Music
The practice of writing about music can get needlessly cerebral (at least when I'm doing it), so the aspect of the visceral gut-punch that music can provide tends to get lost in the mix. At its purest, music has a primal quality that is hard to find elsewhere. It's so
Stage
This summer's Shakespeare in the Park by Animal Fire Theatre tackles one of the bard's lesser known plays, King John. It is a difficult play to follow, primarily perhaps, because it is little known. Since plays such as Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet are so celebrated, it is much easier to
Arts
The line between art and craft is blurred, beautifully blurred, by Chris Maynard's feather designs, a dozen of which can now be seen at Childhood's End Gallery. To my way of thinking, they are craft - beautiful, sensitive, delicate and exquisitely crafted. Maynard collects bird feathers from aviaries, cuts them into
Travel
Local high school graduate Cody Anderson decided that the best place for a senior trip was Vietnam. He had been there twice before, and both his grandfathers fought in the Vietnam War. Several other seniors on the trip had military connections. Jake March had a grandfather and uncle who served
Military Life
Once upon a time, a soldier deployed to Afghanistan with his National Guard unit. And while he was there, something unexpectedly sweet happened. The way he tells it, "we ended up taking care of some dogs; it was nice to have them around. Some were on the wild side, feral
Military Life
Dana McCormick is president of PFLAG-Olympia, an organization for the parents and friends of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) people. The retired Army sergeant is married to Sgt. Jason McCormick. They have a gay son, Robert Kowalski, a recent graduate of North Thurston High School in Lacey. In October 2011,
News Front
Clover Park School District has been awarded a five-year, $1.5 million grant from the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) to improve students' sense of community, personal responsibility, and well-being through further development of the Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) programs at elementary schools with a high military-connected student
News
For Dave Maestas, a focus on family didn't come into the picture until after he had served four tours with the U.S. Army Special Forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. "Once I had my son in my arms, I decided I wanted to be home," Maestas said. "I thought it was time
Features
Sometimes we all need a break from the routine. Lunch or dinner at a nearby restaurant can be just what's required for a fresh perspective. Listed here are the top 10 Yelp reviewed restaurants located less than five miles from the Joint Base Lewis-McChord main gate. Whether you're craving a
News Front
Eastern Washington is burning. Wildfires have gripped the western United States on a scale not seen for some time. Thousands of emergency personnel are working around the clock to staunch the flames. Among them are members of the U.S. Army. The Washington National Guard has played an important role providing air
Military Life
The summer months tend to be prime time for people to dust off their grill master skills, load up on charcoal or get out the smoker, and get down to business: it's time to barbecue. Families whip up their ultra secret barbecue recipes and prepare to have a feast among
South Sound Cinema
I was always a fan of movies. My dad, as I reminded him just recently, showed me The Rocky Horror Picture Show when I was just 12 (his response: "Shut up."), and while that isn't cinema at its finest, it did open my eyes to a whole world of the
Music
I've spoken before about the archetype in music known as the manic preacher. These are the wild people who command an audience with an avalanche of words and wide-eyed ideas. Captain Beefheart, Frank Zappa, Jim Carroll, Isaac Brock, Patrick Stickles - these are people linked not quite by ideology or
Stage
Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel To Kill a Mockingbird is universally acclaimed as one of the best American novels of the 20th century, and the Oscar-winning film version of her book, released in 1962, was one of America's best and most popular films. Atticus Finch, as portrayed by Gregory Peck,
Arts
It's been a long time since I've seen art by Marty Fehl, and his new show, Psycho-Moto-Psycho, at Brick & Mortar Gallery is quite a departure from the paintings I saw years ago - a good and exciting departure. Fehl's new work consists of paintings and installations based on motorcycles and
Military Life
There's a certain confidence and positivity that Kimberly Benoit oozes, the same way the white foamy product comes out of the can onto her client's hair. She deftly multitasks, telling the story of her life as a military spouse and giving insights to life lessons she has learned while her
Jobs & Education
When soldiers retire from the Army, they have a few options: completely retire or work for the government or private industry. But, retired 1st Sgt. Will Rivera decided to take a different approach to retirement. He went into business for himself. He took his passion for running and turned it
Jobs & Education
Staff Sgt. Jessica Cotton had a tough choice to make. Should she reenlist in the Army or hang up her uniform and go be a lawyer? But the drill sergeant on Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, who has been in the Army for eight years, didn't have to choose between the Army
Jobs & Education
The next time you see a resumé that states that someone is proficient and/or has skills with Microsoft Programs, you may want to realize that you are just using your best guess in deciphering what is their actual proficiency. Servicemembers, their family members, retired veterans, state employees with CAC cards and
Jobs & Education
Patricia Vergara, a military spouse based in Japan, has a bachelor's degree in healthcare administration. She wanted to add more training to her resumé, so she, like thousands of other military spouses, took advantage of a little-known benefit called the Military Career Advancement Account (MyCAA), a program sponsored by the
