Last week the Pierce County council voted for a new way to check the ethics of county managers.  Soon the Pierce County managers will have to turn in their financial information, including tax statements, to the Ethics Commission.  This is to prove to the commission, and to the public, that they are not taking outside bribes.  So the Pierce County council is not just pestering Chuck Kleeberg lately, but now it’s ever other manager in the county. MINUS 1



Bellarmine Prep shocked the Tacoma art world by beating the Tacoma School of the Arts for the Creativity Award at last weekend’s FIRST Microsoft Seattle Regional robotics competition. SOTA didn’t give a crap because they grabbed second overall, nabbed the Rookie All-Star Award and will be headed to the international championships April 17-19 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. PLUS 2



Metro Parks Foundation Executive Director Drew Ebersole kept his eye on the ball and acquired a grant that will fund as many as 50 5- to 8-year-olds to play T-ball this spring. Kids need to sign up before Friday, March 28, at 5 p.m. Details at 253.305.1015. PLUS 1 (MINUS 1 for dads who continue to approach swinging kids without a cup).



This week Tacoma Police Lt. Alan D. Roberts sued Tacoma, alleging the City of Destiny did nothing to protect him from harassment he claims came at the hands of two superior officers. The lawsuit seeks money, surprisingly enough, as retribution for “mental pain and loss of income and earning capacity,” according to court documents. Whether or not the City of Tacoma and our police department are to blame, if there’s one thing the Tacoma PD needs less of it’s perceived corruption. MINUS 4



Forward Tacoma has reported that Los-Angeles-based Cardinal Equities have begun to explore the possibilities for a building they’ve purchased at 1126 Pacific Ave., just north of the South Park garage in Tacoma. Apparently a pharmacy is the favored option for the space. Mmmm, Xanax. PLUS 1



Lakewood-based Lakeview Light and Power announced this week that customers in Lakewood and South Tacoma will get free power during the month of April. The gift is a pass-along from a $1 million settlement with big power dogs Bonneville Power Administration. PLUS 1



The State Legislature passed a new bill last week, designed to help curb an alarming trend of displacement. More frequently, mobile home park owners are being seduced into closing their single wide sanctuaries and selling the land to developers. While it’s nice to see the legislature take note of the problem, the new bill offers only a slight increase in protections for tenants of mobile home parks, and most importantly, the legislature axed a provision that would have given first right of refusal to tenant groups or government agencies that might want to buy the parks and save them. MINUS 3 



Total Pluses: 5       



Total Minuses: 8



This Week’s Total:  MINUS 3     



Last Week’s Total:  PLUS 1