Get ready to mark your calendars and save the date: an innovative and robust military career fair will be back again this summer to help transitioning and retired military personnel who are seeking employment.

WorkForce Central, in partnership with the Tacoma Rainiers Baseball Club, is pleased to present the 2014 Annual Boots2Work Military Career Fair Wednesday, Aug. 27, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at historic Cheney Stadium in Tacoma.  Last year's event provided more than 600 transitioning and retired military personnel and their spouses access to a number of military friendly businesses. This year's career fair will continue to feature employer exhibitors that are ready to hire, as well as provide expert help to assist job seekers obtain tools, resources and support in their employment journey.  

Aug. 26, the day prior to the event, there will be a variety of workshops to help participants prepare for the career fair. The workshops will also be held at Cheney Stadium.

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Two veterans worked hard to make a difference for other veterans.

"We veterans have a unique relationship," explained Army veteran Scot Pondelick. 

"It's a kind of love that we have."

Pondelick and Navy veteran Tito Medina organized the first annual Veterans Resource Fair at the Tacoma Dome's Exhibition Hall June 21.

"I knew there were plenty of resources in the area, but it was a matter of publicizing them and gathering them at one time in one place," explained Medina.

He emphasized that some of the service providers don't have a large network, so the fair would help them get to know each other.

"This event is for veterans, but it will also allow providers to get to know each other in order to better help veterans."

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SUNDAY, JUNE 22 2014 >>>

1. It's like money in dog years. For FISH Food Banks of Pierce County, every dollar raised has seven times the buying power. Based on this math, last year's Maurice The Fish Records benefit concert brought in nearly $50,000 to help feed the hungry. This year's FISH Food Benefit Concert has eight bands taking the stage at the all-ages, family friendly 3-7 p.m. show at Louie G's in Fife. Musical artists span many genres and include: James Coates, Champagne Sunday, Vividal, Moss Brothers, The Approach, Tin Man, Nolan Garrett and Strangely Alright. Read Nikki McCoy's full feature on the FISH Food Benefit Concert in the Music & Culture section.

2. Capital City Pride began under the aegis of Rainbow Center Olympia. Back then, the festival drew a few hundred people. Now as many as 10,000 celebrants converge on a two-day extravaganza that marks the climax of a very busy year for the organization. Today marks day two of the fabulous celebration with The Pride Parade at noon followed by another full day of music. There will be information and food booths in the park, a marvelous kids' area with activities provided by the Hands On Children's Museum, lots of speechifying and, of course, drag performances.

3. If you are looking for a quiz that calls for more than sitting on a stool with a pint of beer, or if you have killer knowledge of Tacoma history that you feel compelled to show off, then this trivia game is for you. Today you can test your local authority against other history buffs. The Tacoma History Hike is a high-suspense, high-speed scavenger hunt that begins at the Washington State History Museum and leads you to a variety of checkpoints within a 1.5-mile radius, allowing you to walk, run, skip or bike the course. Each checkpoint provides the answer to a question of Tacoma-related historical trivia. Collect as many as you can in the time allotted, and return to the museum for music, awards, goody bags and admission. There is still walk-up registration at 12:30 p.m. with the race at 2 p.m.

4. The Social Bar and Grill's patio is a lovely spot to while away a weekend afternoon, sipping cocktails and old world red wine and watch condo residents walk their dogs. Come Sunday afternoon, resident DJ Mr. Melanin and rotating guests spin an eclectic and extremely tasteful selection of lounge, bossa nova and electro soul music 2-6 p.m. This triple threat of delicious happy hour specials, sun and hip tunes is known as Tacoma's only daytime summer party, "Dayclub."

5. Seattle film director Megan Griffiths' latest film, Lucky Them, stars Toni Collette as a Seattle rock journalist who is ordered by her magazine's editor, played by Oliver Platt, to search for a long lost rock god who also happens to be her ex-boyfriend. In the story she teams up with an eccentric amateur documentary filmmaker played by Thomas Haden Church.  Read Jared Lovrak's review of Lucky Them in our Music & Culture section, and then chat with Griffiths after the 2 and 4:20 p.m. screenings at The Grand Cinema.

BONUS: Don't get stuck watching the World Cup games cornered in some dingy bar with a 10-year-old TV and '80s classic hits on the radio. Doyle's Public House's giant tent with two huge TVs (and a bar) will make it feel like you're along the Amazon watching the games (minus the Piranhas). USA takes on Portugal today at 3 p.m.      

LINK: Sunday, June 22 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

Today is national Go Skateboarding Day, where skateboarders around the globe celebrate the pure exhilaration, creativity, and spirit of one of the most influential activities in the world by blowing off all other obligations to go ... skateboarding. OK, most skateboarders do this every day of their lives, but this is just one more reason to blow off your television/computer/video games and go skateboarding.

In 2009, the City of Tacoma authorized the removal of hundreds of metal skateboard stoppers from Thea's Park, essentially legalizing skating within the park's boundaries. In 2011, the city took steps to change a decades-old ban on using a skateboard as a transportation device in the downtown area.

Saturday, June 21, hundreds of Tacoma skateboards will crowd Tollefson Plaza in celebration of the worldwide celebration. The Alchemy Indoor sponsored Go Skate Tacoma invites skateboarders of all ages to pop shuvits down the stairs, grinds on the boxes and cruising the smooth ground without fear of retribution from the dreaded Five-O. In fact, Tacoma Police will be on hand to make sure the one-day event runs smoothly.

Grab your helmet, tighten your wheels and spend a day popping ollies in Tollefson Plaza with fellow skateboarders - or at least look cool on the sidelines while you watch everyone else.

Schedule of Events

• 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free skate clinic (sign up at alchemyindoor.com)
• 2-3 p.m. Slopestyle competition and open plaza skate
• 3-6 p.m. Competition (17 and younger, 18+, 35+, Best Trick Ramp/Street, Hippie Jump/High Ollie), open skate sessions slopestyle slide jam and regular comps
• 7 p.m. After Party with music by A Leaf, Wheelies and Rockwell Powers at Grit City Grindhouse

SATURDAY, JUNE 21 2014 >>>

1. Capital City Pride begins at 11 a.m. in Sylvester Park with the live performances by Sonny Nguyn & Stonewall Youth, Wonder, guitar picker and set designer extraordinaire Bruce Haasl, Something Wicked Comedy Improv, The Downey Brothers at 1 p.m., Xavier Toscano, Full Moon Radio at 2:15 p.m. and headliner Paris Original (with Hattie Hotpants & Gregory Conn) and Thea Austin at 3 p.m. There will be information and food booths in the park, a marvelous kids' area with activities provided by the Hands On Children's Museum, lots of speechifying and, of course, drag performances.

2. Happy pigs and human heads carved from coconuts, T-shirts, coffee mugs, salt and pepper shakers, trays, bells and toothpick holders stenciled with Florida iconography, metal frames bordered with leaping dolphins, necklaces, nightlights made from mollusks' shiny homes. One person's tacky is another's kitsch at Pierce County Parks & Recreation community garage sale Junk in the Trunk, where people stuff their automobiles with, er, stuff they want to sell from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Sprinker Recreation Center. Even if you don't buy any of the crap they're hawking, it's worth a visit for people-watching purposes alone. And if you happen to be looking for old lamps, cheap socks or worn-down appliances, all the better.

3. Fort Nisqually Living History Museum hosts a dozen cooks competing for the coveted Golden Skillet from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. According to pre-event hype, "This event is a glimpse into how we cooked and what we ate during the mid-1800s. The Fort's re-enactors will cook on a wood stove and over numerous campfires." Celebrity guest cook Paula Marcoux, food historian and author of Cooking with Fire, will be in the ... fort.

4. There are no words when a community loses one of its beloved members. There are no words, but there is music. And this is exactly what Brian Redman would have wanted. A stalwart in Tacoma's music scene, (3 Inches of Blood, Trial, Dirty Knockers) it's been nearly five years since Redman tragically lost his life. But, his spirit rocks on. BriFest 2014 features 11 music acts, including Pig Snout, Earth Mother, Kim Archer and Nolan Garrett, beginning at 2:30 p.m. in Jazzbones. BriFest is a fundraiser for the Brian Redmond Memorial Fund, which continues to give out the $1,000 Brian Redman Memorial Fund Scholarship.

5. The Thermals have never skimped on passion - musically or lyrically. With straightforward opinions about politics being spat by Hutch Harris at a furious rate per minute, over the driving pop-punk explosions of the unimpeachable trio, the Thermals have been, at their best, near unmatchable for fist-pumping power. It's not often that the band graces a Tacoma stage, so consider this show unmissable. Catch the band with Big Eyes and Wheelies at 9 p.m. in The New Frontier Lounge.

LINK: Saturday, June 21 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

When it comes to street skateboarding, Torey Pudwill and Joey Brezinski are some of the best on the board with four wheels.

Both young men visited Joint Base Lewis-McChord yesterday to autograph posters at the Base Exchange before heading over to the Skate Plaza to work and interact with about 150 youngsters.

Red Bull and JBLM's Family, Morale, Welfare, and Recreation Directorate sponsored the visit.

"We've worked on making this event happen for quite a while," commented Carly Michael, sponsorship director for MWR.

"Tonight should be a lot of fun for everyone here."

>>> Joey Brezinski talks with a skateboarder while Torey Pudwill autographs a poster.  Sponsored by Red Bull and brought to JBLM by the Morale, Welfare and Recreation Directorate, the two are world-class skateboarders. Photo credit: J.M. Simpson

>>> Young skateboarders at JBLM's Skate Plaza cheer a move by Joey Brezinski. Photo credit: J.M. Simpson

As skateboarding gained popularity during the 1980s and 1990s, skateboarders began to perform tricks in urban areas by using existing urban features to perform acrobatic stunts.

Pudwill and Brezinski continue to promote the sport.

Named the Best Street Skater at the 2011 Trans World Skateboarding Awards and a third place finisher at the 2013 X Games in Street League Skateboarding, Pudwill is passionate about the sport.

"I work hard and skate every day because it's something that I do for fun," he said during a break in signing autographs.

"I'm just trying to get kids to be as stoked for skateboarding as I was as a kid."

>>> Joey Brezinski gets ready to skateboard with JBLM boarders. Photo credit: J.M. Simpson

Often referred to as the "Manual King" for his ability to balance his board on two wheels, Brezinski created the first ever "manual based contest" and has since become a force to be reckoned with winning four of the last six contests since 2007.

"It's just great to be here, meet these kids and have a great time," he said as he watched the action. 

"There is definitely some talent here at JBLM."

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18 2014 >>>

1. We red-blooded Americans like our meat smoked, cooked long and slow until it's tender enough to be cut with a sharp glance. Travel with us to the town of Steilacoom to hear Pat Maddock, championship pitmaster with Pacific Northwest BBQ Association and Kansas City Barbecue Society, share secrets of competition barbecue we can use behind our office building. Maddock covers barbecue types, smoke woods, rubs, sauces, cookers and meats, and demonstrates the way competition chefs prepare winning pork ribs at 6 p.m. We salute you, Pat Maddock!

2. The Museum of Glass has invited visiting artist Donald Lipski to hang out in the Hot Shop for the week. Lipski is a sculptor known for his poetic combining and altering of existing things and for his enigmatic installation works. Things fire up at 10 a.m.

3. From 5:15 to 6:30 p.m., why not get up off your booty and commune with Tacoma on foot? Downtown On the Go hosts another Walk Tacoma events. Tonight, it walks in the name of public art. Participants will join Pacific Avenue Streetscape artist Elizabeth Connor for a 1.5 mile walking route in downtown Tacoma starting at Fireman's Park. After the walk, participants are invited to attend a social event with food and drinks at The Forum. There is no need to pre-register for the event, simply meet in the park.

4. The Four Beer Horsemen ride into the area tonight.Fort George Brewery unloads its beers at the ParkWay Tavern beginning at 5 p.m.Boundary Bay Brewing Company makes its way to the Puyallup River Alehouse for a 6-9 p.m. party of beers, giveaways, raffle prizes and dollar tacos. Double Mountain Brewery swings through The Swiss Restaurant & Pub for a 6-9 p.m. brewer's night and raffle. Deschutes Brewing Co. bursts through the Pint Defiance doors for a 5-7 p.m. hoopla.

5. The country genre nowadays often seems to favor superstar pop-artists, and one can also admit that it has lost a lot of original flavor and a great amount of heart and soul. The Twang Junkies are loaded with original flavor and soul. The Tacoma band moseys up to the bar with Cash, Haggard, Hank and Earle on one side and Jagger, Lennon, Bowie and Gibb on the other, then taking the Jazzbones stage at 8:30 p.m. with their own blend of alt-country: a Southern twang bass with a hint of indie rock.

LINK: Wednesday, June 18 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

On the heels of the Washington State Department of Transportation's public presentation of ideas to fix the traffic hell outside the Joint Base Lewis-McChord gates comes a trifecta of public meetings centering on the JBLM Joint Land Use Study. The South Sound Military & Communities Partnership has released the dates. ...

Lakewood, WA - Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) is changing, and so are the communities in the south Puget Sound region.

Now, the organization that's working to ensure effective communication and collaboration between the base and its neighbors is looking to engage the community in planning for the areas surrounding the base. The project, called the JBLM Joint Land Use Study (JLUS), focuses on the region's long-term land use plans, with goals of supporting the military mission at JBLM, ensuring public health and safety throughout the region, and protecting the neighboring communities' abilities to plan for development.

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The first annual Veterans Resource Fair at the Tacoma Dome Exhibition Hall will take place between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday, June 21. The day will offer services, resources and varying employment and education opportunities to area veterans and their families.

"I knew there was plenty of resources but it was a matter of publicizing them and gathering them at one time, in one place," said event organizer Alfredo "Tito" Medina, a Navy veteran who has spent decades working with fellow veterans.

The Veteran Resource Fair is a community partnership between various veteran-owned agencies, individuals, nonprofits, federal, state and local county agencies whose aim is to provide a reliable event where Pierce, King, Kitsap and Thurston County veterans and their families can obtain information on various programs and resources.

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Lt. Gen. Stephen Lanza understands perfectly well the function of a town hall meeting.

"This brings us together," the commander of I Corps at Joint Base Lewis-McChord said this morning.

"Members from the business community, academia and local government are here," he said to the nearly 100 listeners.

Eagles Pride Golf Course at DuPont hosted the two-hour event. 

In a candid, clear and relaxed manner, Lanza talked about the trust the Army and JBLM have built with the local area and the sustainment of the force as the country faces uncertain economic times.

"We will sustain the trust we have built with this community," Lanza said.  "Forums like this build on that trust."

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