Family
It's hard to beat a sunny day or evening at a local ball field with a promise of a hot dog, red vines and garlic fries. And I mean baseball is cool too. While stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord there are three semi-local options to catch a minor league or major
News Front
Command of the 62nd Airlift Wing at McChord Field will change hands from Col. Erin M. Staine-Pyne to Col. David A. Fazenbaker next month. Fazenbaker is currently the vice commander of the 14th Flying Training Wing at the Columbus Air Force Base in Mississippi. Fazenbaker entered the Air Force from ROTC in
News Front
WASHINGTON - The Department of Veterans Affairs will no longer require masks or social distancing at its 155 national veterans cemeteries for people who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. The VA is also lifting its restrictions on gathering sizes at funeral services starting May 26. The new rules go into
Military Life
No matter where you're headed, Military OneSource can help you master your next military move. If you and your family have received orders for a permanent change of station, or PCS, expert staff can provide information, education and referrals to help minimize stress and make your move a Power Move. The
Travel
As travel plans get booked for the summer and all final details locked down, determining how to get to and from the airport can be the last pain point needing to be solved. Being stationed in a place where family and friends may not be easily accessible for support, finding
Archives
Café Hawaii As I turned into the strip mall housing Café Hawaii, I caught myself muttering almost desperately, “Please let it be good.” The small café was overly bright with a television blaring; an uncomfortable combination that urged me to get a to-go order and get the hell out of there.
Archives
Let’s stop pretending you don’t want to know what’s inside Home Plate Tavern. You pass by it on a regular basis as you drive down South Sprague Avenue. The sign catches your eye, but you’re too scared. Is it the neighborhood? Is it that there’s nowhere to park? Is it
Archives
The finishing touches are being put on the $20 million renovation of the Hotel Murano, formerly the Sheraton, in downtown Tacoma. The Murano is part of the Providence hotel chain, a leader in the contemporary trend of hotels that are showcases for art. Quite a change from olden days when
Archives
Prodigal Sun Productions is at it again. The vagabond troupe of thespians in Olympia is presenting the adult comedy “Don Juan in Chicago,” by David Ives. The show is about a man suffering in his own sort of hell by actually getting what many men only dream about receiving. Don Juan
Critics' Picks
Nearly every year when the Golden Globes came bounding through Hollywood, I would remind folks they were basically a joke. Just a smattering of examples: - "Of all the awards shows, this is the stupidest - but they treat it like a big event in Hollywood." - 1996 - "The
News Front
Formerly known as Decoration Day, the last Monday in May has come to be known as Memorial Day, a day for remembering those who have died, specifically those who have died in the service of their nation. It is a time for our nation to remember, reflect
Archives
How should you spend your Valentine’s Day? Option 1: Sitting in a romantic bistro sipping champagne and eating overpriced luxurious food with your loved one. Option 2: Living it up at the SinSational Valentine’s Day event in Tacoma. If you haven’t heard yet, then you’re not a Tacoma blogger. The
Archives
Lino Tagliapietra is a glass maestro from the oldest international glass art capital in the world — and no, I don’t mean the upstart glass capital of Tacoma, Wash. I mean Murano, an island off the coast of Venice, Italy, that was a recognized world glass center before the United
News Front
From the time he was about six years old growing up in Boise, Idaho, John Allen Hemphill knew that he wanted to serve in the military. In high school he was an all-state center on the football team. A Reserve Officers' Training Corps cadet in both high school and for a
Jobs & Education
WASHINGTON - A retention policy offering soldiers a chance to take a break in service while receiving pay and benefits for up to three years is now a permanent program. The sabbatical program, called the Career Intermission Program, or CIP, is a way for soldiers to take a knee in service
News Front
How do you track hundreds of pieces of equipment dispersed around the world? The 62nd Maintenance Squadron aerospace ground equipment shop here began installing GPS trackers on their equipment in late April 2021. The shop is now able to track approximately 220 of their 420 assets globally. Prior to this,
News Front
Retired Maj. Gen. John A. Hemphill passed away at his home in Steilacoom, WA on May 20, 2021. A native of Boise, Idaho, he was a 1951 graduate of the United Stated Military Academy at West Point, New York. For the next 34 years he had a distinguished
News Articles
One week after the Army changed its policy to permit female service members to wear their hair in something other than a bun, the verdict from social media is anything but unanimous. The change allows women to wear ponytails and braids in all duty uniforms, but a common complaint on social
Family
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD - Civilian and service members across Joint Base Lewis McChord were honored at the 35th annual Volunteer Recognition Ceremony held May 13 at The Club at McChord Field. The JBLM Directorate of Personnel and Family Readiness Volunteer Corps presented a ceremonial check of more than $1.2 million to
News Front
MADIGAN ARMY MEDICAL CENTER, Joint Base Lewis-McChord - Madigan is now in PHASE 2 of its COVID-19 vaccine distribution efforts. All enrolled patients and eligible TRICARE beneficiaries 12 years of age or older can get the vaccine. Patients should know that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is the only one given on
