Although it is located 40 miles from where the 617th Engineer Company is based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord as part of the 555th Engineer Brigade, soldiers have been hard at work on the Mud Mountain Dam Road Improvement Project for the last month.

Mud Mountain Dam protects the lower White and Puyallup River valleys from flooding. It is also open to recreational use along the White River (near Mt. Rainier) so that visitors can picnic, hike, bike or even ride horses all in view of the large dam.

The work has involved improving a two-mile stretch of road adjacent to the Mud Mountain Dam near Enumclaw, from adding a ditch to aggregate distribution to road compaction. 

That being said, while the 617th Engineer Company is equipped with the soldiers, capability and the time to handle the Mud Mountain project, it was only through a partnership with the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) from the Seattle district that the resources and task became available. 

The project, which was planned primarily at the company level and executed at the platoon level, has been underway since July 21 with direct USACE coordination. Throughout the process, there have been approximately 10 to 15 soldiers remaining onsite at a time with organic assets, rotating in and out in weeklong increments.

"This is the first time that we've partnered with the USACE in the two years I've been here," said 1st Lt. Alexander Sackmann, who has been serving as the project manager to ensure that the soldiers have what they need to complete the mission.

"We are a horizontal construction company, so this is crucial to our training and in line with our skills, but we don't always get this sort of opportunity," Sackmann continued. "We cannot do many construction projects around JBLM due to how densely populated it is."

"It was real-world training in open area so we're capable of doing so much more," agreed Staff Sgt. John Thompson.

Best of all, the improvements that have been made will allow for the safe transfer of salmon when they run upstream this season, according to Thompson.

"We want to continue the partnership in the future with the USACE because they have been great to work with throughout the project," Sackmann explained, citing USACE team members Rick Emry, Dan Johnson, Sam Stables and Mike Bartholet, specifically.

The project is on track to end Aug. 22 when the spillway access road improvement is finalized.

SEE ALSO

Major transition for the 555th Engineer Brigade at Joint Base Lewis-McChord

Get ready to hold on to your (cowboy) hats. The annual Kitsap County Fair and Stampede kicks off today with five days of carnival rides, critters, deep-fried dough concoctions, a wide array of sure-to-please entertainment and much more.

The "stampede" part of this extravaganza is a series of rodeo events including an Extreme Bull Competition today followed by a concert performance by country singer John Michael Montgomery.

Three days of Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association (PRCA) pro rodeo action kicks off with a special salute to the military at 7 p.m., Aug. 21.

Joint Base Lewis-McChord Fisher House Manager Jodi Land will be on hand to accept a donation of $5,000 courtesy of the Kitsap rodeo committee, which will also honor other local service members prior to the start of the action.

"We are so grateful for the generous support that will be used to provide a 'home away from home' for our military service men and women and their loved ones receiving care at Madigan Army Medical Center," Land said.

The JBLM Fisher House is one of 63 similar houses around the world. It provides a comfortable, safe place for ill and injured service members and their families to stay for up to six months at no charge. 

The Fisher House donation comes as part of National Wrangler Patriot Night, a year-round program that raises funds to support U.S. military veterans and their families.

"We have a high level of pride and respect for individuals serving in the U.S. military who show heroism every day in an effort to protect our country," said Phil McAdams, president of Wrangler Specialty Apparel, on the program's website. "This is our chance to give back to those veterans who have suffered injuries fighting for our country's safety and freedom, and to their families who have lost a loved one while on duty." Since it began in 2009, the Wrangler National Patriot program has donated more than $750,000.

"A local committee will raise money for a local veteran's charity, and they will match it up to $2,500," explained Dennis Wood, a volunteer on the Kitsap Stampede rodeo committee. "We get to pick the charity, and it stays in our area. Then we go out and raise money - at least $2,500 - so they will match it."

During the past six months or so, the Kitsap Stampede rodeo committee has been raising funds for the JBLM Fisher House. Three silent auctions, a comedy night at a local tavern and a barrel race all brought in more than the required $2,500, Wood said.

The all-volunteer committee is made up of many veterans or those affiliated with the military, said Wood, a retired Navy master chief who has been in the area since 1985. "So there are a lot of people really attached to it."

In addition to the check presentation and service member recognition, Wrangler is providing hats to the first 500 veterans at Thursday's rodeo kick-off event along with National Patriot program bandanas. Active duty and retired service members and their dependents with valid military ID, along with first responders, get in to the fair and rodeo that day for just two bucks.

So dust off those cowboy boots, dig out your best cowboy hat and head up to Kitsap this week for some world-class rodeo action.

KITSAP COUNTY FAIR AND STAMPEDE, Aug. 20-24, 1200 NW Fairgrounds Road, Bremerton, tickets start at $11, children 5 and younger free, http://www.kitsapgov.com/parks/fairgrounds/pages/fair_information.htm.

GRAB A COFFEE POT AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 8.20.14 >>>

Islamic State militants posted a video on Tuesday that purported to show the beheading of American journalist James Foley in revenge for U.S. air strikes against the insurgents in Iraq.

Lawmakers mourned the death of freelance journalist James Foley after video purporting to show his beheading at the hands of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. 

Israeli air strikes killed 11 Palestinians in Gaza, including the wife and infant son of Hamas' military leader, after a ceasefire collapsed. 

The mission for U.S. troops in Iraq to help Kurdish and Iraqi security forces in their fight against Islamic militants remains limited for now, but may expand after Iraqi leaders form a new government.

After a long slumber spent in denial, the UN Security Council has decided to do "something" about the forces of neo-Islam now on the rampage in more than a dozen countries across the globe.

The U.N. refugee agency begins a massive four-day airlift today into Irbil in northern Iraq. It's one of the largest humanitarian aid push the agency has ever undertaken. And it's much needed. Half a million refugees have been displaced as ISIS militants have advanced.

Afghan special forces brace for exit of elite U.S. troops.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has the authority to suspend a program that sends surplus military equipment to local law enforcement agencies.

After month on back burner, sequester fears return.

Federal regulators on Tuesday outlined interim rules for streamlined firing of Veterans Affairs Department senior executives, a new authority backed by Congress in an effort to clean up cultural problems at the embattled department.

In its latest personal attack on a prominent official from a rival country, North Korea called U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry a wolf with a "hideous lantern jaw."

A competing rifle outperformed the Army's favored M4A1 carbine in key firings during a competition last year before the service abruptly called off the tests and stuck with its gun, according to a new confidential report.

The U.S. Navy is hard at work developing new underwater transports for its elite commandos. The SEALs expect the new craft - and improvements to large submarine "motherships" that will carry them - to be ready by the end of the decade.

A squirrel's gonna do what a squirrel's gotta do: Until he's up against a pole greased with Vaseline

Big couch, small car: Add someone who's really bad at physics, and you get this

When koala bears argue: It's adorable.

If there is such thing as a perfect motorcycle accident, this might be it.

Pitchfork names the "100 Best Albums of the Decade So Far."

Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul go into business together and this time it's legal ... barely.

Here's a schedule of when every Simpsons episode will air on FXX, starting tomorrow.

Dave Letterman's tribute to Robin Williams will bring tears to your eyes.

First a couple exercises before we begin the day ...

LINK: Original photo by Justin Connaher

The two soldiers from the North Dakota National Guard crinkled in their black hazardous materials suits as they walked through the darkened and deserted elementary school.

Movements were constricted; communication muffled.

Condensation streaked their masks reducing visibility.

At times, tempers got short.

After two hours of searching, the soldiers emerged from the building and headed back to their command post.

They had not found the bioweapon.

The simulated attack began at 7:35 a.m. when the fire alarm system at Wainwright Elementary School in Fircrest was activated.

Approximately 300 faculty and students exited the building and moved to areas of accountability. While in these areas, the school's sprinkler system inexplicably activated, drenching everyone.

When the school's janitor turned the sprinklers off, he noticed that someone had put a timer on the system with a hose running out of the shed and attached to one of the sprinklers.

Then things got worse.

At 7:45 a.m., multiple news agencies received an email from an unknown person or agency claiming credit for the biological attack on Wainwright.

The terrorist(s) claimed that the food and water at the school had been targeted and that the sprinkler system had been activated to spray students and faculty with a biological weapon of mass destruction.

The message ended by saying there would be more attacks.

"A biological attack is the toughest to deal with; you have to first find out what it is before you can deal with it," commented Maj. Jim Jack, the deputy commander of the Washington National Guard's 10th Civil Support Team.

"And in this scenario the terrorists have used a weapon that may be the next big bioweapon."

The news agencies contacted the police and fire departments. Both arrived on scene.

Fire personnel determined the fire alarm had been manually activated and began to investigate the report of the use of a bioweapon. In short order, decontamination assets were requested.

So too are the FBI, the Departments of Health and Ecology and the Washington National Guard's Civil Support Team, or CST.

The unit supports civil authorities at domestic incident sites involving chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high-yield explosives (CBRNE).

The team provides identification and assessment of hazards, advice to civil authorities and facilitates the arrival of follow-on military forces during emergencies and incidents of weapons of mass destruction terrorism.

>>> A member of North Dakota's National Guard's 81st Civil Support Team monitors for a chemical, radiological or biological element during a training exercise. Photo credit: J.M. Simpson

Joining the 10th CST at Wainwright Elementary Aug. 18 in Fircrest for this simulated multi-CST exercise were soldiers assigned to the 81st CST from North Dakota, the 82nd CST from South Dakota and the 102nd CST from Oregon.

After setting up an operations center, the CSTs comprised of about 80 soldiers quickly began to eliminate the known variables in an attempt to zero in on the biological agent.

>>> Water was the source of the attack, and soldiers from the North Dakota's 81st Civil Support Team search a kitchen sink. Photo credit: J.M. Simpson

The students and faculty were run through a decontamination process and found to be safe.  Parents were notified and assured that their children were not contaminated.

School officials were questioned about who had been in and out of the school over the past several weeks.

One item of interest that emerged was that about 30 students had been sick before the attack, and it was noted that the students came from certain areas of the school.

In each area there was a water source.

With instructions that a biological dispersal device had been used that may involve water, CSTs from North Dakota's 81st CST and Oregon's 102nd CST suited up.

The soldiers searched the exterior and interior of the school.  They moved deliberately; they used equipment to measure for radiation and gas; they took hundreds of pictures.

What they didn't know was what exactly the bioweapon was and how it had been dispersed.  All they knew is that water played a role.

The weapon brings to mind an image of a bunny rabbit.

Tularemia, sometimes referred to as rabbit fever, was the weapon.  It can be transferred through physical contact, the air or through water sources.

If untreated, the disease results in death.

>>> Working in the hot and muffled world of a hazardous material suit led to the build-up of sweat and condensation. Photo credit: J.M. Simpson

In a recently published report, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) stated that tularemia has been used as a bioweapon in other countries.

"Despite its importance for both public health and biodefense," said Geoffrey Feld at the most recent annual Biophysical Society Meeting, "tularensis pathogenesis isn't entirely understood, nor do we fully understand how the organism persists in the environment.

As the soldiers from the 81st CST began their search through the school, they focused on drinking foundations, sinks and other water sources.

The dispersal systems - a water foundation, a spray bottle and a sink in a classroom - were in the open.

Like a plastic spray bottle.

"The weapon is in the water; the spray bottle is used to clean the tables where the children sit to eat their breakfast; that's how the children become infected," pointed out Lt. Col. Scott Humphrey, the 10th CST's commander.

For the better part of two hours they searched the school's kitchen, classrooms and gymnasium.

Much, much later they found the dispersal systems.

"How operations are conducted can vary from state to state," continued Humphrey.

"The week long training we are involved in gives us the chance to train each other while challenging our skill sets. We only get better."

I just moved here. What do I do? How do I get out?

These are questions that many may ask when moving to Washington, and thanks to an event on the Ruston Way waterfront this past Saturday, many service members now have some answers.

The NW Military in the Outdoors Expo showcased a wide range of workforce and recreation opportunities available to service members, veterans and families in the Pacific Northwest.

"It's a way to bring visibility to a community that's very important to the fabric of our country," said Lili Allala, a Northwest recruiter for the Student Conservation Association. "It's a way to network, get to know one another and see what other programs and organizations are out there that can assist."

Certification courses are available in wilderness first aid, chainsaw handling and red card certification and firefighting. And with wildfires burning in Central Washington, there are many employment and emergency preparedness opportunities available.

"In certain situations like fighting a fire, you're working in a team and trusting them with your livelihood," Allala said.  "That kind of level of pushing yourself physically and mentally in the outdoors is something that the military is already used to."

>>> Nicholas and his son, Cole, climbed the Washington National Guard's Recruiting and Retention Battalion's rock wall. Photo credit: Gary Lott

However, the outdoors doesn't just mean emergency preparedness.

"Everything is centered around the outdoors, but it's about so much more," said NW Military in the Outdoors Expo organizer and Sierra Club Military Outdoors lead organizer Joshua Brandon. "It's also about recreation, employment, therapy and education all combined, and it's really important for the military to look at it in that range."

From 2002-2012, Brandon served as an Army infantry officer, went on three deployments to Iraq and was even a 3-2 Stryker right at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. With multiple deployments, Brandon experienced post traumatic stress disorder struggles firsthand.

"From my personal experience, recovery can be a big benefitting factor for the military to take from the outdoors," he said. "It's a natural treatment for PTSD and TBI and is so much better than pills."

This message of recovery, recreation, emergency preparedness and even employment is a message that Brandon has been preaching for years.  However, when he met Nicholas Carr, the constituent services representative for veterans, active duty military and higher education for Representative Derek Kilmer during an annual 9/11 therapy mountain traverse up the Olympic mountains, the message turned into the NW Military in the Outdoors Expo.

"Hearing about how the outdoors saved my life and the positive effects it's had on me, Nick has been extremely passionate and just really wanted to get that message out to the people in the community," Brandon said.

This was the first annual NW in the Outdoors Expo, but according to Carr and Brandon, it will undoubtedly not be the last.

For more information visit www.facebook.com/NWMilitaryOutdoors.

GRAB A COFFEE POT AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 8.19/14 >>>

As many as 700 heavily armed Taliban insurgents are battling Afghan security forces in Logar, a key province near the capital Kabul in a test of the Afghan military's strength as foreign forces pull out of the country.

U.S. spends millions to blow up its own tanks.

President Barack Obama promised that while the U.S. would use its formidable air power to help Iraq push back extremist Islamic State fighters from Erbil and other key northern Iraqi cities, Baghdad shouldn't count on the U.S. "being the Iraqi Air Force."

Russia invaded Ukraine early in the spring. They started with the so-called "little green men" - Russian soldiers without insignia on their green uniforms -- then proceeded with uniforms with epaulets and the annexation of Crimea. Russia has been the force behind, and on the ground, with the separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Despite sanctions relief, Iran aids Hamas with missile technology.

The U.S. Navy destroyed the "most dangerous chemicals in Syria's declared stockpile," aboard a ship in the Mediterranean.

Will the U.S. defend Japan? More of a definite maybe.

First Time: It was one small button push for man and one giant catapult launch for the Navy's unmanned air combat program Sunday as the X-47B flew its first takeoffs and landings with F/A-18s on the aircraft carrier Roosevelt.

The Defense Department awarded 78 contracts potentially worth $5.6 billion in the week ending Aug. 15.

A backpack able to lower its wearer down the side of a building could become must-have gear for troops in urban combat.

A Michigan National Guard investigation produced allegations of widespread theft, moonlighting, destruction of government property and nepotism at an equipment maintenance facility at the Camp Grayling military training base.

Report: Army Olympian cited for hunting deer at car dealership.

Interesting: This neat short film explains the evolution of film opening titles throughout history.

The 10 most visually striking movies that are filled with CGI.

Here's a recipe for fun: Go up to the 48th floor of a skyscraper in London. Enjoy a beer at the rooftop bar. Change into your base jumping gear in the restroom. Make a beeline for the balcony and jump into the heart of London.

This is sad: Saturday Night Live announcer Don Pardo died. He was 96.

How Would They Know?: Children reenact Emmy-nominated shows like Game of Thrones, House of Cards and True Detective.

Tom Hanks' typewriter app is a hit.

Legendary American singer-songwriter Stevie Nicks invites fashion designers and stylists across the world to design a show-stopping shawl inspired by her mystical visual style and symbolic lyrics.

Max-imize your day ...

LINK: Original photo by Sgt. 1st Class Lyndon Miller

More than 175 athletes and challenge-seekers, civilian and military alike, gathered at Shoreline Park on Joint Base Lewis-McChord to tackle the JBLM Deuces Wild Triathlon Aug. 16.   

This year the triathlon event featured two distances, the sprint and Olympic, with individual and team categories. The race was split into a 500- or 1500-meter swim, a 14- or 25-mile bike ride, and a 5 or 10k run. 

"We hold these events as a fun, safe way to get the community involved and to offer a building block for those athletes looking to compete in officially sanctioned races," said Lizza Lockett, JBLM Morale, Welfare and Recreation intramural sports coordinator.

Locket said JBLM averages eight races per year, with a few extra races scheduled for this year, and that the feedback from the participants is always quite positive. She is hopeful that even more people from JBLM and the surrounding communities will come out to support the events.     

"The base has beautiful, natural scenery; for instance, the lake here, and bike routes that take you all over - people can discover things they didn't even know existed when they're participating in our events," she said.

>>> Participants in the Joint Base Lewis-McChord Deuces Wild Triathlon surface after a 500-meter swim at Shoreline Park at Lewis North on Aug. 16, 2014. Next up for these competitors was a 14-mile bike ride and a 5k run. Photo credit: Staff Sgt. Jennifer Spradlin

For 1st Lt. Andrew Webster, 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, the race was a reintroduction to a hobby he fell in love with while attending West Point.

"People are intimidated by triathlons because it's three different events, but really, I feel like they're not as challenging as they seem and more fun than you'd think. Once you actually complete one or two, it almost becomes addictive because you want to push yourself a little bit harder," said Webster. Webster won the sprint distance triathlon, finishing with a time of 1:06:49.

He said to train for a triathlon he did interval work in the pool, on the bike and on the track. He also combined longer bike rides with shorter distance runs to get his legs used to running after coming off the bike.

"[Triathlons] are a good tool to get yourself in better shape. With three different events, you can cross train and not wear your body down as much as if you were concentrating on one discipline," he said. "And it's a great way to spend a Saturday because you meet a whole bunch of people who have similar interests as you and get a workout in."

>>> Amanda Rodgers, of Kitsap County, participates in the Joint Base Lewis-McChord Deuces Wild Triathlon. Photo credit: Staff Sgt. Jennifer Spradlin

For others, it was their introduction to JBLM. Amanda Rodgers, a civilian athlete from Kitsap County, said it was her first race on a military installation, and that she enjoyed how the route took her past different military armament.

"A lot of people I know are either in the military or retired from the military, and they had done this race before, which is how I heard about it. I didn't know what to expect, but the bike route was really fun," said Rodgers. Rodgers, who is recovering from an injury, finished first in her age group for the sprint distance with a time of 1:13:22.

Rodgers said that she felt sometimes women assumed triathlons are more of a male sport, but she recommended female athletes interested in triathlons do research to find all-female training groups. She said races are also a great place to network and build community ties.

The next JBLM race is the Salmon Run & Bake Sept. 13 at McChord Field. To learn more about the race and to view the results of the triathlon, visit http://jblmmwr.com/races.

>>> 1st Lt. Andrew Webster, 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, races up a hill during the Joint Base Lewis-McChord Deuces Wild Triathlon at Shoreline Park at Lewis North on Aug. 16, 2014. Webster, a West Point grad, won the sprint distance event with a time of 1:06:49. Photo credit: Staff Sgt. Jennifer Spradlin

MONDAY, AUG. 18 2014 >>>

1. Golf is an infuriating sport, that's why we have switched to FootGolf - a golf-style game that's not a sequel to the derp-filled fest that was the movie BASEketball. In the vein of disc golf, it replaces the tiny white ball and bag of expensive clubs with a soccer ball and our good kicking leg. Meadow Park Golf Course on the edge of Lakewood has an 18-hole FootGolf course with tee boxes, green bunkers, hazards and 21-inch diameter cups. The game scores just like a regular round of golf on stroke play and each full kick counts as one swing. Putting works the same way except our leg has to make a full motion no matter how close it is to the hole. Basically, if you can kick a golf ball in a fit of spittle-filled rage, you can easily pick up FootGolf.

2. Today is the last day the Olympic Flight Museum hosts the B-25 "Maid In The Shade" airplane. The B-25 Mitchell was made famous by the Doolittle Raiders, when 16 of these medium bombers took off the deck of the USS Hornet and bombed Tokyo just four months after Pearl Harbor. The B-25 served in both theaters of war in many roles from bomber to transport. After the war, it continued service best known for its role as a fire bomber.  The aircraft will be on display for the public, offering cockpit tours and ride, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

3. The Grand Cinema has been taking advantage of the simultaneously obvious and genius concept of taking Filmmaker Magazine's yearly list and turning it into a film festival celebrating rising talent. Actors, writers, directors, animators and other facets of filmmaking are honored by the magazine, and then in turn are celebrated during the five-day festival at The Grand Cinema. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature on the 25 New Faces in Independent Film in the music and Culture section, then catch today's films, including a 6 p.m. roundtable indie film discussion with several filmmakers.

4. Saxophonist Cliff Colon, keyboardist Peter Adams, bassist Rob Hutchinson and drummer Brian Smith are known as Velocity, a jazz fusion and Latin funk band that will bring it at 8 p.m. in The Swiss.

5. Saxophonist John Croarkin's group, Scattered Light, returns the Rhythm and Rye club with more refracted sounds and musical sun salutations at 8 p.m. The quintet, plus vocalist LaVon Hardison and Olympia's tenor saxophonist Chuck Stentz , will be exploring a wide range of contemporary Brazilian grooves from composers such as Joyce Moreno, Dori Caymmi, Hermeto Pascoal, A.C. Jobim, Clare Fischer, Roland Kirk, Pixinguinha and Egberto Gismonti.

LINK: Monday, Aug. 18 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

GRAB A COFFEE POT AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 8.18.14 >>>

Kurdish fighters and Iraq security forces say they have retaken Mosul Dam, a key piece of infrastructure that Islamic extremists might have used to cause chaos in the country.

The U.S. military ramped up its air campaign on Sunday against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) fighters in Iraq.

The numbers are murky, but up to several thousand foreign fighters from the West, including as many as 100 from the United States, have joined jihadist fronts in Syria and Iraq. Some will be killed in the ongoing violence. Some will choose to remain in Syria and Iraq. Some will become disillusioned.

Ukraine accused pro-Russian rebels today of hitting a refugee convoy of buses with rocket fire near the eastern city of Luhansk, killing people trapped in the burning vehicles, but the separatists denied responsibility.

It's time to wonder whether Israel and Palestine will ever be able to move out of the moral abyss into which they've plunged themselves, and address the threat of peace.

North Korea warned Sunday of a possible "merciless" pre-emptive strike as it blasted an upcoming joint U.S.-South Korean military exercise as a rehearsal for nuclear war.

China's use of swarming tactics with fishing vessels to project and protect Beijing's territorial claims in the South China Sea appears unstoppable.

The Evolving Obama Doctrine: Limited bombing raids, stronger partnerships.

Missouri's governor today ordered the National Guard to a St. Louis suburb convulsed by protests over the fatal shooting of an unarmed black teen, after a night in which police used tear gas to clear protesters off the streets well ahead of a curfew.

The Army has extended the investigation into former Afghanistan prisoner of war Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl for at least three more weeks.

Turkey's foreign minister said the German ambassador was summoned to "discuss" reports that Germany's foreign intelligence agency had listened in on conversations between U.S. and Turkish officials.

The number of backlogged veterans' health care applications grew despite an online program the Veterans Administration introduced in 2010 and touted as a quick, easy way for veterans to apply for benefits, according to a newspaper report.

Army investigators are warning about a scam by which phony soldiers use tales of war to steal cash from unsuspecting civilians.

U.S. Coast Guard Cutter program hits its stride.

Life after Iraq: Refugee begins career in uniform.

How cities sleep, visualized.

Does indie film have a future?

10 stunning writing studios

This video shows a Rubik's Cube being solved around the world.

Mark Hamill is rockin' a beard for Star Wars.

Joe Strummer's Thunderbird is on eBay.

Finally: A roundup of popular soundtracks that never hit No. 1.

Then there's this ...

LINK: Original photo by Justin Connaher

WE SCENE IT >>>

So, you picked up a free and excellent - if we do say so myself - entertainment rag. You checked out the stories. You read the reviews. You filled the crossword. What's a person to do after all that on a Saturday in Tacoma?

How about The Red Hot 7th Anniversary Breakfast, Music and Art in Wright Park, Tacoma Military Service Parade and the Downtown Block Party?

That's the path Weekly Volcano editor Pappi Swarner and his better half, Kate, chose.

LINK: Plot today's course