It seems the Wintergrass bluegrass festival is thinking about dumping us, Tacoma. At the very least our relationship is on the rocks and may need some serious Dr. Phil intervention. At a Tacoma City Council committee meeting Tuesday, June 2, Tacoma honchos discussed ways to keep Wintergrass in Tacoma — an increasingly difficult proposition considering the festival is currently in negotiations with the Bellevue Hyatt Regency to host the festival moving forward. Apparently the Hyatt Regency in Bellevue is offering considerably cheaper rates, and has promised not to harass mandolin jammers in the hotel lobby — a main complaint stemming from last year’s Wintergrass, the first at the newfangled Hotel Murano. The Bellevue Hyatt is also offering more space, and has promised to be Wintergrass’s BFF. No word yet on how Tacoma will compete with that. MINUS 2



Tacoma delivered an “incentive plan” to bigwigs at Russell last week, designed — of course — to keep the global investment firm in T-town. As you may recall, Russell has been mulling a move to greener pastures for what seems like ages, and Seattle and Tacoma had until the end of May to make their pitch. With infrastructure benefits figured in, including federal and state funds — not to mention roughly 300 virtually free parking spaces for Russell employees — the “incentive plan” could be worth up to $93 million dollars. PLUS 4 if it works, but MINUS 3 if it doesn’t — because it makes Tacoma look like a pathetic, desperate and halfway crazy ex-girlfriend.



City Council members this week authorized a deal that would help fund a pedestrian hill climb on the north end of the South Plaza Parking Garage, which connects Pacific Avenue to Commerce Street. The project will remove the concrete escalator enclosure there and replace it with a nice, straight staircase and a small plaza. PLUS 1



Dialysis dominator Davita has announced that the company wil be staying in Tacoma after all, and at their main office at 15th and Pacific, no less. According to a message left with DaVita employees, they will meet needs for expanded office space at the Columbia Bank building. We like DaVita because their employees leave the office. PLUS 1



Our love for a good, fresh sushi lunch has been recently challenged by Asado’s tender grilled red meat, which is now available during the day. As problems like this occur, it is wise man and Pierce County Director of Planning and Land Services, Chuck Kleeberg who we look to for guidance. After e-mailing him our lunchtime meal concerns, he tells us, “While I would live a much longer life if I adopted the vegetarian lifestyle of Rover or consumed more fish, beef sizzles.  Sushi don’t. You can’t beat sizzle. Sizzle sells.”  Thank you, Mr. Kleeberg, you sizzle as well, and our meat crisis has been averted. PLUS 1



Total Pluses:  7           



Total Minuses: 2



This Week’s Total:  PLUS 5       



Last Week’s Total: PLUS 2