Tacoma Weekly - Current News Stories

Walmart goes on the offensive against opponents

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 12:20:08 -0800

Walmart officials have responded to a flurry of opinion columns that have appeared in print and online around Tacoma that say the proposed super store would hurt the local economy with a study of their own.

Bellevue-base Hebert Research, Inc. concluded that the retail and grocery store, slated for the Elks property along Union Avenue, will bring in $6.3 million to the area. That money will come in the form of paychecks to its approximately 300 workers and through the trickle-down spending those dollars bring to other businesses those new job holders will patronize. Specifically, the store will generate a payroll of about $4.7 million, of which most will be spent locally; the additional $1.1 million in operational costs known as inter-industry purchases; and $1.2 million in associated spending.

Those dollars and jobs come at a time when Tacoma's unemployment rate of 12.8 percent is well above the national and state average of about 9 percent. One reason for that joblessness rate for Tacoma cited in the report is that many unemployed people have chosen to remain in the city rather than move elsewhere to find work. But that trend has caused retail spending to fall as family budgets remain tight.

"Since the onset of the current recession, taxable retail sales in Tacoma declined significantly, tracking a similar but more extreme path compared to the state as a whole," according to the report. "Recently, the retail market in Pierce County has stabilized and even began to recover, but Tacoma itself remains well below 2004 levels."

The combined higher-than-average unemployment rate and lagging retail sales in Tacoma has affected retail worker wages. Wages of general merchandise employees in Pierce County have been slightly lower than the state average in recent years, varying between a minimum of $24,397 and a maximum of $26,025 over the five-year period. That wage range would mean Walmart's average wage of $26,520 a year would actually be higher than the current high end of the pay scale.

"A Walmart in Tacoma would provide competitive wages and have little to no resistance attracting employees and creating jobs," the study stated.

The retailer currently has 41 superstores in the state, alongside some 13 discount stores, three Sam's Club shops and a distribution center. Its statewide employment is about 19,000 with an additional $2.5 billion paid to suppliers and service businesses in the state.

Self-described progressive liberal Traci Kelly is not buying what Walmart is selling with the economic report. She co-hosts the "Equal Time" radio show on KLAY 1180 AM, and has opposed the retailer's plans since they were announced.

"Take my prognostication for what it is, that of an educated guess," she said. "But I believe that the cut-priced offerings of Walmart will likely put nearby Top Foods out of business. Those are union wage jobs, ones that also offer their workers health benefits, in which monies would also go back into the economy. I also suspect that Target, Payless Shoes, Petco, etc., will also experience lay-offs due to the downturn in business that will go to the one-stop shopping of their nearby competitor."

Toss in the traffic troubles caused by a superstore along an already busy street, she said, and the store's overall impact will be bad for the city.

Ideas unveiled for new Aquarium

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 11:52:52 -0800

Imagine observing a sea lion's belly as it swims about you without you getting wet. Or walking through a tunnel while jaguars walk above you. Those are some of the numerous experiences visitors to Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium could have at some point in the near future. Zoo officials have unveiled ideas for a modern aquarium focused on the sea life of the Pacific Rim and an exhibit area for South American wildlife.

The current North Pacific Aquarium is nearly 50 years old, while the Rocky Shores/Arctic Tundra exhibit is 30. Both are showing sings of deterioration and corrosion due to salt water. Gary Geddes, zoological and environmental director, said the facility has perhaps five years of life left as an aquarium.

Zoo staff is exploring building a new aquarium and renovated Rocky Shores at a cost of between $35-40 million. Another idea is to renovate the current aquarium to display South American animals at a cost of between $12-15 million.

Geddes said this is part of a larger master plan for the zoo and all of Point Defiance Park. It calls for replacing the aging facilities with a combines Pacific Rim aquarium and exhibit complex.

Dr. Karen Goodrowe, general curator, said the aquarium is the oldest building at the zoo. While parts are showing the effects of exposure to saltwater, the exterior shell is structurally sound.

In considering what animals to bring to Point Defiance, staff looks at a number of factors: availability, cost, space considerations, whether staff have the expertise to care for a particular species and whether it can handle the local climate. "It really is an intricate process," she remarked.

Goodrowe said adding to the diversity of the animal collection is another important consideration. "South America is a good example of that," she said.

Following a series of public meetings last spring to seek input, zoo officials hired the Tacoma firm BCRA and Van H. Gilbert Architect of Albuquerque to come up with ideas.

They came up with concepts that would transform the structure into a 19,000-square-foot exhibit where visitors would journey into a village high in the Andes Mountains surrounded by lush jungle filled with jaguars, monkeys, bats and lizards, while Andean condors fly overhead.

Current pools in Rocky Shores would be used in the new aquarium and exhibit complex and current pumps and filtration systems would be retained, wherever possible. "We want to re-use and re-purpose everything we can," said Ray Darnell from the Albuquerque firm Van H. Gilbert Architects.

Reindeer would be moved to Northwest Trek, making their current space available for other animals.

The proposed aquarium would be on the other side of Five Mile Drive, with the road underneath a bridge used by visitors. Darnell envisions glass art, perhaps made by Dale Chihuly, at the aquarium entrance. Visitors would view sea life through 16-foot-tall wall of glass. "It will be absolutely breathtaking."

Ideas include a sand area where children can play, and pools where visitors could snorkel or scuba dive.

The jaguars would have much room inside and outside the renovated North Pacific building. Ideas include a waterfall and shafts to bring natural light to the first floor.

The last bond passed by voters for zoo improvements was in 1999. Geddes said that raised $35 million, with another $5 million raised by Point Defiance Zoological Society from fundraisers and donations. Metro Parks provided another $2 million from a bond measure approved for improvements across the park system.

He said any funding packages for the improvements under consideration would likely need a majority of money from a bond sale, with a minority from the society's fundraising. Any decision to place a bond measure on the ballot would be made by Metro Parks Commission.

There is no timetable in place to do that. Given the lifespan of the current aquarium, to have a functioning replacement built in time to replace, construction would need to start in about three years. "We are just beginning to go down that road," Geddes said. "We want to see what the public's response to this is. People seem excited."

New Home

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 11:40:03 -0800

Asia Pacific Cultural Center (APCC) is in the process of shifting its base of operations to South Tacoma while it continues with planning for a permanent home downtown. The organization recently moved classes and activities to South Park Community Center. The facility is owned by Metro Parks, which is leasing the space to APCC.

Executive Director Lua Pritchard noted that the two organizations have partnered since APCC was founded. "We have always done things together," she remarked. Pritchard noted both offer cultural activities that cater to people in all age ranges. While APCC has its foundation in Asian and Pacific Islander cultures, she pointed out that it serves the general public, regardless of ethnic background.

Starting last month, a number of classes for children and adults are offered at South Park, including Chinese language and culture and Japanese origami. Hot hula classes began there this week. Meals for senior citizens are served there on certain days.

"This is a great opportunity that will allow us to expand on our offerings, all in one location," Pritchard said. "It is a cost effective, efficient place for us to continue our work."

Pritchard said APCC is authorized to rent space out to other groups, which can generate money it can use on its programs. "This presents a great revenue stream."

APCC will completely take over the facility by April 1. By then its administrative offices will have moved in and Metro Parks will have moved offices and programs over to the new South Tacoma Activity and Recreation Center.

The move gives APCC a base of operations from which to plan what Pritchard calls "the dream project." Last year the organization approached the city of Tacoma about its interest in purchasing part of a city-owned parcel at South 21st and Jefferson streets, near the University of Washington-Tacoma campus. It wants to build a mixed-use facility with apartments, grocery store, café and performance space. It is an ambitious plan, with the project likely to cost $100 million or more.

It submitted its 2010 financial review to the city last month. Pritchard said APCC is doing its due diligence, including a feasibility study, building design and a fundraising plan. It aims to bring in other partners on the major undertaking. "2012 will get us prepared for that."

The city has begun assessing the extent of soil contamination on the site and the expense of cleaning it up. Pritchard expects that work to be done in about six months. "We are hoping everything will be okay," Pritchard remarked.

For more information, visit http://www.asiapacificculturalcenter.org or call (253) 383-3900.

Tax on arts organizations appears likely

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 11:32:04 -0800

It appears likely that Tacoma City Council will impose an admission tax on some nonprofit arts organizations, although details are still being hammered out. The topic was discussed during the council's Government Performance and Finance Committee meeting on Feb. 15.

The council has pondered collecting this tax as part of a package of revenue enhancements in the past few months as it deals with the city's budget deficit.

Councilmember Lauren Walker described this proposal as "a subject of passion." During her 23 years living in Tacoma, she feels the arts have become a centerpiece of economic development. "There is a lot of concern that this should not happen." She said some arts organizations are completely opposed to any admission tax on them.

The council is considering imposing the tax on organizations that take in more than $250,000 in revenue annually. This is the threshold for exempting businesses from paying the city portion of the business and occupation tax. Danielle Larson, director of the Tax and License Division, said four organizations exceed this threshold: Tacoma Musical Playhouse, Museum of Glass, Grand Cinema and Broadway Center for the Performing Arts. A fifth, the LeMay automobile museum, is on this list, although it will not open until June. Two others are close – Children's Museum of Tacoma and Washington State History Museum.

This generated conversation on organizations that may, or may not, exceed this amount in a year. What if a group drew more patrons than expected and had not collected the tax on tickets earlier in the year? Or if it collected it on ticket sales and had less patrons than predicted? "The amount of time spent to figure it out will our B&O tax look simple," Councilmember David Boe remarked.

"The way to eliminate the complexity of a threshold is not to have one," Mayor Marilyn Strickland remarked.

Walker said smaller groups do not have enough staff and resources to handle the administrative tasks of collecting and paying the tax.

"It is not really that complicated," responded Councilmember Joe Lonergan. He noted groups have the administrative capacity to book performers or organize exhibitions.

Strickland supports this tax. "If you go to a show at Hell's Kitchen or Jazzbones you pay the tax." Strickland said a 5 percent tax would boost the prices of a $7.50 ticket to $7.85.

Boe suggested Everett does not have a thriving arts scene because of its admission tax on nonprofits. Strickland disagreed with that assessment.

One proposal would have 80 percent of the tax money go to the city and the remainder placed in a fund that would be used to promote museums and performances.

Walker said some arts groups oppose having the city manage such a fund. Strickland opposes having this fund at all, noting the city already gives money to Tacoma/Pierce County Convention and Visitors Bureau for such efforts.

Councilmember Ryan Mello said he supports this fund. He said if arts organizations had control over it, they would be more inclined to support the tax.

Boe said the visitors bureau has little knowledge or concern about the arts and spends its marketing money promoting other local features.

Jon Douglas Rake, founder and managing artistic director of Tacoma Musical Playhouse, said he opposed a marketing fund. He fears smaller organizations would have their events ignored in such an effort. He said TMP staff knows what their target audience is. "Let us market ourselves."

Broadway Center Executive Director David Fischer submitted a letter to council members, stating the view of his organization. He requested that some of the tax revenue be set aside for promotional efforts, with a committee of the taxpayers to determine how it would be used. He suggested $75,000 a year go to this fund.

Broadway Center also wants "universal participation." He stated Broadway Center's board is opposed to taxing only some non-profit organizations.

City Briefs

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 11:02:41 -0800

MANITOU SALE AUTHORIZED

Metro Parks Commission approved a resolution on Feb. 13 authorizing the surplus and sale of Manitou Community Center. Under the resolution, the commission, not the executive director, will make the final decision on who the facility will be sold to. The last appraisal valued the building, the original home of Manitou Elementary School, at between $400,000 and $600,000. Mark Roberts, general counsel for Metro Parks, said state law calls for the building to be sold to whoever offers the best and highest bid. While the highest bid is obviously the one with the highest price tag, the best bid is not as clear. "That is more subjective," Roberts said. He said market conditions will determine the value and he feels the assessed value is inflated.

Commissioner Larry Dahl said he agrees with this view, considering the age of the building. He said the commission would consider an offer to lease the facility in order to allow the daycare, martial arts classes and arts classes at Manitou to continue. "We have feelings for what the community is trying to do," he said. "We will listen to all options."

SWAP SEED EVENT

Save some dollars and enhance your garden by attending Tacoma/Pierce County Community Garden Program's annual Seed Swap. It takes place at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 28 at Tacoma Nature Center, located at 1919 S. Tyler St.

"Often a packet of seeds contains many more seeds than a gardener needs in a year, and buying one seed packet of every type of vegetable we want to grow can break the bank," said Kristen McIvor, community garden coordinator. "The solution? A seed swap."

Gardeners are invited to bring a potluck dish and packets of seeds to share. This event is free and open to all Tacoma and Pierce County residents. For more information contact McIvor at (253) 363-1846 or kmcivor@forterra.org.

MANTHOU RUNNING FOR OFFICE

Citing the need for "increased accountability, transparency and professionalism" for the position, Spiro Manthou has announced his candidacy for Pierce County Assessor/Treasurer. He works as general services manager at Bates Technical College. Manthou served on Tacoma City Council for eight years. He graduated from Wilson High School and attended Western Washington University. He and his wife Sandy have three adult children and they live in the West End.

"As your assessor/treasurer, I will ensure that your property taxes are fair and you receive the individualized attention you deserve as a homeowner in Pierce County," Manthou said. "Gone will be the iron hand that has ruled this office for years. Instead, we need to return to our core mission – to serve the citizens of Pierce County with the respect, professionalism and dignity we all deserve."

HOUSING ECONOMIC IMPACT

Despite the recession and downturn in construction activity, housing still has a considerable positive impact on the economy. Elliot Eisenberg, an economist with National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), came in from Washington, D.C. to give a presentation to Tacoma City Council on Feb. 14.

A model developed by NAHB estimates the impacts of housing – from the effect of the actual construction, to the ripple effect of money earned by contractors and crews being circulated in the economy, to the ongoing impact of the occupants of the homes who pay taxes and purchase goods and services. The study examined the impact of 76 houses built in Tacoma in 2010. It used the assumption that the price of an average new home in the city is $285,000, built on a lot with an average value of $1,000.

This construction created 242 jobs, measured in full-time equivalents. The one-year economic impact was $16 million in income and $1.5 million in taxes and other revenue for local governments. Each home costs local government about $4,260 for infrastructure and various other costs. The annually recurring impact of these 76 houses is $1.5 million in income, $582,000 in taxes and 26 jobs. This results from home occupants paying taxes and spending money in the local economy.

Eisenberg was asked what government can do to spur new housing construction. He said it can be flexible on some code requirements, meaning ones that do not compromise safety. "The government's job is to make the regulatory codes as clear and non-burdening as possible. He added that the biggest obstacle to new housing starts is that the economy is not producing enough jobs.

SUSTAINABILITY EXPO

Residents and business owners looking for ways to be more sustainable are invited to attend the fifth annual South Sound Sustainability Expo, to be held March 3 at the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center. The free event will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. It will allow participants to discover services, products, companies and agencies that address sustainability needs. Expo participants will learn about a variety of local goods and services, including transportation alternatives, green construction, energy conservation, waste minimization and recycling, alternative energy sources, global climate change initiatives and how to be economically efficient while being environmentally sustainable. New this year is a kids' corner with a variety of projects and activities, including a scavenger hunt. The event will also feature prize drawings and workshops on topics such as green cleaners, gardening, worm composting and raising backyard chickens. Display tables are available at no cost to organizations. For more information visit www.southsoundsustainabilityexpo.org.

FUNDING FOR FLOOD STUDY

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has allocated $450,000 to continue studying strategies to address flooding. Puyallup River General Investigation is a six-year, cooperative process involving local jurisdictions and partners. It is in its second year. Puyallup River Executive Task Force, established by Pierce County in 2008, provides regional coordination. Members include Puyallup Tribe, Port of Tacoma, Washington State Department of Transportation and Tacoma/Pierce County Chamber of Commerce.

YOUTH VIOLENCE PREVENTION

Money is available from Pierce County's Department of Community Connections for organizations to develop violence prevention programs for youth and their families. The deadline to submit applications is March 2.

"The goal is to develop programs for individuals who have experienced or participated in violence – no matter the degree, severity or duration," said Susy Stremel of Community Connections. "Organizations that provide services to improve interpersonal skills and encourage community involvement are key to helping us influence behaviors among parents, children and their peers."

Applications can be sent to: Caroline Bellici, Community Connections, 1305 Tacoma Ave. S. suite 104, Tacoma, WA, 98402. She can be contacted at (253) 798-3570 or cbellec@co.pierce.wa.us.

Police Blotter

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 10:55:34 -0800

MAN THREATENS SUICIDE

A man with a gun barricaded himself inside an East Side home and threatened to kill himself on Feb. 16. The incident occurred in a house in the 4100 block of East 'T' Street. The man's relatives, who were trapped inside the home, called police. The man eventually came outside and was taken to a hospital for a psychological evaluation. Lister Elementary School was on partial lockdown during the standoff.

TOY GUN, NO BOMB

A man was arrested on Feb. 14 after allegedly fleeing from Pierce County Sheriff's Department deputies. The incident began when deputies pursued a vehicle in the vicinity of East 85th Street and McKinley Avenue. The vehicle crashed into the entrance of West Mall Terrace Apartments, located in the 4700 block of South Pine Street. The driver held a handgun to his head and threatened to shoot himself. He also claimed to have a bomb in the car. Nearby apartments were evacuated while officers negotiated with the man. He surrendered and was taken into custody. Bomb squads from the Sheriff's Department and Tacoma Police Department inspected the vehicle and found no explosive devices. The gun turned out to be a toy.

ARRESTS AT RALLY

Three people were arrested on Feb. 13 during a campaign rally for Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum. The former United States Senator spoke outside Washington State History Museum. Just down the street on Pacific Avenue, members of Occupy Tacoma have set up camp in a small park owned by the state. Shortly after he began speaking, protestors in the audience began yelling loudly. Santorum supporters tried to shout them down with their own chants. A scuffle ensued and police arrested three people, two for disorderly conduct and one for assault. One protestor was arrested after throwing a pile of glitter at the candidate. Santorum is considering requesting the Secret Service to provide him with protection as a result of the incident.

GANGS FIRE GUNS

A gang-related shooting on Feb. 13 resulted in a man suffering minor injuries. The shooting occurred at an apartment complex in the 7600 block of Pacific Avenue. Police received a report of shots fired between members of two rival gangs. Soon after one suspect showed up at Allenmore Hospital with a gunshot wound to his hand. It is believed he accidently shot himself while shooting at rival gang members. He was treated and then booked into jail on suspicion of aggravated assault.

Drawn to Serve

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 10:52:36 -0800

PLU Professor Greg Williams has made more than a dozen trips to Mexico over the last four years to volunteer at a local center for severely disabled children called Sol y Luna.

Williams, a professor of instructional development and leadership at PLU, started his teaching career at the Frances Haddon Morgan Center, a state institution in Bremerton, which closed earlier this year. At the time, it served autistic children ages 3 to 13.

"That was my first introduction really to teaching and being responsible for the instructional management of kids with those types of disabilities," Williams said.

Thirty-seven years later, Williams is still doing this work.

"I'm still working with those types of kids – kids with primarily emotional and behavioral disabilities," Williams said. "I derive a great deal of satisfaction from that work. That's why I wanted to continue it in Mexico."

Williams, who frequently travels to Mexico, found out about Sol y Luna from a friend, and he started volunteering there in January 2007.

"They put me to work with a child whose name is Daniel," said Williams. "Daniel is a young man who really can't do anything; he's profoundly disabled." Williams spent his first day at Sol y Luna feeding Daniel his lunch, cleaning him up and making sure he could rest comfortably. He continued providing this one-on-one care in the days and weeks to follow, but soon Sol y Luna's director Marian Joanna Hijlkema had other plans for Williams.

After his second or third trip to Mexico to volunteer, Hijlkema finally asked him about his background.

"Up to that point I just said that I was a Norte who liked to spend time in Merida and wanted to volunteer," Williams said. After telling her about his background in special education, Hijlkema told him, "Well, we have something for you to do then." She wanted him to work more at the program level, rather than the individual child level.

"These types of kids that Sol y Luna works with… present very challenging behaviors to the people who work with them," Williams said. "The program really needed some help in dealing with some of these real challenging behaviors."

Williams began working with the teachers on how to manage those behaviors and teach the children new behaviors. Each year, Williams makes about four trips to Sol y Luna to lead workshops, conduct meetings and help with program and staff development at the center in Merida, where he started volunteering, and a new center that opened in Hidalgo.

"I really value my time there. It means a lot to me," Williams said. "I'm always really glad to see them and I think they're really glad to see me."

Katie Scaff is a senior at Pacific Lutheran University. This article was originally posted at "This Week at PLU," reprinted here with permission.

Guest Editorial: When it comes to taxes, keep it simple

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 10:49:29 -0800

"Keep it simple." This old saying is more than a bumper sticker slogan; it is a principle that is especially important when it comes to taxes and regulations.

 Washington employers have been working for decades to simplify our state's tax and regulatory policies. Currently, employers must work their way through a maze of complex, overlapping and often contradictory regulations and tax rules that differ from one city to the next, one county to the next. It is like playing a game that has 50 different sets of rules. 

Wrestling with those costly and cumbersome requirements means employers – particularly small employers – spend time and money on paperwork that could be better spent creating jobs. That is why Governor Chris Gregoire is supporting tax simplification legislation. The governor wants to make it easier for all businesses, especially small businesses, to calculate and pay their business and occupation (B&O) taxes.

 B&O taxes are assessed on a business' gross income, regardless of profit. The state imposes a B&O tax, but local jurisdictions do as well. The amount of the local B&O taxes, as well as how they are calculated, varies from one jurisdiction to the next. Gregoire describes the situation this way: "For Washington businesses, especially small business owners who operate with little help, paying state and local B&O taxes is at best complicated and at worse a nightmare."

 Under the governor's proposal, the state of Washington would be the single collector of all local and state B&O taxes, and the state would rebate to each local jurisdiction their share of the tax – similar to how the state currently handles state and local sales taxes.

 The governor also wants to create a central state website where people could apply for or renew state and local business licenses, eliminating the need for similar websites currently operated in more than 50 cities around the state.

 "It will save businesses money and aggravation, reduce state and local government red tape and make Washington a friendlier place to set up a business," Gregoire remarked. But some of the state's larger cities are pushing back against the governor's proposal, saying they will lose millions if tax simplification becomes law.

 Seattle authorities say the city could lose between $23 million and $44 million a year. Tacoma officials estimate their city will lose $4 to $7 million a year. Critics say cities will lose out on millions in tax penalties and interest – money that would now go to the state – and city officials fear that state auditors will not be as aggressive in pursuing tax cheats. Seattle, Bellevue, Tacoma, Everett and Bellingham say they are already working on a plan to simplify local tax payments, and lawmakers should wait to see how their project works before passing the governor's plan.

 Gregoire rejects the cities' criticisms. Noting that the state currently collects and rebates local sales taxes, the governor said, "These horror stories of how they are losing money? No, they are not. We will give it back. I think it is the right thing to do for the small businesses of the state of Washington."

 Gregoire points out that 95 percent of Washington employers are small businesses with fewer than 50 workers. "If we can make it easier and cheaper for them to do business," explained the governor, "they can afford to add more employees. If we ever need a reform that helps business, this is it."

Don Brunell is president of the Association of Washington Business.

Letter to the Editor: Balancing Budgets

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 10:46:26 -0800

Dear Editor,

The decision before Tacoma City Council is how to balance the budget without making cuts that will injure its taxpayers. An obvious place to look for extra money is the non-profit hospitals that are not required to pay business and occupation taxes as all other businesses in the city pay. If the council voted to repeal this special tax break, it would add $1.8 million to the city's coffers.

It is immoral to pay hospital CEOs high-end, six-figure salaries while the rest of the city is bleeding. Nowadays, hospitals are run like businesses. They recruit, compete and advertise. Their budgets compare to big corporations. It is time they pay their fair share to the city and not use Tacoma's taxpayers as a crutch.

Brett A. Williams
Tacoma

Letter to the Editor: Kimmie’s Law Correction

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 10:44:04 -0800

Dear Editor,

I want to make it clear that the Amber Alert will use the highway signs and social media to get information out to the public. The Endangered Missing Person Alert for Kimmie's Law will use social media to alert the public after a person is reported missing within 6 hours. We do not want to use the highway signs as reported by Ed Troyer from Pierce County Sheriff's Department. I would like to make this plea to the public as not to mislead them. Please support this bill.

Cecil Daily
South Hill

Letter to the Editor: PSE Increase

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 10:41:48 -0800

Dear Editor,

In response to "Puget Sound Energy rate increases" (City Briefs, TW 12/30): The Canadian investors want more profit to cover their losses. $2.05 is not a whole lot but it adds up, especially in these times and for people on fixed incomes. I could see doing this in better times. Also, they do this every year. Keep within the budget. They are being like every other big company.

L. Setchfield
Roy

Letter to the Editor: Equal Rights moving forward

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 10:39:02 -0800

Dear Editor,

I am pleased to see the progress Washington has made in recognizing marriages for same-sex couples. No couple should be denied the opportunity to enter into marriage and build a life together based on love, commitment and mutual support. This is why I am a co-sponsor of the Respect for Marriage Act, which would allow the federal government to recognize marriages that are currently legal in individual states.

The passage of landmark legislation that allows all couples the ability to join in marriage moves us closer to becoming a more equal and fair society. But while we have made tremendous strides, more work must be done to achieve a society that provides all people with equal opportunity and basic human dignity.

I am committed to protecting the rights of all men and women to love and honor their spouses and I look forward to working with my colleagues to see that marriage for all couples becomes a national reality.

U.S. Representative Adam Smith
*Tacoma *

Letter to the Editor: Teachers Health Matters

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 10:37:07 -0800

Dear Editor,

In the latest of the national efforts to demonize state and educational employees, following on the heels of similar anti-collective bargaining drives in Ohio, Wisconsin and Tennessee, the "blue" state of Washington's Health Care Authority has released a legislative proposal to remove health benefits from the scope of collective bargaining for local school employees.

The development of this proposal cost $1.2 million at a time when thousands of the poor in Washington are being cut off from medical coverage so that revenue reform can be avoided in the state with the most regressive tax structure in the nation. It was included in last year's biennial budget at the insistence of the legislative "Roadkill Caucus" of conservative Democrats who frequently side with minority Republicans to pare back unemployment, workers' compensation and other benefits for workers and the unemployed.

Released in December, this proposal would prohibit agreements on health benefits from local collective bargaining. Instead, school employees would be given token representatives on a statewide board that would purchase and provide benefits, and dictate point-of-service cost-sharing levels and premium costs for districts and employees.

This board would be heavily weighted toward administration. School districts would be at financial risk for variations in enrollment, and most administrative services would remain at individual school districts, including customer service, payments to carriers, audits and verifications, not to mention a great increase in reporting requirements to the state Health Care Authority.

There are significant costs to this proposal, including an additional $20 million from taxpayers to "start up" the system, and another $25 million per year of additional costs to be paid by education employees through "cost sharing" and higher premium rates.

But the highest cost will be paid by thousands of part-time educational employees who will lose health coverage altogether. The plan proposes no compensation for low-wage employees who have historically traded off other wages and benefits for insurance coverage at the bargaining table.

Dubbed the "Wisconsin Plan" for its similarities to the plan put in place by Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, the Washington plan looks to bring higher costs, poor customer service and bigger government to school employees and is opposed by AFL-CIO educational employee affiliates: the International Union of Operating Engineers, American Federation of Teachers Washington and the Teamsters union, as well as Washington Education Association.

David Westberg
Business manager
International Union of Operating Engineers Local 609

Opinion: Hey Democrats, walk the walk

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 10:34:14 -0800

Legislators who represent the 27th Legislative District held a town hall meeting on Feb. 18 at the Tacoma campus of Evergreen State College. One thing that may have escaped the notice of many who attended was that the parking lot was full of cars. Many were plastered with the type of political bumper stickers favored by many big-city liberals.

Had this been a town hall meeting convened by Republican legislators in a suburban or rural district, a parking lot full of vehicles would have been expected. However, the 27th is a very blue district in a blue city with an ongoing message to residents to go green for the environment.

Tacomans are constantly being encouraged to adopt the mindset of modern, urban living. Transportation is at the core of this philosophy. A chief tenet is people should get out of their cars. We frequently hear from Democrats in public office to ride light rail, take the bus, ride a bicycle, walk, even use skateboards as alternatives to driving cars.

Two days before that town hall a forum was held at the University of Washington-Tacoma on public health and transportation. It was organized by Transportation Choices Coalition, Coalition for Active Transportation and Downtown On the Go, the latter affiliated with Tacoma/Pierce County Chamber of Commerce.

The good residents of the 27th hear the message from business leaders, government officials, healthy living advocates, environmentalists and advocates for alternative transportation – get out of your car. That parking lot should have been empty.

Unlike some sections of the county in the Pierce Transit service area, the 27th still has relatively good bus service. While some late night service has been reduced or eliminated, it is still relatively easy to get anywhere on 6th Avenue at 10 a.m. on a Saturday on the bus.

Of particular irony is the number of bumper stickers in that parking lot commenting on United States foreign policy, in particular our wars in the Middle East. One even stated opposition to our next war.

Does anyone think our policy in the Middle East might be different if there was no oil there? Perhaps that is something to ponder while filling up the gas tank of a car plastered with "No War for Oil" stickers.

Opinion: No time limit on bestowing honor

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 10:33:46 -0800

Better late than never is a common saying that had special meaning to one Tacoma veteran this week. Nine years after being wounded in the early days of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Kenneth McAllister was presented with the nation's oldest military decoration.

Kenneth McAllister of Tacoma joined the Marine Corps in 2004. He was honorably discharged in 2004 with the rank of lance corporal. On April 1, 2003, he suffered combat wounds while serving in Iraq. Despite being wounded while at war, McAllister did not receive a Purple Heart, as is customary in the American military to do for its combat wounded.

Last August, he contacted the Tacoma office of U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell, seeking help in receiving the medal he had earned with his blood and pain. This led to his application being reviewed by the U.S. Marine Corps Headquarters Military Awards Branch. The Purple Heart was approved last month.

On Feb. 21, a ceremony was held at Joint Base Lewis McChord. The Purple Heart was presented to McAllister by Lt. Col. Joseph Raftery, commander of Company B., 1st Tank Battalion, 1st Marine Division, the unit McAllister served with in Iraq. Cantwell attended and delivered remarks. We commend her and her staff for seeing to it that McAllister received the honor due to him.

We, as a nation, cannot fully honor those who serve this country and suffer wounds on our behalf. Medals will never replace broken or missing limbs or shattered lives. But they do, in a very small way, honor the sacrifices the men and women in the Armed Forces when their lives and bodies are ripped open in the name of freedom.

County’s flood plan gets a boost with funding from federal government

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 10:27:09 -0800

Pierce County has received news that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has come through with its initial commitment of $450,000 to continue studying ways to address the chronic flooding issues along the Puyallup River.

Known as the Puyallup River General Investigation, the study is a six-year, cooperative process involving local jurisdictions including Fife, the Puyallup Tribe, Port of Tacoma, Washington Department of Transportation, Auburn, the Tacoma/Pierce County Chamber of Commerce and the county as well as the federal government.

The local funding, about $500,000 a year for the next six years, is in place. The federal matching money has been authorized, but must still be actually allocated each year.

"While this was expected, it is still big news," Pierce County Surface Water Management Director Harold Smelt said. "If the federal funding hadn't come through, this project would have ground to a halt."

The study is now in its second year, and the allocated funds will allow the study to continue with no delays.

"The funding being allocated to the Puyallup River General Investigation is a result of hard work by Task Force members and the entire delegation of Washington state's congressional representatives," said Pierce County Executive Pat McCarthy. "This project is a high priority."

The task at hand is to figure out how to best manage water flows in the 1,000-square-mile basin that sends melting snow from Mount Rainier to the south and the rainwater from as far north as Auburn into the Carbon, White and Puyallup rivers onto its final destination of Commencement Bay and Puget Sound without flooding areas that are becoming more dense with residential and commercial developments.

"Thousands of jobs in Pierce County's flood plain depend on minimizing flood risk and protecting vital resources," said U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA). "This investment will go a long way in building a plan that best protects against loss of life and property in the Puyallup River basin."

The key center of the study will be the final seven miles of the Puyallup River since it is the collection point for much of that water and runs perpendicular to Interstate 5. The main roadway through the area, therefore, could face a shutdown if a massive flood hit the area and mitigation projects were not in place.

All of the changes and upgrades expected to come from the study will take money and lots of it. Projects on just the last stretch of the Puyallup River will likely cost some $300 million alone. That is why Pierce County is forming the county-wide Flood Control Zone District. The minor taxing district will include a flood-control tax on property owners to pay for projects around the county.

The current idea calls for a tax of 10 cents per $1,000 of property value, or $21.50 for a $215,000 house. The state law that allows the creation of a flood control district allows the tax to be as high as 50 cents per $1,000 assessed property value. The dime per $1,000 rate would raise $8.5 million a year that would be used to leverage state and federal grants to work on the millions of dollars of projects already known to be needed.

One Step Closer

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 13:17:39 -0800

Following Gov. Christine Gregoire's historic signing of the Marriage Equality Act Feb. 13, supporters nationwide celebrated this important civil rights milestone. And at 6 p.m. that evening, a statewide toast took place at events throughout Washington in honor of the law's passage. Tacoma's King's Books was packed with community leaders, supporters and volunteers who have spent countless hours working to make marriage equality a reality.

Washington United for Marriage volunteer John Cummings attended both the Senate and House votes in Olympia, calling the atmosphere in both cases positive and uplifting. "It has been amazing to be a part of something so historic," he said.

Even in the midst of the celebrations, supporters admitted there is a long road still ahead to protect the legislation that opponents have already pledged to seek to overturn. "Tonight we party, but tomorrow, we protect the law," Tacoma City Councilmember Ryan Mello said.

Pending the referendum process, Washington joins six other states – Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, along with the District of Columbia – in recognizing marriage for gay and lesbian couples under the law. Eight other states provide same-sex couples with access to state-level benefits and responsibilities of marriage, through civil unions or domestic partnerships.

But to many, the idea of a domestic partnership or civil union does not hold the same meaning as traditional marriage in today's society. "Our society uses one word and one word only to articulate when a loving couple is committed to each other, and that word is 'marriage,'" Mello said. "I am looking forward to the day that my partner and I cannot get 'civil unioned' or 'domestic partnershiped,' but I'm looking forward to the day we can get 'married.' Victory and equality has never tasted so sweet."

In a statement delivered by Pierce County Auditor Julie Anderson, Gregoire called Feb. 13 one of the proudest, most important days of her career. "Separate is not equal, and our state has no business in telling people who to love," she simply stated.

As youth advocate for the Oasis Youth Center, serving more than 400 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth, Matthew Wilson said the marriage equality bill will be an important step in normalizing gay relationships in the eyes of the community and the youth he serves. "This proves that things truly are getting better, and it's something that our youth can be excited about," Wilson said.

Although there is much reason to celebrate, Mello anticipates a fierce battle against those working to overturn the legislation. "I feel very strongly that we should never put civil rights up to a vote of the people," Mello said. "We never did that for women's suffrage and shouldn't for gay marriage, either."

Medical Mile

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 13:13:34 -0800

City planners are at the starting line of developing zoning rules and standards for Tacoma's Martin Luther King Jr. neighborhood with the notion that the area will be one of the city's hot spots for development.

The whole process, which springboards off existing plans, will take between a year and 18 months of hearings, reports, drafts and final review for what will eventually be a vision of the community for residents, developers and public agencies to coordinate efforts.

The shared vision is not only important for the neighborhood's identity but for the city as a whole since MLK is listed as one of Tacoma's 17 mixed-use centers that will likely be the home for many of the new jobs and residents as the city continues to grow as projected by the Puget Sound Regional Council. The Regional Council estimated 60,000 new jobs and 70,000 new residents projected to come to Tacoma in the next 15 or so years. A Vision 2040 plan estimates larger growth than that, with 127,000 new residents and 97,000 new jobs by 2040.

The plan seeks to define neighborhood needs, characteristics and opportunities now as a way to plan for that growth, which is driving similar neighborhood plans around the city. But MLK gets some special attention because of its proximity to downtown, its stock of available redevelopment sites and its mix of commercial, residential and social services. It is projected to see 10 million square feet of new development under the current growth projections. The area has just 5.5 million of home and commercial space currently. Some of that growth is already underway, namely Community Health Care's $23 million Hilltop Regional Health Center at 1202 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, which is set to open in 2014.

While the emergence of the term "medical mile" as a way to describe the likely candidates for new developments in the neighborhood alongside Franciscan Health System's complex at one end and MultiCare's complex on the other may seem like a catchy phrase to some, others fear new developments of medical offices could come at a cost of open space, small shops and neighborhood amenities.

"I don't really know if the community is ready to accept that," said Hilltop Business District President Eric Crittendon.

Crittendon is a Realtor at John L. Scott as well as a property owner in the neighborhood. He said some residents worry that the projected flood of commercial developments slated under the city's projections could translate into troubles for people who live there.

The lead city planner on the project, Brian Boudet, said the current study is meant to address those concerns with the recognition that MLK is a residential neighborhood for approximately 3,000 residents as well as 12,000 jobs. Those numbers are projected to jump to 13,000 residents and 22,000 jobs in the coming decades. The plan seeks to prepare for that growth by being proactive and looking at the infrastructural changes needed to accommodate new jobs and residents on the horizon. Those issues involve upgrading of power, water and sewer lines to handle higher densities than the current stock of pipes and overhead wires can handle, for example, but also involve transportation issues such as potentially extending light rail to the area.

"That is a major discussion," he said.

This plan takes the current zoning rules and looks at the neighborhood as if it reached full capacity under those codes as a way to determine infrastructure needs such as road and utility improvements as well as community assets such as parks and businesses. Of course, a section of the plan will outline ways to actually pay for these neighborhood upgrades.

The planning process is being funded through a $100,000 grant from the state's Department of Commerce and some $250,000 from Tacoma in the form of staff time. The preliminary project goals and policies will be available this summer with a draft environmental impact statement ready for review in the fall.

"From our perspective, this is important work," said Franciscan Health System spokesman Gale Robinette, noting that about a third of the neighborhood's employment has ties to its medical operations. "St. Joseph Medical Center has been in the neighborhood since 1891. We plan to be here for the next century and beyond. This is our home."

Council approves skybridge for new health care building

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 13:11:09 -0800

Franciscan Health System received a green light from Tacoma City Council on Feb. 14 to proceed with a skybridge that will connect St. Joseph Medical Center with Franciscan Medical Building at St. Joseph. The $60 million, 120,000-square-feet building is currently under construction.

The council's action gives Franciscan the air rights to a section of South 'J' Street between South 16th and 17th streets. The health care provider paid $10,780 for this. Public Works Director Dick McKinley said half of this money would go to pay for transportation projects and the other half will go into a fund to preserve open space.

Eight members voted for the ordinance. The only one who did not was Marty Campbell, who abstained from voting. Campbell said he has concerns about how a skybridge fits with overall urban planning. He also expressed objections to the process used.

The process was unusual due mainly to unforeseen impacts of the recession. The council discussed this earlier in the day during its study session. Kurtis Kingsolver of the Public Works Department said Franciscan first approached city staff about the project in 2007. The project stalled and went through a redesign. Franciscan came back to staff last year with the revised project, which added an additional 50,000 square feet to the structure.

One topic of discussion was a potential streetcar line on Martin Luther King Jr. Way, with a potential loop running along this street. The skybridge will be 16.5 feet tall. Kingsolver said Sound Transit staff told city staff that in order to accommodate cars and a streetcar on this street, the skybridge would ideally need to be 20 feet tall. He said making this change now would be problematic, in part because it would require a ramp to comply with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act.

McKinley said running a loop on this street would be quite expensive. He added that the skybridge would be used to transport patients from one building to the other, to avoid having to take them outside and move them at street level.

Campbell said he was "frustrated" with the process and that it seemed to him the council had no choice at this point but to approve selling the air rights. He noted that there is only one current member of the council, Jake Fey, who was in office in 2007 when the project was originally presented to the city.

Councilmember Lauren Walker, who represents Hilltop, said there has been adequate discussion between city officials and neighborhood residents about this aspect of the project.

Improving access to health care

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 13:09:35 -0800

As director of Tacoma/Pierce County Health Department, Dr. Anthony Chen is committed to improving access to health care for area residents. He discussed this during the Feb. 9 meeting of Tacoma City Council's Public Safety, Human Services and Education Committee.

In Nov. 2007, 72 percent of Tacoma voters approved passage of Proposition 1. It called upon the council to pass a resolution requesting state and federal lawmakers to enact legislation to provide health care for everyone.

Chen has done some research on how to achieve better access to health care for area residents. The resolution passed by the council called for convening a panel to recommend steps the city and private employers can take to improve insurance coverage.

The percentage of people under the age of 17 in Pierce County with no health insurance is small, just 1.7 percent. Since 1994, that figure for adults has ranged between 10 and 20 percent.

There have been several factors that have emerged since 2007. One is the downturn in the economy. Pacific Lutheran University's Wellness Clinic closed in 2009. Community Health Care stopped accepting new patients.

Chen said RotaCare Free Clinic, which is supported in part by Tacoma Rotary 8, was established in 2009. It provides free healthcare on Pacific Lutheran University campus one night a week. Patients are referred by neighborhood clinics. Chen said 95 percent of patients are Tacoma residents.

There is a clinic in Parkland near the PLU campus that offers care to lower income people. Chen noted that MultiCare and Franciscan Health System have been very supportive of such efforts to increase access to health care. "They have been incredible partners."

That particular clinic serves 40 patients a week. In 2010 it served a total of 1,220 patients. The value of that care is $129,000. Chen said there were 2,800 hours of care donated by medical providers.

One emerging factor has been clinics operated by Qliance Primary Care Specialists and similar businesses that offer unlimited visits for a monthly fee. Chen said some of these plans are affordable, perhaps just $10 a month, but they cover a limited amount of time if a patient needs to be hospitalized, around $1,000 worth of care. Chen said one day in a hospital can cost that much.

Chen said fields of health care that have a smaller profit margin, such as pediatricians, struggle to attract enough doctors. He said the trend in health care is to boost the profit margin by getting patients to have additional tests or X-rays. "Medicine is a business," he observed.

In 2009 Pierce County Project Access was started. This is a project of Pierce County Medical Society. There are doctors willing to donate some of their services for the poor, Chen pointed out. "Project Access allows for that," he remarked.

Council approves big-box retail rules

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 13:08:58 -0800

New rules will require more public notice and an additional conditional-use permit for big-box retail projects in Tacoma.

Controversy in the city about big-box stores emerged last year when it was revealed a developer planned to build a Walmart store at the intersection of South 23rd Street and Union Avenue. Public opposition led to Tacoma City Council enacting a moratorium on large-scale retail projects.

The city's Planning Commission examined land-use rules related to these projects and made several recommendations to the council. None will affect the Walmart store, because developers submitted plans before the moratorium was enacted. On Feb. 14 the council passed the final version of the changes.

Councilmember David Boe offered several amendments to the recommendations. One rule required developers to hold a public meeting before submitting an application. Boe's revision changed this to a recommendation. His colleague adopted this.

Another rule required notification of property owners within 1,000 feet of a proposed project. Boe wanted to reduce this to 400 feet, which is used for rezones.

Several members objected to this. Councilmember Ryan Mello noted that Bellarmine Prep is more than 400 feet from the proposed Walmart. The Catholic high school will be impacted by it, as would residents of apartment complexes.

Councilmember Lauren Walker called Boe's idea "a red flag."

Justin Leighton, president of Central Neighborhood Council, testified in opposition to Boe's idea. His organization has been a vocal critic of the Walmart project. Leighton said the city should do more to increase opportunities for public input.

Mayor Marilyn Strickland said Tacomans will learn about high-profile projects, regardless of whether the city mails out notices.

Boe pointed out notices mailed by the city go to property owners, who could live in another city and state. Apartment residents, for example, would not receive them. Boe, an architect, said if the city puts up enough obstacles for developers, they may choose not to build projects in Tacoma.

The council voted to reject this. They did approve the rest of Boe's amendments.

The threshold for such projects will be 65,000 square feet in most commercial zones, but only 45,000 in some cases.

City Briefs

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 13:08:02 -0800

NEW TIGER ARRIVES AT ZOO

Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium is welcomed a new Sumatran tiger on Wednesday and staff hope his presence will result in new cubs.

Malosi, a male tiger from Honolulu Zoo in Hawaii, is coming to Tacoma to breed with Jaya, the zoo's female tiger and mother of the two tiger cubs born in 2010. Malosi – whose name means strong and powerful in Samoan – is three years old. He has not yet fathered a litter of cubs.

"We're very excited about Malosi's arrival and the pair's potential to produce cubs," said general curator Karen Goodrowe Beck. "The Sumatran tiger is critically endangered and we are working hard to protect and boost the population of this extraordinary species."

Goodrowe Beck coordinates the North American Sumatran tiger Species Survival Plan as part of a global effort to ensure the long-term sustainability and health of zoo-based tigers by creating the best possible breeding pairs.

There are about 200 Sumatran tigers in zoos around the world, including 70 in the United States. Point Defiance Zoo has three of the tigers: Jaya, her year-and-half old cub Bima and his father Bali.

This tiger sub-species is native to the Indonesian island of Sumatra. But poaching and habitat loss have caused the wild tiger population to dwindle to fewer than 300. Breeding tigers helps sustain the zoo-based population and raise public awareness about the importance of conserving the tigers in the wild

SUMMIT AWARD NOMINATIONS

Port of Tacoma seeks nominations of customers and tenants for the Summit Awards. These recognize leadership in three categories. Business Magnet recognizes port customers or members of the supply chain, such as shipping companies and logistics providers, for development efforts and investments that lead to new business opportunities. Livable Community is for customers or tenants who have a project or program that demonstrates positive contributions to Pierce County through social responsibility. Criteria include philanthropy, community service, employee volunteering and public outreach. Environmental Stewardship is for customers or tenants who have a project or program that supports sustainability and honors biodiversity and the interconnected nature of industry, people, wildlife and natural systems. Nomination forms can be found at www.portoftacoma.com/summits. They are due by 5 p.m. on Feb. 17. They can be e-mailed to lkvidera@portoftacoma.com or faxed to (253) 593-4534. The awards will be presented on April 24 during the port's annual customer breakfast.

LEGISLATIVE TOWN HALL

State Representatives Jeanne Darneille and Laurie Jinkins and State Senator Debbie Regala, all Democrats from Tacoma, will host a town hall meeting for residents of the 27th Legislative District. They will discuss the challenges faced by the Legislature entering the 2012 session, the accomplishments of the first half and goals for the second half of the session. The legislators will take questions and suggestions from the audience. It will take place at 10 a.m. on Feb. 18 at the Tacoma campus of Evergreen State College, located at 1201 6th Ave.

NALLEY VALLEY UPDATE

Work on the Nalley Valley viaduct project will move to South Tacoma Way this week. Crews are expected to be doing demolition through the end of this month. South Tacoma Way may be reduced to one lane in each direction at times. There may be single-lane closures on Center Street to allow trucks to haul demolition debris from the job site.

VISITATION HONORS MCCARTHY

Tacoma resident John McCarthy, class of 1963, has been chosen as distinguished alumnus of Visitation Catholic School. He has been a judge in Pierce County Superior Court since 1997. From 1992 to 1997 he was a judge in Pierce County District Court. He served on Port of Tacoma Commission from 1983 to 1992 and practiced law from 1975 until becoming a judge.

He has served on the board of Boys & Girls Clubs of South Puget Sound and Broadway Center for the Performing Arts. He has volunteered at Mount Rainier National Park and been an official for high school football and basketball. His wife Pat serves as Pierce County executive. They have four children and seven grandchildren.

Located in South Tacoma, Visitation was established in 1925. It instructs children from kindergarten through eighth grade.

LAST DAY OF SCHOOL

Tacoma Public Schools has announced that students will attend school June 20-22 to make up for the three school days lost to snow in January. Tacoma School Board previously approved those dates as official snow make-up days as part of a series of calendar revisions made last September. At this time, the district will not seek permission or apply for a waiver from the state to avoid making up those schools days lost to snow.

"Our highest priority is giving our students as much instruction as we can," Superintendent-elect (Interim) Carla Santorno said. "That is why, after looking at all our options and considering the length of the school year, we are opting for the extension through June 22."

However, should the district lose any additional school days to inclement weather, Santorno said she would reconsider asking the state superintendent of public instruction for a waiver to prevent the Tacoma school year from running beyond June 22, and into another week of summer.

MURALS PROJECT SEEKS SITES

If your neighborhood is a victim of blight and vandalism, the city government wants to hear from you. Tacoma Murals Project seeks community groups who would like a mural painted at a specific site in their neighborhood. The neighbors will pair teams of trained and qualified artists with selected groups and the artist teams will design and implement murals that reflect the research collected from the surrounding community.

The project requires participation by residents who are committed to their neighborhoods and agree to be actively involved and open to the creative ideas of the assigned artist team. Selected applicants will be provided with a funded mural, including supplies and artist compensation; a mural-artist team to design and implement a mural; technical assistance and general promotion of the project. In return, the selected applicants will be a resource to the artist team for research, stories and content; assist in community coordination; agree to maintain the mural after completion; and contribute in-kind resources or cash to support associated meetings with residents and a mural dedication.

Proposed mural walls must be on commercial or public property and located within the official city limits of Tacoma. Priority will be given to sites located in Community Based Services areas within Tacoma and/or sites in areas without a good representation of public art. Permission of property owners is required.  Those interested in applying may download the Tacoma Murals Project, Call to Community Groups, at www.tacomaculture.org/arts/opportunities.asp. More information and examples of past murals may be found at www.tacomaculture.org/arts/murals.asp. Information is also available by calling (253) 591-5191 or by e-mailing nstrom-avila@cityoftacoma.org. Deadline for submissions is April 2.

LEMAY BRINGS ON OFFICIAL RACE TRACK

State Farm Presents LeMay – America's Car Museum (ACM) and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca (MRLS) have entered into a reciprocal marketing agreement that provides advertising and display opportunities for the museum during events at the raceway in Monterey, Calif., with similar opportunities for MRLS at the new automotive museum opening in Tacoma in June.

Under the five-year agreement, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca will become the "Official Race Track of America's Car Museum," receiving advertising opportunities in museum publications and access to ACM's Club Auto satellite facilities.

"Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is one of the world's great racing circuits," said Dominic Dobson, chief development officer for ACM and a former Indy Car racer who has competed at MRLS. "Motorsports enthusiasts from around the world come to races there, and this is an audience we'd like to attract to the museum. This partnership will benefit both parties tremendously."

The four-level, 165,000-square foot ACM will officially open in Tacoma Saturday, June 2 and be home to 500 cars, exhibits and more. The museum campus features a theater, banquet facilities, a café and a 3.5-acre outdoor show field. ACM anticipates more than 425,000 visitors will tour the facility annually.

Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca hosts some of racing's most prominent events, including the American LeMans Series Monterey, presented by Patrón; the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion; and the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix MotoGP race. MRLS is home to the treacherous "Corkscrew," a left turn/right turn combination that drops 109 feet between turns eight and nine.

The MLRS promotional agreement includes exhibit space for ACM during specified event weekends at Mazda Raceway, where ACM will be able to display vehicles and provide information to spectators about the Museum and its upcoming events and exhibits.

"This agreement partners two of the top automotive venues on the West Coast, so there is a natural synergy between our organizations," said Gill Campbell, CEO and general manager of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

Police Blotter

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 12:56:42 -0800

WOMAN CHARGED WITH MURDER

Leah Marie Aguilar Alvarez pleaded not guilty on Feb. 2 to charges of first-degree murder, first-degree robbery and conspiracy to commit murder. The charges are related to the 2010 shooting death of Tacoma resident Saul Lucas-Alfonso. He was fatally shot in an alley by men who were seeking to collect a debt from another man but instead confronted the victim. In court documents, prosecutors claim Alvarez helped plan the altercation and purchased the gun used. Her husband, Byron, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder in the case. She is being held in jail in lieu of $1 million bail.

SHOOTING RULED JUSTIFIED

Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist has concluded the shooting of Aaron Michael Westby by sheriff's deputy Chad Helligso was justifiable homicide following an investigation into the incident, which occurred last October. Helligso and his partner Chris Olson were investigating a stolen truck, which reportedly had a handgun inside. They had information that Westby, who was wanted on a felony warrant, had the vehicle. Sheriff's deputies spotted it in an alley in the 1900 block of South 'M' Street. As they approached they saw Westby exit a residence and walk toward the truck. They ordered him to get on the ground. Instead he got in the truck and locked the door. Helligso could not see inside due to tinted windows. He smashed one out and ordered Westby out. Westby refused and repeatedly yelled that he had a gun and was going to shoot the deputies. Helligso deployed a taser, but it had no effect. Olson saw Westby reach under the dashboard. Olson warned Helligso, who shot Westby in the head. Police found no gun in the vehicle. A high concentration of methamphetamine was found in Westby's bloodstream.

"Mr. Westby repeatedly claimed to have a gun, threatened the officers and refused to cooperate. This created a situation where deputy Helligso resorted to deadly force to protect himself and his partner," Lindquist said. "Deputy Helligso's actions were lawful given the circumstances he faced."

MAN SHOT BY COP DIES

A man who died Jan. 31 after being shot by a Tacoma police officer in November has been identified as Austin Welling. The 18-year-old Tacoma resident passed away at Harborview Medical Center. Welling was driving a stolen vehicle when he was stopped in an alley on the East Side. He used the vehicle to hit the patrol car and was fired upon.

FELONIOUS YOUNG FEMALE

A 14-year-old girl was arrested on Jan. 31 after she allegedly fled from a stolen vehicle and tried to assault a police officer. A truck was stopped in the 2600 block of South Tacoma Way for reckless driving. The girl jumped out of the driver's seat and ran. After a short chase, the girl reportedly struck and tried to use pepper spray against the officer. Other officers arrived and the girl was arrests. She has at least 18 prior felony arrests and had two felony warrants out. The vehicle was reported stolen in Kent. Officers found merchandise stolen from Tacoma Mall inside. The girl was booked into Remann Hall.

From Tacoma to Iwo Jima on the YMS 426

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 12:49:28 -0800

The U.S.S. YMS 426 was a minesweeper built in Tacoma at Mojean-Ericson Shipyard. My father, Motor Machinist Mate First Class William Elliott Johnston, was stationed in Tacoma while it was being built. My parents lived at 711 S. 'K' St. (now a parking lot.) The commissioning party was held at the Swiss in October 1944. Following that the ship left for California.

On Dec. 3 my father and the crew of the YMS 426 were given three hours notice they were leaving San Francisco for Pearl Harbor.

Dad had expected my mother to join him in California during the four-month "shake down" of the newly commissioned ship. Mom had been with him the year before and lived with his aunt in Berkeley. Orders were issued that no one was to inform anyone, including family, they were sailing. For an unknown amount of time the YMS 426 just disappeared.

Dad starting writing Mom a letter on Dec. 4 telling her where he was and what he would be doing over the next two months, only ending after the ship's first tow runs at the beginning of the invasion of Iwo Jima.

Dad knew exactly what he was doing. "I am going to keep writing to you letters the censor would not let go … when I have a chance I will send them back to the states in one stack." He also developed a code he could tell Mom where he was without the Navy censor cutting it out of his letters. "If I happen to mention 'Phil' in some silly way you will know I am in the Philippines Islands. Otherwise I will still be at Guam or Saipan."

I found the letter tucked among family papers going back to the 1920s and in a Japanese bamboo suitcase Dad had picked up somewhere. It was tied with string and buried under bundles of letters Mom had written Dad from when they met in September 1941 to October 1945. Undisturbed for more than 60 years, I was not really aware of this treasure of family history as I started to read them.

Not only did the letters provide insight into the daily lives of sailors in one of the more hostile environments of World War II and to the reactions of sailors to the very real dangers surrounding them daily, I read the deep love my father had for my mother. My Mom was pregnant with me when Dad left and he wrote "I am glad that 'Jake' (my nickname even after I was born) is coming. He should be quite a boy or girl when I see him." I was six months old when Dad got home. I enjoyed reading his several affectionate references to 'Jake.' All too often in the years to come our relationship would be rocky and distant.

As the YMS 426 crossed the Pacific he wrote "This ship sure does leak! Water is coming down nearly all the bulkheads in the engine room and there is a creek running by my bunk – I have my eye on it." On reaching Pearl Harbor Dad was surprised. "Pearl Harbor has more ships in one spot than I have ever seen before … there must be something big coming up." There was and he was going to be right in the middle of it.

Starting the end of December Dad recorded the YMS 42 left Pearl Harbor and was on patrol or part of several convoys between Guam, Saipan and Eniwetok. "I hear we are going to within four miles of some Jap-held islands in the Marshalls. I hope we get to fire a few rounds from the three-inch into them." He complained "last night we had a sub prowling around. We made a good run on it, but the captain lost his nerve and did not drop any charges. So it went deeper and went under one of the tugs and we lost it."

On Jan. 17 they tied up off Saipan and he wrote the ship was "welcomed by an air raid – the Japs were trying for the B-29 field at the other end of the island. It was a very nice show and I enjoyed it very much."

The first week of February there was "a lot of talk about taking over the Bonin Islands (Iwo Jima) some 700 miles north of us and the same distance south of Tokyo and a couple of days later we found out for sure we were going." The YMS 426 left Tinian to join the rest of the sweeps. He reasoned "It seems we are going to sweep for two days before they land and at some time shell the beach."

Sounding optimistic, Dad wrote "We are going to start sweeping tomorrow so I will find out how it works out." Then he added "I had better not send you this letter until we are all finished with the landings and sweeping or you would be worried – but the way it looks to me it will be quite safe."

Navy archives record "Minesweepers started at one minute past sunrise (on Feb. 16, 1945). Poor visibility. Couple of minesweepers up West Coast but drew no fire." But the YMS 426 did draw fire from the beach. Dad reported "We started to go in twice but they had some 40 millimeters that chased us back. The battleships and cruisers would open up and finally knocked them out."

The YMS 426 "….made our first two runs without sweeping any mines. I do not think they have any. We came within 500 yards of the beach and had lots of nice firing at a gun emplacement when someone started to climb out. He must have heard the shell coming because he jumped back in just as it hit." Being shot at from the beach was not the only danger. "Last night we had an air raid – one of the battleships knocked down an airplane … it looked rather pretty all afire coming sailing out of the sky."

The last page of the letter was written on the night of Feb. 17 and ends. Never sent and unread for 60 years! The Marines started landing at Iwo Jima on Feb. 19. There were 20,000 Japanese dug in and 90 percent of them would be dead before the American victory, which came at the cost of 6,000 Marines lives. A high price paid for the island, creating a critically needed landing field for B-29s bombing the Japanese mainland. The landing was made possible by the formidable Navy armada that started with three days of pre-landing preparations. Minesweepers cleared the waters for the landing and supplies to support it.

My Dad was part of the operation from day one. His role in his historic drama was just one in the thousands involved in the invasion of Iwo Jima and he survived when many thousands did not. Dad talked about his experiences in World War II because he understood the history he had been part of and he wanted his children to understand how important it was to our country, the lives of his fellow sailors and our family history.

I only wish I had listened more and asked more questions. Although I remember an evening when I was about 15. I told Dad if I ever joined the military I would be a Marine and he said "Let me tell you what I saw at Iwo Jima."

Did I mention I am a veteran of the United States Air Force?

Bill Johnston is a North End resident who occasionally contributes guest editorials for the opinion page of Tacoma Weekly.

Guest Editorial: Voters should expect tax measure on ballot this spring

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 12:40:31 -0800

The 60-day session of the Legislature looks so far to be one of the more difficult sessions in recent history with the collision of budget, tax and reform interests.

Keep in mind this is an election year so do not expect the same outcomes as 2011, when a few moderate Senate Democrats allied with Republicans to pass some very controversial laws. One of the leading moderates is running for Congress and two others are running for statewide office. They are not likely inclined to alienate key Democratic constituencies by voting with Republicans on controversial reform proposals. Furthermore, all of the House and a third of the Senate are up for election, a few of which will be doing so in new districts (given the work of the redistricting commission) and in an early August primary. This will give legislators even more incentive to complete their work as quickly as possible.

The key issue is passing a budget to address a $1.5 billion deficit. There are many different ways to get there and just as many ideas as to which method is the best to use.

In its December special session, both the Senate and House completed hearings on the governor's budget and listened to stories on the devastating impact of an all-cuts approach to our schools, colleges, the poor and seniors. These cuts hit the essential services of the state, leaving the safety net in tatters. There is a growing consensus in Olympia, and I might add, in the state, that we must address this budget deficit by raising new revenue.

In her budget document the governor proposed a temporary ½ cent increase in the sales tax to buy back the cuts to education, raising $500 million for schools and colleges this year, and $1 billion in the next biennium. This would be the first time the sales tax has increased since 1983, but would still require a $1 billion cut in programs such as K-12 education, higher education, corrections and many safety net programs.

Many legislators feel that voters will not agree to an increase in sales taxes, unless such a proposal is accompanied by additional proposals to address the inherent unfairness of our regressive tax structure. Anticipating this, the governor did propose additional revenue options of approximately $400 million addressing closure of tax loopholes and a tax on windfall profits.

More populist minded legislators believe that a high earner income tax must be included in a revenue package. We will probably see a millionaire's tax proposal in some form, accompanied by a constitutional amendment to ensure that such a tax would not be extended to the middle class without a vote of the people. A second interesting proposal is a tax on capital gains earnings that reach certain benchmarks.

It is unlikely that a sales, income, capital gains or any other tax or loophole closure could pass with the required two-thirds majority vote in the Senate or House, given the fact that many Republican legislators have signed a no new tax pledge. This most likely means that you, the voter, will see a referendum that would allow you to decide whether we should create new sources of revenue or if we should continue to rely solely on cuts to balance the books.

Many legislators have indicated they will not consider revenue options without further reform in state government. These proposals include privatizing the lottery, reforming teacher evaluations, charter schools, eliminating the liquor board, creating a new state pension system, and the list goes on and on.

The politics of reform are equally challenging. Keep in mind that the Legislature has already cut roughly $10 billion from the budget over the past three years and initiated many reforms in government. A topic worthy of special mention is the unemployment insurance system, where we actually were able to increase benefits and reduce taxes for most businesses in our state during a recession, one of the few states to do this.

A second major area of reform has been our corrections system, where through sentencing and prison reform we are viewed as a model in our nation. A recent Pew Research Poll rated our state's pension system as one of the best funded in the nation. This is also the result of reforming the system.

Certainly the Democratic majorities in the Senate and House will not pass further reforms that harm their constituents. This likely will mean reform agendas must be limited in nature unless there is a bipartisan revolution in the Senate and House, which is unlikely, especially in the House during an election year. Furthermore an aggressive reform agenda that alienates Democratic Senators and House members would make it more difficult to pass a budget or revenue referendum package.

I predict that revenue proposals will be limited in scope and that Democratic majorities in the Senate and House will send a revenue package to the voters and a proviso in the budget to embrace many of the governor's cuts if rejected. So prepare yourselves for a referendum in the spring.

All members of the Senate and House, Democrat and Republican, agree on the need for a jobs package in this session.

State Senator Steve Conway (D-Tacoma) represents the 29th Legislative District.

Letter to the Editor: Justice

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 12:38:56 -0800

Dear Editor,

I was deeply touched by the article David Hardt wrote ("Justice for ice cream vendors," TW 1/27). I have read his articles over the years and I am always impressed with his thoughtfulness and timely articles. It is good to see such a talented writer who can tell a story with words that relate to regular life. I love this paper because of stories like this. 

Amy Dickerson
Tacoma

Letter to the Editor: Remembering Neil Turner

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 12:37:10 -0800

Dear Editor,

On Jan. 11, 2012, Private Neil Isaac Turner was killed in Afghanistan due to a training accident. Neil Turner was born on May 28, 1990, on Memorial Day that year. He was born in Minnesota and moved to Tacoma almost seven years ago. He graduated from Lincoln High School with the class of 2008.

Neil Turner was always an uplifting man. He always cared for others more than himself. You never saw him without a smile on his face. When he enlisted into the Army two years ago, not many people were very excited about his decision. Then after his first time overseas, everyone realized how perfect he was to fight for our country and how positive he always stayed while being over in the war.

His last deployment to Afghanistan was amazing. Many men in his unit looked up to him. A story that was told by one of these men was that one day, the men saw a huge crowd of kids surrounding, jumping and screaming around him and wondered what was going on. Then they noticed that he took a backpack full of toys and candy for the children and was handing them out to all of them. It put a smile on Neil's face to see these kids smile and be happy about something. The kids over in Afghanistan absolutely loved Neil and always looked forward to seeing him.

The day of his death was unbearable, devastating, shocking and many other emotions no one should ever feel. Since I lived and grew up next door to Neil and his family, I was able to watch him grow up and become the mature young man he was. He always meant good things and never was in a bad mood. He lived life to the fullest and made thousands of memories with hundreds of people that will never be forgotten.

Private Neil Turner was 21 years old when he died, and Memorial Day this year lands on his 22nd birthday on May 28. Flags were raised at half-mast on Feb. 2 in his honor.

Tacoma lost an American soldier, a brother, a son, a friend and a neighbor. But most of all, a hero was lost, but he will never be forgotten.

Megan Scheidt
Tacoma

Letter to the Editor: People of Wal-Mart

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 12:34:58 -0800

Dear Editor,

On Jan. 30 Tacoma hosted a Shift Happens conference celebrating local and independent businesses as the heart and soul of our city's economy and identity. The main floor of the convention center was packed with new, blossoming and original ideas for Tacoma.

 On Feb. 3 I received a copy of the official notice from the city of Tacoma that the Wal-Mart on South Union Avenue had been essentially approved.

 It is hard to imagine a more glaring contradiction. Could anything be further from the energetic, visionary entrepreneur, staking everything on his or her life's dream than the sprawling icon of mass consumption and big-boxism incarnate – a super-size me scaled Wal-Mart? 

Wal-Mart might not be the paragon of evil, but it is certainly the paragon of tackiness and mediocrity. Tacoma's Wal-Mart, perhaps like every Wal-Mart, will stand as a monument to life dedicated to the lowest bidder – whether that be vendors, land, buildings, tax concessions, local laws or politicians. Wal-Mart, for better or worse, lives by its own rules. Perhaps it is inevitable, but it certainly will not bring out the best in us. 

Thanks to this new Wal-Mart, citizens of Tacoma can increase their contributions of cash and jobs to the near-slave labor factory cities of China. And we, of Tacoma, might even earn our own page on the people of Wal-Mart website. 

So I say two cheers for more cheap goods from China.

Morf Morford
Tacoma

Opinion: New effort offers way for neighbors to help neighbors

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 12:28:03 -0800

A new website offers a good example of how Tacoma residents can connect and collaborate to make the city a better place to live. Folks on Facebook can learn about the efforts of "Friends helping Friends of Tacoma" and even join the cause. It is based on a similar group in Lewis County that helps residents there with everything from carpool buddies and new clothes for families in need to just words of encouragement. The local effort, for example, has a post by the East Side Neighborhood Council to offer tools for community cleanups and similar projects around the area.

In this era of dwindling city budgets, citizens may have to do more on the volunteer front. We welcome this initiative. Thank you, Tina Mcgee for stepping up and creating the social media effort to aid others.

Opinion: Scrap downtown parking cap

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 12:27:14 -0800

Tacoma City Councilmember David Boe has made a sensible alteration to recommendations by the city's Planning Commission regarding downtown parking regulations.

The commission completed its review and offered recommendations last November. It was tasked with examining opportunities to eliminate parking-related barriers to new development. Among its recommendations was eliminating a minimum parking requirement for new development, limitations on new or expanded on-site surface parking lots and a cap on the number of stalls allowed. Boe's amendment would eliminate the latter.

The proposed revisions could have long-lasting impacts on downtown development. Eliminating the requirement of a minimum number of parking stalls shifts the city policies to a market-based system. These changes would mean developers would no longer need to create an unnecessary amount of parking stalls, allowing them to tailor parking needs to the unique situations of the tenants who would occupy the building.

The cap on the number of stalls applies to what is called the International Financial Services Area, a section of the downtown core in the vicinity of Pacific Avenue and South 15th Street. This moniker was selected when the city and business leaders were working to keep Russell Investments in town, perhaps in a new office complex. German billionaire Erivan Haub holds a valuable parcel of open land at this location, which many view as ideal for a future large office building.

In contrast to what the Planning Commission recommended, Portland allows 36 percent more stalls. A cap on the number of stalls could turn developers away from downtown because they may be courting tenants who seek a larger number of stalls than what the city would allow under the plan.

Tacoma's major competition for professional firms seeking office space right now is not Seattle. It is nearby suburban areas such as Federal Way and Puyallup, less dense cities with office park complexes and ample, often free, parking. Putting unneeded restrictions on parking puts downtown Tacoma at a clear disadvantage and could cause such firms to locate in the suburbs.

Tacoma/Pierce County Chamber of Commerce and a number of business leaders oppose the maximum parking requirement. Those concerns have been examined by the council in its Environment and Public Works Committee, of which Boe is a member. His amendment is evidence that the council is tuned in to the concerns of business. Sometimes the Planning Commission is not. As Mayor Marilyn Strickland said this week, this is a matter best decided by market conditions.

We urge approval of Boe's amendment when the matter comes up for a vote of the full council during its Feb. 21 meeting.