FREE s Friday, September 7, 2012
FOOTBALL RECAPS
VOICES UNITED FOR MARRIAGE
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OKTOBERFEST NORTHWEST
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TACOMAWEEKLY 24 YE A R S O F SE R V I C E BE C A U S E CO M M U N I T Y MAT T E R S
FIRST CREEK MIDDLE SCHOOL STARTS OFF SCHOOL WITH PARADE By John Larson jlarson@tacomaweekly.com
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n a warm, sunny afternoon on Aug. 31, First Creek Middle School held its first back-to-school parade in the nearby Salishan neighborhood. Staff members were joined by two Eagle mascots and the Lincoln High School drum line in walking PHOTO BY JOHN LARSON through the public housing development. Police officers on motorcycles were on hand to handle traffic, as a few streets were briefly X See PARADE / page A6
PHOTOS BY STEVE DUNKELBERGER
BACK TO SCHOOL. Children at Whittier Elementary School had new backpacks and school clothes for the first day of school, while parents snapped their fair share of photos to record the day. Herman the turtle in Lori Gallo’s kindergarten class clearly had mixed emotions about the start of a new school year as he did his ritual walk around the carpet one last time before the children arrived.
FIND MORE PHOTOS AT TACOMAWEEKLY.COM
SOUTH SOUND AIDS WALK 2012
Excitement builds for the area’s largest HIV/AIDS fundraising event REGISTRATION NOW OPEN
PHOTOS BY STEVE DUNKELBERGER
ROADWAY. Elected officials, like Tacoma
Mayor Marilyn Strickland (top), and neighbors clapped and sipped coffee at a roadopening ribbon cutting that meant Alaska Street is ready for drivers after months of construction.
Alaska Street reopens with smooth and scenic drive By Steve Dunkelberger stevedunkel@tacomaweekly.com
The end of delayed traffic and periodic road closures is here. City of Tacoma staffers, elected officials and area residents held a ribbon cutting to celebrate the completion of the “green” Alaska Street Roadway Project on Aug. 29. The roadwork included the addition of sidewalks, curb ramps, bike lanes, street lights, landscaping, porous concrete pavement and pedestrian islands to improve driver and walker safety as well as be better for the environment with improved storm mains, sanitary sewer mains and power lines. The roadway is now set to receive a “greenroads” certification for its environmental features. The almost complete reworking of the 5,400 feet of roadway between South 56th and South 72nd streets began in late 2011, which meant months of lane closures and detours. This segment was the last stretch of new roadway that now spans from South 38th to South 72nd streets and was coordinated with the nearby Metro Parks roster of improvements for Wapato Lake Park. “It was really fun to watch the park redevelopment alongside this project,” Deputy Mayor Joe Lonergan said, noting that the new road not only provides a scenic view of the park but the sidewalk intentionally dips into the park property to tie the park more into the neighborhood and make for a more enjoyable walk along the roadway. Money for the roadwork came from the City of X See ROAD / page A7
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TRANSIT TAX: Pierce Transit to hold open houses on Proposition 1. PAGE A2
PHOTOS COURTESY OF PCAF
RIBBONS AND WALKERS. The iconic red ribbon – the insignia of AIDS awareness and solidarity – will be
seen everywhere during the South Sound AIDS Walk (left). Many will have names written on them in memory of loved ones lost to the disease (right). By Matt Nagle matt@tacomaweekly.com
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ne of the most meaningful and enjoyable community events in Tacoma takes place Sept. 22 at Cheney Stadium – the South Sound AIDS Walk. It’s meaningful because the walk is a time when the broader community can make a
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Local News ..............A2 City Briefs................A3
real and lasting difference in the lives of people with AIDS – and also their friends and family and those who have lost loved ones to the disease – by showing that a lot of people care. It’s enjoyable because the Walk is family friendly, fun and festive, made so by the many volunteers who see to it that participants are made to feel appreciated and valued for giving of their
time and money. In short – walk in the AIDS Walk and it will leave a lasting impression you won’t soon forget. This year the Walk’s reach embraces not just clients in Thurston County as well, as it has for years, but clients in Lewis County too. This reflects the recent outreach expansion of Pierce County AIDS Foundation (PCAF), X See WALK / page A8
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Sports ......................A9 A&E ....................... ..B1
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Make A Scene ........ B5 Calendar ................. B6
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