Family
On McChord Field, there's a surname that might just be synonymous with pride and loyalty: Meyer. "We had met with recruiters from different branches and what drove us to the Air Force was a lasting, first impression - the recruiter was very professional and it won me over," explained Chief Master
Benefits
According to a recent article in TIME magazine, there has been a dramatic shift in urban versus suburban living in the United States. Since 2011, the rate of urban population growth has outpaced suburban growth; in some areas, this growth was substantial. Urban hubs and downtown living offer much in
Benefits & Deals
"Being compassionate and having your heart in the work and doing what you promise is what has led to our success and allows the veterans to trust us," Ray Switzer, program manager at Building 9 for Veterans Transitional Housing Program. Physically, Building 9 is a 45,000 sq. ft. space located on
News
The Department of Veterans Affairs has been overhauling its services in an effort to reach more of the growing veteran population than ever before. The result is an increase in online resources, published materials and overall community outreach for these men and women who served. Locally, there are two VA medical
Style
Anyone with kids knows the truth about buying anything for children - kids outgrow just about everything in five minutes. While many parents still venture forth to the Baby Gap to bedeck their little ones in the latest and greatest, many others look to the secondhand market. And why not?
Military Life
It's every parent's worst nightmare - a phone call from the hospital telling you that your child has had an accident and is on life support. Teresa DeLeon-Cook got that call March 18, 2009, an hour after her son, Dustin, 19, fell more than 40 feet off a bridge into the
Explore
One of Joint Base Lewis-McChord's own is not only dedicated to serving in uniform he also routinely dons a wetsuit to help out underwater. Maj. John R. Weldon, of the Western Air Defense Sector, is a regular volunteer diver at the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium (PDZA) where he spends his
News Front
In early February, Col. Ramona Fiorey will mark six months as the 38th commander of Madigan Army Medical Center at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. "I think things have been going very well, of course we've had challenges but nothing out of the ordinary for a military medical treatment center," she said. For instance,
Stage
The latest show at Tacoma Public Library's Handforth Gallery features paintings, photography and mixed-media works by three artists, all of which investigate the effects of time as weather wears away urban and industrial buildings and machinery. What strikes me about these works is that they all seem to be crying
Archives
ARCTIC TALE: See review page 21. The Grand Cinema: Fri-Sun 2:20, 4:45, 6:45, 8:45. Also Sat-Sun noon. Mon-Wed 4:45, 6:45, 8:45. Thurs, Aug. 23 2:20, 4:45, 6:45, 8:45. BECOMING JANE: Fictionalized speculation about a great romance in Jane Austen’s 20th year. The would-be author (Anne Hathaway) meets a handsome lawyer (James McAvoy)
Archives
Arctic Tale “Arctic Tale” journeys to one of the most difficult places on Earth for animals to make a living and shows it growing even more unfriendly. The documentary studies polar bears and walruses in the Arctic as global warming raises temperatures and changes the way they have done business since
Archives
“Superbad” is a four-letter raunch-a-rama with a heart, and an inordinate interest in other key organs. It is autobiographical, I suspect, inspired not just by the lives of the co-writers, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, who named the two leads after themselves, but possibly by millions of other teenagers. The
Arts
Sara Sparrow is an entertainer. She is a contortionist, an aerialist, a dancer, a master of acrobatics and a teacher. She has, as she calls it, "a circus background." Many of Sparrow's shows are performed in Seattle, where she does solo and collaborative work and is a member of the Aerialistas,
Critics' Picks
[FOLK ROCK] + FRI, JAN. 31 On a recent re-watching of the great Band documentary, The Last Waltz, I was once again struck by the sheer awkwardness of that final performance. As all of the film's guest stars come back on to perform "I Shall Be Released" together, what they end
Music
From the outside, nothing much seems to have changed about the world famous Bob's Java Jive. Still a dingy kettle nestled on South Tacoma Way, still the place where junkie William Hurt and junkier Keanu Reeves were hired to kill a man in I Love You To Death (seriously, go
Concert Alert
We list major concerts going on sale this weekend, as well as national touring acts performing in the Puget Sound this week and
Show And Tell
I was all set to review The Invisible Woman, just another of the many great films playing at The Grand Cinema. I spent the past week boning up on my Dickens so I could make a passable attempt at aping his writing style. Then, editor Pappi Swarner ran some ambitious,
Liquid
Small craft distilleries have gained recognition nationally and have become the preferred source of spirits for many - from speakeasies to dive bars and everything in between, including personal liquor cabinets. This isn't a surprising trend considering the quality and variety of product that craft distilleries are putting out into
People Rule
As Maj. Gen. Terry Ferrell is about to move into his new command position at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, the best way to see what he'll do as the new commander of the 7th Infantry Division is to look at what he's done. In Ferrell's last assignment, he talked about the importance
We Recommend
Full Moon Radio, the female trio who has been on my must-listen list for at least a year, has added a fourth female member AND is playing their first Tacoma show. So, for those of you who live north of their normal playing ground of Olympia, and haven't had a
