Category Archives: Community Space

Point Defiance Ruston Senior Center Community Garden

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9695554301_a9906875f1_zPoint Defiance Ruston Senior Center at 4716 N. Baltimore St., Tacoma has a community garden that I went to visit today as part of the 2013 Community Garden Harvest Tour. Actually I got a late start, so it was the only garden I got to. Guess that makes it the best! Really it was a very nice smaller garden. I was looking at it through the fence and somebody who works at the center came out to open up the gate for me. The garden, which had both vegetables and flowers, is part of the Master Gardener Program sponsored by Washington State University, Pierce County Extension.

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The Hug Farm – Grow Food

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9666322457_d4c3e90cedDriving around Tacoma I found The Farm by Hug, which I of course read as the Hug Farm. I loved the idea of growing hugs! And the actuality of the garden was almost as good. It is a community garden sponsored by the Hilltop Urban Gardens. Their mission is “to develop systems for food sovereignty and create racial and economic justice”. To learn more, go to their website.

Hiram M. Chittenden Locks

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8608746132_b795ecaa69_z(1) It was a lovely day at the Lake Washington Ship Canal and Hiram M. Chittenden Locks (the Ballard Locks) at 3015 NW 54th Street, Seattle, WA 98107. Dear daughter and her dear friend had one last day at their Seattle conference and I had time again to explore Seattle. I got wildly lost getting there (darned that GPS woman!) and ended up on the wrong side, but that was just fine since there was ready parking and it gave me more of a chance to stretch my legs. I went down to see the fish viewing area and saw two little bitty salmon swimming gamely along. The causeway over the spillway connects the two sides of the locks and is an invigorating, misty walk. Then on the other side is the visitor’s center and gardens. I walked on through the park to the fish and chips place right outside the gate, then with lunch in hand I returned to a sunny bench in the park for an alfresco lunch.

The ship canal was built in 1917 and connects Lake Washington, Lake Union, and Salmon Bay to the Puget Sound. While I was there, it was mostly pleasure boats. The locks were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

There is a wonderful sculpture at the locks named Salmon Waves by Paul Sorey.

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Central Tacoma FREE RADICAL Media Exchange

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Little FreeWhen I went to visit my last Little Free Library in November 2012, there were two in Tacoma, this one in the alley between South Anderson Street and South Oakes north of South 19th Street (#666) and the one pictured here http://blog.firsttries.com/little-free-library-tacoma/.

Now Tacoma has a total of four Little Libraries, so they are gaining popularity. Today’s Little Free Library is really more of a midsized free library with three freestanding shelving units and a several shelves towards the top of an outbuilding. Everything is covered with heavy plastic to protect the books from the Northwest rains.

There were a bunch of books in this collection that I’ve read and enjoyed. I picked out two, Ghosts Stores of Washington State and a dog identification book. The dog book I’m giving to a young friend who wants to be a vet when he grows up. In exchange I left a Lemony Snicket blank book for a budding writer. I’ll drop off another title soon (heaven knows I have a couple of books!). Per the Wikipedia article, there are currently over 200 of these libraries. There are building plans to create the containers or participate may design their own. Each of the libraries is registered and can be located by their GPS coordinates. Per the website:

Our Mission

  • To promote literacy and the love of reading by building free book exchanges worldwide.
  • To build a sense of community as we share skills, creativity, and wisdom across generations
  • To build more than 2,510 libraries around the world – more than Andrew Carnegie–and then more.

Details about the Library Project can be found here: http://www.littlefreelibrary.org/.

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YMCA Lakewood

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On Wednesday my group got together at the Lakewood YMCA (9715 Lakewood Drive SW) to talk about living off the grid. The Y was hopping! I arrive at a tad past 4 and parked in the hinterlands. I have to confuse that I didn’t get to see too much of the facility, just the Forza Coffee and the nice conference room. This YMCA has typical things such as a pool, classes and plenty of activities for the kids. More info can be found here http://www.ymcapkc.org/lakewood-family-ymca/

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Metro Park’s Star Center

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Metro Parks Tacoma’s Star Center at 3873 S. 66th St., Tacoma, WA  98409 is very nice. Their website says “The 32,000 square foot STAR Center offers a stunning new hall for rentals, a new music and dance studio, a demonstration kitchen, fitness room, as well as a dynamic indoor/outdoor children’s playground with an adjacent party rental space.” What surprised me the most was the Subway Restaurant in the building.  http://www.metroparkstacoma.org/star/

I was there for the kick off of the Prop 1 Campaign. The school bond, which will go on the ballot on February 12th, would provide much needed funding to renovate or replace 14 schools and would also make safety repairs and many other Tacoma schools. The 14 schools are Washington*, SAMI, McCarver*, Wilson, Stewart*, Wainwright, Arlington, Browns Pt., Lyon, Birney, Grant, Boze, Downing and Hunt. The schools with * will maintain their historic character. http://www.tacoma.k12.wa.us/information/Documents/Proposition%201%20brochure.pdf

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Carlson Scott Cabin in Yelm

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The Carlson Cabin in Yelm at 301 West Yelm Avenue was constructed in 1945, so I’d consider it old but perhaps not historic. It was constructed by Yelm’s Lions Club and Axel Carlson (co-owner of the Sundown Logging Co.) made all of arrangements. The logs were hand hewed. The space is used for Lion’s Meetings, Scout Meetings, weddings, parties and other social events. The Yelm Lions Club, which was chartered in 1939, offers a free dinner every Thursday to anyone who is hungry.

I went to Yelm for a holiday gather and had a lovely time both there and on the drive to and fro. Yelm has a population of about 7,000 and per Wikipedia, “the word “Yelm” is said to come from the Coast Salish word shelm or chelm, meaning “heat waves from the sun” referring to heat mirages.”

 

 

Little Free Library #2321, Tacoma

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Tacoma has two little free libraries which are part of the Little Free Library Project. http://www.littlefreelibrary.org/.

This “Little Free Library” is located at 4617 North 10th Street, Tacoma, WA. It is a darling blue box with a white door and a wine cork handle. Inside there are about a dozen books and of the few that I had previously read they are good quality reads. It is part of a community movement which offers free books. Per the Wikipedia article, there are currently over 200 of these libraries. There are building plans to create the containers or participate may design their own. Each of the libraries is registered and can be located by their GPS coordinates. Per the website:

Our Mission

  • To promote literacy and the love of reading by building free book exchanges worldwide.
  • To build a sense of community as we share skills, creativity, and wisdom across generations
  • To build more than 2,510 libraries around the world – more than Andrew Carnegie–and then more.

 

Hola from the Portland Avenue Community Center

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The Portland Avenue Community Center at 3513 E. Portland Avenue has a hidden mural on its free standing restroom building. It is a training building and has several different artists and styles and says a cheerful Hola (hello).

The Tacoma Mural Website    shows that the lead artists are Rachel Dotson, Jeremy Gregory, Joni Joachims, Kelda Martensen and Chris Sharp. The artist team is Dionne Bonner, Kate Cendejas, Larine Chung, Mike Corcoran, Brad Dinsmore, Shanna Duncan, Josh Everson, Jani Freimann, Jill Frey, Rajaa Gharbi, Kathleen Gray, Alexandra Kerl, Trinda Love, Jena Marks, Marlin Peterson, Brad Pugh, Tenold Sundberg, Asia Tail and Patricia Vazquez Gomez.

DeYoung Park, Woodinville

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Continuing my art month, I made a point to find art while visiting Woodinville today. The .62 acre DeYoung Park is located in Woodinville’s Town Center across the street from Molbak’s. It is known for hosting public events and features picnic tables under what is undoubtedly lovely in the spring wisteria.

The park’s statue which features a woman gardening with a dog by her side is titled Gardener. It was created by Georgia Gerber and installed in 2005. Ms. Gerber has an amazing portfolio of statues including the famous Rachel the Pig at Pike Place Market in Seattle. http://www.georgiagerber.com/