Happy Friday Newsletter 7.4.25

Arts & Entertainment

• Creative Colloquy’s Writer’s Workshop Series: Drop Me Near the Fire: Writing the Micro Essay
  • Sunday, July 13, 2025 | 1:00–3:00 p.m. | 759 Broadway, Tacoma, WA
    The micro essay packs a punch in under 1,000 words, and you’ll learn how in this generative workshop. Participants will examine contemporary micros, discuss the form, and generate the seeds of future essays through prompts and exercises. The workshop is led by Nicole McCarthy, who holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Washington and works in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Her work has appeared in PANK, The Offing, Redivider, Best American Experimental Writing, and more. Her debut hybrid nonfiction book, A Summoning, was published by Heavy Feather Review in 2022.
    Registration is required. A $20 donation is suggested, but the fee is optional—pay what you can. No one will be turned away. Light refreshments provided.

• 7th Annual Couture & Cars Fashion Show at LeMay
  • Saturday, July 19, 2025 | 6:00–11:00 p.m. | LeMay—America’s Car Museum
    Now in its seventh year, the Couture & Cars Fashion Show fuses fashion and automobiles for a unique evening experience. The event showcases couture clothing and accessory designers from the Pacific Northwest, including Dollhou3e, La’Mama’s Hand, Lysle Style, Santiago Alejandro, Sueño, and Transcend.
    Doors open at 6:00 p.m. with a live DJ, red-carpet photos, and vintage cars on display. The fashion show begins at 7:00 p.m. sharp, followed by an after-party on site. For tickets and details, visit www.coutureandcars.com.

• Creative Flight Paint Classes at Painted Crow
  • Need a creative sanctuary away from the noise of everyday life? Take flight with Creative Flight – Freeing the Spirit through Intuitive Process Painting. This series offers participants the chance to reconnect with their creative core using tempera paint and paper.
    Class sessions are offered on Mondays from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. (July 7, 14, 21, 28) or Tuesdays from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (July 8, 15, 22, 29). The cost is $130 for the four-class series, and all materials are included. The classes welcome all levels of experience.
    Held in Studio B on the second floor at 2926 S. Steele Street in Tacoma. Pre-registration is required by July 6.

• Champagne Sunday at Concert in the Pasture
  • Sunday, July 13, 2025 | Gates: 2:30 p.m. | Music: 3:00 p.m. | VIP entry: 2:00 p.m.
    Location: Alex’s Safe Place, 5516 53rd St W, University Place
    Alex’s Safe Place, a nonprofit focused on healing through the unconditional love of animals, presents its inaugural Concert in the Pasture, featuring Tacoma favorites Champagne Sunday. Tickets include heavy appetizers and water; other beverages will be available for purchase. Bring a blanket or chair and settle in for a beautiful summer evening—with a chance to meet Rolex the kangaroo. For tickets and info, visit linktr.ee/alexsafeplace.

• Free Therapeutic Ugly Art at the Library
  • Let go of perfection and embrace the creative freedom of “ugly art.” These workshops through Tacoma Public Library are designed to help participants overcome self-judgment, tap into intuition, and rediscover joy through playful expression.
    Teen session: South Tacoma Branch, Tuesday, July 8, 2:00–4:00 p.m.
    Adult sessions: Moore Branch, Tuesday, July 22, 5:30–7:30 p.m. and Fern Hill Branch, Wednesday, August 13, 5:30–7:30 p.m.
    More information: tacoma.bibliocommons.com/v2/events?q=ugly%20art%20workshop

Neighborhood News

• New Trail Opens at Orangegate Park
  • A new 1.6-mile trail now connects the intersection of 72nd Street E and Waller Road E to Orangegate Park. Ideal for cyclists, walkers, joggers, and equestrians, the trail also links into the larger Pipeline Trail, which now spans nearly six miles from the Tacoma Dome to Orangegate Park. This project was partially funded by a $1.5 million grant from the Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) and is part of Pierce County Parks’ expansion efforts.

• Cooling Centers Available During Heatwaves
  • If you’re unsheltered and need relief from the heat, these service providers are open during extreme temperatures:
    • LASA Hygiene Center (8956 Gravelly Lake Dr SW, Lakewood)
    • New Hope Resource Center (414 Spring St, Puyallup)
    • St. Vincent de Paul (4009 S 56th St, Tacoma)
    • Nativity House (702 S 14th St, Tacoma)
    • Tacoma Recovery Center (2201 S 19th St, Suite 101, Tacoma)
    • Beacon Young Adult Shelter (415 S 13th St, Tacoma)
    • Spanaway Family Day Center (216 165th St S, Spanaway)
  • For a complete list of centers, visit www.piercecountywa.gov/Ready
    

Local Governance

• Pierce County Seeks Input on Transitional Housing for Veterans
  • Pierce County invites service providers to contribute strategies and capabilities for developing transitional housing programs for veterans and their families experiencing homelessness.
    Responses are due by Tuesday, July 15, at 2:00 p.m.
    Submit responses at bit.ly/OCHSHousingforveterans

• Tidy-Up Tacoma Targets Graffiti with New Services
  • Councilmember John Hines highlights Tidy-Up Tacoma’s efforts to remove graffiti citywide. In partnership with the Safe Streets Campaign, the program offers free graffiti removal for private property owners using a local contractor. To report graffiti, call 311 or submit a report via TacomaFIRST 311. If you witness vandalism in progress, call 911.

Business & Opportunities

• Washington State Is Hiring
  • Over 550 positions are currently listed on the Washington State jobs portal, with 155 offering remote or hybrid options. Pierce County alone has 164 open positions.
    In addition to competitive salaries, the jobs come with robust benefits, including medical, dental, and vision insurance, basic life coverage, retirement plans, deferred compensation, vacation and sick leave, paid holidays, Social Security, and eligibility for Public Service Loan Forgiveness. Explore listings at www.governmentjobs.com/careers/washington

Recreation & Wellness

• TYSA Walk: A Celebration of Music and Movement
  • Wednesday, July 9, 6:00–7:00 p.m. | Theater on the Square Plaza, 917 Broadway, Tacoma
    As part of the 2025 Walk Tacoma series, Downtown On the Go partners with the Tacoma Youth Symphony Association to present the TYSA Walk—a half-mile music-infused walk through Antique Row and Opera Alley. Expect storytelling, surprise performances, and community connection. Free and open to all ages and abilities. Pre-registration encouraged.
    More information at downtownonthego.com

• Summer Events at Dune Peninsula
  • July 4: Tacoma Summer Blast at Cummings Park and Dune Peninsula (Presented by Emerald Queen Casino)
  • July 20: Sierra Ferrell
  • July 24: Dropkick Murphys and Bad Religion
  • July 25: Maoli
  • August 1: CAAMP
  • August 9: Sam Barber
  • Watch highlights: fb.watch/Aj11Au9hDY

• Fort Nisqually Family Fun Night
  • Friday, July 18, 2025 | Fort Nisqually Living History Museum
    Step back to 1855 for an evening of family fun at Fort Nisqually. Play 19th-century games, compete in sack races, enjoy live music, and watch the candy cannon fire. Grab dinner from Dawg Eat Dawgs or bring a picnic. Don’t forget to save room for old-fashioned ice cream.
    Bring lawn chairs, blankets, and a sense of adventure. Tickets available at www.parkstacoma.gov/event/family-fun-night

TV & Film Reviews

• Film Review: F1 by Elizabeth Mulloy
  • I wouldn’t call myself a full-blown petrolhead. Most of my car knowledge comes from watching Top Gear with Clarkson, May, and Hammond. The same can be said with Formula 1. I keep up with the races, I know the drivers, and I’ve definitely yelled a pit strategy or two, even if I’m not glued to the screen every race weekend. I’ve even applied to a few roles with F1 teams, thanks to my degree in Aerospace Engineering. So going into Joseph Kosinski’s F1, I didn’t know which gear the film would start in other than top gear. What I got was a well-tuned, high-revving piece of entertainment that hugs every cinematic corner with precision. Hardcore F1 fans will no doubt eat it up, but even the casual moviegoer will have a blast. It’s fast, loud, and wildly entertaining from lights out to checkered flags.
  • We follow Sunny Hayes (Brad Pitt), an aging American racing driver and former Formula 1 prodigy who now lives out of his van, bouncing from track to track as a racer-for-hire. On the surface, he’s laid-back and rough around the edges, but underneath, he’s still haunted by a brutal crash that nearly killed him three decades ago. That moment sent him into a tailspin of depression, gambling addiction, and three failed marriages. After pulling off an unlikely win at the 24 Hours of Daytona, he’s approached by his old teammate Ruben (Javier Bardem), who now runs the struggling APXGP Formula 1 team. The team’s been on a brutal losing streak, and if they don’t win at least one of the nine remaining Grands Prix this season, Ruben loses everything. So he makes Sunny an offer: come back to F1 as their number two driver. Sunny reluctantly agrees and heads to England, where he’s introduced to Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), the team’s hotshot rookie who thinks he is all that, and Kate (Kerry Condon), the sharp and fiercely competent APXGP technical director. Whether they get along or not, they’ve got no choice but to work together and find a way onto the podium, because it’s the only thing that can save the team from being sold off.
  • If it wasn’t obvious already, F1 sticks pretty closely to the classic underdog formula, hitting nearly every beat you’d expect. When we first meet the APXGP team, they’re an absolute mess, morale is in the gutter, everyone’s at each other’s throats, and no one can figure out why the car won’t perform. But thanks to Hayes’s experience and steady hand, things slowly start to shift. Communication improves, egos are checked, and for the first time all season, the team starts to pull together. They finally manage to build a car that can hold its own against heavyweights like Red Bull, Ferrari, Aston Martin, and McLaren. Just when things are looking up, a devastating crash knocks the wind out of them and throws everything into question. And with only one Grand Prix left, we’re left gripping our seats, hoping they can pull off the impossible. It’s a story we’ve seen before, but it’s a good one.
  • As expected, the characters are a bit paper-thin, even with strong performances from the cast. Brad Pitt is basically playing a version of himself, an experienced racer with a chill exterior and a deep love for the sport, but someone who can still be reckless and unpredictable behind the wheel when his emotions get the better of him. Damson Idris plays the classic hotshot rookie who thinks he’s untouchable and needs a good dose of humility. Both characters are clearly meant to learn how to work together and keep their egos in check. Then there’s Kerry Condon, who’s introduced as the first female Technical Director of an F1 team, which should be a big deal, but the film frustratingly reduces her to a love interest for Pitt’s character instead of letting her fully own that space. Still, as much as the film plays like a story we’ve all seen before, with very little deviation, you kind of just go with it. F1 is such a good time that its predictability becomes part of the comfort. It’s a classic formula, sure, but it’s executed with real energy and style.
  • Using the same high-octane filmmaking techniques he brought to Top Gun: Maverick, like strapping cameras inside cockpits and mounting them all over the aircraft. Joseph Kosinski now bolts the audience straight into the carbon fiber monocoque of a Formula 1 car, rocketing past 200 MPH on the straightaways and pulling up to 5 Gs through corners. Every race sequence throws us right into the cockpit, inches from the steering wheel and surrounded by the hum and chaos of real F1 machines. You don’t just hear the roar of the 1.6-liter turbocharged V6 engine pumping out over 1,000 horsepower, you feel it in your chest, like your ribs are rattling along with the chassis. The camera swings from front to back, tracking tire degradation, brake temps, and every twitch of the steering wheel, syncing us with the drivers’ split-second decisions and mental strain. It’s visceral, it’s relentless, and it’s pure octane-fueled adrenaline. And with Hans Zimmer’s electrifying score throttling in the background, it’s damn near impossible not to jump out of your seat. F1 is what happens when immersive filmmaking redlines.
  • Even though F1 follows a story we’ve seen play out thousands of times before, Joseph Kosinski somehow manages to inject new life into its veins. What makes F1 special isn’t the plot, it’s the execution. The way the camera hugs the asphalt, the way the sound design rattles your bones, the way every gear shift and tire squeal feels like it’s happening right under your seat. It all adds up to something truly thrilling. It’s raw, it’s loud, it’s relentless. Kosinski puts you inside the car, inside the driver’s head, and never lets you out. This is immersive filmmaking firing on all cylinders. F1 isn’t just a movie but a full-body cinematic experience, and one that absolutely deserves to be seen on the biggest, most beautiful silver screen you can find. Anything less would be like watching the Monaco Grand Prix on a Game Boy.
  • My Rating: B+

Screenshots: We Scrolled so You Don’t Have To…