Fun Events This Weekend

The Ruston-Point Defiance Business District is hosting a couple of fun events this weekend. President Beth Torbet sent out the message below to everyone. Please join in!!!
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Shredder Event/Party ~ April 30th, Saturday
Where: FuSe Parking Lot on Pearl
When: 10 am to 1 pm
What: 3 grocery bags full or equivalent for each person
Cost: Whatever or how much you can afford to donate of
non-perishable food for a "local" food bank.

Tacoma Marathon Ruston Water Station: May 1st, Sunday
Where: Ruston School on Shirley Street
When: 7:30 am to maybe 9 am
What: Bring cowbells, smiles and enthusiasm to cheer our runners on!
We hand off water, "go-juice" and encouragement as these marathoners
pass through our Ruston station on Shirley Street.
Who: The Ruston-Point Defiance Business District and the Ruston Fire Department.
Volunteers: Still need our Business District and Fire Dept.members to
help and would love and encourage anyone in the Town come join the fun
on Shirley Street @ 7:30am!

The runners will next be treated to another of our participating
Ruston Businesses "Ladies Workout Express" water station when they
enter Point Defiance Park. Expect a lot of hoo-rah and enthusiasm when
you reach this group!

We, at Ruston-Point Defiance Business District, do love our Park;
Run/Walk Events, Bicycle events, Weddings and any event we can
support.

David K. Nation: Opinion

Tragic. Unexpected. So damn unfair. Makes one count the everyday blessings. All this and more has been said this week after the sudden death of Dave Nation.

Dave lead the Asarco environmental team in Ruston until 2005. He was an eloquent, intelligent force in negotiations and numerous decisions that impacted the town. He was always fair and able to see other sides even in the middle of a dispute. He often said one of the big reasons he chose the job here was the chance to leave a positive legacy by turning a barren wasteland into a clean, productive site. That dream stalled with Asarco's bankruptcy and has yet to be realized.

I had the greatest respect for Dave. He was able to show restraint when all I wanted to do was fight. He knew more about more subjects than anyone I've ever met. He was ethical, strong, witty and dedicated to those he loved. He was a compassionate, smart leader that many flocked to. When he left Asarco, several co-workers followed him to his new business with Godwin Pumps.

We have lost much of our collective memory these in the last few years with so many new faces in town. Change is good and inevitable, but I want everyone to know we were lucky here in Ruston to have had Dave's expertise and leadership during some very challenging years. He may not have always been the public face at meetings, but he was the one behind the scenes making sure things got done and done right. I always envisioned Dave cutting the ribbon at the opening ceremony for the first building on the redeveloped smelter property - because progress towards that goal was his doing as much as anyones.

Dave recently celebrated his 54th birthday. He leaves his wife of 25 years, Grace and 4 children. He was an avid sailor who loved to relax in his boat on Puget Sound. When we see the sails on the waters off the former Asarco shore, I hope it reminds us to thank a man who laid a solid foundation for a positive future on that barren land at the bottom of the hill. A man who left this earth much too soon. Smooth sailing, Dave... You will be missed...

Casino Lawsuit

Jim Wingard has more documents posted on his Ruston Insider blog regarding the lawsuits between Point Defiance Casino and the Town of Ruston. I don't have time to upload these large documents any more. Jim is liberal with his opinion on his blog as well as providing more background than I am able to right now. You can read more here....

In The News

Ruston police are getting some well-deserved coverage for their part in capturing the suspected Point Defiance Park arsonist. KIRO News interviewed Chief Kunkel about the good work of Officer Vic Celis last Wednesday. You can see the story on the KIRO web page here. It is the lead story for this broadcast.

Ruston Police Nab Pagoda Arsonist

Ruston police officer Vic Celis stopped a suspicious juvenile on a bicycle last Wednesday morning, April 20th at about 1:30 am for bicycle violations and after observing some suspicious behavior. The young man admitted he was headed for the boathouse and gave permission for Celis to check his backpack, which contained a gas can and matches in his pocket. He also allowed police to check his cell phone, which had a text from a friend gloating over the Pagoda fire. The 15-year old boy was booked into Reman Hall that night and Tacoma police went to work on any connection to the Pagoda fire.

The juvenile was charged at Reman Hall this afternoon in connection with the Pagoda fire, and police are looking into any connection to the burglary the previous week at the same location and other crimes at the park in recent weeks. Ruston Police Chief Jeremy Kunkel said the case was a great example to two departments working together to solve a crime that touched both communities. The News Tribune has a developing story here...

Pagoda

Kathleen Merryman has a nice article in the News Tribune today about the Pagoda and the treasure on Ruston's northern doorstep... You can read it here...

Fun At Fort Nisqually

Future of the Zoo

Pagoda In Flames

The beautiful Pagoda building at Point Defiance is burning this morning. The fire department was called at 4:25 am this morning. The News Tribune has more here... KOMO News has more pictures here...

Friday Tunnel Mishap

Last Friday, two very large coach buses filled with people tried to make their way through the Ruston tunnel. One figured it out in time to turn around near the Tacoma Narrow Credit Union parking lot. The second thought they could turn around at the entrance to the tunnel. It didn't work, creating yet another show for locals to watch. A tow truck was eventually needed to pull the bus back onto the road. (Photos courtesy of Pat Loomis)

Last Man Standing

I was almost the last Asarco employee at the Tacoma plant. But Bob Miller beat me by a couple of months and he had the privilege of packing up the last few office supplies and shipping them down south.

It's been a year of 'lasts' ~ the last Asarco employee leaves Ruston, the last local Asarco office shuts down, personally I reach my last day with Asarco, and last night the Asarco retirees held their last annual dinner after 62 years.

So many of the rough, polite, hard-working, sincere, honest men and women are gone now and those remaining are aging. It's a passing of an era. We've come to view their work with such disdain these days. We have no idea what goes into producing the copper we use every day. Instead we naively shake our heads at the evil we see as the legacy of their efforts. Yes, we can (and should) argue about the environmental impacts and how to best address them.

But I want us to remember the good these men and women did. They devoted themselves work that produced something meaningful for America and our standard of living. They were a proud breed and fought for what they believed in. They cared deeply about each other, their families and their community. Their blood, sweat and tears built this town. We owe them so much more than our sometimes superior attitude that says their work was dirty or wrong or unnecessary.

So, we held our last dinner. So many are already gone. I missed Joe Percich, Leonard Campbell, Jerry White, Ike Wilkenson, Larry Lindquist, Bob and Owen Gallagher and so many more. We closed out an important chapter in our history last night. I pray in time we will value these men for their gift to us.

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!