402 Tacoma Avenue S., Suite 200 TACOMA, WA 98402 PHONE (253) 627-4853 FAX (253) 627-2253
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 14, 2013
Vol. CXXIV, No. 157
OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE CITY OF TACOMA Devoted to the Courts, Real Estate, Finance, Industrial Activities, and Publication of Legal Notices
Published Since 1890
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Tacoma's Swan Creek Park focus of urban forestry restoration project Posted online Tues., Aug. 13 Image Courtesy Metro Parks Tacoma Invasive plants will be removed from Swan Creek Park and adjacent Pierce County property over the next few weeks as part of the Washington State Department of Natural Resources' (DNR) Urban Forestry Restoration Project. A team from Puget
SoundCorps began removing non-native invasive plants such as English ivy and Himalayan blackberry Monday. "Trees play an important role in managing stormwater that impacts the quality of our streams, rivers and Puget Sound," said DNR special project coordinator Micki McNaughton. "The work by this team to remove invasive plants will help keep our trees healthy, ultimately contributing to healthy waterways in Pierce County, among other benefits." The project, administered by the DNR Urban and Community Forest Program, is intended to enhance the urban forest, manage stormwater, and improve air and water quality by improving the health and functionality of trees and forested sites in urban settings. Invasive non-native plants prevent forested areas from providing the community the full benefits and services of healthy forests by competing for water and nutrients, and in some cases even killing trees. Once the unwelcome plants are gone, native vegetation will be planted in some areas. Swan Creek is one of Pierce County's focused water quality streams under its Raise the Grade Program. That means additional water quality inspections, invasive weeds removal, and stormwater improvements are currently under way. Since 2008, Pierce County's Surface Water Management (SWM) division has tracked and reported the water quality of streams and lakes in an annual Surface Water Report Card. Streams and lakes are graded on a scale of 'F' (failing) to 'A' (excellent). The goal of the "Raise the Grade" project is to improve water quality in streams and lakes with low grades. In 2010, Swan Creek received a "C-" grade. The low grade is due to high levels of fecal coliform, nitrogen and phosphorus, all of which can come from human and animal waste. In addition, Swan Creek is on the Washington State 303(d) list of polluted waters for fecal coliform. The Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity (BIBI) score for Swan Creek is also poor. The BIBI score is based on the type and amount of bugs that live on the bottom of the stream. The type and amount of bugs can tell a lot about the health of a stream. In 2012, Swan Creek was selected in the Puyallup River watershed. A project team assigned to identify problems, partners, and solutions to water quality in Swan Creek. A project team identified the following actions for 2012 and 2013: meet with community members to find out their ideas on what is contributing to the water quality problems; support ongoing stewardship efforts in the watershed; increase water quality monitoring to identify potential pollution sources; plant trees and shrubs
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Tacoma picked to host free Sundance ďŹ lm series Posted online Mon., Aug. 12 Sundance Institute and the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities announced today that "FILM FORWARD: Advancing Cultural Dialogue" will host free public screenings of eight films for the first time ever in Tacoma. These films include Town of Runners, the Light in Her Eyes, Chasing Ice, the Loving Story, Bones Brigade, Valley of Saints, Beasts of the Southern Wild, and Under the Same Moon. The film tour will take place Sept. 3 – 7, with moderated discussions following each screening, and filmmakers Julia Meltzer (The Light in Her Eyes) and Jerry Rothwell (Town of Runners) will be present on Sept. 4 and 5. FILM FORWARD is a partnership of Sundance Institute and four U.S. federal cultural agencies, including the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, and The Institute of Museum and Library Services. It is a touring program that offers film screenings, workshops and discussions designed to foster dialogue and cross-cultural understanding. "Truly a community effort, the City of Tacoma's Arts Program is partnering with the Grand Cinema, Washington State History Museum, Tacoma Public Library, Tacoma Public Schools, Metro Parks, University of Washington-Tacoma, University of Puget Sound and more to present this robust and insightful program," said Tacoma Arts Administrator Amy McBride. "There is no cost to see any of these screenings and everyone is welcome. In particular, we would love to see those who are new to independent film, students and the local filmmaking community come out and attend." A full schedule of Tacoma events is available online at cityoftacoma.org/arts. along the creek with the help of landowners; identify problems with septic systems; increase education and outreach to residents; and work with residents and business owners. More information about Swan Creek Park is available online at metroparkstacoma.org/swancreek-park. More information about Pierce County's Raise the Grade Program is available online at piercecountywa.org/raisethegrade.