It started out much like any other preview feature story:  a local venue, an event of interest to members of the community.  But it started to get a little weird.  And more than a little interesting.

I was previewing the Friday, Jan. 25 set of receptions and book signings in North Tacoma’s Proctor District featuring the two Tacoma-based authors of Arcadia Publishing’s new book, “Tacoma’s Proctor District,” for the Weekly Volcano. And I was interviewing one of those authors, Bill Evans, a former local government office holder and owner of The Pacific Northwest Shop, a Proctor District landmark on the corner of North 27th and Proctor.

There are a lot of memories collected in that book â€" memories of the people, the homes, the businesses, and the spirit of Tacoma’s beloved Proctor District.  It so happens that I was once a member of that community; I spent the first six years of my life living a few block away from 26th and Proctor, and much of my later life finding reasons to return there.

It happened while I was chatting with co-author Bill Evans in the back office of  The Pacific Northwest Shop.  He had been telling me stories of how, since the book had started selling, people had been coming into the shop to buy copies â€" and to talk about their own memories and experiences.  Our interview was interrupted when Evans had to go out into the store to sign a copy of the book that had just been bought by a shopper visiting from Seattle. 

Later, while we were talking about that most recent visitor/customer, his description began ringing bells.  This customer had grown up in the neighborhood, and now lives in Fremont.  Wait a minute â€" she grew up off Proctor and now she lives in Fremont?  Evans then confirmed what I already knew.  One of my closest, lifelong friends and I had returned to the Proctor District at the same moment â€" and she’d been no more than 20 feet away.

But it didn’t end there.  Evans pulled out a photograph as an example of the images he and his co-author had borrowed while researching their Proctor District book.  I studied the photo.  And then it happened again.  1942.  Mason Junior High (a block north of The Pacific Northwest Shop along Proctor).  It was a photo of the graduating class from that year.  I studied the picture.  You see, my mother graduated from Mason Junior High in 1942.  This was her graduating class.  And she was in the picture Evans was showing me.

But I had one more stop on my journey through this North Tacoma land of both shadow and substance.  I had noticed that the Proctor District book didn’t discuss one of the businesses that my 5-year-old self considered the best shopping destination on the planet â€" the Ten Cent Store,” a throwback general store that was later replaced by a (still there) bicycle shop. 

No, Evans admitted, they hadn’t found any photos of the building when it was known by that name, although he knew the building’s history.

“Do you remember the candy counter at the Ten Cent Store?” he asked me suddenly. 

Of course I remembered it.  I had faced it making countless delectable selections.  I had probably drooled on it in anticipation.

“I remember it well,” I answered, now basking in cherished long-ago memories.

“Well it’s here,” Evans said.  “I bought it.  And now I sell candy out of it.”

It was true.  The candy counter from my favorite childhood confectionery/toy/pet supply store of all time is again serving customers in Tacoma’s Proctor District.  I touched it â€" just to renew our acquaintance.  I think it remembered me. â€" Bill Timnick

ART
“Remembered Light”
U.S. Army Chaplain Frederick Alexander McDonald may no longer be with us, but he lives on through his memories and shards of glass he collected during World War II. These stained glass pieces from sanctuaries damaged or destroyed when the war wreaked havoc on Europe, and McDonald’s personal recollections come together in a breathtaking exhibit on display at the Washington State History Museum. 

“Remembered Light: Glass Fragments from World War II, The McDonald Windows” features 25 windows in diverse media including ceramic, silk screen, vinyl and glass created by 13 international glass artists. These stunning works of art reflect the despair and the hope, the destruction and the renewal Seattle-born McDonald experienced as he traveled through Europe with General Omar Bradley’s 12th Army Group from 1944-45. â€" Jamie Forsythe

[The Washington State History Museum, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.,  $6-$8, 1911 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 1.888.BE.THERE, www.WashingtonHistory.org]

MORE ART: In the galleries and museums today.

FILM
“Juno”
Very smart, very funny and then very touching; it begins with the pacing of a screwball comedy and ends as a portrait of characters we have come to love.  Ellen Page in an Oscar-worthy performance as a pregnant 16-year-old who decides to keep the child.  With J.K. Simmons and Allison Janney wonderful as her parents, older and wiser than most parents in teenage comedies.  And Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman as the would-be adoptive parents, and Michael Cera, shyly winning as Juno’s boyfriend.  Screenplay by Diablo Cody, directed by Jason Reitman; the best movie of 2007. (PG) Four stars â€" Roger Ebert

[Century Olympia: 11:25 a.m., 12:55, 3:20, 4:45, 5:50, 8:15, 10:15; The Grand Cinema: 4:20, 6:35, 8:50; Lakewood Cinema 15: 12:15, 3:30, 6:40, 9:30; Regal Martin Village 16: 11:50 a.m., 2:20, 4:50, 7:20, 9:50; Regal South Hill 6: 12:20, 2:40, 5, 7:30, 9:50; Yelm Cinemas @ Prairie Park: 12:20, 2:45, 5, 7:10]

MORE FILM: On local screens today.

THE DAILY WORD
Learn it, use it, spell it

Malapropism \mal-uh-PROP-iz-uhm\, noun:
The usually unintentionally humorous misuse of a word, especially by confusion with one of similar sound; also, an example of such misuse.

USAGE EXAMPLE: Displaying an above average gift for malapropism, President Bush told his ever dwindling legion of supporters that he enjoyed “self defecating” humor. Then, realizing his mistake, he pooped himself to cover his tracks.

THE MORNING NEWS

OLYMPIA: Universal coverage on the table.

OLYMPIA: Same-sex marriage law.

JAPAN: Dumbest bar staff in the world.

COLFAX: Panty thief.

HUSTLER OF CULTURE
You can stand atop the mountain and scream your naked desires to the universe or shed that synapse epilepsy and hug the South Sound today with your fellow man:

MUSIC: Olympia’s thirst for strange and kitschy music never ceases to amaze Bobble Tiki. Just when Bobble Tiki thinks he’s seen it all someone reworks the music from Nintendo’s Ninja Gaiden into a kazoo symphony â€" and Oly goes crazy for it. Tonight at Le Voyeur, Joey Casio will lay down the beats and ironic keyboard treats â€" and no doubt Olympia will eat it up as always. That’s Bobble Tiki’s prediction and he’s sticking to it.       

MORE MUSIC: What's on tonight.

BAR EXAM: Steph DeRosa visits the Flying Boots. 

Breakfast with Bobble Tiki runs Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.  Deal with it.

It's a cute bathroom. Yes, I said cute. Not a word you hear many men using. Mr. DeRosa loves the food at Indulge Cupcakes, but I doubt you'll hear him (or any man) saying the bathrooms are cute. I doubt there are few males that would actually use the term cute in any descriptive sense. As I was admiring the exposed brick and deep, warm colors of the potty-room, I began thinking how it can be both easy and difficult being a male. There are so many expectations, yet so many uncomplicated things involving manhood.

There are the obvious straight-forward topics of how being a guy has its advantages. For example: peeing standing up, burping and farting is expected, body hair not an issue, body weight not an issue (Irritating fact: sitcoms have beer-belly husbands and hot wives), and the easiest one: not having to endure the physical aspects of pregnancy. Blah, blah, blah we've heard it all. Men have it SO easy, right?

Why is it cheaper for a man to get a haircut than a woman? I'm pretty sure we are washed with the same shampoo, sit in the same chair, use the same cape, take the same amount of time (for basic cuts), use the same scissors and possibly even the same number of snips with those scissors. Why is it also cheaper to dry clean a man's shirt than it is a woman's shirt? That leads me to a different question: Why don't dry cleaners list their prices? I think they make up a different price every time I go in¬" just whatever they feel like charging me that day. I'm simply baffled.

Yet, on the other hand, I think existing as a male has a lifelong challenge of what it means to be considered a man.Let me explain: Women have a right of passage into womanhood. It's called menstruation. You have your period, and now you are able to have babies. You grow boobs to feed your babies; and you grow hips to carry them on. You are now a woman, and you now know your job that human nature and science has given you: to reproduce. What do men have? A wet dream? So, they can emit sperm and have an orgasm, and potentially help make a baby. This by no means guides them to what they were meant to do in life. Work? Provide for your family? Fight fires? Save lives? Build buildings? Eat an entire giant Cloverleaf pizza all by yourself?

Men never really have a clear right of passage into manhood. Thus leaving them to always have to prove themselves as men. Who can drink the most beer, make the most money, drive the fastest car, have the louder stereo, own the bigger HD plasma TV, biggest house, biggest barbeque (in Texas, anyway), sexier wife, loudest/highest/most obnoxious diesel truck (short man/small penis syndrome), etc. You know, each man has his own idea of what exactly is going to prove he is a man. It all must be incredibly difficult: The never-ending search for inner-security. I'm sure no average male would outright admit that I am right, but of course, an average real man's would.

So as I wash my hands with the awesome Bath and Body Works soap Jen has put in the Indulge bathroom, I remember the saying at our house: Mr. DeRosa is definitely a man. He's the man of our house. He wears the pants in the family, that's for sure. But it's me who tells him which pants to wear.¬" Steph DeRosa

If you missed spoken word/hip-hop artist Josh Rizeberg's Martin Luther King Jr. Day appearance at the Washington Center, you can catch the performance today at 1:55 p.m. on Channel 12 in Tacoma, Channel 85 in University Place, and Channel 21 in remaining Pierce County locales. â€" Michael Swan

There may or may not be a spectacular Oscarcast on Feb. 24, but now we know who will or won't win the Oscars. The 2008 nominees, announced today at the crack of dawn, represent one of the strongest fields in recent years, reflecting the surge of superb films starting in September. â€" Roger Ebert

LINK: Check out Ebert's take on this year's Oscars here.

According to a press release that just hit the Weekly Volcano’s inbox, Tacoma’s Assistant City Manager and Director of Public Works, William Pugh, announced today that he will retire from the City of Tacoma effective March 1, 2008. After 33 years of working for the City of Tacoma â€" including the last 14 years as the Assistant City Manager â€" Pugh, who initially announced plans to retire back in 2007, apparently feels now is as good a time as any to call it a career.

“I’ve been able to see the positive impact of public works on my community,” says Pugh in the press release. “Tacoma is known for its renaissance, its cultural, recreational and educational opportunities, embracing both the young and old and diverse cultures. I have been part of this change and transformation. I am proud.”

As is typical when a high profile figure retires from a time consuming position, Pugh plans to spend more time with his family. No word yet on how Pugh’s family feels about the decision â€" Matt Driscoll

There are those who dread going home to an empty house, and there are those who revel in it. Those in the second category usually have large families. Or just families. Or maybe they’re just antisocial, which is fine. But the point is to scheme new and innovative ways to achieve that empty house. To this end, perhaps you should call the Tacoma Art Museum to find out about its Art in Action, a week-long spring-break day camp for students in second through fifth grade, in partnership with the Broadway Center Conservatory. The kids will be taken care from March 31 to April 4, beginning at TAM in the morning and moving to the Broadway Center Conservatory in the afternoon, giving you that time to do anything you want. Ahhh. ... Art in Action.

Call 253.573.2517 to reserve your kid's spot. â€" Suzy Stump

LINK: Previously on Spew.

ART
“Renoir as Printmaker”
For Pierre-Auguste Renoir, etching and lithographs were an adjunct to painting, and although some of the works in Tacoma Art Museum’s “Renoir as Printmaker: The Complete Works, 1876-1912” are highly finished, most are sketchy, and the many variations on a few themes indicate that he also used printmaking as a way of experimenting with different solutions to aesthetic problems.

Drawn from a local private collection, this exhibition comprises the complete known collection of Renoir’s graphic art, and it will be shown exclusively at Tacoma Art Museum. It includes 25 etchings and 35 lithographs. In addition to the many nudes and studies of children at play, there are many portraits of Renoir’s children and of his artist friends. Among the portraits are one of Berthe Morisot, one of Paul Cezanne, and a rather stern portrait of the composer Richard Wagner.

Getting this show in Tacoma is a real coup. â€" Alec Clayton

[Tacoma Art Museum, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., $6.50-$7.50, 1701 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.272.4258, www.TacomaArtMuseum.org].

ROCK
Pretty Ugly
As Meatloaf once said before taking a slug off the gravy boat, “Two out of three aint bad.” After listening to the four tracks Pretty Ugly has posted on MySpace, and noticing the band has Pabst, Camel Cigarettes, and the Lusty Lady in their top 12, I knew Pretty Ugly was for me.

Pretty Ugly is bassist Jeff Rambin, guitarist Jeremy Jacques, drummer Bo Edmond and vocalist/guitarist Conner Rambin. The Rambins are brothers. (Conner Rambin played in Pistol for a Paycheck, and Edmonds with Feed the Robots.) Last year the band released its debut full length, The Bungled and the Botched. â€" Matt Driscoll

[Hell’s Kitchen, with Hobo Libido and Psycho 78, 9 p.m., $3, 3829 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.759.6003]

DJ
A Jazz Primer
If your head is spinning because you can’t decide what to do with so much going on, just know that you’re not alone. I’ve got the added pressure of a house guest, my 21-year-old niece, to make matters even more indecisive. What am I supposed to do with someone who hates large crowds of people and is only interested in jazz?

DJ Alspinski.

The man has, as the kids say, skills. Alspinski spins jazz â€" old and new â€" at the Monsoon Room every Wednesday. Alspinski, in his own way, is helping to shape how the turntable can be utilized as an instrument in a jazz-oriented context. â€" Suzy Stump

[Monsoon Room Hilltop, 9 p.m., no cover, 1022 S. J St., Tacoma, 253.722.5075]   

The comeback kids for the 2008 Dockyard Derby Dames season are going to be the Marauding Mollys. That’s my prediction, and I’m always right.

Last season these pirating Mollys didn’t win a single bout, but watch out ye mateys: This year they are tough, in shape, and ready to take back all the loot and booty that was pillaged from them last year.

When I spoke with Mollys captain Vicious Divalicious, you could hear it in her voice. I felt her excitement, her eagerness, and her determination. I could feel her pacing back and forth, I could sense the smile, and the sound of her energy was off the wall. She is no joke, and from what she tells me, this team is no joke either.

Coach Heywood Jablowme is by far one of the greatest motivators for this team. By focusing on anticipation (of what the other team will do), endurance, and teamwork, they are ready to fight. Divalicious is quick to also credit the other coaches and teams in their skating success; “All of our coaches work together in every league practice to make it a good bout for the audience. Nobody wants to see a blowout.” Read: This year it’s gonna be a fight till the finish â€" The Championship Bout. â€" Steph DeRosa

Maurading Molly’s to watch

Frankey Bones #705: Voted best all-around player in the DYDD League. She’s a hard hitter and can read the pack (skating through the pack of girls).

SARAted Edge #CutU2: She’s fast, she’s smart, and she knows how to take the loot.

PsychopathChick #365: She’s the jammer to beat on this team. Besides, would you want to skate against a psychopath?

Buy your tickets now for the first bout Feb. 24, or for the season here.