Tacomans, did you know that in 1914 Franklin and Lowell Elementary Schools became the first schools to offer hot lunches? Each school's PTA provided the lunches. And did you know that just two years later, PTAs had established lunchrooms in most local schools.
Look how far the lunchroom has come since 1914!
To learn more fascinating Tacoma school and PTA history, join the 100th year celebration of Tacoma's PTA on February 17th. Get the details right HERE.
Should I choose to be glad, sad, or mad? My quiet night appeared to be welcoming me Wednesday evening after I had moved miraculosly through a demanding day as a hospital chaplain St. Joseph's Hospital in Tacoma and an emotionally uplifting evening with adults who are considering joining the Catholic Church at St. Leo's Catholic Church in Tacoma. At the hospital I listened to, prayed with, teased, and encouraged patients to recognize that God loves each one of them. At the church I did the same. Same message, different folks and different situations.
Came home, fumbled around my rooms for a while and finally got back to reading Walter Mosley's wonderful novel, The Right MistakeI started reading the novel (269 pages the day before). The love story I read filled me with great joy... the hero's relationship with the heroine (Socrates meets Luna, Socrates loses Luna...) left me so very thankful that Walter Mosley could so quickly help me fall head over heels in love with the two characters, be moved up and down and around by the various ways the characters in the story treated my two loved ones, and by Mr. Mosley's wonderful way of saying, "And then... 'Come on now!' The story gets better... and then, and then, and then")
There I was last weary Wednesday evening... and I did put the book down at 11 pm, slept for an hour, and then tossed and turned for fifteen minutes, gave up, and went back to the book. And Mr. Walter Mosley played me like I was a yo-yo. Now up, now down, now round and round... hoping the best for Socrates and Luna, while sadly suspecting that the final news would be bad news.
Book finished... and I tossed and turned, ruminating and being further illuminated until three thirty in the morning. I think I slept till six... I shall never know...
But I am back on Walter Mosley's block seriously and I ain't gonna be leaving for a long time.
When I get up every morning, I get out of bed, go to my comfortable chair in my study room, pick up my friend, Daryl Grigsby's wonderful book IN THEIR FOOTSTEPS, which contains "Inspirational Reflections on Black History for Every Day of the Year." Inspiring? It gets my blood warmed up and moving through my brain in very healthy ways!! Sunday, January 23. I was delighted to see that the human being Mr. Grigsby focused on Sunday was Paul Robeson.I never met Mr. Robeson. I discovered him in 1969.
My intellectual world had fallen apart following the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, and at the ripe old age of twenty-nine I was working through some very tough questions: who am I, why am I here, what should I do with my life. Put another way, I needed help to understand how I could honestly chose to be a loving human being when Dr. King, who chose to be a loving servant of others, had been cruelly murdered.
I walked downtown to the Berkeley Public Library, started thumbing my way through the record collection there, saw this record with a picture of Paul Robeson on the front cover, and (thank God) took that record home, and, for the next seven days, played it over and over again.
Mr. Robeson touched my soul... calming me, enlightening me, encouraging me, and my very long journey where I was choosing to become a Black man, who thought deeply, spoke sincerely, and loved loyally, began.
Let me present a few lines from Grigsby' work: "Robeson astonished viewers with his talent. Yet it was his deep love for humanity, his unquenchable search for justice and his lifetime fight for human solidarity that set him apart."
On my dying day I shall still be trying to become a thoughtful, sincere, and loyal human being. But this wonderful man, Paul Robeson, took my hand and set me on the right path.
Please enjoy Mr. Paul Robeson's wonderful rendition, of the Freedom spiritual: Go Down Moses... "Go down, Moses, way down to Egypt land. Tell old Pharoah to let mey people go."
Here is a photo from the early days of Tacoma schools and just one of the many efforts of Tacoma PTA. Here is one of the first health screenings offered at schools back in the 1920's:
Learn about this and much more at the 100th year birthday party for Tacoma PTA on February 17th. Details? Easy! Just click HERE and mark your calendars!
Above: New Year's "Nengajo" created by Mizu Sugimura, copyright 2011.
While New Year's parties in most Puget Sound basin households have come and gone, there's still time to prepare for the advent of the Asian lunar calendar which welcomes in "2011 -The Year of the Rabbit" on February 3. Families and guests visiting Seattle's Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience on Saturday, January 15 can join in the celebration by making traditional Japanese "nengajo" or New Year's postcard greetings from 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. in the Community Hall.
The free family oriented art activity will be led by Federal Way artist Mizu Sugimura, a third-generation American of Japanese descent whose grandparents exchanged nengajo with relatives they left behind in their native land after immigrating to the United States shortly after the advent of the 20th century.
In days of yore Sugimura shares, correspondence with family living beyond the Pacific Ocean was at most sporadic. In some cases, no messages were ever received. Also, many immigrants who were for the most part often single men with no families of their own, independent and hungry for jobs moved often leaving no forwarding addresses to the consternation of parents and siblings hungry for news.
The annual exchange of New Years greetings by postcard begun in the first years of postal service in Japan, was a perfect reminder for "immigrant workers to send not only their good wishes at the dawn of a new year" but communicate as well a second more important message: "I am still alive."
Sugimura likens these early postcards as kind of a pioneer era form of Twitter, an observation which may tickle the creative imagination of audiences who have been heretofore unable to make the study of family history or any history ring familiar with their younger family offspring.
She also hopes to share yet another idea with her audiences in this era of cost-cutting, downsizing and economic reduction that: "Ideas are free." The Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience is located at 719 South King Street in the heart of Seattle's International District. For more information including hours and directions click here.
I looked at my watch Monday evening. "8 o'clock," I said, "my ride has been waiting for fifteen minutes." I gave one of the facillitators a goodbye hug, and quickly headed for the front door. Ride was there, and, ten minutes later, I was home.
Why late? I had been moved by the last session of our Journey to Freedom Group. We had a chance to share our plan for continuing to develop physically, mentally, and spiritually. Then we got feedback...affirmations and words of encouragement. We laughed and cried and ate had tasty tidbits and prayer. Each person in the group has a special place with me.
The feedback I received was very, very helpful. I had expected that I would be sad to see our eight week sessions end.
Our two facillitators (one man, one woman) were wonderful. our book, Journey To Freedom insightful.
And I knew that, with the support of people in the group I would continue to become a serene and loving person.
Here's a New Year's Gift for you I would suggest: contact one of the Pierce County Y's... found out when the next group sessions using Scott Reall's Journey for Freedom will begin. (A Men's support group at the Morgan Family Y using that book will be starting at the Y in a few weeks.)
Other groups using Scott Reall's books will be available also... all focusing on people helping each other to become happier and healthier human beings.
I really enjoyed my group. I am sure there are many enjoyable moments waiting for you, my friends, at the YMCA.
The quick answer: A place for neighbors. It’s a place to get up to date on what’s going on around you, to tell a story, to share an idea or a bit of yourself. South Sounders created all the content on this page. Send questions, comments or feedback to matt.misterek@thenewstribune.com.
Our regulars
Stephanie Frieze …has always liked to write. Her experience includes three years at the University Washington School of Communications studying journalism. She had a stint at the Chinook Observer in Long Beach. Raised in Bellevue, she’s lived in Gig Harbor for nearly 18 years. She and her husband have a home in Ilwaco, where they spend as much time as possible. This mother of four loves books, spending time with family and the color purple. Contact her at dbandstefery@comcast.net.
Lorraine Hart …was born a nomadic mutt. She spent her life observing, writing and making music. She’s an unabashed carrier of the titles “hippie,” “feminist” and “liberal.” She’s resided in the South Sound since 1996 and is currently living above Joe’s Bay in Home. She juggles her time between being a caregiver, a writer, an artist, a musician, a minister, a wife, a mother, an advocate, a friend and a pilgrim – not necessarily in that order. Contact her at matlox@cablespeed.com.
Jaynie Jones …is a Tacoma resident with diverse career tracks in broadcasting, journalism, teaching, health care, desktop publishing, floral design, special event planning and photography. She’s best known as long-time KOMO radio personality Jaynie Dillon and was once a familiar voice on Tacoma stations KTAC, KBRD-FM, KTNT and KNBQ-FM. Formerly a resident of Tacoma’s East Side, she’s volunteered in the Eastside Substation and with Safe Streets. Contact her at jaynie.jones@gmail.com .
Tracy Lebenzon ...is a blog contributor from Greenwater. Greenwater is the last stop before Crystal Mountain, Mount Rainier and the surrounding wilderness areas. When not exploring the next mountain peak or forest trail, Tracy also contributes to the Greenwater Community Council and the Explore-Greenwater.com web site. He writes about topics ranging from favorite foot, bike, and snow trails to community events, local merchants and politics. Contact him at dmountains@explore-greenwater.com.
Joseph McGowan …is a chaplain who supports patients, families, friends, nurses and doctors at St. Joseph’s Hospital. Being 67, he’s learned this about living: Meet people on their own ground and you will discover that this Earth is our special place to meet and support each other. His motto: Live now. Share yourself now. Every living thing you experience is a pure gift. Love all life unconditionally. Contact him at mcg9940@yahoo.com.
Mizu Sugimura …is a third-generation Japanese American living in Federal Way. She’s married and a parent of one adult child. A lifelong resident of the Puget Sound area, she graduated with a degree in journalism from the University of Washington School of Communications. and served on Federal Way’s Diversity and Art Commissions. Her interests are politics, art, the history of minorities in Washington and family history. She’s written a self-published family history about her paternal grandfather. Contact her at mizusugi@yahoo.com.
Kim Thompson …is a Grit City native who was born and raised in Tacoma’s Old Town neighborhood by the gulch. She boasts that she’s a former Lowell Leopard, Mason Mustang and Wilson Ram, a short-time PLU Lute and a longtime UW Husky. This former corporate businesswoman is a wife, a mom, a school volunteer, a substitute teaching assistant, a writer and a born-again distance runner. She has convinced friends from Bellevue that Tacoma is worth the drive. Contact her at kimricksy@comcast.net.
ugi@yahoo.com.
