THURSDAY, MARCH 14 2013 >>>

1. Up until 2003, trains pounded the historic Prairie Line rail corridor from the Thea Foss Waterway to the Brewery District, passing rickety warehouses and dens of iniquity. In the fall of 2011, some $5.83 million was earmarked to turn the half-mile Prairie Trail corridor into a living and breathing interpretive trail connecting the waterfront with downtown Tacoma, which will also include a storm water purification system for the polluted runoff from Hilltop. Then reality hit. The University of Washington redesigned its portion. The storm water filtration ponds are now subtle. The pedestrian and bike paths are more functional. The price tag much less. Now it's the city of Tacoma's turn to fall in line. It's segments of the Prairie Line - south of campus into the Brewery District and north as it crosses Pacific Avenue and heads toward the Thea Foss Waterway, the end of the line for the transcontinental railroad of yesteryear - needs to meld with UWT's design. See the city's proposed designs for its portion of the Prairie Line Tail at an open forum from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Tacoma Art Museum. Yes, open forum. You may chime in with your own design thoughts.

2. From 4-7 p.m. Tacoma's Crescent Moon Gifts will take the bake sale to a new level. Its Dessert and Divination offers baked goodies, shop and snag sweet swag like bracelets, tees and uh, more baked goods - with all proceeds going to support the Central Puget Sound Pagan Pride Day (say that three times fast). Crescent Moon knows how to throw a fundraiser. Also with every $10 dessert purchase attendees will receive a free 10-minute reading.

3. There's a lot of bickering and disagreement in this world, but one thing anyone with a soul can agree on includes the value of pie. At 7 p.m. King's Books celebrates Pi(e) Day, featuring the release of the book Pieography: Where Pie Meets Biography and a Pie Baking/Recipe Contest open to all. Tacoma artist Sarah Beth Smith will be there as she is one of the contributors to Pieography, the new book that features 42 pie recipes that encapsulate the lives of 39 women. The pie contest is open to all with the winner receiving a free copy of the book and a ribbon.

4. O'Blarney's Irish Pub in Olympia is so freakin' excited about St. Patrick's Day that it can't wait any longer. At 7 p.m. it will host an Irish-themed trivia contest with prizes, Guinness discounts, $7.99 steaks and all hosted by someone named Jimbo.

5. It's a fast-paced world we live in today, and we don't seem to have time to do anything anymore from plant watering to floor resurfacing, it all takes time we don't necessarily have, so we end up giving up the important stuff like meeting the opposite sex because how can you have time to toss your hair and work your smile if you're always late for your next meeting and your iCal doesn't have space for that in your schedule anyway so you have to make time and the best way to maximize the benefits your pheromones provide is to join in an organized event something like Speed Dating at Doyle's that allows you to meet people in less time than it takes to reheat a frozen chicken pot pie - a food you will never have to enjoy alone or at all again if you walk through Doyle's door at 7:30 p.m. because you'll finally have a life. Bring $20 and a smile knowing you're helping HopeSparks charity.

LINK: Thursday, Match 14 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

Up until 2003, trains pounded the historic Prairie Line rail corridor from the Thea Foss Waterway to the Brewery District, passing rickety warehouses and dens of iniquity - before UW-Tacoma rang its school bell for its first on-site freshman class.

In the fall of 2011, some $5.83 million was earmarked to turn the half-mile Prairie Trail corridor into a living and breathing interpretive trail connecting the waterfront with downtown Tacoma, which will also include a storm water purification system for the polluted runoff from Hilltop. There was excitement. There were plans for fancy seating. In celebration, the Tacoma Art Commission turned the corridor into a temporary art installation complete with exhibits titled TacomaBall, Rogue Rhizomes and Ghost Prairie.

Then reality hit. The University of Washington brain trust recoiled over the fancy design and costs of its portion of the corridor, as well as the loss of a bike-friendly path through campus.

Today, a new set of plans rest on Chancellor Debra Friedman's desk. The storm water filtration ponds are now subtle. The pedestrian and bike paths are more functional. Historic elements have been saved and incorporated into the public gathering places and public art installations. And best of all, the price tag rings in at $4 million with construction to be complete by this fall.

Now it's the city of Tacoma's turn to fall in line. It's segments of the Prairie Line - south of campus into the Brewery District and north as it crosses Pacific Avenue and heads toward the Thea Foss Waterway, the end of the line for the transcontinental railroad of yesteryear - needs to meld with UWT's design. The city has plans for a pedestrian/bike trail and linear park through the city - plans and engineering it intendeds to carry out now that it has received a $465,000 grant from the Puget Sound Regional Council.

What will the city do about the railing running through BNSF's private property?

Discover the answer and see the city's proposed designs for its portion of the Prairie Line Tail at an open forum from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 14 at the Tacoma Art Museum, 1701 Pacific Avenue. Yes, open forum. You may chime in with your own design thoughts. Would you like to see a taco truck every 20 feet? Chime in. Do you think it would be cool to have outdoor tap hits through the Brewery District? Who wouldn't?

For more on the Prairie Line Trail visit www.cityoftacoma.org/planning or download the pdf of the Prairie Line Trail presentation from February 4, 2013.

ONLINE CHATTER >>>

Yesterday's comment of the day was from Bethann Garteiz in response to our coverage of Pierce Transits restructuring, including a focus on those with disabilities, tax issues and the public forums.

Garteiz writes,

Nobody likes tax increases; I get that. But thousands of people becoming unemployed all at the same time because they lost their transportation is crushing to the economy of any city. A larger unemployment rate is not a desirable option under any circumstances. The failure of Proposition 1 last November and the subsequent bus cuts means that countless thousands more people in Pierce County are going to be living off state government assistance, and that is going to be much more expensive than simply giving Pierce Transit the reasonable amount that they were asking for. Thinking in terms of short-term savings is easy to do when the economy is rough, like it is now; ignoring the long-term view for the short-term savings is the worst way anybody can base his economic plans on, no matter what the situation is.

TIME TO START PLANNING >>>

Late last year, we got our company Corolla impounded (don't ask), and had no choice but to explore the Pierce Transit bus system. we found ourselves pleasantly convenienced: There were plenty of bars and city services within busing distance, and the hands-free commute allowed for reading and ear-budding and window-gazing like we were in high school again. We'd study the Pierce Transit map every day, looking for new destinations. It was like a game.

But for daily commuters traversing Pierce County's 292 square miles trying to get to work, school, medical clinics and such, Pierce Transit's public transportation system is about to be a darkening nightmare, especially for those with disabilities. That's because cuts in service are on the way due to the loss of Proposition 1 in November 2012. Pierce Transit currently operates 417,000 annual service hours. Once the service reduction plan is implemented, Pierce Transit will operate 300,000 annual hours, a 28 percent cut.

What the hell? Pierce Transit will tell you at nine public meetings beginning today at noon inside the Pierce Transit Training Center. The reductions will happen in late September 2013. Don't get caught holding the map in the middle of nowhere. Get your butt to a meeting.

LAKEWOOD: Wednesday, March 6, noon to 2 p.m., Pierce Transit Training Center (Rainier Room), 3720 96th St. SW, Lakewood

>>> Served by Routes 48, 300

UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON - TACOMA: Thursday, March 7, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 6-7:30 p.m., William W. Phillip Hall (Jane Russell Commons), 1918 Pacific Ave., Tacoma 

>>> Served by Routes 1, 48, 53, ST 590 (Northbound),ST 594, ST Link light rail

NORTHEAST TACOMA: Wednesday, March 13, 4-6 p.m., Northeast Tacoma Police Substation, 4731 Norpoint Way NE, Tacoma

>>> Served by Route 62

PARKLAND / SPANAWAY: Monday, March 18 5-7 p.m., Parkland/Spanaway Pierce County Library, 13718 Pacific Ave. S., Tacoma

>>> Served by Route 1

PUYALLUP: Thursday, March 19 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Puyallup Library (North Room), 324 S. Meridian, Puyallup

>>>Served by Routes 400, 402, 409

GIG HARBOR: Wednesday, March 20, 5-7 p.m., Gig Harbor Civic Center (Council Chambers), 3510 Grandview St., Gig Harbor

>>> Served by Route 100

PUYALLUP: Tuesday, March 26, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Puyallup Library (North Room), 324 S. Meridian, Puyallup

>>> Served by Routes 400, 402, 409

UNIVERSITY PLACE: Tuesday, April 9, 6-7:30 p.m., University Place Library, 3609 Market Pl. W., Ste. 100, University Place

>>> Served by Route 2

Detailed service reduction plan information is available online at www.piercetransit.org, or by calling customer service at 253.58.8000. A public hearing on implementation of the service reduction plan is scheduled for the May 13, 2013 Pierce Transit Board of Commissioners meeting.

TUESDAY, FEB. 5 2013 >>>

1. Headed by Barry and Renee Watson, founders and previous owners of Tacoma staple the Rosewood Cafe, Pint Defiance is a must visit for any lover of the hops. Pint Defiance (2049 Mildred St. W. Tacoma) seamlessly marries the concept of craft beer retail space with a pub. The walls are lined with coolers neatly displaying a unique collection of canned and bottled brews by region. A small group of regular customers have been on a quest to try every beer at Pint Defiance. Regular Customer, Paul Pineda, came up with the name - Try It Tuesday! Beginning today, Pint Defiance will offer half-price cappage on all bottles and cans every Tuesday in February. Now begin your research!

2. In this week's Volcano, which drops Thursday (of course), visual arts critic Alec Clayton reviews "Out of The Silence," an art exhibit in Olympia's Urban Onion lobby. Spoiler alert: there's a ton of good stuff. See for yourself today.

3. The Washington State Transportation Commission claims there's a good chance the Tacoma Narrows Bridge toll will rise by 50 cents July 1. If tolls are not increases, state-required reserve fund of 12.5 percent would slip to 11.3 in 2014 and 4.1 in 2015. Yikes. A citizens advisory committee meeting will be held from 6-8 p.m. at the Gig Harbor Civic Center to allow citizens to weigh in about the toll increase.

4. Billy Farmer's 6:30 p.m. Diamond Experience show will be staged tonight at the Red Wind Casino. This is definitely one event that should make your Tuesday less mundane.

5. The band Z-Kamp started as Pizza T's Z-Kamp experience in 2006. It really started before that when it was Pizza T's Grateful Dead, Phish, Bob Dylan Tribute Band. But you could say it started even more before. Z-Kamp is now many bands. Stay with this. At 3 p.m. inside the Capital City Collective, there will be a Pre Art Show featuring works created by Pizza T and other local artists. At around 8 p.m. at the same venue, Z-Kamp's Pizza T, Z-Kamp's Sustainuhtonez and Z-Kamp's Tranztech as well as the Titled Stilts, The Hinges and Michael T. Mercker will rock. The weekly Volcano has no idea what this means, but EXCITING!

LINK: Tuesday, Feb. 5 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

WHEN WATCHING CARS IS COOL >>>

After six long years of closure due to safety issues, the Murray Morgan Bridge saw the dawn of a new era today at noon. The bridge reopened not only to car traffic, but new pedestrian walkways now allow walkabouts over the Thea Foss Waterway too.

Below are a few shots we snapped during the reopening.

LINK: Murray Morgan Bridge history

FRIDAY, JAN. 31 2013 >>>

1. Since its introduction in 1894, the motorcycle has spawned a variety of cultures and uses. As basic transportation, as leisure activity or as a die-hard lifestyle, millions of people have a love affair with Choppers, Crotch Rockets, Thumpers and all things two-wheeled. The action-packed exhibit "Let's Ride! Motocycling The Northwest at the Washington State History Museum is a celebration of the region's never-waning motorcycle culture - will include interactive exhibits, videos and impressive displays of machines from 1906 to the 21st century. At 3 p.m. WSHM curator Remond Barrett will host a walk and talk of the exhibit.

2. "Tacomapocalypse" is now in its third year, morphing just a tad with each incarnation. The first "Tacomapocalypse" focused on zombies and destruction. The second took a tongue-in-cheek look at the end of the world. "Tacomapocalypse III" in turn is centered on what has lived through the end of days and what that recovery might look like. So if you need a little boost getting over your end-of-the-world fretting from last year, think of "Tacomapocalypse" as a little bit of unconventional therapy. The show opens at Amocat Café today with a reception from 5-9 p.m. and will remain up through the month.

3. Stonegate Pizza hosts Art On A Mission, a benefit for The Rescue Mission featuring professional art, silent auction, raffle and live music by John Leonard from 6:30-9:30 p.m.

4. Australian Circus Oz is kicking off its new North American tour at 7:30 p.m. inside the Pantages Theater. Formed in 1978, Oz is a rock and roll, animal free circus of musicians, acrobats, contortionists and artsy clowns. However, because Oz doesn't have the financial backing of Cirque du Soleil, it only has a dozen or so performers doing all the acts. Whether you've been awaiting its show or have never heard of them before, read five reasons you should be Circus Oz's new biggest fan here.

5. DJs Broam, Bobby Galaxy and Mr. Melanin have created something that should be reviewed in a gourmet magazine: We swear to you, their Future Bass is so good you might want to eat it. The bass throbs. The sounds ebb. The crowd is hyped. The roof is definitely being raised. All under the hypnotic influence of the trio's tight grooves. Future Bass is back at The New Frontier Lounge at 10 p.m. with its night of electroclash, EDM, hip-hop, disco, exclusive remixes and throwbacks - as well as guest DJs Delicious Brown and Ninjamonik. It's smart. It's waaaay groovy. It's obviously the product of much thought and dedication – just where the future of bass should be headed. Tasty.

LINK: Friday, Jan. 31 arts and entertainment events in the greater TAcoma and Olympia area

ONLINE CHATTER >>>

Yesterday's comment of the day comes from Jon in response to the Weekly Volcano's intern Mckenna's story on how the failure of the Pierce Transit Prop 1 measure will make it harder for students to get to school.

Jon writes,

Those in decent physical condition can always ride a bicycle as an alternative and get rain gear (there are inexpensive bike rain capes at Amazon). However this won't work in ice or snow days on the road of which fortunately are few in numbers. Myself, I obtained a Veltop (Classic + model) windshield, top cover with vinyl transparent side curtains to ride most of the year on a bicycle without getting wet (although with this particular bicycle accessory I also can't ride during times of high winds either). Riding with my Veltop is far more pleasant than riding with a rain cape but it is also much more expensive and bulky.

Another alternative is to get a under 30 mph gas powered scooter (used perhaps $750 or so) as this doesn't require a motorcycle endorsement. (I think that no insurance is required too though I am not sure of this.)

The physically disabled Pierce Transit users will be hurt the most by cutbacks, though.

SOTA INTERN REPORT >>>

Friday, I caught the 400 Bus from Puyallup to Downtown Tacoma to meet with fellow Tacoma School of the Arts students. Besides the school, we share dependence on Pierce Transit. The topic of our roundtable was the defeat of the Prop 1 measure and the resulting outcomes.

"It is going to be a hassle for people trying to get to and from work," says Leah. "I work on the weekends."

The people around her nodded in agreement. A shared concern was the 34 percent reduction in service beginning in Septemeber, including the reduction of weekend Pierce Transit bus service.

"It is also hard for the disabled people who can't drive," Leah continued.

"What about the elderly?" asked another student. "Most just like to take the bus to the supermarket to shop on weekends."

Passengers aren't the only people affected by the defeat of Prop 1. Many Pierce Transit employees will be losing their jobs in September when the budget cuts go into effect. One student said, "If you know you won't have a job why work? I would just quit."

Sadly, that's the plan for many bus drivers.

My friend Emma McCrummen expressed her frustration about her bus being cut. "My route will be cut because of Prop. 1. My only way to downtown is gone. And that is a big issue - especially for SOTA and UWT students who live out of district, like myself. With the times changed and routes cut most students have no way to get to school on time."

As of now frustrated bus riders are complaining and trying to get the word out to find ways to lessen the oncoming blow.

A What's next for Transit? panel discussion will be held at noon Thursday, Jan. 24 inside the UWT Carwein Auditorium about the future of public transportation in Tacoma.

LINK: Hi, I'm Mckenna. I'm a student at the Tacoma School of the Arts. Thanks for following my Daily Trip

SOTA INTERN REPORT >>>

Bonjour! My name is Mckenna. I'm interning at the Weekly Volcano for the next three weeks - specifically Jan. 14-31. In that time I will be covering things such as events, restaurants, pass times and the must sees in Puyallup. But before I go on blogging I wanted to formally introduce myself to you.

I am 16 years young, I attend the Tacoma School of the Arts, where all the aspiring artists go, and I am a vocal major - although my true passion is writing. I like things such as hanging out at sushi bars while watching reruns of Doctor Who on my phone and bicycling at night in Paris. I am also a book harlot. I go to bed every night with a different book. Of course, my favorite book series of all time would be Harry Potter, but the Night World series is a close second. Haven't read Night World? I would highly recommend it if you're a fan of supernatural romance or cheesy sob stories.

I live in Puyallup, the South Hill area. I'm also am an avid bus rider. I have an hour-long bus ride everyday to and from school. During my bus rides I meet many types of people and let me tell you, bus people are fun. Many people shy away from buses because they don't like the idea of sitting in a vehicle full of random strangers, but I have found that you meet really amazing people while on the bus. I can recall one time while sitting in the back - the place with the best view - and watching a guy board the bus. This guy looked like your average Joe - blue beanie hat, a sweater, khaki pants and he took the front handicapped seat. Since the bus was so crowded I practically had people sitting on my lap. He was carrying a large bag and from what I saw he looked like he had a seriously rough day and was looking forward to getting home. That said, when the bus pulled up to a stop and a bunch of little old ladies hopped on, he shot up out of his seat to let them sit. It made me smile since I have seen plenty of people do the opposite. Not only that, but this stranger made a bunch of other younger people stand up for them! In all, bus people are cool.

On that note, in my blog I also hope to share cool bus stories and people's opinions on the bus cuts. Because as I described, most buses are crowded enough, and with Prop 1 rejected, it's going to get a whole lot worse for us bus lovers.

I hope that you enjoy my blog while I am here and that I can share my love for Puyallup to you all by talking about some of my most favorite places to visit and see. It is a great town with lots to offer.