serves as the Artistic Director of the Second City Chamber Series, Tacoma’s award-winning producer of chamber music concerts and chamber music educational programs. He made his solo debut with orchestra performing Mozart’s Violin Concerto in G Major with the Everett Youth Symphony in 1983 under the direction of Dr. Paul-Elliott Cobbs. Since then, he has appeared in venues around the world. Dr. Rønning earned his undergraduate degree in violin performance, summa cum laude, from Pacific Lutheran University. He subsequently earned a Master of Music and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Yale University. His prior teaching appointments have included faculty positions at the Eastern Music Festival and the University of Virginia.
Heidi Kankaanpää, Finnish-born soprano, has been teaching and performing in the Pacific Northwest for over 40 years. She started her musical studies first at the Espoo Music Institute, then at the Sibelius Academy, later moving to the U.S. to attend the Cleveland Institute of Music where she studied voice with Irvin Bushman and piano with Olga Radosavljevich. Ms. Kankaanpää has been on the faculties of University of Puget Sound Community School, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma Community College, and Pierce College, Puyallup. Ms. Kankaanpää has toured Italy with the Everett Symphony and has been soloist with the Pori Philharmonic in Finland, the Bremerton Symphony, the Southwest Washington Youth Symphony, the Tacoma Junior Youth Symphony, the Tacoma Young Artists Orchestra, and the Tacoma Youth Symphony. In addition to teaching private piano and voice lessons, she is the Music Director and Conductor of Tahoma Voices Chorale, a community choir she helped form in 2005.
Tickets are on sale now! To purchase tickets go to www.tysamusic.org.
This concert is sponsored by the McEachern Foundation and Weddermann Architecture, PLLC.
Season sponsors are the Tacoma Arts Commission, Tacoma Creates, the Washington State Arts Commission, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Program supporters are ArtsFund, Sound Surgical Arts, the University of Puget Sound School of Music, and Weddermann Architecture.
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By Voxxy
Back in October I wrote about the symbolism that I saw mirroring Tacoma in the half faceless coyote roaming the streets for months, lovingly referred to by much of the city as Jawless Jerry. Shortly after the turn of the new year it was reported that Jerry was hit and killed by a car. As I reflect on the impact this poor creature had on the community, I offer up my energetic interpretation of this recent loss.
I see this event as a letting go of something we have become familiar with or used to. Something that once captivated our attention has now come to an end. Although there may be sentimental feelings about the loss, or of the letting go process in general, we also recognize that it is probably for the best. This happening so close to the new year emphasizes that same energy of something ending, and of course, new beginnings.
We might feel that same kind of energy in our own personal lives if we are letting go of things that no longer serve us, or that we have outgrown. Let’s face it, despite our compassion for this animal, it was not a beacon of joy and happiness for anyone. Maybe there is something in your life that you realize is not making you happy and it is now time to just let it go.
On a collective level, maybe we can let go of identifying Tacoma as some sort of broken, dirty, or scary city. I mean, I don’t see us that way, but I do hear a lot of people that talk shit like that, and by watching the news, you might think that to be true.
My hope is that we can shift our focus to the things that uplift and inspire, because there is really a LOT of greatness in our city! That we can begin to see ourselves reflected in the unique creativity and beauty that surrounds us. They say that where your focus goes…grows. So maybe together we can begin to plant seeds of optimism and community support, and share the good stories and good deeds of our friends and neighbors. To put our time and energy into creating our own greatness to share with others, and to support those who are doing the same. I know that is what I’ll be doing, and I know that is what the Volcano will be doing! We are after all, the City of Destiny, maybe it’s time we start believing in it!!!
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The Making a Difference Foundation’s Tacoma mural project, "Muted Voices," has received a bronze award in the 3rd Annual Anthem Awards.
[image] Mural1
The 3rd Annual Anthem Awards were announced on January 30, 2024, and Making A Difference Foundation’s mural project, Muted Voices, was a bronze winner in the Public Service Community Engagement Categories for nonprofit organizations.
The Public Service category is the best-in-class efforts by federal, state, or local government or council project, initiative, or campaign to engage a community of people and provoke action related to Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion. The competition received over 2,000 submissions from 44 countries around the world.
Ms. Blue said of the award, “I am truly honored and thrilled on behalf of Making A Difference Foundation for this prestigious award that recognizes our impactful project Muted Voices, and how it reflects our collective dedication, hard work, and unwavering commitment to our mission.” She goes on to say, “I’m also humbled for our work to be acknowledged among so many other distinguished people and projects, including Misty Copeland, Taylor Swift, Elton John, Kevin Bacon, and many more.”
[image] mural2
The mural can be viewed at Making A Difference Foundation’s building located at 3507 E. McKinley Ave on Tacoma’s east side. The mural was designed by Devona Roy and the community helped paint her vision. The mural project saw dozens of community members coming together to complete it, building understanding and camaraderie. There’s a video of this project being painted at the link below.
The mural was designed with the intent to, “inspire everyone to speak out and let their voices be heard, the mural focuses on racial and cultural diversity and represents different people of the BIPOC community; a community that has been historically marginalized without a true voice due to systemic racism. This beautiful work of art is meant to improve, inspire, and beautify the local area while creating a talking piece between neighbors and community leaders that creates an open dialogue relating to cultural differences, diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as remind everyone to speak out and let their voices be heard.”
About the artist: Devona Roy is a versatile visual artist, mother, and army veteran based in Tacoma, Washington. With a passion for vibrant colors and striking imagery, Devona works with acrylic paint, oil paint, spray paint, and body paint. Her artistic journey spans nearly four decades, culminating in a thriving career that began in 2017. Known for captivating portraits and abstract non-portrait work, she fearlessly explores various mediums, from canvas to attire, decor, walls, and even body painting. Her murals can be found in schools, churches, and an Army Base in the United States and Germany. Devona’s artistry reflects her deep connection to her craft, and she continually seeks to inspire and unite through her captivating creations.
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Tacoma SuperFolk 2024 Festival
Friday, March 1st Night Market 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Join Northwest FolkLife at the Tacoma Arts Live (Armory) Roosevelt Room for a night market and jam. You can shop locally and choose from a selection of incredible craft artists from Tacoma. If you’re a musician, don’t forget to bring your instrument and join the SuperFolk musicians for a jam session. This free event will kickstart the weekend’s festivities at the Washington State History Museum.
[image] superfolk
Gallery Walk
Saturday, March 2nd Gallery Walk 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Visit the Washington State History Museum and tour the main floor exhibits while musicians perform within various galleries to punctuate themes explored in each exhibit.
2nd Installation of Northwest FolkLife’s SuperFolk Party
Saturday, March 2nd Night Social 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Join us on the 5th floor of the Washington State History Museum and enjoy live music, local crafters, food vendors, and performing artists at the 2nd installation of Northwest FolkLife’s SuperFolk Party.
All ages, REGISTER HERE
International Women’s Day & The World Through Abby’s Eyes Exhibit
[image] womans day
Join us to celebrate International Women’s Day & The World Through Abby’s Eyes Exhibit! March 8th, 2024 2-4pm in the Tahoma Room at the University of Puget Sound. This event will include a talk by Professor Tiffany Aldrich MacBain and a showcase of artwork from the exhibit. Free, all ages, light refreshments will be served.
Works by Becky Frehse, Beverly Naidus, Debbi Commodore, Deborah Greenwood, Dorothy McCuistion, Gabby Cooksey, Jessica Spring, Lucia Harrison, MalPina Chan, Paige Pettibon, Victoria Björklund, Yoshi Nakagawa, and Yuka Petz will be on display.
Please REGISTER HERE
[image] vashon
March Happenings At Water From Wine
Thursdays 7pm Liquid Courage Lecture Series/Liquid Courage Poetry Sessions – looking for featured speakers!
It’s like a mild version of “Drunk History” and it can be on any topic you hold an expertise on. For details contact annalee@waterfromwine.org
Fridays & Saturdays 7-9pm – Live Music
March 1st - Tasting Available 12-10pm – 6pm Ground to Sound Film Festival @UWT stop by the Water From Wine booth for volunteer opportunities and a tasting card to join us in the tasting room!
7-9pm Casual Jam Session with Sam Cori and local musicians
March 2nd 7-9pm Shawn Pennington Music
March 3rd Sips & Succulents with Muddas Succulent Designs 2-4pm Walk-ins welcome!
March 9th 7-9 pm Guilded Lilly Band
March 15 & 16 No music – we will be pouring at the Grand Tasting during Taste Washington in Seattle
March 22nd Youth Music Series: Music By Muir
March 23rd Music by Angela Petrucci
March 30th Youth Music Series: Bay-Six Jazz Combo
Water From Wine is located at 1704 Pacific Ave, Tacoma, WA 98402
You can find Water From Wine’s other meetup events, HERE.
Neighborhood News:
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Catherine Place is a Women’s Center in the Hilltop Tacoma Neighborhood that provides advocacy, support groups and circles, as well as Healing Arts services in English and Spanish. At Catherine Place the term “women” includes cis and transgender women, as well as non-binary and gender non-conforming people who are comfortable in women’s spaces. The Center has supported women experiencing economic, social, or personal challenges by listening, providing leadership opportunities, and helping to build a network of support.
Just this week, The Catherine Place Board announced a transition, after reflecting on the challenges it has been facing sustaining its mission post-pandemic.
And announced that it would be, “entering a period of ‘hospice’” through the end of its fiscal year (June 2024).
“With the intention of closing our doors permanently at that time.”
The Board said in its statement that, “Unfortunately, our current service model is not sustainable without significant additional funding.”
And that, “During this period, our focus will be honoring the legacy and spirit of Catherine Place by ensuring a smooth, thoughtful transition for our programs and services.”
The Board also said that it is, “fully committed to finding a new home for our signature programs and ensuring clients have access to the services they depend on.”
For donors, Catherine Place will continue to be open through the end of the fiscal year, offering services such as support groups and compassionate listening space (through June 30, 2024) and would be honored to accept your donation through that time. For those who wish to discuss their donations or have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to board@catherineplace.org.
“We are committed to transparency and support throughout this transition. If you wish to cancel your recurring donations at any time, we completely understand and honor that decision.”
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Tacoma Public School District Bond – Proposition 1 passes with 69% Supermajority. The new bond proposal adds another $1 billion in taxes to cover the $650 million in the new bond’s principal plus the district’s estimated new bond’s $468 million in interest and fees. “Our hearts are overflowing with gratitude,” the district said in a social media post on Wednesday. “We are deeply thankful for your unwavering support of students and schools.”
Click here for a link to the story over at 570 KVI Talk Radio.
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By Kimberly Swetland
The state legislature is considering allowing cities and counties adopt an excise tax at a rate of up to 10% on short-term rental lodging in Senate Bill 5334. Currently the Bill has passed through the Senate as of March 6, 2023, but on April 23 of 2023, before the end of the Legislative Session, by resolution, the bill was returned from the House to Senate Rules Committee for third reading. It passed it’s third reading in the House on January 24 and is currently referred to Finance after the ESSB 5334 was passed with amendment by the House Committee on Local Government.
This bill would allow cities and counties across the state to impose a new tax of up to 10% for every night booked in a short-term rental (STR), which includes air bnbs. This tax is designed to help communities create the affordable housing that they need, but it comes at the expense of the short-term rental operators who may be renting out space just to make their own ends meet. Senator Emily Alvarado said, in the House Committee on Local Government hearing on February 20, “This is another tool in the toolbox to help communities create the affordable housing that they need.”
This tax applies solely to people who share their home and not big corporate entities. Currently guests who book Airbnb listings that are located in the State of Washington pay Washington Combined Sales tax of 7.0%-9.6% of the listing price including any cleaning fees (plus guest fees for WA State Sales Tax) for reservations 29 nights and shorter.
The measure could have some substantial tax benefits for both the state and local governments, potentially unlocking millions of dollars in untapped tax revenue by regulating and taxing short term rentals facilitated by companies such as Airbnb at the same rate as hotels — though opponents warned that legislative overreach could harm the STR industry.
A tax increase could make STRs less affordable for guests or more expensive for Hosts to operate, give hotel chains an unfair competitive advantage over local Hosts, and hurt local tourism economies.
A Summary of the Senate Bill is as follows:
“A county, city, or town is authorized to impose a special excise tax on furnishing of lodging of short-term rentals. The legislative body of the local government must adopt a resolution of intent prior to imposing the tax. Adoption of the tax requires a simple majority approval of the enacting legislative authority. The tax may be imposed in unincorporated areas of the county for the county tax and in the corporate limits of the city for the city tax. A county ordinance or resolution must contain a provision allowing a credit against the county tax for the full amount of any city or town special excise tax on furnishing short-term rentals. Local governments may develop criteria to exempt up to one short-term rental per person based on a person's age or income or both. The tax on short-term rentals is not subject to the statutory cap on all other taxes imposed on lodging. Revenues from the special excise tax must be used for operating and capital costs of affordable housing programs including homeless housing assistance, temporary shelters, and other related services. A county, city, or town may use revenues from the special excise tax for contracts, loans, or grants to nonprofit organizations or public housing authorities for services related to affordable housing programs. A local government may retain up to 5 percent of the moneys collected for the direct and indirect costs to administer services and programs.”
If you wish to comment on this bill, either for or against, you can do so here or contact your local Senator/Representative.
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Washington State lawmakers killed a push to grant adults the freedom to grow a limited number of cannabis plants at home.
The House Appropriations Committee failed to vote on Rep. Selley Kloba’s HB 2194 before the February deadline set to advance bills through fiscal panels to keep moving in the state legislature.
The home cultivation measure cleared a separate House committee last month. It would have allowed people to grow up to four marijuana plants per person limited to not more than 10 per household, as amended.
Cultivating cannabis for personal consumption without being holder of a state medical card is considered a Class C felony, punishable by a prison sentence of up to five years and fines up to $10,000.
“This bill is actually a long time coming,” Kloba said last month at a House committee hearing, reported by Marijuana Moment’s Ben Adlin. “This is something that many other states have done, and it is time for us to do it, as well.”
Can we talk for a minute about the fact that this is still a Class C felony in our state?!
Hobby home grow is currently legal in 22 other states and territories, and all of Canada.
According to the House Bill Report, “Even traditionally conservative states like Montana and Ohio include home grow cannabis laws and states like New York and Maryland that legalized adult-use cannabis without home grow have since updated their laws to allow it. Other states have not seen cannabis tax revenue reductions or other problems. The activity will have negligible impact to consumer safety and the cannabis industry and would formalize an already occurring practice.”
Additionally, it stated, “Allowing home grows is a matter of public health and allows consumers quality and purity control. There is distrust of the cannabis industry and regulators. Using pesticides is standard operating procedure for the industry, as well as irradiating cannabis flowers with ionizing radiation to make subpar crops salable. Banned pesticides are also used. When a person grows their own cannabis, these methods are unnecessary.”
Also, “Consumers can currently home brew beer and ferment wine, but most still opt for commercial products. The same will be true for cannabis. It is unethical to continue criminalizing small private use cultivation while cannabis sales, consumption, and commercial production are legal.”
“People’s houses have been seized for home growing and everything people have has been taken over a few plants. This is unjust.”
The opposition said, “The only limit in the bill is the numerical limit on plants, but that will be almost difficult to enforce. Local law enforcement does not have the officers and would need search warrants to monitor activities at home grows. Grow operations in homes could be in areas that are not regularly monitored and that are accessible to children. There could be opportunities for theft and illegal use by youth.”
Other comments on the bill pointed the need to address provisions such as, “safe storage, the presence of daycares and foster family homes, the issue of landlord’s rights to prohibit home grows on their property, and prohibitions on plants being visible within the ordinary public view or readily smelled.”
It was also stated that, “Home growing has worked fine in other states. Diversion of cannabis and youth access have not been problems.”
And finally, “The threat of felony charges in current law is unreasonable and inappropriate for such a benign activity.”
Let’s De-Criminalize this! Sheesh!
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The Tacoma City Council is looking for applicants to fill nine positions on the Human Services Commission. These include eight member positions and one youth position for individuals aged 16 to 18. The Commission's main tasks are to review funding applications, rate project applications, and recommend human services funding. It also helps the City Council and City staff implement human services and community wellness programs.
The Commission consists of 15 members who serve for three years, except for the youth position which is a one-year term. The youth position will start on September 1, 2024. The City aims to build a fair and anti-racist community, and wants its Committees, Boards, and Commissions to represent Tacoma’s diverse community.
The City Council encourages people of all races, sexual orientations, abilities, ages, immigrants, and refugees to apply. They also encourage those who have benefited from human services programs related to homelessness, youth development, domestic violence services, or mental health and substance use disorders to apply.
The chosen applicant must complete Open Public Meetings Act and Public Records Act trainings provided by the Washington State Office of the Attorney General within 90 days of appointment. Applications should be submitted to the City Clerk’s Office by March 24, 2024.
For questions about the application process, or to request the application in a different format or submit additional documents, contact Elizabeth Wing in the City Clerk’s Office.
Visit HERE for more details
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TACOMA, Wash. – Mayor Victoria Woodards – in support of the City of Tacoma’s ongoing efforts to engage and connect with community members – invites Tacoma residents to grab a cup of coffee and join her on February 29 from 9:30 – 10:30 AM at Campfire Coffee (1554 Market St. #101 in Tacoma).
“Engaging face-to-face allows us to truly connect with one another on a deeply personal level,” said Mayor Woodards. “It is through these connections that we can build a stronger, more vibrant community and I am looking forward to brewing ideas about the future of our beloved city together.”
More information about Mayor Woodards is available HERE.
Article from The Suburban Times – you can find it HERE.
[image] tacoma
Food & Edibles:
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By Kimberly Swetland
Destiny Valencia wrote a fantastic article for KNKX about Side Piece Kitchen that you should all definitely read, here. I’m not going to try and reinvent the wheel on great writing, but I want to share more about their amazing food.
Side Piece Kitchen, located at 4704 S Oakes St. in Tacoma (near Tacoma Mall), opened in October 2023, and thanks to owners, Hailey and Dante Hernandez and their staff, the tiny brick-and-mortar has been serving their fast-selling brunch delicacies ever since. The restaurant features about 8-10 two-tops, so it’s not really suited for larger parties, but they do a lot of to-go orders, with many people coming in just for slices of cheesecake, which is “Dank AF.” Cheesecake is food, and any food can be a breakfast/brunch food. Let’s not put unnecessary labels on things.
Side Piece Kitchen has baaaaangin’ biscuits. It’s really hard when you’re going to breakfast/brunch to find a place that makes a good biscuit. They always end up being really dry, salty, doughy or seemingly flavorless. Even the buttermilk biscuits have a lot of flavor. And that biscuit is all over their menu, whether you get a buttermilk or a cheddar bae. Either option will not be a disappointment.
They also have sweet spreads and savory spreads you can put on your biscuit. Some of these also come readily as ingredients on the biscuit sandwiches, amping up the flavor profiles. There’s several gravies to choose from if biscuits and gravy is your thing, including a Stoner SOS which is half sausage/mushroom with Mama Lil’s Aioli, pickled jalapenos and thiccc bacon.
Their menu also features several great biscuit sandwich options packed with flavor and delicious ingredients, such as the Croque Ma’Dammmn which features sliced virginia ham, gruyere cheese, brown butter bechamel, and a sunny side up egg.
Not to be underplayed, they also make Bis-enedicts (limited daily) which come with either virginia ham, smoked salmon, oven roasted pork belly, or marinated tomato and avocado with poached eggs, lemon white wine hollandaise sauce, topped with chives, smoked paprika and crispy shallot.
There’s so many other yummy things on the menu, such as the avocado toast, the bring your own wake-n-bake slamorama, and the latke hashbrowns (limited daily) with sour cream and apple butter. The drink menu is just as well-varied. There’s juices, different flavored horchatas, coffee, dark sugar cinnamon coffee, sodas, mimosas, and some brunch booze.
You can top all that with a nice thick piece of cheesecake - or just start and stop there. And maybe get two, because you’ll regret it if you don’t. Just say it’s for a friend. ;) If you don’t get hooked on the biscuits, it will be the cheesecake that keeps you coming back.
There is usually a board with all of the cheesecake flavors available for the day at the restaurant, but you can also check Instagram to see which flavors are being featured that week. There’s a limited number available of each flavor. This week’s flavors from Instagram were iced oatmeal cookie, pb & jelly, berry toaster strudel, and dirt cup cheesecake. They might be different depending on the day you go, based on availability. This cheesecake is made in-house and tastes every bit as good as it looks! If you haven’t been to Side Piece Kitchen, it’s worth the drive. Just make sure to get there early enough as they do sell out! The word is spreading!
Here is a link to Side Piece Kitchen’s menu, so you can plan your next meal.
And here is Side Piece Kitchen’s Instagram. Follow them! They’re awesome!
Location: 4704 S Oakes St, Tacoma, WA 98409
Hours: Wednesday – Thursday 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. / Friday - Sunday 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Business Spotlight:
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By Kimberly Swetland
[image] wojack
Amidst the challenges of a global pandemic, Mark Womack aka Wojack the Jeweler found inspiration and resilience to build his jewelry empire known as Deff Jemz. With creativity sparked by adversity, Wojack's journey from layoff to New York Fashion Week fame illuminates the transformative power of passion and perseverance.
[image] wojack 2
Wojack came up with the idea for Deff Jemz during Covid. “Everyone was locked inside fearful of covid and I’d just been laid off from a sales job. Over the months - Me and my wife were just brainstorming back and forth about what we could do. We tried to make resin art pyramids, organite pyramids, and stuff like that. That just became a real messy project. It wasn’t the fastest turn around, and so in that process I started wrapping small pieces of crystal inside the organite, and I just said – you know what – I’ll just wrap some crystals and make a few pendants. From there, it just sparked a whole new interest in crystals – the usage of stones, the crystals – what they do, the properties they bring to each individual wearer, entwined with the copper that make each one a very magical piece. So I grew, very fast, just trying to create this crystal empire.”
[image] wojack 3
Wojack was drawn to crystals and copper as a medium, “just knowing that there was some power in wearing crystals.”
He said, “One day I was given a gift by a musician. I was in Canada. It was a gigantic, maybe 20 karat amethyst. It was just huge on my finger, and I loved it. I wore it everywhere.”
[image] wojack 4
Part of his excitement in making his jewelry was knowing the power each piece would possess before he even crafted it. “When I started doing my crystal jewelry, I was already thinking about the properties that each individual stone has and what it will bring to the wearer, and how it will make them feel, wearing something so fabulous, organic, and one of a kind, and each one of my pieces is a one off – I don’t re-create the same stones, the same patterns, the same looks, or use the same copper gauges. It’s all a beautiful freestyle of copper twisting, crystals, and stones, coming together to bring the wearer some blessings.”
[image] wojack 6
His creations are available online on his website, but Wojack also sells his jewelry in person at metaphysical events. He is vending at the MeWe Fair this weekend in Olympia. He does a lot of fairs during the winter time. You can follow his pop-up schedule on Facebook and it is periodically updated on his site, here. He has an outdoor pop-up store, which for the last few years he has been setting up on the Tacoma waterfront, waiting for people to come by and just discover him. Throughout the last few summers he has steadily grown his business. More people began finding out about him, what he was selling, and stopped to see him. He would give children who passed by but couldn’t afford copper crystal jewelry free glow-in-the-dark stones and glow-in-the-dark necklaces, so they could have something. “I must have done at least a thousand of those pieces. It’s been a blessing, and then to see the smiles on their faces and how they light up just giving them something that makes them feel good. That’s what I love. That’s my joy about doing the crystal jewelry business.”
His dream is to, “Open up a crystal museum which teaches kids and people about crystals and stones and their metaphysical properties, but also to have a place where I can have my art on display (my crystal pieces) where people can come and see them, or purchase them, or rent them out – because I have some pieces you might be able to rent for a wedding. You know – crowns, rings, and earrings -all of the accessories to make people feel royal and protected. I just want to have a nice size location in Tacoma, and make that a destination where people want to come and learn about crystals, buy crystals and protection pendants.”
It hasn’t always been easy to run the crystal business. For Wojack, consistency has been a struggle. “Consistency is key,” he said.
“The struggle of my consistency is that I created this summertime pop-up. I bought a pop-up camper, I converted it into a store which has two tables on both sides and a roof, and then the inside has my selling table, and so that’s what I used all three summers to grow my business, and from there I want to grow into a building, or I just want to travel the nation doing private shows – or different shows, different pop-ups, different boutiques, fashion shows. I don’t want to spread this too fast. I want to just enjoy the growth that it brings me every time someone discovers Deff Jemz.”
Wojack was able to attend Flying Solo Fashion Week in New York this year after being chosen as a Designer To Watch for 2024 by Flying Solo. “Everything came together. We had a small GoFundMe out and people donated about $7-$800. Our goal was $5,000.” Wojack and his wife ended up paying for their trip anyway, because Flying Solo Fashion Week requires you to pay at least $4,200 in advance to attend. He explained, “They pay for the location, the photographers, the fashion, and you know, all the industry to come in and see the designs and the designers. I was chosen by Flying Solo in New York to be a ‘Designer To Watch for 2024’, and with that, we paid for our entry, we flew to New York, made it there safely. The weather was absolutely gorgeous for the week that we were there. It was warm, the sun was out, and we absolutely rocked Flying Solo Fashion Week. I was supposed to have 8 models, but I ended up having 22 models choose my pieces. I had three different designers – two from overseas and one from Atlanta, Georgia. When they came over, they chose my pieces, they put them on the models, it was just a big gigantic photoshoot that we got. We met lots of people, lots of different designers and we just made lots of good connections. Our vibration was electric. They loved it. We loved it.”
Wojack and his wife almost didn’t make it to Fashion Week. They had a bunch of shows planned beforehand to finance the trip and those ended up being canceled due to weather and different things so that put a wrench in their plans, and Wojack was also in a car accident on January 5. It was his second one in only a few years on the same road. Someone hit him and ran from the scene in 2021 on January 2nd. He said, “So it’s crazy that January 5th I got hit again. A reckless driver smashed in front of my car and wrecked it. Almost like the universe or the devil was trying to put a hit on me or something because I knew that Fashion Week was a great thing. So there were a lot of events like that trying to keep us from being able to make Fashion Week and we overcame everything.”
But even after all of that he said, “We got there, it was beautiful, we had family there who looked out for us. We brought the great energy to Fashion Week. They never had crystals and copper, and they felt the great vibration. And they saw somebody who was already somebody before I even got there, because I was in the music industry for 20-30 years.”
[image] wojack 5
Wojack also loves music. “That is my first love. That is who I was married to in the early 90s. I was fresh out of high school, I was chasing the mad rap dream behind Sir Mix-a-lot. Since he was a local artist from Seattle, we could go up to Seattle from Tacoma. I had the pleasure and just the greatness of meeting these guys on their journey even when I wasn’t a rapper. I ran into Sir Mix-a-lot when they did their first show at Skate King.
He shared the story, “I was coming out of the store with my mother, because I went with my mother to get her some food in Fircrest. This white stretch limo pulls up and this dude sticks his head out the window. It was Larry The White Guy. So he stuck his head out the window and asked me where Skate King was at, and I was obliged to show him that they were on the right path, and Sir Mix-a-lot was in the back of the limo.”
Wojack later joined Tacoma’s own pioneering rap group. “So, a few years later I’m signing to Nastymix Records, I’m having a real record deal, I’m doing videos, and I’m the real deal out of Tacoma, Washington. Criminal Nation was my group. We were the first rap group to have a record deal in Tacoma. And then High Performance was another group that we helped get a record deal in Tacoma as well.” He shares links to his music and his bio on his Deff Jemz website as well.
Running Deff Jemz has been a new venture for Wojack. He said, “I’ve never had a business in my life. I was just always trying to be a rapper, always selling people’s cars, or working at car dealerships, being the #1 car salesman, being very witty about how I dealt with my customers and how I won over my customers, and so today, with me being trained in the car business/car industry for 15-20 years, selling cars in different dealerships all across Washington, that has helped me in my customer service with my crystals and stones.”
He said that the number one thing in sales is if people don’t like you, they’re not going to buy anything from you. “You have to be very impressionable. You have to have a great smile. You have to be kind. You have to be genuine. And people have to be able to feel that your energy is for real. And when they come upon Deff Jemz, they feel that it’s well put together, they like my intentions, they like my intent, and they really enjoy the designs that I put together. And so I just plan on giving greatness, and joy, and happiness to as many people as I can through each and every design that I create whether it’s a crown, whether it’s earrings, rings, bracelets, necklaces, statement pieces, fashionable pieces, cuffs.”
He also said, “I’m not the best jeweler in the game. Trust me, there are other people out there that are way more intricate than me, way more fashionable than me, but my style is my style and I’m proud of it.”
Wojack is really excited about the new partnerships he’s forming. “I’m working with a designer named Kimberly Beasley, the visionary behind Curvitude Athletics in Atlanta, Georgia. She is a young black female that designs a plus size fashion line. She connected with me right off the top. She walked right up to my booth and said we’re doing all his stuff and from there we just became friends. We’re talking on facebook and we’re working on more projects.”
This might potentially lead to Wojack going to Atlanta and doing Atlanta Fashion Week or getting involved with LA Fashion Week. “And we’re returning back to New York because New York really did have the vibration. It’s just about seeing what the universe is going to grant Deff Jemz through this whirlwind of accolades and success and being on Q13 True Northwest television show at the same time we’re in New York – everything’s coming together like it’s supposed to. And now we’re doing the Volcano Newspaper and it’s going to be amazing.”
Wojack would like to thank his supporters. “Every single person that was curious enough to see what Deff Jemz was doing on the waterfront, every single person that has purchased a Deff Jemz at any one of the fashion shows or any of the MeWe shows we have done – all of the Deff Jemz supporters. If they have a Deff Jem they have supported Deff Jemz. I want to thank every single one of them from the bottom of my heart because they are the ones that help my pieces grow and help people hear about me, and that word of mouth is starting to grow even more about this guy in Tacoma who is a copper and crystal jeweler. The coolest, I mean, absolutely the coolest jeweler you could ever meet.”
Protect Ya Neck!
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By Kimberly Swetland
[image] elitetables1
Entrepreneurs Anthony Pilato and Maria Pilato of the Phoenix-based company Elite Tabletops are revolutionizing tabletop advertising through their Elite Tabletop Program, recently spotted at Marcia’s Silver Spoon Café on South Tacoma Way. The Pilatos reached out to Marcia last fall to renew her tabletops through their Elite Tabletop Program, knowing she was already doing Tabletop advertising. Pilato had worked with Marcia Crelling over a decade previous and after she accepted their invitation the project to renew her tables got underway.
The Pilatos are currently looking for 10-12 more businesses to be featured on Marcia’s new tabletops. The businesses will be featured on all 9 tables inside Marcia’s for two full years.
HERE is the link to the Marcia’s Silverspoon Partnership Program. They are also currently running a special for 50% off for businesses who sign up if you’re interested. The Coupon Code for that special is: MARCIA50OFF
The Pilatos stated that their business used to be two-fold but now they have three major facets to their company. They explain their business model, “First, We cater to restaurants looking for FREE tabletops supporting their local business community. Second, We seek local business owners wanting to support and advertise at popular restaurants. And Third, We provide custom Logo’d surfaces to restaurants and establishments at a reasonable cost (chiropractic offices, salons, and any location with a waiting room surface).”
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The Free Tabletop Program
They then explain their process for restaurants to get free tabletops, “For restaurants to be involved in our Free Tabletop program, it’s quite easy to qualify. Popularity and reputation of the establishment is the first component we look for. A restaurant must frequent at least 1,000 or more patrons a week and have a steady and/or supportive following. We also prospect and scout the areas of the restaurant, ensuring there’s enough businesses in the area.”
It’s not just about getting the free tables installed, the business also has to help in their promotional efforts. “The level of support and cooperation from the establishments, staff, and the community are essential components to the success of our projects. To help ensure a restaurant has success with their project and to get their tabletops installed as soon as possible, we require restaurants to actively participate in promoting and spreading the word to their customers and community.”
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The way this is structured creates interdependence between businesses, building those business relationships and a stronger community. “This ensures more businesses will know of the amazing opportunity to not only support a family-owned establishment, but also advertise their business and take advantage of presenting their business to all the patrons dining for the next 2 full years.”
In order to successfully complete their projects, the Pilatos said, “We aim to feature 20-25 businesses on the new tabletops. We work with restaurants and establishments that need one table up to as many as 15 tabletops. We provide a restaurant or establishment several examples of Elite Tabletops we can provide and we invite a restaurant’s creativity, branding and passion when designing their new tabletops.
Advertising on Elite Tabletops
As another segment of their Tabletop business they, “seek Local business owners and offer them 2 full years of advertising on our Elite Tabletops at family friendly establishments. We pride ourselves on offering affordable, low cost advertising for a long period of time, no less than 2 full years of advertising. The cost for businesses to be featured on our tabletops is a fraction of the cost of anything professional on the market. It’s not even close! We start our pricing with FREE (in certain circumstances). That’s right, we are one of the limited companies in the U.S., that offer BARTER as a way of involving a business!”
The Pilatos feature several businesses on their tabletops that they have been fortunate to barter with in trade for their products/services they offer to other companies in their Elite Tabletop Network.
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Pricing
The pricing of this program is very reasonable for the length the ad is running. “Our Smallest Ad, which we call our “value” Ad is a 4”x1”. We place a limited number of value ads on our tabletops. We provide this option for small business owners that have a small budget. If we cannot barter with them, we still strive to provide them with advertising, supporting their neighborhood restaurant at a very low cost for 2 years of exposure.” You can speak with the Pilatos directly about your needs to get pricing information.
The manufacturer of our Elite Tabletops also has a professional graphics department, that designs the ads for the businesses. It also includes a custom QR Code specific to our Elite Tabletops.
As for purchasing & payment options, we have made it easier and more convenient than ever. We’ve upgraded our purchasing system to where businesses can scan the QR Code off the table itself (from the Elite Tabletops stickers we provide to the establishment) and purchase directly through our website in a few easy clicks!
We also offer Stripe for businesses to buy now and pay later. So businesses can make payments if they’re short on funds for the upfront cost.”
Custom Designed Tabletops
The third segment of their business is creating custom tabletops that don’t feature the local business community - unless that’s brought into the project. And these tabletops are reasonably priced. This would be a great fit for any restaurant, chiropractic office, yogurt shop, salon, or other waiting room establishment - anywhere with tables that wants to brand them. These will be completely, “a design center process.”
The Pilatos also said that, “In certain circumstances, we can reduce the cost to their custom tabletops by supporting local businesses on a handful of them or on their patio, extra dining room , etc.”
[image] elitebrochure
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By Julie Baldock
I always think it’s funny when people simplify the world down to two kinds of people. In a world where we know with more and more certainty that monoliths are found in no groups, and that nuance is what makes the world go round, it’s absurdly simplistic to try to narrow the world down into two opposing groups. That said, there are two kinds of people in the world: those who geek out on writing and art supplies and those who I guess don’t want joy in their lives. I am nothing if not joyous, so I assure you that I get a little race in my heart when I find the perfect pen, the perfect paper, the perfect palette. And when I need something to elevate and romanticize my life in the stationery style, I go to Lauda on 11th Street.
Run by Amelia Bowler, someone who definitely got a buzz every September when school supplies filled the shelves, and opened in March 2022, Lauda is a gorgeous store that has curated things that are both beautiful and practical. Here you can find cards and prints, stickers, accessories, art supplies, and so many options of pens, pencils, markers, and notebooks, all of which are so heartbreakingly beautiful and curated with such intent. Like the kids say, it’s a vibe.
But more than that, it’s also an important addition to the Tacoma scene. Many small artists have been given space to share art and run workshops out of the space, creating a store that is so much more than the sum of its parts and, as I said, even the parts alone would make it worth a visit! There is a focus on local makers and small batch products, and there is something for everyone looking for an accessible treat or a luxury purchase. Here you can buy what I will swear under oath is my holy grail chapstick (looking at you, Apt Herbals), an incredible candle by local maker Defiant Candle Co., notebooks made in Portugal, a gorgeous handmade palette to go along with indigenous-handmade watercolor paints, and truly so much more.
Bowler, a lifelong notebook keeper, writer, and dabbler in the creative arts, honed her vision and aesthetic over the years by managing small businesses such as Tacoma’s The Fernseed and Löyly in Portland. She knows how to beautify a spot and it shows. Her design instincts are on point and her taste elevates paper to something special and worthy of keeping. She has created such a warm and welcoming space downtown, filled with things to delight all your senses. Go down to 506 S. 11th 11-5, Wednesday through Saturday, and check out one of Tacoma’s hidden gems.
Julie Baldock is a Renaissance Woman of Tacoma. She is an educator, writer, and artist. She runs the monthly writing group Tacoma Writes and is the sole owner and employee of Xeric Ceramics. Check out where to see her and her work on Instagram @tacomawrites & @xericceramics.
Health & Wellness:
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By Kimberly Swetland
In a statement, MultiCare announced it has reached a new contract agreement with Regence BlueShield and Asuris. MultiCare emphasized that this agreement will allow it to effectively manage the increasing costs of healthcare while ensuring the delivery of high-quality care to its patients covered by Regence and Asuris. In an update on Thursday February 15, on Regence’s blog, the insurer said that MultiCare had “rescinded its termination and will remain in-network for Regence members.”
Regence BlueShield disclosed on January 23 that it was in talks with MultiCare following the termination of their contract initiated by the health system midway through its term. If new terms weren't agreed upon, patients insured by Regence would have lost access to MultiCare as an in-network provider starting March 1. MultiCare attributed the situation to escalating healthcare costs exacerbated by inflation, whereas Regence contested the requested increases.
Negotiations between the two parties persisted, with Regence acknowledging in its statement that it routinely negotiates treatment costs with healthcare facilities, a process typically kept private. However, when negotiations reach a certain stage, Regence is obligated to inform those directly affected by potential provider network changes. Regence expressed understanding for the distress caused by uncertainty in accessing alternative providers, expressing gratitude for affected individuals' patience during the resolution process.
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In art college, I once had an instructor tell me I couldn’t earn a living as a freelancer - that I would need to work a job!
It wasn’t like I had never heard this before. I had been surrounded by “job mentality” for years.
My grandparents went through the Depression. In their world, you worked hard for what you had and usually that was very little. Fortunately, they were able to live a comfortable life in their retirement years, but it was modest - no frills, nothing fancy. I can still hear my grandma’s voice saying “too rich for my blood” on many occasions. Oh Grandma, you’d really think I was off my rocker these days!!
What shocked me by my instructor's comment was that a highly talented individual in ART college said these words to me. Why wasn’t she advocating for an artist to be self-sustaining?
I know now that was a reflection of her own experience, not necessarily anything to do with me.
The trouble is, those words stuck with me, manifesting into a reality of me thinking my talents weren’t good enough to make it on my own.
You mix those personal beliefs with the people you're closest to, who are running in the same rat race, and you’ve got a recipe for a life in a box.
Don't get me wrong. I deeply value jobs. I am not downing them or those who work them. We need there to be jobs as much as we need air to breathe.
What I am bringing to light here is the plight of the creative - the artist - who is surrounded by ones who believe the job is the only path to success, or in a lot of cases, mere existence.
This is something I no longer have tolerance for!
Creatives deserve the respect of one who goes to work forty plus. They also deserve to be seen and heard.
I’ve found many job minded folks who can't understand the ones who keep all sorts of strange hours, spending days in sweatpants with a tousled mane tip tapping on their tech instrument of choice, bringing canvases to life, arranging music, etc. Like HOW is that even “working”?
We’ve been taught to believe that hard work is the path to success.
I tried this theory out for way too long. I worked really hard for others, trading my hours for dollars for over twenty years of my life.
For this creative girl, it was daily torment to my mind, body, and spirit.
It didn’t pay off; it barely paid the bills.
I’ve had to dig deep in flipping the perspective I hold for those trying years. Sometimes I feel my entire youth was wasted away where I could have brought so much creativity to the world, yet here I am today with this incredible fire in my belly. Perhaps I had to live the struggle to embody the work I do today.
Dear Creative being, I’m speaking to you right now. Yes You.
Please deafen your ears to anyone saying you can’t make it in this lifetime with your art. It’s time for you to surround yourself with people who lift you up with their belief in you and in themselves.
You may need to work a job for a while to sustain yourself while you build a foundation for your business. It’s okay. Know that it’s temporary. Give it your best. Respect and honor what you do. Consider it your private investor right now.
Gratitude and belief will open more doors than you may consider. Never ever put your creations on the back burner. You have been given your ideas-your talents for a reason. You are here to express your art in whatever form that may be. You being your most expressive self helps others do the same.
Have the audacity to expand your dreams and believe that you are a tremendous success.
Odessa Christiana is a mindset coach, artist, and creator of Rebel Unicorn - a brand obsessed with helping entrepreneurs bring their dreams to life. After 12 incredible years in California, she’s happily living, dreaming, and creating in Tacoma, WA.
Connect and view her offerings at https://www.rebelunicorn.life/
Other Stories from Around the Web:
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[image] oddfellows
“Cellulose nitrate negative, 1914, showing 25 African American men, members of the Grand United Order of Odd Fellows, Lodge No. 3211, sitting and standing in 2 rows on the sidewalk and street edge in front of a building with the sign, I.O.O.F., in Tacoma, WA. In the center of the group, the ceremonial lodge banner is displayed. Most members wear ceremonial hats, aprons, and collars, with the insignia and rank abbreviations visible on the collars. Four men hold ceremonial staffs, and one holds a fraternal sword upright in his hand. One seated man holds a cane. Marvin D. Boland, photographer.”
This is the caption accompanying this panoramic portrait from the archives of the Washington State Historical Society. When we first found this photo and shared it on social media in 2021, that was about all the information we had. One of the great things about this city, though, is that nothing remains a mystery forever.
Shortly after we shared the photo, we got an email from a man named Tim Olsen. Tim shared some knowledge about the Odd Fellows and the state of Tacoma’s fraternal organizations around that time. He explained how many of the most popular fraternal organizations of the day—including the Elks, Odd Fellows, and Masons—did not allow Black members. So Black folks simply made their own. The history of how these came to be is a whole story on its own and well worth researching if you’re interested.
Screenshots: We Scrolled So You Don’t Have To…
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WEEKEND CALENDAR PREVIEW
Friday, February 23, 2024
Wagner House Art Series Presents: Erik Fremstad: Unnatural Selection
Lakewold Gardens
Jersey Boys
Tacoma Mu
Downtown On The Go Friday Forum
Hybrid Event - Virtual or In-Person
Tacoma Hiring Event
Courtyard by Marriott, Tacoma
Weekly - Open Mic - Copper Coins
06:00 PM - 09:00 PM, Copper Coins
Bassem Youssef: The Middle Beast Tour 07:00 PM - 11:00 PM, Tacoma Comedy Club Downtown
Russian Blue // Two Libras // Licorice Chamber // Jesus On The Moon 07:00 PM - 11:45 PM, The Airport Tavern
Steve Ho - 07:00 PM - 11:00 PM, Nate Jackson's Super Funny Comedy Club
Black Film Series: SHAFT
07:00 PM, The Grand Cinema
Michele D'Amour & The Love Dealers 07:00 PM - 10:00 PM OCEAN5
Karaoke at Hilltop A GO-GO
07:00 PM - 11:59 PM, Hilltop A Go-Go
Karaoke - Spuds
07:00 PM - 11:45 PM, Spuds Pizza Parlor
The Giver
07:30 PM, Lakewood Playhouse
The Gospel at Colonus
TACOMA ARMORY, 07:30 PM
Daniel Simonsen - 2 SHOWS
08:00 PM - 11:45 PM, Tacoma Comedy Club 6th Ave
Kids on Fire // Bazooka Sharkz // Los Ocupados
08:00 PM - 11:30 PM, The Valley
Semi Soft // Skyler Ford and the Legion of Peace // Bobby Soxxer
08:00 PM - 11:45 PM, New Frontier Lounge
Karaoke - Fireball Karaoke @ Rock the Dock
08:30 PM - 11:00 PM, Rock the Dock Pub & Grill
Hip Hop Dance Flashback
09:00 PM - 11:45 PM, The Spanish Ballroom
Mr. PINK
09:00 PM - 11:00 PM, Jazzbones
Karaoke - Camp Bar with Ava King
09:00 PM - 11:59 PM, Camp Bar
Dancing & DJ @ Vibe Dive Lounge
09:30 PM - 11:59 PM
LA FLARE FRIDAYS @ Rise & Shine Cabaret
09:30 PM - 11:45 PM
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Saturday, February 24
MATRIARCH: Portraits of Indigenous Women in the PNW, Washington State History Museum
Wagner House Art Series Presents: Erik Fremstad: Unnatural Selection, Lakewold Gardens
Jersey Boys
Tacoma Mu
Awakening Yoga Class (Weekly)
Virtual Class
07:30 AM - 09:00 AM
Wapato Park Restoration Work Party (Monthly)
09:00 AM - 12:00 PM, Wapato Park
Winter Garden Poetry 2024
10:00 AM - 04:00 PM, Lakewold Gardens
ACM Book Club - The Dealer
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Last of The Dragons
11:00 AM, Centerstage Theatre
Musical Story Time at Wheelock Library
11:00 AM
Black Legacy Celebration
EASTSIDE COMMUNITY CENTER Live Black Music Melody, 12:00 PM - 03:00 PM
The Kareem Kandi World Orchestra
Wheelock Library LIVE MUSIC
01:00 PM - 02:00 PM
Last of The Dragons
02:00 PM, Centerstage Theatre
Does God Love All Peoples
Swasey Library, 03:00 PM - 05:00 PM
3 Trick Pony
04:00 PM - 07:00 PM, Urban Elk Restaurant & Bar
NorCal BDR Movie Night
SoSo Cycles3605 20th, 04:00 PM - 06:00 PM
The Dope Show
04:00 PM, Tacoma Comedy Club Downtown
Tablao Sabor Flamenco (Monthly)
06:00 PM - 09:30 PM, Amor Wine & Tapas
Bassem Youssef: The Middle Beast Tour
07:00 PM, Tacoma Comedy Club Downtown
SLAINTE Irish Rock
07:00 PM - 10:00 PM, The Spar
Karaoke at Hilltop A GO-GO
07:00 PM - 11:59 PM, Hilltop A Go-Go
Karaoke - Spuds
07:00 PM - 11:45 PM, Spuds Pizza Parlor
The Giver
07:30 PM, Lakewood Playhouse
Daniel Simonsen - 2 SHOWS
07:30 PM - 08:00 PM, Tacoma Comedy Club 6th Ave.
The Gospel at Colonus
TACOMA ARMORY, 07:30 PM
Verdi's Requiem 150th Anniversary with Symphony Tacoma Voices
07:30 PM, Pantages Theater
Ebrake // Sunrust // The Meghanne Storey Project
08:00 PM - 09:35 PM, The Valley
Drop-In Ukelele - Free
08:00 PM, Tacoma Youth Symphony
Karaoke - Lucky Silver
08:00 PM - 11:45 PM, Lucky Silver Tavern
Whiskey Creek Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute // Six Gun Rebels Bad Company Tribute
08:30 PM
Bear Hug // Hopeless Horizons // Kuwaisiana
09:00 PM - 11:45 PM, The Airport Tavern
Comedy for A Cause
09:00 PM, Jazzbones
La Fontera ft. DJ DoT Diggler (Fraktured) // aJaX // Tim McCarthy
09:00 PM - 11:45 PM, New Frontier Lounge
Karaoke - Camp Bar with Ava King
09:00 PM - 11:59 PM, Camp Bar
Dancing & DJ @ Vibe Dive Lounge
09:30 PM - 11:59 PM
Steve Ho
09:45 PM, Nate Jackson's Super Funny Comedy Club
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Sunday, February 25
Wagner House Art Series Presents: Erik Fremstad: Unnatural Selection
Lakewold Gardens
Jersey Boys
Tacoma Mu
Monthly - Veterans Painting Group with Charles Burt
10:00 AM, Lakewold Gardens
The Kareem Kandi World Orchestra
11:00 AM - 01:00 PM, O'Malley's Irish Pub
The Giver
02:00 PM, Lakewood Playhouse
Last of The Dragons
02:00 PM, Centerstage Theatre
Drum Circle (Monthly)
02:00 PM - 05:00 PM, Crescent Moon Gifts
Self-Defense Sundays at Tacoma Aikikai
Tacoma Aikikai 2502 S. 12th Street
02:00 PM - 04:33 PM
The Gospel at Colonus
TACOMA ARMORY, 03:00 PM
Weekly - Drop In Dodgeball
People's Center $3, 03:00 PM
Jugglemania
04:00 PM, Tacoma Comedy Club Downtown
Adult Craft Night Meetup (Monthly) 16+
04:00 PM - 06:00 PM, Craftopia
Tommy Castro & The Painkillers
06:00 PM - 08:00 PM, The Spanish Ballroom
SUNDAY BLUES: Mr. Hasty
07:00 PM - 10:00 PM, The Spar
Kathy Griffin: My Life on the PTSD-List
07:00 PM, Pantages Theater
Karaoke @ North End on Pearl
07:00 PM - 11:00 PM
JAZZ NIGHT AT BOB'S JAVA JIVE (Monthly)
07:00 PM - 09:00 PM, Bob's Java Jive
Weekly Pinball Tournament @ The Airport Tavern
07:00 PM - 09:00 PM
Andrew Frank
07:30 PM, Tacoma Comedy Club 6th Ave.
Steve Ho
07:30 PM - 09:45 PM, Nate Jackson's Super Funny Comedy Club
Trivia Night - West End
08:00 PM - 11:00 PM, West End Pub
Karaoke - Club Silverstone
09:00 PM - 11:45 PM, Club Silverstone
For full calendar with more details, go to weekly-volcano.com/calendar