History

Twenty years after LA Riots, Tacoma men remember the past, look to the future

Submitted by Halley Griffin, KOMO Communities Reporter
Thursday, May 3rd, 2012, 1:20pm

Every spring, Jon Rake and Jeff Stvrtecky remember the first week of May in 1992.

This week they are hard at work, preparing for opening weekend of the new musical "Happy Days" at Tacoma Musical Playhouse.

Twenty years ago, they were in the middle of the Los Angeles Riots, watching as the neighborhood they loved became a war zone, filled with looting, rioters and flying bullets.

The men lived in a home they'd restored in LA's West Adams Historic District. They loved their neighborhood, and their neighbors. 

Rake, a choreographer, and Stvrtecky, a music conductor had been planning for some time to move from LA. They'd dreamed of founding their own arts organizations, and wanted to do it in a community that really needed what they'd have to offer.

But it was the day the violence made its way to Stvrtecky and Rake's street, and a stray bullet flew into their living room, that the pair knew it was time to move on.

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Inside the Kalakala

Submitted by Halley Griffin, KOMO Communities Reporter
Monday, April 23rd, 2012, 1:47pm
Tim Mezen Photography

Local photographer Tim Mezen spent a recent sunny day kayaking out to the Puget Sound's most loved and hated ship: the Kalakala.

The 1935, Art Deco ferry has spent the past 7 1/2 years moored on the Hylebos Waterway, as owner Steve Rodrigues has launched many an effort to sell or restore the historic ship.

Mezen is an award-winning photographer who shoots everything from commercial to fine art images.

He was recently ...

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The house that timber built

Submitted by Halley Griffin, KOMO Communities Reporter
Tuesday, February 28th, 2012, 10:25am

Have a spare $6.4 million? Tacoma's historic Haddaway Hall and surrounding property is still on the market - for a good million-and-a-half dollars fewer than originally reported in October 2010...

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Mount Rainier Glowing After Ranger Margaret Anderson's Memorial

Submitted by Peter Mongillo
Tuesday, January 10th, 2012, 6:00pm

After Ranger Margaret Anderson's memorial, I was leaving to head back to the station. Driving down the road I just happened to look in my side mirror to see Mount Rainier in all its splendor shining a bright pink hue as the sunset to the west.{C}

It hit me right then what Ranger Anderson was protecting. Not just the visitors of the mountain but that view we are so accustom to seeing all around the state. Seeing this was my little reminder to hug your loved ones more and go out and see the world around us. Take a trip to a national park and see for yourself what Ranger Anderson was fighting for every day. It was what she was there for and what she would want you to do.

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New museum celebrates America's love affair with the car

Submitted by Eric Johnson, KOMO 4 News Anchor/Reporter
Monday, November 28th, 2011, 8:31am
New museum celebrates America's love affair with the car

This month, construction will wrap up on a one-of-a-kind museum to show off the one-of-a-kind collection from a one-of-a-kind man.

KOMO News got a sneak preview of of Harold Lemay's cars - and how they're changing the face of Tacoma.

Somewhere during the course of a long lifetime, Lemay fell head over heels in love with the automobile - and he started collecting them.

His wildly successful garbage collection business made money a non-factor. He couldn't stop buying cars - amazing cars.

"I'm like an alcoholic - I can have one more," Lemay said back in 1998, when he was still collecting autos.

The car collection grew and grew until it filled 52 buildings and warehouses all over Pierce County. It is considered the largest privately owned collection of automobiles, motorcycles, trucks and other vehicles in the world.

"I have 17 grandchildren, and they're all favorites. So that's kind of the way the cars are," he said before his death in 2000.

His dream was to show his cars to the world in a Tacoma-based museum.

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City Historian discusses Aviation History at Kent Museum program

Submitted by Rhonda Watts, Community Blogger
Monday, September 5th, 2011, 10:00am
City Historian discusses Aviation History at Kent Museum program

Kent City Historian Jack Becvar will present his popular talk, “History of Kent Aviation,” at 7 p.m. on Thursday, September 15 at the Kent Historical Museum as part of the Museum’s GKHS Presents program. Admission is $10 for Museum members, $13 for nonmembers and free for students, and includes dessert, coffee and tea. Space is limited; reservations are required.         

The city of Kent has been a hub for aviation development and production dating from at least as early as World War II, when many Kent residents went to work for the Boeing Company building airplanes for national defense. One of the biggest events in the city’s aviation history was Boeing’s building of the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV), which was used for NASA’s Apollo program, at the Kent facility in 1969.          

Today there are no fewer than 14 aerospace and aviation companies and organizations operating in the Kent area. Becvar will discuss these major events and more, and what they meant for people living in Kent, at his September 15 talk.          

The GKHS Presents program began in November of 2009 with the purpose of engaging the public in an ongoing discussion and celebration of history, both on a local and global scale. Speakers have discussed a wide range of history topics, from the stories of Kent’s early pioneer families, to historical preservation topics, including restoring old houses and dating historical photographs.          

GKHS Presents is sponsored by the Greater Kent Historical Society and Museum. For more information or to make reservations, contact the Museum at 253-854-4330 or visit online.

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Get “In the Spirit” with Washington State History Museum’s Sixth Annual Northwest Native Arts Market

Submitted by Jason Wettstein, College Relations, Evergreen
Thursday, August 4th, 2011, 3:20pm
Get “In the Spirit” with Washington State History Museum’s Sixth Annual Northwest Native Arts Market

In the Spirit: Northwest Native Arts Market and Festival, the largest Native American arts event in the Northwest, will be returning to the Washington State History Museum on Aug. 6 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. As the exciting focal point of the In the Spirit exhibit, the free outdoor event offers visitors an unparalleled opportunity to participate in Native American traditions, purchase fine art and support Pacific Northwest Native American artists.

“With the In the Spirit exhibit closing on Aug. 28, the market and festival offers one last chance for the public to view Native American art, participate in native song and dance as well as a fantastic opportunity for the museum to announce the winner of the ‘People’s Choice’ award,” said Dave Nicandri, Director of the Washington State Historical Society that runs the museum. “Over the last several months visitors to the museum have been asked to vote on their favorite piece of art and we’ll announce the artist that came out on top during the festival.”

The fun, educational and interactive In the Spirit event features performances by local Native American dancers, musicians and storytellers in the museum’s 300-seat outdoor amphitheater. In the plaza, adjacent to the amphitheater, some of the Pacific Northwest’s most talented artisans, including weavers, printmakers, carvers and bead artists, will be selling their colorful wares, including native clothing and jewelry, and offering live art demonstrations.

Stand out artists at the market include Shaun Peterson, creator of the “Welcome Figure Project” in downtown Tacoma, Peter Boome winner of all three awards in the painting category at the Eitelijorg Indian Market, along with Patti Puhn, Malynn Foster, Tanya Markishtum, Kelli Palmer and Clarissa Rizal, all respected weavers representing various Native traditions. For a full list of artists visit the Washington State History Museum’s website.

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