SUZY STUMP: THIS KICKS GLASS >>>

Sick of eating your bologna sandwich in your cubicle every day?

Then break out! 

The Museum of Glass will gladly entertain you for your 60-minute lunch break (and where do you work?) during its Hot Lunch glass demonstrations.  Every Friday, audience members are encouraged to try the museum’s box lunch from Gallucci's Glass Café and eat in the Hot Shop, where special guest glass artists do their thing. To order your lunch, contact the Cafe at 253.474.7885 or by e-mail by 3 p.m. Wednesday prior to your visit.

This Friday, try a little glass action with your Snack Pack Pudding. 

[Museum of Glass, Friday, Oct. 24, noon to 1 p.m., $8-$16, 1801 Dock St., downtown Tacoma, 253.396.1768]

LINK: Weekly Volcano's Dish section

SUZY STUMP: I NEED IDEAS >>>

So … it’s Wednesday and Halloween is on Friday. No really, it is. That’s the timeline we’re working with here. In talking to people in the past couple days I feel as though there are many many lost souls out there and no one’s committing to any outfit in particular. I guess no one wants to do the naughty schoolgirl thing for the 10th year in a row (thank god!).

Anyone have any ideas for me?

STEPH DEROSA: BECAUSE YOUR NEIGHBOR IS A FREAK >>>

Your neighbor told me to tell you a couple of things, so I’m going to try and break it to you gently.  First of all, they asked if you could please close your blinds when you do that thing you always do to yourself on Thursday nights.  Secondly, they asked you take down your Christmas lights from last year.

They were telling me these things as they inserted razor blades into mini-Snickers.  Or at least that’s what we all assume our neighbors are doing, right?  You might be one of the fortunate who are able to go next door for your candy-fix, but just in case you don’t know your neighbors well enough to trust what’s in their candy bowl â€" I’ve come up with a few public places in which you can score some sweet trickin’ treats for free this Friday, Oct. 31.

Freighthouse Square is having a Harvest Fest from noon to 5 p.m. that includes trick-or-treats for the kids, kid’s craft zone, costume contest for different age categories, and every parent’s favorite: a beer garden. 

Both the Tacoma Mall and Auburn Supermall will host trick-or-treating throughout their stores beginning at 5 p.m.  The Auburn Supermall requests visitors bring a canned food item and that candy-hunters are younger than 12 and not wearing full masks.

Stroll through downtown Puyallup from 4-6 p.m. and fill up your bags with treats from more than 50 vendors.  A map to these sugar-laden treasures is available at the Puyallup Main Street office located at 107 N. Meridian. 

But of course there is every Tacoma resident’s favorite, the Proctor Treats safe trick-or-treating event.  The line (you know what “line” I’m talking about) will assemble itself beginning at 4 p.m. and lasting until 6 p.m. starting at North 26th and Proctor in Tacoma.

For the most part I’m pretty sure you can trust these fine organizations to give you the safest Halloween experience, but just in case you need someone to test your candy before you eat it you can feel free to pass it over my way.  I’m willing to take one for the team in order to secure the well being of my community.

LINK: ViVA South Sound arts and entertainment calendar

MATT DRISCOLL: THE THINGS ONE LEARNS ON THE INTERNET >>>

Perusing FeedTacoma this afternoon, I was disappointed to see the news being reported on Exit133.

According to the site:

That sucks royally. Hopefully the closure is, indeed, temporary. The New Frontier was the place to be during the Squeak and Squawk Festival. As far as live music venues go in this town, the New Frontier has the promise to be special. Let's all cross our fingers and hope the hiatus is short.

KEN SWARNER: RESTAURANTING IN A RECESSION >>>

A recession is no easy times for restaurant owners.  Steve Nogler of Herban Café (2602 Sixth Avenue in Tacoma) knows that, speaking candidly this week in the Volcano about the biz and its re-opening last week after a temporary shutdown to retool.  Here’s what Jason and Jake DePaul had to say about the Café last Spring.

JASON: I find the café a nice respite â€" a truly local establishment where my relationship with my servers feels genuine and caring. I enjoy lounging at lunch, reading a book â€" nothing feels rushed. Lingering doesn’t feel frowned upon.



JAKE: I agree. You can tell the moment you walk into the Herban Café that it’s a place where people linger, where they come with newspapers and laptops in the morning, drink coffee and eat sandwiches or scones until well into the afternoon, and enjoy pot pie and wine before a show. I have spent many a Saturday-long lunch with a delicious, gourmet ham and brie sandwich, deep mug of corn chowder with big potato chunks, several glasses of Cuvee Monster Red, chocolate oatmeal cookies sprinkled with powdered sugar, and my book.



Also in today's Weekly Volcano

Scary places to eat, where the food's ghoulishly good

It's always happy hour somewhere in the world, and the South Sound

Shocking fig expose: They're good!

Food matters. If you don't believe it, Bite Us

STEPH DEROSA: CANDLELIGHT MYSTERY TOUR >>>

Haunted mansion enthusiasts, listen up! It’s time to sell your old collectables on eBay and pack up your ghostbusting proton packs, Thornewood Castle Inn and Gardens is holding their Candlelight Mystery Tour tonight at 7 p.m. This tour is not for the weak-minded, this tour is for those interested in a REAL ghost hunt.

For $100 and a booked room overnight at the mansion, you too can strap on the infra-red glasses and seek into the unknown. Lady of the castle, Deanna Robinson, will guide you into Thornewood’s depths including places such as the garden, hidden corridors, and basement hallways that have paranormal history. Lady Robinson encourages paranormal groups to book a special tour, and reservations are needed to attend in order to this specific Candlelight Mystery Tour. So, if you want to experience huge ghosts beyond the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man tonight, you need to call Thornewood Castle Inn.

Whoyagonna callllll?

[Thornewood Castle, 7 p.m., $100, 8601 N. Thorne Lane S.W., Lakewood, 253.584.4393]

MATT DRISCOLL: SCARY NEWS STORIES IN THIS WEEK'S VOLCANO >>>

With Halloween staring us right in the bloodshot eyes, and the most historic election of a lifetime going down on Tuesday, we had plenty of things to talk about in this week's Volcano. And with Pappi Swarner off in Hawaii, things got a little interesting - especially when the power went out yesterday hours before deadline and as acting editor all I could thing to do was tell ghost stories with the flashlight. Luckily, we made it.

Here's a look at the news stories in this week's Volcano

The Weekly Volcano's Super Spooky Endorsement Issue is on the street now. See who and what we're pulling for.

Jesse "the Traveller" Hill goes for broke running for PC Sheriff

Daniel Blue, Gen. Wojack, Rev. Goonie and others talk about the future of politics

With Swarner in Maui, the meter was rockin'. Coincidence?

STEPH DEROSA: NEEDS DIVE BARS TO GET THROUGH THE DAY >>>

As I mourned the loss of Pizza ‘n’ Pipes in University Place that was lost in a 1999 fire, it was obvious I needed to go visit the site in order to find closure to my depressive state.  I pulled in to the parking lot and a single tear rolled down my face.  There was no way I could go into traffic in this mental capacity. I needed a break. 

The only thing that could take my mind off the loss of such grand organ memories was bad carpeting and cheap beer.  That meant a dive bar was in order.  How lucky was I that The Goodtimes Restaurant and Lounge located adjacent to Narrows Plaza Bowl was open and ready to serve?  Very lucky.

Check out what I found here.