Travel
The towering natural sandbox that is the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area is the only place in the world where you can marvel at dunes that thrust as high as 500 feet into the sky, an ocean at their feet, festooned with coastal forests and tree islands. But they're not
Attractions
The Northwest is a wild kind of place, at least outside of the cities. Mere miles outside of Seattle, Portland, Tacoma and other major Northwest cities, you'll find forests and bodies of water and the Northwest as it was before humans took over. You'll also find plenty of places to
News
They are a rapidly vanishing national treasure, those valiant young men, those members of the Greatest Generation who were willing to sacrifice everything in order to, truly, save the world. At the rate of nearly 500 a day, every day, they leave us, and with them their memories, their unique
Military Life
Despite being a whimsical woodland sprite bringing the gift of smiles and pretty fingernails to kids at Mary Bridge Children's Hospital and Health Center, "Nail Fairy" Martina Ngo is pretty down-to-earth in her approach to romance. She describes the courtship and subsequent engagement and marriage to the Marine she calls
Military Life
Staff Sgt. Carlos Delgado gave Patrick Bowman an occasional helping hand and loads of words of encouragement as Bowman wheeled his blue Top End racing wheelchair over a 100-yard course. "I'm just here to help," Delgado, a combat medic assigned to 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, told me as Bowman crossed
Music
It's no secret that music can play a vital role in improving a child's education. Research has shown that learning to play a musical instrument improves academic performance, teaches discipline, and develops physical skills such as rhythm and coordination. Studies have also shown that children who study music demonstrate increased
Military Life
There's a certain confidence and positivity that Kimberly Benoit oozes, the same way the white foamy product comes out of the can onto her client's hair. She deftly multitasks, telling the story of her life as a military spouse and giving insights to life lessons she has learned while her
Arts
It's been a long time since I've seen art by Marty Fehl, and his new show, Psycho-Moto-Psycho, at Brick & Mortar Gallery is quite a departure from the paintings I saw years ago - a good and exciting departure. Fehl's new work consists of paintings and installations based on motorcycles and
Stage
Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel To Kill a Mockingbird is universally acclaimed as one of the best American novels of the 20th century, and the Oscar-winning film version of her book, released in 1962, was one of America's best and most popular films. Atticus Finch, as portrayed by Gregory Peck,
Music
I've spoken before about the archetype in music known as the manic preacher. These are the wild people who command an audience with an avalanche of words and wide-eyed ideas. Captain Beefheart, Frank Zappa, Jim Carroll, Isaac Brock, Patrick Stickles - these are people linked not quite by ideology or
South Sound Cinema
I was always a fan of movies. My dad, as I reminded him just recently, showed me The Rocky Horror Picture Show when I was just 12 (his response: "Shut up."), and while that isn't cinema at its finest, it did open my eyes to a whole world of the
News Front
Eastern Washington is burning. Wildfires have gripped the western United States on a scale not seen for some time. Thousands of emergency personnel are working around the clock to staunch the flames. Among them are members of the U.S. Army. The Washington National Guard has played an important role providing air
Archives
Desert Essence Let me tell you about a line of eco-friendly face products from Desert Essence. The company prides itself on being the first brand to introduce tea tree oil to the United States. Trader Joe’s in University Place sells Desert Essence face and body wash, facial cleansing pads, and blemish
Archives
Co-owner of The Turning Point Kate Shanaman rocks it right at a Ladies Only afternoon party. Karen O’Donnell in Tacoma does her sassy platinum locks. Shanaman tells us she fashioned her black headband from DKNY tights ($18) by cutting a leg off. Way to be inventive. Revlon’s Racy Rouge lipstick
Features
Sometimes we all need a break from the routine. Lunch or dinner at a nearby restaurant can be just what's required for a fresh perspective. Listed here are the top 10 Yelp reviewed restaurants located less than five miles from the Joint Base Lewis-McChord main gate. Whether you're craving a
News Front
Clover Park School District has been awarded a five-year, $1.5 million grant from the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) to improve students' sense of community, personal responsibility, and well-being through further development of the Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) programs at elementary schools with a high military-connected student
Military Life
Dana McCormick is president of PFLAG-Olympia, an organization for the parents and friends of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) people. The retired Army sergeant is married to Sgt. Jason McCormick. They have a gay son, Robert Kowalski, a recent graduate of North Thurston High School in Lacey. In October 2011,
Travel
Local high school graduate Cody Anderson decided that the best place for a senior trip was Vietnam. He had been there twice before, and both his grandfathers fought in the Vietnam War. Several other seniors on the trip had military connections. Jake March had a grandfather and uncle who served
Arts
The line between art and craft is blurred, beautifully blurred, by Chris Maynard's feather designs, a dozen of which can now be seen at Childhood's End Gallery. To my way of thinking, they are craft - beautiful, sensitive, delicate and exquisitely crafted. Maynard collects bird feathers from aviaries, cuts them into
Stage
This summer's Shakespeare in the Park by Animal Fire Theatre tackles one of the bard's lesser known plays, King John. It is a difficult play to follow, primarily perhaps, because it is little known. Since plays such as Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet are so celebrated, it is much easier to
