In our area, there is “A Place for Me.” It is a Resource Center for Individuals with Down Syndrome, located at 1918 112th Street East, Tacoma WA 98445. It is across 112th Street from Franklin Pierce High School. Their purpose is to provide supports and resources to the Down syndrome community and their families and…
Category: Diversity
Diversity
Dec 26 Cultural Event between Tribes, Kanaka Māoli and the community
Lā Kūʻokoʻa 1843 & Medicine Creek Treaty 1854 Lā Kūʻokoʻa Hawaiian Independence and the Medicine Creek Treaty will be celebrated with a potluck, at 1 p.m. with community at the Parkland Community Center, 214 121st St S. The event is to help the next generation to know their rich history through celebration, song, dance and…
June 28 Community Resource Fair
Spanaway Middle School will be the location of a community resource fair, on June 28. Cheri Coleman, is Founder and Executive Director of On the Road with PartnerCafe. They are a team of human and social service providers, representatives, and government agencies. They host and facilitate community resource fairs, bringing information, resources, and direct services to underserved…
Pierce County pilots translation devices to expand language access at the Development Center
PIERCE COUNTY — In an effort to make services more accessible to all community members, Pierce County Planning & Public Works is piloting the use of handheld translation devices in the Development Center Lobby. The new devices support in-person communication in more than 200 languages and dialects, helping reduce language barriers during permitting and development-related…
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By Marianne Lincoln as a tribute to Martin Luth King Jr. and all those who want to forge ahead together It has been an evening of mourning for all of us who realize the real cause behind Make America Great Again, the last full day before a new US administration that values the marginalization of…
Random stop at a miniature Cambodian temple under construction
His name is Soth Kaan, As I was driving back from viewing the heron rookery on Clover Creek, I saw him in his front yard assembling a structure, That structure is a miniature Cambodian temple. He was surprised by my stop, but seemed pleased at my interest. Mr. Kaan was responsible for (full size) temple…
Canadian News block on Meta?
For those that live relatively close to Canada and have friends exchanging information over Facebook, know that Meta is not allowing Canadian News to be shared. I noticed it myself today. My Canadian Metis friend sent this link to read: https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/meta-canadian-news-removal-1.6933829 Apparently, this news block on Meta is affecting the ability to see posts by…
You know it as Eastgate Road, but…
By Marianne Lincoln One of my favorite annual events is taking the tour of Fort Lewis put on by the Nisqually Tribe. Amazing history, great snacks and good company. Although the tour enters and exits from a normally locked gate on the reservation, much of the driving is along Eastgate Road. It is called that…
Norwegian Heritage Festival at PLU April 29
A Parkland event that is delightful to visit, called the Norwegian Heritage Festival is this Saturday, April 29, 2023. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., the PLU Anderson University Center will have booths with delightful Scandinavian items, Vikings, krumkake and creamy Rømmegrøt. Food, music and dancing will be had on the main floor and the…
Family Promise of Pierce County aims to assist local families experiencing homelessness
By Marianne Lincoln It can happen to anyone. Living paycheck to paycheck as many families do these days, losing the biggest expense, the roof over your heads, is not unlikely. It even happened to me after a job loss and sequestered unemployment benefits, following my time on the school board. According to Superintendent Seigel of…
Multicultural Night Feb. 16, Spanaway Elementary PTSA
By Marianne Lincoln When I attended Bethel schools, there wasn’t much diversity. Aside from the fact that many of my classmates at Elk Plain were multigenerational descendants of local tribes, there were not many Asian, Hispanic or African American classmates. Years later, I discovered the connection of our community to mixed blood families from Fort…
Jan. 13, noon to 3pm, Spanaway UMC meeting on homelessness and Family Promise
As the saying goes, it takes a village. Spanaway’s homelessness problem is not going to go away by any government action. It literally will take a little help from us all. Whether that’s giving to the local Food Bank while checking out at the grocery store or donating time at a Freezing Nights shelter location….
Would Mackenzie Scott help us?
Spanaway is just a little place really. It is an unincorporated community with very little in the way of amenities compared to other areas of the county. We have no voice on the Pierce County Regional Council because we are not a city. We share a fraction of a County Council person with other communities,…
What the 2020 Census reveals about Pierce County
The 2020 Census was released late this decade, somewhat caused by squabbles about how it would be conducted and somewhat caused by working through the pandemic. Where the population numbers land impacts representation, number of Congressional Districts, and how the new lines are drawn to balance the population in legislative and county districts. The population…
Renaming Bethel High School’s Mascot
By Marianne Lincoln BETHEL SCHOOL DISTRICT — On June 8, 2021, the Bethel School Board unanimously voted to appoint a Bethel High School Mascot Committee. The purpose of the committee was to follow a new State of Washington law that passed the State House 90-8 and the Senate 40-9 and was signed by the Governor…
Community input sought for aging and disability services
PIERCE COUNTY — The Pierce County Human Services Aging and Disability Resources (ADR) division is initiating a survey to gather community input for the two-year update to the 2020-2023 Area Plan. As the designated Area Agency on Aging for Pierce County, ADR must develop and oversee long-term services and supports for older adults and adults…
Washington State Legislature passes bill to ban Native American logos in schools
By Marianne Lincoln For those of you who are attending, will attend or have attended Bethel High School in the past, the Bethel School Board may soon consider a new logo for the school at the mandate of state law. House Bill 1356, now Substitute House Bill 1356 (SHB1356) has passed both houses and will…
5 Ways Recent Immigrants Can Embrace Their New Community
[Guest Post] By Meredith Jones 5 Ways Recent Immigrants Can Embrace Their New Community If you’re a recent immigrant to the United States, you may feel overwhelmed as you try to adjust to your new lifestyle. Even though you likely miss your family and your hometown, you’re probably excited about experiencing everything the US has…
Corrections Celebrate the Holidays Too
[Editor note: From 1990 to 1993, Editor Lincoln was an instructor for Tacoma Community College at the Washington Corrections Center for Women. She taught computer operating system and software courses at the institution. She also helped start the Purdy Prison Chapel Project which, in 1995-96, funded, built and dedicated a chapel for the women at…
Swedish Traditions – kids participating in Lucia Event at PLU
In the weeks ahead of the Christmas season, the Scandinavian Cultural Center holds rehearsals for young people to participate in the Sankta Lucia event held there each year. Sankta Lucia is a Christmas tradition in Sweden and with Americans of Swedish decent. Rehearsals begin Sunday, October 27. There is also a chance for a student…