The voicemail went something like this:

“Dude, a big tree just went boom at the end of your street.”

The tree is located at Division and J Street next to the First Congregational Church. So… Division Street has been closed between I and J Street since 5:00. The last time we checked, it looked nearly clear. Big tree go boom.

The Rialto was packed last night for the screening of the 72 Hour Film Festival and its epic 3 hour marathon of 5 minute movies. As with previous years, there were certain restrictions on the movies. In addition to being shot, edited, and delivered in a (rainy) 72 hour period, every film had to include the the line “I feel like I’ve been here before,” a fortune cookie, a person blowing bubbles, and a museum.

It’s always hard after an evening like that to recap the entire night succinctly. 28 films. A range of topics. The usual stuff… Zombies. Drug Deals. Scenes of people running through the streets of Tacoma. Several awards. I’m happy that my garage wasn’t used for a climactic murder scene in somebody’s film this year…

So…

From the guys that brought you South 5 and South 5: True Grit, here’s the winner of “Best Use of Location” Tminus72.

“T-town’s got 72 hours left… what would YOU do?”

What would you do?

More coverage, results, and commentary at The Spew

Bonus

Here’s the Tacoma Gnome submission… that didn’t quite make it to the festival.

And the 2008 Winner, Army of Two.

And another one… Perkins Window.

A mobile crane lost control on the 15th Street hill downtown and crashed into poles and trees before finally stopping on a concrete barrier at 15th and Pacific. The accident happened just after 1:00 pm. No injuries were reported.

More at The News Tribune and lots of pictures at KFnet in T-Town

Man, we chose the wrong time for a long meeting …

We’ve touched on it a few times, but it’s important enough to call out again: Wright Park will have its Grand Opening celebration Saturday, May 10, from 1:00 to 3:00.

Check out the new paths, see the lakes, the new statues, play some basketball or horseshoes or even some lawn bowling.

Do you remember when Exit133 used to play bocce in Wright Park? It’s a new bocce season! We’ll be out there. Bring your set. Join the fun.

It’s a beautiful park. Go out and play.

Previously on Exit133

We just received word that Serenity Spa, the long awaited business on the first floor of the Roberson Building, will be opening May 15th.

Check out the new space during Art Walk on Thursday, May 15th. Or … there’s the open house on Saturday & Sunday, May 17 & 18th from 10am to 4pm.

Welcome to the neighborhood!

Lynn Di Nino has an opening at Mineral next Thursday (Third Thursday already!). The show is called “No Good Deed Goes Unpunished” and features “conceptual neckwear that explores a theme close to the artist’s heart: Martyrdom.”

Sounds intriguing. The show will continue through June 17.

Mineral is located at 301 Puyallup Ave, Suite A, formerly the site of Icebox Contemporary.

We noticed on the Inside the Editorial Page that Wright Park will have free wireless access in time for their Saturday “Grand Opening.”

Wait, scratch that. As Seago notes, free wireless is already installed and working. We took it for a test drive, and so here we are … it’s a beautiful sunny day in the park, we’re here in the middle of it (with full Internet strength) writing away.

Nancy Johnson at MetroParks tells us that they will let Wright Park serve as a pilot program for up to a year as they assess whether this gets people out into parks. The servers will be able to count the number of log-ons and a survey will help them crunch the data as well.

It’s sunny warm(ish) and there are people all over Wright park. Ask your boss, maybe you can work from here too …

Link to Inside the Editorial Page

Tomorrow at 7:00 pm, roughly 30 short films will be screened at the Rialto Theater. This is the 4th annual 72 Hour Film Competition, and we can tell you from past years that it’s a pretty fun night.

All the films were all made during a 3 day period last weekend—written, shot, edited and scored in 72 hours.

One of the films has already been released on YouTube after some technical difficulties prevented it from being submitted back to the Grand in time. You can find it on the Tacoma Gnome blog, as it stars the Gnome in his first “talkie” motion picture.

Tickets for tomorrow night’s event are on sale at the Grand now ($9 for members of the Grand, $11 for non-members).

What: 72 Hour Film Competition
When: Friday, May 9, 7:00 pm
Where: Rialto Theater

With the Tall Ships Festival approaching and the comments of Lars Gemzoe’s presentation to the Tacoma City Council about the lack of connection to our waterway still ringing in my ears, Imagine Tacoma project #6 revisits the connection of the Thea Foss Waterway to Pacific Avenue at South 15th Street and Hood Street.

Using the existing infrastructure as a framework, imagine some modifications:

South 15th Street and Pacific Avenue
Remove the vehicular access going East on 15th Street and create a strong pedestrian walkway connection to the Foss Waterway. Possibly modify the end of the 705 Exit with a marker that is representative of the Foss Esplanade Walkway (and add concrete bollards similar to those at the end of the Chihuly Bridge).

Under-a-duct
An artwork installation under the exit ramp for the Tacoma Gnome? Maybe hire the Jersey Devils to create another ‘Fremont Troll?’ I have heard that the Fire Department wants to keep the South 15th Street access from Pacific Avenue – but with an improved South 14th Street, maintaining access down Hood Street AND the new ‘East D Street Overpass’ nearing completion, the access is there – just not as incredibly convenient (seems I would have a greater concern with the LINK).

Vehicle Circulation
Reinforce South 14th Street at the entrance to the Thea Foss Waterway from I-705 (another marker?) Separate this traffic down ‘Court A’ from the pedestrians with concrete barriers and landscaping.

Connection to the Foss
It this already in the works? There already seems to be a ‘block-out’ for extending the South 15th Street pedestrian route to a stair tower for access direct to the Foss Esplanade Walkway.

Hood Street
Make Hood Street a one-way down from Pacific Avenue until it reaches the TAM parking lot – this will allow for greater separation of the roadway from TAM and allow for a landscaping edge along the building’s facade. There already are great mature street trees – and they are all the same species!

Kinetic Artwork Marker on Pacific Avenue
How about a design commission/competition for a kinetic sculpture that is inspired by the Murray Morgan Bridge, the history of the Thea Foss Waterway, and the TAM. McChesney Architects have created such a sculpture/pavilion in Blackpool that is pure delight. Let’s out Hammer the Hammering Man (and really – doesn’t the Hammering Man really belong in Tacoma?).

Activity Park
Imagine a hardscape Activity Park under the I-705 elevated structures – a mountain bike challenge course and/or skateboard chutes – designed artistically (envision concrete waves) partially covered and could have lighting from above.

Let us make the connections to the Thea Foss Waterway a high and vital priority as the City of Tacoma implements urban design du jour projects.

Callaghan joined the Davita discussion today with a few questions.

He starts by tracing Davita’s possible move back past Russell to Boeing and sports franchises who threaten to pull up roots and relocate. And then he looks forward and asks, “who’s next?” Which companies are we willing to lose? Does the ability to move determine when policymakers start sending out the incentives? Is it fair to not collect taxes uniformly?

What do you think?

Link to The News Tribune

Previously on Exit133

Do you have a Bank of America credit card? Check your wallet, because if you do, you can get in to Tacoma Art Museum for free on the first Friday and Saturday and Sunday of every month between now and May 2009.

TAM is one of three museums in the state (and the only museum in Tacoma) that is a part of BofA’s “Museums on Us” program. 70 museums across the country are participating in the program. All it takes is a BofA check, credit, or ATM card.

FREE!

Link to Tacoma Art Museum

This listing came through our inbox and we thought… it looks kinda nice. Sure, it doesn’t have a garage, but it’s architecturally interesting and includes a spice rack, clawfoot tub, and a $60k price reduction. $269k for 2100 square feet of house near UPS. Who wants it?

Listed with ReMax

Usually I don’t like sporting events. I haven’t been to a Mariners game in ten years, and I know enough about football and basketball from the television to know I never need to go and see the real thing. All I can think about is how unreal it is, how massive and ugly of an industry it is, how an infinite number of commercial messages are being sent to my psyche at an immeasurable rate and how bad I was at sports in high school. Like that one time when that one guy pulled my sweats down while I was going for a jump shot I was going to miss anyway. Of course it had to be the day my sister decided to throw her new hot-pink towels in on top of the whites load, earning me the school wide nickname “hot-crotch”. Jocks are so clever.

However I have discovered a sporting event that I will probably attend again and again.

Rachel Moreshead, a member of my Tacoma family and owner of the Blackwater Café has recently been accepted to the Femme Fiannas, one of four teams that belong to the Dockyard Derby Dames: Tacoma’s own all-girl Roller Derby Club. This last Saturday I went to the indoor soccer center to watch Rachel skate and found Tacoma’s new pastime.

The soccer center had been taken over by some sort of rock demon. There was an extremely loud band playing in the corner when we walked in and even though the match didn’t start till seven, there was little to no seating around the temporary rink. We stood around for a bit and waited for the match to start, and I ran into all sorts of folks I know. (Why has everyone been hiding this from me?) Then the girls came out, all four teams at once, to warm up before the bout. One part glam-rock, one part cheerleader, one part Mike Tyson, and three parts razor blade up your sleeves, this was a mess of the most spectacular display of feminine prowess I have seen since I watched Barbarella Queen of The Galaxy when I was seven. I think the trick is to get there at six when the doors open, bring a lawn chair and set it up rink side. Chances are someone will get slide tackled into your lap. WOOT!

The rules were a little hard to understand at first, and the sound system pretty much made the announcer unintelligible. I found that if you keep your eye on the refs the game becomes a lot easier to understand. More than usually he is signaling the most recent score and the play. Its complicated, but I think this sport was born out of inner city roller rinks and the competitive nature of pack bred rolling makeup application.

Maria and I went up to the beer garden to see the match from the second story, and as if it couldn’t get any better, they had ONE DOLLAR MILLER HIGHLIFE TALL BOYS. You have to understand, I dislike cheap beer as much as I dislike the H3, but a DOLLAR?! That’s not cheap, that’s practically free, and somehow in the midst of all the girl on girl violence and yelling and smell of hot dogs, I finally realized why they call it the champagne of beers. I yelled obscenities when the other team scored, I said things like “YOU GO GIRL!”, I jumped up and down and gasped when bodies went spilling across the floor and into the crowd. I was possessed by some sort of estrogen spirit. It was awesome and I want more.

Once again Tacoma cuts through my surface judgments and preconceived notions to reveal how fun it is to get together and be our rowdy selves. I love this town and all of you in it.

These girls are hard. I mean like Sassy McButterpants hard. She should skate for the Hell Bound Home wreckers, but mostly because I think she would look great in high stripped stockings, and skates make you look taller. Oh goodness, I’m still feisty, nothing personal Sassy. Luckily, I have a month to cool off before the next event.

Details on the next Bout
Tickets are $10 from Rachel or one of the other skaters, $12 at the door.

BOUT 3 Saturday June 14
The Soccer Center 2610 Bay St E Tacoma, WA 98421
Visit them on the web at www.dockyardderbydames.com

Photos by Shawn McManus

If you haven’t clicked over to the Tribune yet, Dan Voelpel covered Suite133 in his column today.

He was in the office for a couple hours with us talking to some of the people who were in that day. We think he captures the benefits of the space pretty nicely … He also calls out a few local artists who grace our walls—Chip Van Gilder, R.R. Anderson, and Beautiful Angle posters. All this publicity makes us blush… (Hi Mom!)

Link to The News Tribune

Link to Suite133

The Political Buzz blog at the TNT has reported on a discussion from the Committee of the Whole meeting at City Council. Councilmember Ladenberg has proposed extending or removing the term limits for Council. Currently, Council is limited to two, four year terms, but under Ladenberg’s suggestions, the limits would be changed to three or removed all together. Her justification is the inability of Councilmembers to truly see projects to fruition.

Julie Anderson expressed concern that the possible move to a full time Council, and a removal of term limits would create career Councilmembers, who may be driven by a combination of incumbency, a big salary, and endless terms.

What do you think? Are Councilmembers unable to be effective because of leaving office? Or is the turnover necessary for new ideas?

Link to the Political Buzz

Photo by Whitney Rhodes

Okay, I’m about a week late on this one, but they’re still available… so… Element 20, the condo project in the 2300 block of Yakima Avenue and Court G is now available for sale. The units on MLS so far range in price from $389k for a 2 bedroom with 2.5 baths to $429k for 3 bedrooms 3.5 baths. They all seem to be in the 1500 plus or minus 200 square feet range. The project’s fourth floors are framed up.

With Lexington Square – down the hill at 23rd and G – also framing up, this neighborhood is continuing to evolve. Give us a little commercial and we may have something here.

Listed with Urbane Developments

Photo by Whitney Rhodes

Davita, provider of dialysis services and a major downtown Tacoma employer, is apparently on the hunt for a new northwest home base.

According to the Request For Information that went out on Monday, Davita is looking to build a new office somewhere between Olympia and Everett. They’ll need 200k square feet with expansion capabilities to 300k in five years, 700 to 1000 parking spots, and a price per square foot… that’s too low in our opinion to even talk about. Move in is expected in 2011.

The company is currently located in the historic Sandberg building at 15th and Pacific – a building that many of us remember for its iconic brown clad Schoenfelds glory prior to its restoration and the arrival of Davita in 1999.

Responses to the RFI were due by today.

The Political Buzz Blog is reporting that the Martin Luther King Housing Development Association will be ending its work with the homeless. It currently runs the City’s largest homeless shelter. The decision was affected by the recent recommendations to the City Council that MLKHDA not receive community block grants funds, but ultimately, the decision was to refocus on its core mission of developing housing for at-risk and low-income individuals.

MLKHDA is exploring the possibility of another agency taking over the shelter.

Link to Political Buzz Blog

We’ve heard from a few folks that they’re happy to see a decent selection of under $150k homes on the market. So, we decided to look and see what we could find.

These three homes are all in the same neighborhood. All are under $150k. Sure, they’re a bit on the small side, but it’s still a home… with grass and such. In this selection is (1) the fixer (2) the cute house and (3) the 3 bedroom for under $150k. The fixer should be obvious… the plywood front door implies that some work may need to be done. At least it has a new electrical box…

#1 is listed with Action Real Estate

#2 is Listed with Coldwell Banker

#3 is Listed with Parkside Realty

Photo by whitney rhodes

On Saturday, May 3rd, the Tacoma Art Museum is celebrating 5 years in its building at 17th and Pacific. Join the community celebration on Saturday from noon to 5 pm. Jazz. Storytelling. Dancers. Face painting. Cupcakes. A DJ. 5 hours of celebration.

Then, just to really mix things up in our world, we discover that TAM has launched a brand new website. Included in the new design is the ability for you to connect with the museum. Submit photos to their flickr feed. Follow the museum on Twitter. They’ve been busy…

Link to the Tacoma Art Museum

Lars Gemzoe’s presentation to the Tacoma City Council last week reinforced the basic historic concept that urban design is about the space between buildings – and that great urban spaces are conceived first and the buildings are designed to support this framework (which was hammered home the following night at the James Howard Kunstler Lecture when reviewing contemporary architecture and its relationship to the public realm).

So Imagine Tacoma project #5 revisits the design of the terminus of the Chihuly Bridge at Pacific Avenue next to the Washington State History Museum. Here within one block is a fine public urban space contribution to the City of Tacoma next to an embarrassing urban design hiccup.

The design of the History Museum and its grand arch at the terminus of South 19th Street at the foot of the UWT hill-climb is an urban gesture of compelling quality – with the arch having the added bonus of framing the tilted hot-shop cone of the Museum of Glass. And yet, right next door the Chihuly Bridge is ‘fenced off’ from Pacific Avenue – caged in to force pedestrians to detour through the Museum’s arch in hopes of spurring additional patronage to the Museum and related retail.

This is a classic example of parochial interests not understanding the greater community benefit of its actions – and how ironic it is a museum devoted to history that has taken this position.

The claim that a fence is needed in this location to stop vehicles from driving on the plaza above the subterranean auditorium below is a total red herring. Large decorative bollards spaced equally along the existing fence line will provide the needed protection – and has been a successful urban design tool for centuries (and provides some of the leaning/sitting amenity that Gemzoe presented as one of his 12 quality urban design elements).

So set the Chihuly Bridge free. Demonstratively celebrate this magnificent pedestrian connection to the Thea Foss – with maybe another Chihuly lollipop at the entrance from Pacific Avenue to herald its location on the Avenue.

If the History Museum would like additional presence along the bridge, install a kiosk to direct and entice pedestrians to become patrons (and maybe sell Chihuly ‘pops’ in the gift store?). This is an easy ‘fix’ and one that will only enhance the quality of the urban space as well at the esteem of the History Museum.

The Dockyard Derby Dames, Tacoma’s own ladies roller derby league, is in need of some help. They are looking for a new practice space after differences with Parkland’s Skate-N-Station skating rink. Other rinks have stepped up, but none have the amount of time to allow the league a regular practice location. The league which, in its third year, is run by the skaters with support from part-time volunteers.

A roller derby track measures approximately 100 feet long by 60 feet wide and requires a 10-foot perimeter around the track for skater safety. In addition, the track space needs to be free of poles or structural supports between the floor and ceiling.

Know a place that would work for the ladies? Contact Melanie at melanie.harding@gmail.com

Never seen a bout? You’re in luck! The next bout will be held May 3rd at the Tacoma Soccer Center (2610 Bay St. E., Tacoma) beginning at 7pm. Tickets are $10 in advance at Brown Paper Tickets or $12 at the door. 10% of tickets sold at the door go to a local charity.

So a question has been posed to us by several different people… what should go in the space below the Hub and right next door to Doyle’s? You know the space. It has that huge kitchen. Is a restaurant the right thing? Or, do we need something else there that complements the restaurants around it? What do you think? What would make the neighborhood?

Dear Sassy,

You’re smoking hot. I know this because you are smoking in your picture. When David Sedaris was in Tacoma, he said that he tells young girls that they should smoke because it will make them look cool and they will stay thin and get a boyfriend. I think he was joking, but who knows? What would you tell a teenage smoker? Kick the habit or smoke ‘em like there’s no tomorrow?

Sincerely,

The Smoking Hottie

Dear Hottie,

In the disguise of flattery you have deftly baited the hook for Sassy. To ask such a question of a chain-smoking alcoholic advice columnist shows questionable motives! Should I reveal my true position on smoking? What about all the young children who look up to me? They will start smoking and their parents will pressure this fine online publication to remove my column.

On the other hand- if I lie and tell everyone I hate cigarettes I will have compromised my journalistic integrity and jeopardized my Pulitzer! God forbid!

Here’s my message to the youth of America: Just like every decision in life (political party affiliation, beer of choice, Tacoma or Seattle) there are positives and negatives to each side. To smoke or not to smoke?

The surgeon general (and a number of other boring old people) tell us that smoking has all sorts of negatives including:

• It might give you cancer and is generally not good for your health
• A certain segment of society will instantly dislike you with a purity of hatred usually reserved for child killers
• Non smokers and people you want to snog might think you’re gross
• Smoking is pricey and bleeds your finances dry much in the same way a coke habit does
• Smoking will make your teeth yellow, so brush often and use whiteners
• Being corralled like a sad eyed cow into humiliating designated smoking areas

The Sassy General would like to remind you that there are also some benefits to smoking:

• You join a band of brothers, a subculture that unites black and white, rich and poor, republican and democrat. Famous Smokers include Oscar Wilde, Barack Obama, Shakira, Popeye the Sailorman, Camilla Parker-Bowels,and Claudia Schifer
• Smokers are thinner than non-smokers even when they ingest more calories
• It’s a great way to make new friends. With smokers, that is
• Smoking makes you look hot to some people (if you’re good at it)
• It makes you more qualified to play a villain in popular cinema

Those of us that enjoy the odd vice are being slowly and oppressively forced to reform by society. Why must one feel perpetually guilty about everything one does? Whether your vice is smoking, tanning, promiscuity, the McDonald’s $1 Menu, or watching 2 hours per day of television- your naughty habits are under attack.

That said, please understand that Sassy understands consequences. If you smoke 2 packs a day no one wants to hear you whine when you get cancer. If you love the drive thru and have a big bottom, don’t complain about not fitting in your jeans. If you dally with ladies of the evening, no one wants to hear you whine about your venereal diseases. If you watch 2 hours of Wife Swap per day no one wants to deal with your dumbness.

My advice is this- whether it’s smoking, drinking, doing it, or driving a car (the most dangerous habit of all) wait until you’re the legal age to engage in the behavior and decide for yourself. With the enjoyment of vice comes acceptance of the consequences of your actions.

Lots of love,

Sassy

Recommended Reading: Thank You for Smoking: A Novel by Christopher Buckley

Recommended Listening: Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk by Rufus Wainwright

Got issues? Sassy will set you straight! Send a question to asksassy@exit133.com

Photo by whitney rhodes

Maybe it’s been like this for a bit now, but we just noticed that the fence around the pond at Wright Park is gone. The Lady of the Lake, and the lake, are free!

We went for a quick walk around the pond today. Ducks swam in the water. Two couples walked with dogs. A painter sat on a picnic table… painting. The changes are really quite amazing. It’s looking great.

By the way – the Wright Park Re-Opening Celebration is scheduled for May 10th. We’ll see you there.

More information on the Wright Park Improvement Project

Heads up to those you of who have radios at your desk: Derek will be on KUOW 94.9 FM Thursday, May 1, (thats tomorrow!) from 9 – 10 am. Roxanne Murphy will be on the second hour from 10 – 11. We’re talking about Tacoma — economic development, arts, culture, and why we choose to live here.

Live radio! … this should be interesting.

You can also listen to the show live via the internet

Homelessness is always a hot topic in Tacoma. Recently, the MLK Housing Development Association indicated it may close the City’s largest emergency shelter. Tacoma’s chronically homeless make up just 10 percent of the homeless population, yet they use 50 percent of the resources for serving the homeless. What impacts would this closure have?

City Club’s May dinner is called “Compassion, Law & Order, Public Policy: Is There a Balance for Tacoma’s Homeless?” and will be held at Nativity House on Wednesday, May 7th.

The three dinner speakers represent a balance of perspectives—on public policy, law and order, and social justice—for addressing the rationing of limited resources for the homeless.

It should be an interesting evening.

Details
Wednesday, May 7, 2008, 6pm
Location: Nativity House, 2304 Jefferson, Tacoma, 6pm
Cost: $23 for members and $30 for non members
Website and More Information: www.cityclubtacoma.org

Reservations and cancellations for this program will be accepted through noon, on Monday, May 5.

Parking will be available at the nearby Commencement Bay Coffee Co., in the shelter’s small parking lot, and on the street. Club members will be on hand to guide you to the front door.

The Tacoma Fire Department will be hosting its annual kids’ safety and health fair on Saturday, May 3. Learn how to show – not just tell – your child safety and health tips. Preventable injury is the leading cause of hospitalizations and death for children. Children can spray a real fire hose and learn what to do in a fire by crawling through the smoke tunnel.

Look for the free car seat inspections, custom-fit helmets for $7 and $10, and U.S. Coast Guard approved life jackets for $12. Also, parents can bring their child’s immunization records if they would like them to receive a variety of free shots to stay current for school requirements.

Details
The Kids’ Safety & Health Fair
Saturday, May 3 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Foss High School gymnasium and parking lot
2112 S. Tyler St. behind Cheney Stadium in Tacoma.

For more information, contact Joe Meinecke at the Tacoma Fire Department at (253) 594-7900.

It’s a bit late to start training now, but just so you know, the Tacoma City Marathon is next week. Are you in? Are you out? Maybe you just want to watch. No matter what, look for lots of people running next weekend.

Good luck to all the runners. As we look out the windows toward the blue sky and drifting puffy black clouds… good luck on the weather as well.

Link to TacomaCityMarathon.com

Photo by whitney rhodes

Oh my goodness. Tonight was all about being heard.

• Two resolutions were removed from tonight’s agenda. One was removed in order to hold an extended discussion about the state of the Tacoma Mall mixed use center.

• Public comment period included many, many voices. The main topic was the Broadway LID, with William Riley and others speaking against it. However, they were outweighed by the large group in support of the LID. Several familiar faces including Erik B, Rick Jones, and Ken Abbott, among many others.

• A public hearing was held to hear comment on the new ADA plan for the City. The plan is intended to identify, and make recommendation on mitigating, barriers to citizens with disabilities. Overall, people are highly supportive and said the plan is very exciting. Many expressed concern and hope that the plan has teeth and there will be follow through. However, it seems, this group feel like they have finally been heard.

• Before the Broadway LID could be voted on in the purchase resolution, an appeal of the bid needed to be heard in a “quasi judicial” process conducted by Council. Active Construction, the second place bidder challenged Wm. Dickson, the winning bidder, on a question about a sub contractor. The issue is a list of approved companies for 2007 and 2008- one of Dickson’s subs didn’t have all paperwork finished on time for the 2008 list. They were told pre-bid this did not matter as they were on the 2007 list and paperwork was being worked on. This irregularity is a paperwork matter only not one of qualification or any other serious matter and the City has the authority to override this technical matter. The difference between the bids is $500,000. Flip charts. Raised voices. Comments. Rebuttals. The appeal was denied.

• Finally, what everyone has been waiting for, the purchase resolution including the Broadway LID. It was unanimously approved.

• Two other resolutions were passed this evening. One approving a contract for the Fire Department, and the other allowing for project employees on a number of public works projects. Honestly, by this point in the meeting we have a limited grasp of what happened.

And, so, an epic night with only 5 Councilmembers. Cheers to Councilmembers, Walker, Ladenberg, Manthou, Fey, and Strickland, for holding down the fort. Where was everybody else? It seemed awfully lonely up there.

You may have noticed Saturday morning, at about 10-10:30, the Murray Morgan bridge was raised. It stayed up all day, and no ships went underneath. Isn’t that strange? You may have also noticed a flier circulating around downtown for a series of events called Tacoma Smash I.C.E. that included some talks at Kings Books and the Mad Hat Tea company, the finale of which was a protest march from Peoples Park to the Immigrant Detention center on the tide flats. These kids did it right, at first, and got themselves a permit to march. As I understand, in order to get this permit you must mark your path, therefore the city knew they needed the bridge and told them they could use it. Giving the children the permit is permission to use the bridge. Why go back on your word? How absolutely cowardly and passive.

I happened to witness the march near its climax at the termination of the prescribed path. Swarms of police, a ridiculous amount of police, an outstanding show of force from the police, followed the protesters all over downtown and finally onto the bridge ramp where they began to say things like, “well, it seems the city decided to raise the bridge, so unless you are spider man or super man, looks like you aren’t getting over.” This was met with general expletive disapproval from the protesters. “F U, you are not funny, don’t talk to me.” etc. Even as a bystander obviously not engaged in the protest the police were downright hostile. Glaring at me and generally not returning friendly waves and attempts at communication.

The marchers decided to reroute, which broke their permit. Making the march illegal, at which point they were rushed by the police, where two arrests were made. Things got rough. I find this absolutely unacceptable. I called my friends who have been protesting (quite effectively) in Seattle for years. They said, “By law the city is required to make reasonable accommodations if the agreed upon route is unavailable. Also, raising the bridge is illegal.”

My friend Carson is a SOTA student. He was arrested Saturday and has been charged with Obstruction of Justice and Assaulting a Police Officer. My friend Carson is a gentle person, who cares about the rights of immigrants and decided to show his support in a very American way by exercising his freedom of speech. In my opinion, the overwhelming show of police force and the raising of the bridge took what was meant to be a legal and peaceful march for community awareness and turned it into a f*%king mess. I find the city at fault and I despise the message they are sending the youth who are trying to speak up about the injustice they perceive.

At the age of 16, Carson and his friends are conscious and aware enough to care about what they see happening in the world. These traits should be nurtured, encouraged and uplifted. It takes a village, remember? Our village is using intimidation and passive aggressive displays of their power to tell these kids they aren’t interested.

I want to know who is behind the scenes and pressing the buttons. Who the hell raised that bridge? I have some questions for you on behalf of the people you claim to govern. I’m sure you have all sorts of technicalities you can hide behind and loop holes in the permit process, and these may even hold up if you guys get sued over this. This does not excuse the poor, poor method this was handled. Things like W.T.O. happen because these kids have experiences like this and grow up knowing first hand just how corrupt our system is. These kids aren’t going to go away, and we as a city have an option to develop a relationship with protests and protesters that prevent the escalation of human emotion that starts riots and police beatings and all that dirty shit you are trying to stamp out by showing your power. Grow up Tacoma.

Do you remember that little project called the Broadway LID? It’s back on the agenda for today’s Study Session and Council Meeting. Apparently an acceptable bid has been submitted and Council will vote to approve (or not) this bid.

Wm. Dickson Company, on its bid of $10,985,807.85, excluding sales tax, budgeted from various funds, for the construction of the Broadway Local Improvement District No. 8645 project – Specification No. PW08-0188F;

Are we ready to try this again?

Previously on Exit133 (search)

Photo by whitney rhodes

With April just about done, Bike-to-Work month is just about to begin. Is your bicycle ready to roll? Find a friend. Pump up the tires. Put on that helmet.

Besides, if you live in Tacoma and work in downtown Tacoma, it’s most likely downhill from your house… we won’t mention the ride home.

Our bikes are dusted off and ready to go. Hmmm… maybe we should go one month without a car. Now that could be interesting.

A bit more information at PierceTrips.com

And here’s a City of Tacoma calendar of bike to work related events

Local photographer Chip Van Gilder is exploring “one more way to do something”, borrowing inspiration from the Chuck Close show at the Tacoma Art Museum. His photo portraits will be accompanied by Daniel Blue poetry.

The show will run May 1 – 31, and an opening reception will be held on May 2.

Impromptu
608 Fawcett
Thurs – Sat 4 – 8pm
253.572.9232

Link to their website