>>> BEST NEW POLITICAL POWER

Laurie Jinkins

Laurie Jinkins took the 2010 election cycle by storm. Leading an enthusiastic army of volunteers and raising more than $200,000, Jinkins beat out early favorite and popular Tacoma City Council member Jake Fey for the opportunity to represent the 27th Legislative District in the Washington State House of Representatives. After arriving in Olympia she wasted no time in proving herself a natural legislator and quick learner. Her debut session was highlighted by the approval of a bill she sponsored mandating that gay marriages from other states be recognized in Washington. Jinkins was lauded by local and statewide media as a leader in the 2010 freshman class of democrats who, by end of session, formed a formidable progressive force. Honorable mentions go to Tacoma City Council members Ryan Mello and David Boe, who have been outspoken progressive voices for smart urban development. - Zach Powers

>>> BEST FALL FROM CITY-MANAGERIAL GRACE

Eric Anderson

There were good times for former Tacoma City Manager Eric Anderson. I mean, he wasn't Ray Corpuz, after all, so that boded well for him in the beginning. He was good at all the administrative stuff. There are certainly successes that can be attributed to the community based partnerships he championed, and even the just-a-bit-ridiculous "Safe & Clean" program he was at the forefront of. But, in the end, the Zina Linnik cover-up he was dragged into, hushed-up overruns on the Cheney Stadium remodel, a zeal for ground-level parking and an affinity for pay increases while average citizens and businesses of Tacoma struggled led to an unworkable relationship between Anderson and the City Council. Throw in the Luzon building's demise and his support of a Clear Channel settlement and it became increasingly clear it was time for Anderson to go. - Matt Driscoll 

>>> BEST 30-MILLION-DOLLAR RENOVATION

Cheney Stadium

Oh, how I miss the old Cheney Stadium. I miss the high outfield wall, killer to many a Rainiers' home run. I miss the sea of pale concrete that hurt my eyes. I miss timing my bathroom breaks so I wouldn't get caught in a line. I miss the lone concession stand. I miss the leaky pipes, the rickety stairwells and the utter lack of handicap ramps. Oh, how I miss the old Cheney Stadium. The days were so much better then. - Brett Cihon

[Cheney Stadium, 2502 S. Tyler St., Tacoma, 253.752.7707]

>>> BEST ZINE PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT

The F-Bomb Zine

Essays, visual art, poetry and fiction; intellectually stimulating without taking itself too seriously; essentially a collection of creative masterpieces put together  - it all defines The F-Bomb. Editor Tina Armstrong and a group of regular contributors continually manage to release themed print issues made possible by submissions from all over the U.S., though the home base is here in Tacoma. Themes in the past have included gender, sex, music and a holiday issue. Get your hands on one and as The F-Bomb website warns, "Prepare for a cerebral explosion." - Jackie Fender

[thefbombzine.com]

>>> BEST TACOMA LANDMARK

Stadium High School

The castle looming over Commencement Bay has served as an introduction to our city for longer than any other landmark. Construction began in 1891 with the intent of creating a lavish French-chateau-style hotel. The original financiers of the property, Northern Pacific Railroad Company and Tacoma Land Company, were run off during the financial panic of 1893. In 1904 the building was purchased by Tacoma Public Schools and has been a public high school ever since. Rumors that the school is haunted have cemented themselves into the Tacoma mythos. - Joshua Swainston

[Stadium High School, 111 N. E St. Tacoma]

Photo Credit: Jen Cook-Asaro

>>> BEST PRIDE FESTIVAL

This Year's 10 days of Tacoma Pride events

From the historic Pride flag raising at the Tacoma municipal building, to the new heart-of-downtown location for "Out in the Park" (less park, more out), to the awesome after-party Block Party at The Mix, to the LGBT Film Series at the Grand and beyond - this year's Tacoma Pride Festival featured 10 full days of events and more community spirit than ever before. It was literally fabulous. - MD

>>> BEST FAKE TWITTER ACCOUNT

@RonMcNailHuff

I don't know who's behind it, or why they're behind it, or - really - what it all means. But the @RonMcNailHuff Twitter account has provided exactly eight tweets of pure hilarity that deserve recognition in this year's Best of Tacoma. It seems safe to assume @RonMcNailHuff is a fictional ode to City of Tacoma spokesman and community relations Jedi Rob McNair-Huff, he of the locovore diet, extreme bird-watching fetish, disaster book and constant Tweeting of the running miles he's logged for the day. @RonMcNailHuff plays off of this to great effect. A sampling: "went birdwatching today. wore greasepaint and camo. Carried a longbow - just in case. Ooh-rah birds!" And ... "I also stopped by the Proctor Farmer's Market today. Bought a bushel of late-season greens and ate them raw and unwashed in the parking lot." And let us not forget ... "I won the beeathalon. That's right: i rode my bike 60 mi in the #SnOMG, then shot a bee in the face from 50 paces out." It's Rob McNair-Genius if you ask me. - MD

>>> BEST STREET TO RUIN YOUR AXLE AND BITE YOUR TONGUE OFF

12th and Mildred (by TCC)

Driving past Tacoma Community College on South 12th, my car bumps and jiggles in well grooved ruts permanently driven into Mildred, and I'm reminded to pay attention. I swerve just enough to avoid a moon-crater-sized pothole only to clunk straight into another one. THUD! I think I just bit my tongue. Is my tire flat? Those potholes are no joke. - JF

>>> BEST IN-CITY BRIDGE 

North Yakima Avenue between North Anderson Street and North Fife Street

If you haven't seen this bridge - it's great. One block north of 21st Street, it's just like any of the other numerous bridges that span the North End ravines; but unlike the others, this one is blocked off to car traffic. The location is quiet, scenic and perfect walking distance from the main thoroughfare, which makes it feel like such a good detour. Highly recommended for romantic summer night strolls. - JS

Photo credit: Patrick Snapp

>>> BEST EFFIGY OF A DEAD WRITER

Henrik Ibsen's Bust

Built by Jacob Fjelde as a commissioned work for the Norwegians of Tacoma, this public sculpture was dedicated May 17, 1913, to commemorate the 99th anniversary of Norwegian Independence. Henrik Ibsen is most noted for his play A Doll House. He is also credited as a father of Modernism. His realism revolutionized theater, moving the medium from being purely entertainment to being regarded as art. Today the sculpture serves as a talking point for English and drama majors who happen by, or any transient sleeping in the park. - JS

[Wright Park, 316 S. G St., Tacoma]

>>> ACTIVIST OF THE YEAR

Justin Leighton

A couple months ago Volcano Editor Matt Driscoll responded to one of my features by e-mailing, "Nice work, but can we try to avoid quoting Justin Leighton for a couple months? ... We've been interviewing him a little too often." What Driscoll didn't know was I'd already been trying to do so, but it was tough. Over the past year Leighton has been arguably the most engaged person in Tacoma not elected to office. What separates him from most local activists is the diversity of his advocacy. Leighton has been a leading voice for progressive transit advocacy, an outspoken voice in the county redistricting process (even leading efforts to educate the citizenry on this process), a leader in the LGBT activist community and a dedicated member of the Central Neighborhood Council. - ZP

>>> BEST SPOKESMAN FOR ADVIL PM

Mark Fulghum

Got the flu or a nasty cold and just need a decent night's sleep? We've all been there. Even folks like Tacoma Police spokesman Mark Fulghum have been there. Unfortunately for Fulghum, it was publically revealed early this year that the Tacoma PD sergeant went back to sleep for six hours before sending out the Amber Alert on Zina Linnik, for reasons pinned on Fulghum's use of the over-the-counter medication Advil PM. And, yeah, he was on the clock. Working overtime. Earning extra pay. That's some powerful medicine ... you'll awake refreshed and rejuvenated (until you realize you just made the biggest mistake of your career). - MD

>>> SPEECH OF THE YEAR

Mayor Strickland's State of the City

Any time a vice president pays a medium-sized city a visit and gives a rousing edition of his stump speech on a public university campus - as Joe Biden did at the University of Washington Tacoma last year - it's going to be tough for local politicians to compete. However, this year Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland's State of the City speech was up to the challenge. On Jan. 31, Strickland culminated Go Local's "Shift Happens" event and PR blitz with a speech celebrating what Tacoma has created for itself and what it can become in the future. Strickland shared T-town's recent national awards, its plans for urban and education development and had the entire room convinced, at least for one evening, that there is no better city to live in than Tacoma. - ZP

>>> BEST PLACE TO GET A WEED-RELATED CITATION

Tacoma Hempfest 2011

Sure, the confusion is understandable. There are at least 87 head shops in Tacoma (give or take) and all of them sell pipes, bongs, hookahs, rolling papers and the like. That's kind of the point of a head shop. Typically, head shops feature a sign or sticker somewhere on the premises that says, "These six foot ‘double-bubble' water pipes are meant for tobacco only," but everyone knows that's bogus. It's part of the game. So, when this year's Tacoma Hempfest kicked off in Wright Park - full of vendors and merchants booths from all corners of "cannabis culture" - and Tacoma police immediately started rolling through the park handing out citations to anyone seen selling or holding a pipe, bong or incense burner with a pot leaf on it, it had the feeling of a setup. What did anyone expect? For police (whose presence was paid for by Tacoma Hempfest, ironically enough, as part of its agreement with Metro Parks and police) it must have been like shooting fish in a barrel. - MD

>>> BEST DOORBELLER

Anders Ibsen

According to a press release from his campaign for Tacoma City Council representing District 1, Anders Ibsen had knocked on 10,000 doors by June 21. That was more than a month ago, and the election is still months away. District 1 is made up of the Proctor District, a good chunk of the North End, the West Slope and out to around the Tacoma Community College area. For a minute I called up a Google map and tried to calculate how big of a chunk 10,000 doors of District 1 would be, but I quickly grew tired. Anders Ibsen, apparently, doesn't have this problem. He's got stamina. He's got drive. He's got the will and determination to do good - to make Tacoma better and more progressive - that can only be possessed by someone too young and pure to have been beaten down by cold realities. And he doorbells like a motherfucker. He might be just what the council needs. - MD  

>>> BEST NEIGHBORHOOD LIKELY TO SECEDE FROM TACOMA

Salmon Beach

An elaborate gate marks the entrance to an overly long driveway. Then it's a choice between one of two parking lots, where you abandon your vehicle and traverse a super-steep hillside. About 80 houses, all built on stilts, line the water's edge at Salmon Beach. The neighborhood is so remote no city water or sewer is available. The homeowners are super nice; the views are majestic; and they have their own art installations. It is a living northwest version of a Jimmy Buffet song. Salmon Beach is a working exercise in marine utopia. - JS

>>> BEST ANGRY COMMENTER AT WEEKLYVOLCANO.COM

Low Bar

From what I understand this Internet personality can also be found other places on the Interwebs, leaving similarly vicious commentary, but selfish as I am I'd like to claim Low Bar as our own. You know that 2,000 words a day Daniel Blue used to write that you would never see? Yeah, Low Bar puts up similarly weighty daily totals - all of it angry, a portion of it somewhat incoherent - and a good chunk of it left for everyone to see at the end of Weekly Volcano stories on our website. Low Bar hates on T-town carpet bomb style - leaving very little un-slammed. I have trouble thinking of things he doesn't hate. Of course, Low Bar REALLY hates the Volcano, but that's just the start. As Low Bar once said, "Tacoma: be a gold fish molesting gorilla confining psychopath alcoholic pushing 40 year old shitty bar scene music loving loser or Leave it." How did we communicate before the advent of the comment section again? Also, apparently his real name is Jason McCausland. - MD