GO RED FOR WOMEN LUNCHEON

On May 7 was the GO RED FOR WOMEN LUNCHEON at Hotel Murano. Tacoma joined over 50 other cities to honor survivors and educate women and men alike about the risk factors of heart disease.
Three courageous women took to the stage to share their life experience with heart disease. They are mothers, survivors, friends and teachers. Their stories were different, but had one thing in common. Each was effected by a traumatic experience and each said the same thing, it could have been prevented!
Stress is the common factor in many of the women affected by heart disease today. Diane Sieg, the keynote speaker, brought helpful tips to conquer stress. Her book, “Stop Living Your Life Like An Emergency,” draws on her survival skills as an emergency room nurse, life lessons gleaned from her patients, clients and personal experiences to help her audiences show up, speak up, and stand up in their lives - everyday!
Heart disease and stroke are the greatest health threat women face, with coronary heart disease and stroke as the No. 1 and No. 3 killers of women over age 25. The good news: heart disease can largely be prevented. Go Red For Women celebrates the energy, passion and power women have to band together and wipe out heart disease.
For more information on heart disease, or if you’d like to give a donation visit goredforwomen.org.

Star Chefs on Broadway

Sunday, May 4 was the annual Star Chefs On Broadway 2008. It was my first time going and it was a blast! The dinner/auction benefited local performing arts education and was held in the Pantages Theater Lobby.

The décor was spectacular and the entertainment was great. We were serenaded by the sounds of a French band as we strolled through the silent auction items. Then the emcee of the night stepped on stage with his extraordinarily fake French accent, mustache and carpet bag coat. I LOVED HIM. The auction was accompanied with tons of bids, laughing and “OLE!”

The dinner menu included courses by:
Charlie McManus of Primo Grill (appetizers)
Matt Brandsey of Sea Grill (soup)
Peter Weikel of Stadium Bistro (salad)
Tristan Holst of El Gaucho (entrée)
Gay Landry of Affairs Bakery & Café (desserts)

Corresponding wines from artisan winemakers Craig Larson of Maryhill Winery, Ron Bunnell of Bunnell Family Cellar Winery and Rob Newsom of Boudreaux Cellars.



Jennifer Mitchell
Marketing Coordinator

6th Annual Hop Scotch Festival

Last weekend was the 6th annual Hop Scotch Spring Beer and Scotch Festival in Fremont. Benefiting Northwest Folklife, the festival is a truly unique tasting experience. Visitors could sample from over 50 award-winning, handcrafted microbrews, premium tequila samples, a scotch tasting garden and scotch tasting seminars.

The microbrew tasting garden showcased Northwest favorites such as the Lazy Boy Amber from Lazy Boy Brewery as well as Mac and Jack’s African Amber and Serengeti Wheat. Visitors could sample every flavor, from the dark, sweet and smooth Quilter’s Irish Death made by Iron Horse Brewery to the smooth refreshing Longboard Lager from the Kona brewery.

The Scotch Tasting Garden was a self-guided experience with scotch representatives to answer questions. Master of Scotch Ari Shapiro offered an exclusive, one-hour, guided session to teach visitors the “secrets” of scotch.

In the Tequila Tasting Lounge, an expert of tequila was available to answer questions and help visitors decide what tequilas would best suite their Cinco de Mayo festivities.

This was a 21 and over event.

Corteo comes to the NW

Cirque du Soleil once again comes to Redmond's Marymoor Park with Corteo. Corteo is about a circus clown who imagines his funeral and all the people who show up to celebrate him. The story could in fact be a portrayal about the clown's real funeral, and that's what makes the show so fascinating: we're never quite sure what is (or if anything is) real or imagined in the story. Corteo's amazing acrobatics, inspired music, and beautiful dance captivate the audience.

I saw the show last night, and was pretty much blown away. I've seen other Cirque shows, and I can't say that one is better than the other, simply because each show is so unique in the way the stage and performers are used. Corteo's highlights include an amazing trapeze performance, trampoliners, and a duet of acrobats who entwine each other thirty feet above the stage with no safety net. These acts are impossible to describe in words, so it's best that you go see it for yourself.

Corteo will be playing through May 25, every day except for Mondays. There really isn't a bad seat in the entire Grand Chapiteau (the grandstand is just as impressive as the shows that take place inside). Tickets pricing:
Adults: $55-$210
Children 2-12: $38.50-$147
Students 13+ w/ID and Seniors 65+: $49.50-$81

details: cirquedusoleil.com

Cutting to the Heart of it

Olympia Artist Turns Paper into Pictures


Lying on the grass looking past her toes up to the sky, she can’t help but think about the pull of gravity and how it keeps her grounded. Bare baby legs and swimming salmon make her remember why it’s important to keep water clean. Crows and seagulls waging war to win scraps from a city garbage can inspire her.

Much of Nikki McClure’s art appears to be black-and-white. But simple, it is not. The self-taught Olympia artist does a lot of different things, but what she’s known for are her intricate paper cuts – art she creates with an X-Acto knife against black paper. Her cuts are full of details – patterns on leaves, expressions on faces – all while keeping the paper connected. Sizes vary from Band-Aid-sized pieces to larger poster-sized pieces.

Read more about McClure’s art in the spring issue of South Sound magazine at southsoundmag.com

Gig Harbor Street Scramble May 24, 2008!

On Saturday May 24, 2008, the second annual Gig Harbor Street Scramble will take place along Gig Harbor’s scenic waterfront! A kick-off for Gig Harbor’s Healthy Harbor lifestyle campaign, the fun begins with check-in and day-of registration at Skansie Brothers Park from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. The Scramble starts at 10 a.m.

Free to the public, Gig Harbor Street Scramble is a scavenger hunt-like event in and around the downtown Gig Harbor waterfront. A map of thirty, circled places to find in either a ninety minute or three hour time frame will be distributed to every individual or team of up to five other people.

Come walk, run or ride your bike during this fun event. Teams must stay together at all times and docile, leashed pets are welcome!

Medals will be awarded in adult, senior, youth, family and team categories. During the rest of the day, refreshments will be served and other family-fun activities will take place along the harbor front, including a “touch tank” for kids!

For more information please visit www.gigharborguide.com or call the Gig Harbor Visitor Information Center at (888) VIEWGIG.

Opening Day at the Races

By Kathi Wallis

Living in Pierce County since I was a child, amazingly, April 18th was the very first time I had been to Emerald Downs. I love horses and people, but not gambling, so going was never on my radar of “things to do."
Opening day will go in the record books as a crazy roller coaster ride of weather, with sunshine, hail and snow, so the things I witnessed and the people I met took my own judgments and perceptions on a whiplash of change.
Waiting for the first bell of the night to ring, as the anticipation in the huge crowd was growing, I asked an older well-dressed man, sitting with his adult son,to share his perception. His answer was revealing.
“This is the only sport that just by buying a ticket, you have a vested interest in the entire sport," he said. "Some study the horses, or the trainers or the jockey -- each person has their own system and area of interest.”
Each person I met was very kind and instructive, though incredulous that I had managed to avoid something they had very happily devoted much of their lives to. I met Lindy Aliment, a handsome, elegantly dressed, mature man who had been “Master
of the Scales” for over 40 years. {He was in charge of weighing the Jockey’s to make
sure all was legal and fair). He and his beautiful, bright blue-eyed wife Marilyn shared their love of the sport and how their three grown children had learned hard work habits working in different parts of the track. Marilyn proudly whispered to me that in 40 years, Lindy was never once involved in one incident of impropriety. Very impressive.
They introduced me to their friend, Richard Wright, who had been a jockey and a trainer for 40 years as well. Richard looked just like a classic movie picture of a jockey. As they shared stories of the past and experiences they had shared, I almost felt as if I had made up for all the years of missing the races. All three took the time and care to help me see the sport as much as possible from their eyes and their absolute love and dedication.
I also met Ron Hagen, owner of El Dorado Farms( a large horse breeding farm) who took the time to write down all of his contact information so I could bring my grandchildren to visit the horses. Meeting these people, and learning from them was delightful! I learned of the extreme care that the horses are given, the veterinary oversight and the detailed system of checks and balances. The evening ended for me at the Winner’s Circle, sharing in the excitement of the win and thoroughly having enjoyed being close enough to hear the horses hoofs hit the ground and to see the look on the winning jockey’s face as she hugged the neck of her horse and family members who were there to congratulate her.
OK. Now I get it. I didn’t even gamble and had a most memorable evening. One that stimulated so many areas of intellect, interest and fun. Fascinating people, majestic animals, stimulating crowds. April 18th, 2008 - Opening day at Emerald Downs. A day of extreme changes and out-of-season weather. A parallel day for me personally - of extreme changes in attitude, interests & intriguing new friends!