Typical week
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Just barely a positive quality of life this week
by Volcano Staff
Mar 13, 2008
Seattle-based hotelier Hotel Concepts resubmitted plans for conversion of the old Heidelberg Brewery building into a Holiday Inn. Unlike the last mockup, this one looks like it won’t be completely hideous. PLUS 1
Tacoma’s surf-rock band The Ventures was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Monday. They performed their first hit, “Walk, Don’t Run,” and “Hawaii Five-O” during the extravagant ceremony full of hairy paunches, stale pot smoke and enough Ben-Gay to choke a donkey. With record sales approaching 100 million, The Ventures are the best selling instrumental rock band in music history. Proud. PLUS 4
It used to be that a rainy day meant staying inside to watch television. Yet somehow the Weekly Volcano finds itself dodging the sidewalk pools of 955 Broadway, being splashed by passing cars, and sniffling my way toward a different destination: Woolworth Windows. This quarter Tacoma Contemporary, the nonprofit that selects art installations for the Woolworth Windows downtown, fills the space with works by Issei Watanabe, Kelsey Parkhurst, Dana Brownfield, Melissa Balch, Justin Hahn and Celeste Cooning. A paper forest, salvaged plastic, and wacky clothing beats boards any day. PLUS 2
In an attempt at transparency, which seems especially important after the Charlie Milligan debacle and a recent reprimand by State Auditor Brian Sonntag for violating the Open Public Meetings Act, the Tacoma School Board chose a handful of semifinalists in the search for a new Tacoma School’s Superintendent on Wednesday, and better yet, released that list to the public. While this may represent a MINUS 4 for those being considered for the position who haven’t informed their current employers yet, overall more transparency from the Tacoma School Board is a good thing. Especially considering their track record. PLUS 2
This week a bill was unanimously passed by both the State House of Representatives and Senate that would mandate more training for bounty hunters. The bill would require bounty hunters to undergo a minimum of 32 hours of training before receiving a bounty hunting license. While the dramatic increase from the previous requirement of anywhere from four to 12 hours surely means better trained bounty hunters, the bill will do nothing about Dog the Bounty Hunter style hairdos and blatant overuse of muscle shirts within the industry. MINUS 3
The unsafe traffic congestion problem with large semi-trucks has been a constant and ever-growing issue in the City of Fife. The main roadway arterials were designed to be widened several years ago, but Fife has neglected to act appropriately and construct the roads. Instead, they have waited for every business alongside the main aertials to develop so Fife can acquire the property or make the businesses build frontage improvements themselves — instead of dipping into their own very wealthy City of Fife pockets. Other problems with building out the roadways have been acquiring tribal property, which the jurisdiction cannot condemn. MINUS 3
This week Elks Club owners Williams and Dame announced they were putting the troubled building back on the market. Reports indicate that the ailing economy made the challenging project hard to finance. MINUS 2
Total Pluses: 9
Total Minuses: 8
This Week's Quality of life: PLUS 1
