Volunteer Sabrina Ferrel paints participant Raul Martinez’s face at the Pierce County Coalition’s Fun Run at Pacific Lutheran University on May 19th. Community and coalition members of all ages came out for the event. The run was sponsored by PLU, Franklin Pierce Schools, Northern Pacific Coffee Company, Emerald City Smoothies, and others. Photo by Kevin Knodell
Sarah Kluesner of the Pierce County Coalition announces Parkland’s recent designation as a “Playful City” by Playful City USA at Friday’s meeting of the coalition at the Garfield Book Company. This designation will allow for grant opportunities to fund programs and facilities for youth.
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Pacific Lutheran University student Erik Fahnestock sent us these photos. Thanks for everyone who came to chat with us last weekend!
This Saturday is National Armed Forces Day, and Parkland residents are invited to enjoy food, fun and festivities at Joint Bases Lewis-McChord.
Festivities start at 10 a.m. at Cowan & Memorial Stadiums with living history displays, live entertainment and carnival rides.
From the JBLM website:
Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Lewis-Main, will open its gates to the Puget Sound community for the installation’s annual Armed Forces Day celebration on Saturday, May 19. This year’s attractions include: historical military reenactments, military vehicle displays carnival rides, live music and entertainment, climbing wall, 10K Volksmarch, and of course craft and food vendors.
Contact contributor Diane Crews at thistleberry1975@yahoo.com
Judi Brown works at Getting Personal Imprinting and writes about business updates in the Parkland area.
Tom’s Auto Spa & Detail at 13303 Pacific Ave S., offers vehicle detailing and cleaning services. The staff at Tom’s like to promote the $35 premium wash package.
As part of the package, staff will hand wash, hand dry, vacuum carpets & floor mats, lightly wipe down interior, clean and dress wheels and tires and clean all interior and exterior glass. The shop offers complete interior and exterior detailing packages starting at $180.
For more information, contact Tom’s at 253-301-4826.
Contact contributor Judi Brown at judi@gettingpersonalimprinting.com
By Reno Sorensen
Local singer/songwriter Kayley Rae, 21, is a self-proclaimed outsider who found a home at a coffee shop on Garfield Street.
Local singer-songwriter Kayley Rae (right) performs fellow singer-songwriter Michael Gee (left) at the Parkland Songwriters Showcase at the Northern Pacific Coffee Company on Jan. 22, 2012. Photo by Kevin Knodell.
Rae, who was born and raised in Spanaway, Wash., has frequented the open-mic nights at the Northern Pacific Coffee Company, the Indie haunt for community members and Pacific Lutheran University students, for two years now.
On Wednesday nights, Rae can be seen on stage performing her acoustic and soulful song stylings, backed by song lyrics rich with imagery, to NPCC’s regular costumers.
“It’s [NPCC is] a little safe haven. It’s a little gem in a field of cashmere,” Rae said. “That’s how I would describe it.”
Rae’s influences, including old-school grunge and punk legends such as Nirvana and Janis Joplin, come through in her lyrical subject matter while modern artists such as Adele are present in her laid-back vocal and guitar styles.
Rae discovered the popular coffee shop when a friend invited her to play an open-mic night two years ago.
“There’s really nothing in Spanaway other than, like, a horse arena and a Wal-Mart. So when I found a little coffee shop on the street, I thought: ‘This is cool,’ And people did stuff together like a community. Everyone knew each other, and I was really drawn to that. On this street in particular, it felt like such a tight-knit group, and I wanted to be a part of that.”
Rae attended Spanaway Lake High School before transfering to Challenger Secondary School where she graduated in 2009. Watching her friends leave for college, Rae started thinking, and worrying, about her next step.
“I was having a really terrible summer, and a friend said: ‘Hey I’m meeting up with a friend at a coffee shop on Garfield, you should grab your guitar and come play,’” Rae said.
At NPCC, Rae said she discovered a community of talented musicians and students. She said she found friends in a number of students from PLU, which she hadn’t expected to do.
“I would never go to PLU, but I really like it, and I think very highly of it and I like all people that I’ve met that have gone there. It seems to be a really cool place. It’s interesting, because you form your opinions about a place before you actually have been around it, and I thought: ‘Oh PLU, it’s all about religious studies,’ and it’s really not at all. It’s just a college with cool people who go there.”
For now, Rae is concerning herself with paying the bills and honing her craft so she can keep stepping onto the stage.
“I don’t have a desire to go to school,” Rae said. “My desire right now is to work and to make money to pay for the next step in my music, whatever that is.”
Rae doesn’t have any upcoming gigs planned, but said she is working on preparing a tour of Washington colleges.
Ric Thompson of LeMay/Waste Connections/Pierce County Refuse, will present “Waste Reduction by 2032-Recycling’s challenge to get us there”. Monday, May 14th at the Garfield Book Company Community Room. Meeting starts at 6:30pm.
Contact contributor Julie Collison at juliecollison@comcast.net
