On October 12 & 13, over 100 artists across 60+ locations will open their doors, offering you a chance to explore their creative spaces, witness live demonstrations, and even take part in hands-on activities. This self-guided adventure is free and perfect for all ages. Whether you're an art lover or just curious about the creative process, there's something for everyone. 

Celebrate arts. Experience culture. Embrace community. Connect with creativity. Share joy.

Find maps, and info about the tour here.

We're back with another NEW Halloween children's show this year! Join us as characters tell spooky space-themed stories around the "campfire" and gather ingredients to make cosmic dough!

This live and interactive program involves hands-on activities and audience participation. It is designed for our youngest visitors. However, it does get dark in the planetarium and it is not recommended for children younger than 3.

Learn More and Get Tickets

Brass Band Tacoma will be performing a FREE concert this weekend, and I hope you will attend.  BBT is a traditional British brass band in instrumentation, and the musicians are top notch players from the South Sound region.  It is a thrilling sound, and a style of ensemble not often heard in Tacoma!  Please join us.

Triumphant Brass - Brass Band Tacoma in Concert
John Falskow, conductor
7:00 PM, Sunday October 13, 20204
Tacoma Community College - Building 2 (close to South 12th and Mildred)
FREE (donations encouraged)

PROGRAM:
Reed - Symphony for Brass and Percussion, mvmt. 3
Lane - Serenata
Lucas - Chorale and Variations
Williams - Hymn to the Fallen
Harper - Olympus
Alford - On the Quarterdeck

We have some events planned for this year - and one is super exciting!
Come and be a part of history...record the scents and smells of Tacoma!
Come join one of 5 smell walks planned for Tacoma:

Foss Waterway (Oct 10 @ 6PM)

South Tacoma Way neighborhood (Oct 12 @ 11AM & 4PM)

Point Defiance Park (Oct 14 @ 4PM)

Hilltop neighborhood (date announced soon)

Lincoln International District (date announced soon)

Participants will be a part of a global project with two main goals:  first, to collect data to enable artist, designer and academic Dr Kate McLean (www.linkedin.com/in/mcleankate) to create a smell map of Tacoma for inclusion in the first "Atlas of Scents, Smells and Stinks" commissioned by Orion books for publication in 2026 (Tacoma is among only a limited number of North American cities to be included in the book), and secondly to experience a deeper understanding of several loved and iconic Tacoma places nose-first!
Sign Up’s for All Smell Walks can be found here:  https://signup.com/go/ZqgZMSj

A new exhibition titled The Mountain Was Out will be on view at the Washington State History Museum from October 19, 2024, to February 16, 2025. Even on cloudy days, Mount Rainier's rugged 14,410-foot peak sparks our imaginations, and our hearts skip a beat when we're lucky enough to see its sunny glacial gleam. This breathtaking icon is one of the state's most beloved landmarks. Known to the Puyallup people as təqʷuʔmaʔ, the most dominant topographic feature in our region is their traditional and ancestral land, as well as that of the Cowlitz, Muckleshoot, Nisqually, Squaxin Island, and Yakama tribes.

"Mount Rainier is one of the many things that makes Washington so special," said museum director Jennifer Kilmer. "It is just as majestic today as the first time I saw it. It evokes a strong sense of wonder every time we get to see it."

This exhibition will focus on our human connections with Mount Rainier. 2024 marks its 125th anniversary as a national park, and it continues to attract millions of tourists, climbers, and nature lovers to its snowy slopes every year.

The exhibition will explore the history of mountaineering and recreation through artwork, photographs, promotional materials, mountaineering gear, and souvenirs. It will also feature pieces from the Washington State Historical Society's notable Rainier Beer collection, including an original "Wild Rainier" costume from the legendary television commercials.

The public is invited to attend a special Autumn Exhibition Reception on Sunday, October 20, from 3:00 to 5:00 PM at the Washington State History Museum. This reception will showcase four new exhibitions: The Mountain Was Out, What is Native Art? Eugene Landry and the Creative Spirit, MAKERS ON THE TIDE: The Willits Brothers and Their Handcrafted Canoes, and Collections Selections: A Parachute from the D.B. Cooper Investigation with insight from curators and light refreshments.

For more information about The Mountain Was Out and other offerings, please visit washingtonhistory.org.

Our low-income housing waitlists are opening November 14, 2024!

What’s new with THA’s waitlist: We’ve made some updates to the way our waitlist works and how you can apply. Beginning this year, we will be offering two main waitlists for housing help: one for a unit in our affordable properties, and one for or a voucher to help pay the rent in Tacoma.

Differences between a THA owned unit and a voucher

Learn more about the new waitlists

The waitlists will open at 9am Thursday, November 14. Starting then, you will be able to apply to the THA voucher waitlist, a waitlist for our THA subsidized units, or both.

Households will apply to the waitlists using our new service portal, powered by RentCafe. The Applicant Portal allows households to apply to the waitlist(s) of their choice and make updates to their application.

Applicants will also need to log in monthly to check in and keep their spot on the waitlist(s). You can create an account in the Applicant Portal now to prepare for the waitlists opening. You will need an email address to register and create your account.

How to register for the THA service portal Once the waitlists open, you will be able to log in to the Applicant Portal and apply.

Did you know dogs can get help at the St. Leo's Food Connection in Tacoma. Coming up, they are having their very first official FREE Vaccine Pop-up event happening at St. Leo's on Saturday, October 19th from 10-2pm! THIS. IS. BIG!!! We will have at least two veterinarians and two veterinary technicians on hand, plus multiple vet assistants and volunteers to manage wellness exams and basic vaccines this day. We are thrilled! Parvovirus is plaguing the pets of the unhoused especially, and we hope this event provides some protection for the dogs living outside. Additionally, we will be able to identify those potentially needing veterinary care and we will work to manage their cases as best we can. Seeing the dogs and cats living outside and giving them a voice is something we value immensely, and we hope this Pop-up will be the first of many throughout Pierce County as we try to make a difference in these precious lives. We will have healthy dog and cat food on hand to provide, and warm coats and blankets for those that need them. This is the stuff that makes us excited, making a true difference in the lives of animals that have never done anything wrong, they've just landed in a place that is a little harder than other animals might know.

A huge thank you to Maddy and Shawn and their team of volunteers who will get this event off the ground. This is long overdue and we are so excited to see it come to fruition!

Thank you donors, as always, you are responsible for making this happen. We are doing good, and we get to do that because of your support.

We’re excited to announce the United Way of Pierce County’s 8th Annual Summit on Poverty, a pivotal event aimed at addressing the challenges and solutions surrounding poverty in our community. This year’s November 12th summit, "From Poverty to Possibilities" will feature inspiring speakers, engaging workshops, and collaborative discussions designed to empower individuals and organizations to make a meaningful impact.

This year's keynote speaker is Luke Shaefer. Shaefer holds a Ph.D. and is a Kohn Professor of Social Justice and Social Policy at the Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan. Shaefer directs Poverty Solutions, an initiative that works with communities and their policymakers to prevent poverty. Shaefer is also the co-author of the book "$2.00 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America" and the 2023 book “The Injustice of Place.” His summit speach will discuss economic equity, social justice and other poverty-related issues.

Together, we can explore innovative strategies, share success stories, and strengthen our commitment to creating a brighter future for all. Mark your calendars and be part of this important conversation!

The event is free to attend and will be held from 8 a.m.-noon at the Hotel Murano in downtown Tacoma.

Register for the event here.

Social Security benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments for more than 72.5 million Americans will increase 2.5 percent in 2025, the Social Security Administration announced today. On average, Social Security retirement benefits will increase by about $50 per month starting in January.

Over the last decade the COLA increase has averaged about 2.6 percent. The COLA was 3.2 percent in 2024.
Nearly 68 million Social Security beneficiaries will see a 2.5 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) beginning in January 2025.  Increased payments to nearly 7.5 million people receiving SSI will begin on December 31, 2024. (Note: Some people receive both Social Security benefits and SSI).
“Social Security benefits and SSI payments will increase in 2025, helping tens of millions of people keep up with expenses even as inflation has started to cool,” said Martin O’Malley, Commissioner of Social Security.

Some other adjustments that take effect in January of each year are based on the increase in average wages.  Based on that increase, the maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security tax (taxable maximum) is slated to increase to $176,100 from $168,600. Social Security begins notifying people about their new benefit amount by mail starting in early December.

This year, for the first time, Social Security beneficiaries will receive a newly designed and improved COLA notice that makes it easier for customers to find the information they need most. The simplified COLA notice is now only one page, uses plain and personalized language, and provides exact dates and dollar amounts of a person’s new benefit amount and any deductions.

Individuals who have a personal my Social Security account can view their COLA notice online, which is secure, easy, and faster than receiving a letter in the mail. People can set up text or email alerts when there is a new message--such as their COLA notice--waiting for them in my Social Security.

People will need to have a personal my Social Security account by Nov. 20 to see their COLA notice online. To get started, visit www.ssa.gov/myaccount.

Information about Medicare changes for 2025 will be available at  www.medicare.gov. For Social Security beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare, the 2025 benefit amount will be available via my Social Security's Message Center starting in late November. Those who have not opted to receive messages online will receive their COLA notice by mail in December.

The Social Security Act provides for how the COLA is calculated. The Social Security Act ties the annual COLA to the increase in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) as determined by the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. To read more, please visit www.ssa.gov/cola.

🚧 Attention Tacoma Drivers Both directions of I-5 will be CLOSED overnight this weekend for essential construction to install girders for a new overpass. Closure Details: - Location: I-5 Between SR 18 in Federal Way and 54th Ave E in Fife - Dates: October 11-12, October 18-19 Timing: ** - Friday (NB lanes close by 10:30 PM, SB lanes by 11 PM) - Saturday (Lanes reopen at 7 AM (fully open by 11 AM) - Sunday (Lanes reopen at 8 AM (fully open by noon) Expect delays and plan your detours accordingly! For more details, visit https://ow.ly/QeK650TvzAK or follow WSDOT for updates.

Are you trying to reach consumers in Tacoma and Pierce County? We spend a lot of time trying to design projects to help you compete against the unfair advantage of corporations like Amazon, Walmart, etc. Here are some upcoming projects you could participate in:

Holiday Shopping Catalog in the November issue of Weekly Volcano
Last year we dedicated a full page to gift ideas from local businesses. This year we would like to expand that into a catalog inside the newspaper. Each business will send us a photo of a product on a white background, a short description, price, and a link to buy it online. This will allow our readers to go to their website and see all the products and services they have for sale online and hopefully encourage a lot more local shopping this holiday season. The cost to you is just $100. We think that is a deal you can't afford to refuse!

November and December ART BUS Tours
Every Third Thursday we do something no-one else does: we bring shoppers directly to local businesses. We always have a different celebrity tour guide, we always film the tour and share it online and we always give away gift bags full of promotional items from any local business that wants to participate. The cost ranges from FREE to $300 depending on which options you choose. Reach out if you would like to have your business featured.

Print and digital advertising
Self promotion is the worst. Everyone hates it. Let us promote your business. We have lots of methods and very talented people. Reach out for a customized marketing package with Weekly Volcano! We would love to be on your team.

To participate, send email to Advertising@Weekly-Volcano.com

Join Us for the Interpreter Shortage Resolution Taskforce Meeting The Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing at DSHS is working to address the shortage of sign language interpreters in Washington state, which is causing significant barriers for Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing communities in accessing essential services like healthcare, education, and public programs. The Interpreter Shortage Resolution Taskforce is tasked with analyzing these issues and proposing solutions. We invite you to join us for our first public session from 3:30-5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 16, 2024 on Zoom. During this meeting, we will share updates, gather input from the community, and discuss ways to improve access to interpreter services. Your feedback is vital to the success of this initiative. Registration is required: https://dshs-telehealth.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYsduytrDIuE9xIiiIsDmoqh6MPBrDPwTzd#/registration For more information, or to get involved, please contact Morgan Jericho at morgan.jericho@dshs.wa.gov.

We are seeking a local artist to curate original artworks for our new Housing Hilltop development. Interested artists must email qualifications to ncarr@tacomahousing.org by November 8th. Click the link for details and full submission requirements.

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The Dragons Are Coming!

You’re invited to be part of a Puget Sound Revels Dragon Parade!

The dates are set, the routes will be published in November, but NOW is the time to start creating.

Participation is fun and free and you can sign up once the routes are set.

Be in one, or be in them all.

Mark your calendar and gather friends and family to light up someone’s night.

Sunday, November 17

Saturday, November 23

Sunday, November 24

We’ll be joined once again by Steve LaBerge’s fire-breathing creation and you are welcome to create your own light-up dragon or any festive light art. Tacomarama will be playing marching tunes. If you’d like to bring your musical group, food truck, or have other ideas, please contact us. moberfield@pugetsoundrevels.org