May 30th, 2025 Happy Friday Newsletter

Posted on by Ande Dunn

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Arts & Entertainment

  • Celebrate 15 Years of Spaceworks at Cachet, June 7
    • For 15 years, Spaceworks has harnessed creativity as a catalyst for economic vitality, equitable growth, and connection across Tacoma. This year, their work faces a critical challenge: the loss of federal funding threatens their ability to support artists and small businesses that help Tacoma thrive. Your partnership with Spaceworks is more important than ever. As they celebrate their 15th anniversary at Cachet, they are hosting their annual fundraiser. There, they invite you to stand with Tacoma’s creative community and ensure Spaceworks can continue fueling inclusive economic growth. By attending, you will directly invest in job creation through creative entrepreneurship, vibrant public spaces that attract residents and visitors, equitable access to arts and culture for all Tacomans, and small business resilience amid funding gaps. Tickets are still available at https://cbo.io/app/public/bidapp/cachet25/tickets.
  • Save the Date: Hot Shop Seconds Sale, June 21, 10 a.m. Until Sold Out
    • Saturday, June 21, is your chance to snag one-of-a-kind pieces made by the Hot Shop Team at steeply discounted prices—starting at just $10. The event sold out quickly last year, so be sure to mark your calendar and arrive promptly. Glass is a difficult medium to master, and sometimes pieces that emerge from the annealer aren’t quite as the artist intended (even if only the artist would notice the imperfection). These pieces are called “seconds.” You can browse the wares on the Grand Plaza at MOG. This year, they will also be selling display copies of exhibition catalogs at a discount. Any visitor who purchases a glass item at the Hot Shop Seconds Sale will receive $5 off museum admission for the day.
  • JAlt-Pop Powerhouse EMM Brings “The DUMB Tour” to Tacoma
    • Independent alt-pop artist and viral sensation EMM is hitting the West Coast this June with The DUMB Tour—a no-holds-barred, high-energy live show that’s equal parts concert, protest, and party. Known for her massive four-octave range, genre-blending sound, and viral performance clips, EMM doesn’t just sing; she plays four instruments live on stage while delivering a show constantly described as “arena-worthy” and the most fun night out you’ll have all year. Her CULT of fans say it best: “It’s like if Beyoncé, Gaga, and Freddie Mercury had a baby.” Catch EMM at the Spanish Ballroom on June 16. Tickets available at: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/34995604/emm-tacoma-mcmenamins-spanish-ballroom-elks-temple?clickref=1110l4WZNNJ

Neighborhood News

  • New Puyallup Health Care Center Grand Opening, June 11
    • Celebrate the Grand Opening of Community Health Care’s Puyallup Health Center at 201 West Main. The open house runs from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m., with a program at 5:00 p.m. Services will include a low-cost pharmacy, dental care for more than 8,000 patients, medical care for more than 14,000 patients, and behavioral health services through a partnership with Comprehensive Life Services. The center will provide full-time jobs for 70 people. Care is available to everyone, regardless of insurance or ability to pay. This facility will bring much-needed medical services to downtown Puyallup and East Pierce County.
  • Late on Rent? There May Be Help
    • If you are behind on rent, the Pierce County Eviction Prevention Program may be able to help. Assistance is awarded via a monthly lottery. The next application review date is June 13. Apply online at piercecountywa.gov/ep.
  • New Video Series Explores Farming in East Pierce County
    • A new six-part video series produced by Councilmember Dave Morell’s office is shining a spotlight on the farmers and food producers of East Pierce County. The series, now fully released, takes viewers behind the scenes of local farms to highlight the people, practices, and passion that fuel our regional food system.
      From sustainable growing techniques to multigenerational family farms, the series illustrates the critical role agriculture plays in local economic resilience and community well-being. It also serves as a reminder of the importance of preserving farmland and supporting local food producers amid growing development pressures
      The full series is available to watch now: https://cvcpl.us/9cNEoKC

Local Governance

  • Interim City Manager Hyun Kim’s Appointment Authorized
    • The City Council has authorized Mayor Woodards to execute the employment contract appointing Hyun Kim as Interim City Manager. His term begins June 30, 2025, and ends upon the appointment of a permanent City Manager or removal by the City Council. Kim has served on Tacoma’s Executive Leadership Team since 2023 as Deputy City Manager. He was previously City Administrator for Gillette, Wyoming (2021–2023), and City Manager for Fife (2017–2021).
  • Pierce County Council Update
    • Vice Chair Paul Herrera returned from Washington, D.C., where he joined the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber to advocate for regional economic interests and infrastructure investment. Councilmember Dave Morell also traveled to the capital and met with Rep. Kim Schrier to discuss transportation and rural healthcare. Councilmember Amy Cruver reported on her focus areas, including homelessness, crime prevention, and rural community issues, and shared details on upcoming public events in her district.
      Council Chair Jani Hitchen is expected to release a blog and newsletter addressing recent policy updates and county planning priorities. A new episode of County Talk is also scheduled to air as part of efforts to keep the public informed during the upcoming county budget cycle. For details of each councilmembers reports, visit https://www.piercecountywa.gov/99/Pierce-County-Council
  • Council Chair Hitchen Voices Support for Immigration Policy Resolution
    • Pierce County Council Chair Jani Hitchen has voiced strong support for Resolution No. R2025-139s, which reaffirms the county’s commitment to following the Keep Washington Working Act. The resolution states that Pierce County will not assist in federal immigration enforcement beyond what is required by law.
      Hitchen expressed concern about growing threats to federal civil protections and state authority, citing James Madison’s idea of states as “laboratories of democracy.” She emphasized that immigration enforcement is a federal duty and said Washington has the right to shape its own approach within the Constitution.
      The resolution aims to clarify local government boundaries while safeguarding civil rights and ensuring Pierce County remains in compliance with state law.. The full statement, which elaborates on her position and the implications of the resolution, can be read here: https://cvcpl.us/o7WpXX9

Business & Opportunities

  • Lakewood Playhouse Season 87 General Auditions
    • With the launch of its 87th season, themed “Finding Your Voice,” Lakewood Playhouse will hold general auditions to meet anyone interested in joining their artistic community. All applicants will be considered for roles throughout the season, with specific callbacks for each production. The season includes The Revolutionists, Seussical the Musical, The Normal Heart, Pipeline, and Carrie the Musical. General auditions: June 20 & 27: Plays only (prepare a one-minute monologue) June 22, 28 & 29: Musicals and plays (prepare a one-minute monologue and 32 bars of a musical theater song; musical auditionees must also attend a movement call)
      Register by June 18 at https://forms.gle/Gi2C71JxSRD96nd17. Questions? Contact brookelyne@lakewoodplayhouse.org
  • Tacoma Poet Laureate Applications Now Open
    • The Tacoma Arts Commission is accepting applications for the 2025–2027 Tacoma Poet Laureate. The selected poet will receive a $6,000 stipend and a $1,000 project budget to support community programming. Responsibilities include leading workshops, readings, and events citywide. Applicants should be committed to inclusive literary work that reflects Tacoma’s diverse communities. Apply by June 27 at 11:59 p.m. at https://tacomaarts.submittable.com/submit
  • Calling All Alchemy Skate Volunteers
    • A volunteer interest and training meeting will be held at Alchemy Skate on Monday, June 2, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Learn about the summer schedule and how you can help—from ramp loading to skate instruction. Can’t attend? Email info@alchemyskate.org to receive the info and calendar.

Recreation & Wellness

  • Next Walk Tacoma Event: June 18th
    • The third Walk Tacoma event of 2025 is the Spaceworks Public Art Walk, June 18 from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. in downtown Tacoma. Explore how empty storefronts and blank walls have been transformed into canvases for public art. Meet at Theater on the Square Outdoor Plaza (917 Broadway) and wind through key art locations. Register at https://downtownonthego.com/uncategorized/spaceworks-public-art-walk
  • Learn to Camp: Campout, May 31 at Frontier Park
    • Enjoy sleeping under the stars? Come to the Learn to Camp Campout at Frontier Park in Graham. Learn tent setup, campfire cooking, plant identification, and more. Outdoor fun includes a night hike. Meals are provided. Open to all ages (under 18 must attend with a parent/guardian). Check-in: May 31 at 2:00 p.m. | Check-out: June 1 at 11:00 a.m. Pre-register by May 28 at www.piercecountywa.gov/8308/learn-to-camp-campout. $40 per family of four, $12 per additional participant.
  • Free BBQ & Community Conversation at STAR Center, June 3
    • Tacoma residents are invited to a free barbecue and community gathering at STAR Center on Monday, June 3, at 5:30 p.m. Hosted by Metro Parks Tacoma, the event will provide a relaxed and family-friendly setting to enjoy dinner, connect with neighbors, and share feedback on park programs.
      A highlight of the evening will be an introduction to a new $10,000 participatory budgeting initiative. Community members will learn how they can help decide how the funds are spent to improve local facilities, programs, or events. Attendees will also be asked to weigh in on Metro Parks membership offerings and have a chance to speak directly with Parks Tacoma staff about upcoming plans and opportunities for involvement.
      The event is part of Metro Parks Tacoma’s “Co-Create” initiative, which seeks to bring residents into the heart of decision-making and planning for public spaces and programming. Whether you’re a longtime parks supporter or someone curious about becoming more involved, this is a chance to be heard—and fed.
      The BBQ and event are free and open to all. Learn more and RSVP at www.parkstacoma.gov/event/co-create-star-2.

Film & TV Reviews

  • Film Review: Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning by Elizabeth Mulloy
    • I am going to let you in on a little secret, I have not seen all of the Mission Impossible films. I haven’t seen the first three films and I have only seen bits of Ghost Protocol and Rogue Nation.The first Mission Impossible film I watched in its entirety was Fallout. So yeah, I’m definitely a bit behind when it comes to this franchise. That said, I was still able to more or less piece together the broader story. So when going into the Final Reckoning, I didn’t have any skin in the game as all I wanted was an entertaining blockbuster that served as a fitting conclusion for the franchise and it’s kind of that.
    • Picking up a couple of months after the events of Dead Reckoning, we follow Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team race against time as the rogue artificial intelligence known as, “The Entity”, begins its conquest to take over the world by wiping out humanity with their nuclear arsenal. However, with numerous government officials and agencies panicking, this task will be the most dangerous mission yet for the IMF as the world is at stake.
    • What really ends up hurting The Final Reckoning is that the first hour plays like a self-indulgent exposition dump, overloaded with clips from the past films. It’s an overwhelming, nonstop barrage of information that doesn’t give you a second to breathe or process anything. I get that the movie’s trying to reorient the audience and catch everyone up, and yeah, like every Mission: Impossible, it insists on laying out the plot step by step. But here, it’s so poorly edited and clumsily stitched together that it turns into a chore to follow. It’s trying so hard to remind you of every little detail from the earlier movies that it loses focus. The heavy reliance on nostalgia and the constant over-explaining just comes off as self-congratulatory, more interested in flexing how badass Tom Cruise is than telling an actual story. And honestly, if that entire first hour vanished, the film wouldn’t lose a thing.
    • But once The Final Reckoning finally moves past that bloated, chaotic exposition dump of an opener, the film actually finds its rhythm and delivers the kind of blockbuster experience I was hoping for. Almost every scene from that point on keeps you locked in as this is some of the best action the franchise has ever pulled off, and it looks incredible on the big screen. The submarine sequence, in particular, proves that less really is more. With barely any dialogue, a stripped-back score, and just the sounds of shifting air and water pressure, it turns into one of the most intense, nerve-wracking stunts Mission: Impossible has ever done. I was fully on edge. Then there’s the climactic dogfight in the skies and watching Tom Cruise hanging onto a bi-plane was just as dazzling as it was anxiety-inducing. Sure, it echoes the helicopter chase from Fallout a bit, maybe a little too much, but it’s still an absolute spectacle.
    • There’s been talk that The Final Reckoning might be the last film in the franchise and honestly, it should be. The movie is clearly framed as this big, final send off, and I really don’t see where else they can take it. The stakes have already been pushed as far as they can possibly go, and at this point, there’s just nowhere left to escalate. Unless the series takes a sharp turn and goes for something more grounded, which, let’s be real, Cruise won’t allow that, but it is time. And with the ensemble cast starting to show the beauty of aging, Cruise included, I don’t know how much longer they can keep this up without handing off the torch. Don’t get me wrong, the cast is solid, their chemistry is still there, and Tom Cruise is still a movie star, but it feels like the right time to wrap it up and move on.
    • So, is Mission: Impossible: The Final Reckoning a satisfying conclusion to the franchise? Not really, but it could have been, if that bloated first hour had been trimmed down to a tight fifteen minutes. Still, it’s been a wild, often thrilling ride watching this series evolve over the decades, pushing the boundaries of what action cinema can be. But at this point, it feels like the right moment to step away. The franchise has given us more than enough high-octane spectacle, and it’s time for everyone involved to move on to something new and, hopefully, better things.
    • My Rating: B

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