Appreciate Our Parks

Point Defiance Park along with other parks in the South Sound will host a work party on Saturday, April 16th from 9 am till noon. You can give back to our local beauty, just show up ready to work for a few hours...

Great Food In Ruston!

Ruston's own Tatanka Take-Out got a nice review in the New Tribune last week. Read the review here... and stop by for a bison burger of your own at Tatanka at 4915 N. Pearl. Let's support our local businesses!

Point Ruston $3 million In Payments Approved

The News Tribune is reporting (here) that on Tuesday the Tacoma City Council approved a $3 million payment for sewer utility work already completed on the Point Ruston site. This was an amendment to the existing agreement for improvements to the former smelter property.

Super Moon

Along the Ruston Way waterfront on March 18, 2011

FuSE Music

Our own local music and cafe will be hosting another great band on Saturday night. The Weekly Volcano lists the details here... Stop in and listen to some great blues with Billy Roy Danger and the Rectifiers at 8 pm at the Point Defiance Cafe!

Tacoma Council Agenda

Point Ruston is on the agenda for the Tacoma City Council meeting today. They are considering an earlier reimbursement for some of the LID costs, among other things. Read more about it at the News Tribune here...

Tree Dedication

The dedication of the memorial for Phil Parker went well on Saturday, with many family, friends and town residents coming out despite the rain to honor a man who served Ruston with all his heart. Thank you to everyone who shared this special time!
Fire Chief Don Torbet opens the ceremony with introductions and some memories of Phil.
Town residents Patty Hardin and Edie Tallman brave the showers with Councilmember Lyle Hardin.

The Ruston Fire Department came out in full force to honor Phil, who was a fellow member of the department.

Phil's children Aaron, Courtney and Kimley all came to honor their dad.

Phil's former fiance Patty Mannie unveils the plaque.

Yours truly shared some of Phil's contributions to Ruston and thoughts about his legacy. Thank you to Sherri Forch for capturing the event with these photos.

Tree Dedication Tomorrow: 11 am

Friends and family will gather with others in the Ruston community who never knew Phil Parker tomorrow to dedicate a living memorial to the former mayor. The ceremony starts at 11 am on the Winnifred Street median at 54th Street.

Phil served on the Ruston council and as mayor for almost two decades. His death in 1995 left a hole in many hearts and meant the loss of seasoned, reasonable, intelligent and caring leadership for Ruston. One of his dying wishes was to have trees planted on the former Asarco smelter site using the money he donated, a hope for green life on the barren soil that he would never see.

No one envisioned in 1995 that we would still be looking over a barren site in 2011. So the time has come to plant a tree elsewhere in Phil's honor. I don't think he would have wanted the fuss of a plaque or dedication or even a tree "in his honor". I believe he just wanted to know there would be life again in the empty dirt along Ruston's shore.

But we, the living, need to honor him. We need to remember him. We need to pass along some of his legacy of quiet love for this town to those who never knew him. May generations to come look at this beautiful tree, read the plaque and know there once was a man named Phillip Parker who loved Ruston with all his heart...

A Day Late...

It's a day late, but here is the agenda for the meeting last night. You can get more details on the town's web site here... What do you think of the new town logo?

More Tenants For Point Ruston

Once things get rolling on the Point Ruston development, we'll have a movie theater in addition to the Silver Cloud and restaurants. Several have already signed letters of intent. The News Tribune has more details here...