The opening show for the second ever Squeak and Squawk Music Fest takes place tonight. The first fest took place at the former Helm Gallery (RIP)  on Broadway in downtown Tacoma and the new-ish (at that time) New Frontier Lounge.

This year’s fest takes place over the span of five days from June 10-14 and brings about tons of local acts along with some to the south and north of us. The event breaks down shows by all ages and 21+, with the all ages shows will be taking place at the rented for these events space called the “Squawk Box,” located at 745 St. Helens Ave. at 6 p.m. and the 21+ shows bring the fest back to the New Frontier Lounge in the Dome District, located at 301 E. 25th St at 9 p.m., except for the dance party on Saturday which will be going on at 10 p.m.
A few highlights of the Fest will be Sub Pop’s Tiny Vipers (aka singer Jesy Fortino), Typhoon out of Portland, Seattle fave Pwrfl Power, Grand Hallway and K Records’ Lake.

Here are tonight’s show lineups:

June 10 at The Squawk Box, 6 p.m.  $5

Humble Cub (Tacoma)
Girls of Mars
The Last Slice of Butter (canceled)
Emperor Moth (ex-Tacoma)

June 10 at The New Frontier, 9 P.M.  $8

Sallie Ford and the Sound Outside (Portland)
The Pica Beats (Seattle)
Basemint (Auburn)
Santee (Seattle)

Any opportunity to check out a music festival born and bred here in Tacoma is one that locals should take, embrace and pass the word on about. Come out and support the Squeak and Squawk Music Fest so that it can thrive, keep fostering Tacoma’s art and music scenes and establish itself as a City of Destiny staple.

For the full Squeak and Squawk Fest lineup and to check out some of the bands/musicians’ music pages, visit the event’s Myspace page at http://www.myspace.com/squeakandsquawkfestival.

The classic Humphrey Bogart film The Maltese Falcon, based on Dashiell Hammett novel plays today only, May 25, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the Grand Cinema. The film is on a 35mm print, a very old version of the film indeed. Tickets are still available for both shows and can be purchased at the Grand prior to each show.

Director John Huston’s first film is considered one of the first film noirs, and has been recognized in the history books for carving out the beginnings of the genre. Roger Ebert noted in a description of the film that “the movie defined Humphrey Bogart’s  performances for the rest of his life; his hard-boiled Sam Spade rescued him from a decade of middling roles in B gangster movies and positioned him for Casablanca, Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The African Queen and his other classics.”

If you missed the first showing of the film as part of the “Tacoma Reads Together” event back on May 11, you now have two more chances to catch it on the big screen, before it’s gone.

The Maltese Falcon plays May 25 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the Grand Cinema, located at 606 S. Fawcett Ave. For more information, call (253) 593-4474 or visit www.grandcinema.com.

Dockyard Derby Dames season 4, bout 3 poster (ARTWORK BY JAMES STOWE.)

Tacoma’s original roller derby league, the Dockyard Derby Dames, move to historic Foss Waterway Seaport for their third bout of season four.

The roller derby bout takes place on Saturday, May 22. Doors open at 5 pm with the bout starting at 6 pm. Tickets can be purchased at the door for $15, or pre-purchased for only $12 at brownpapertickets.com/event/111926. Children ages, seven and under are free. This is a family-friendly event. A portion of the proceeds benefits Pierce County AIDS Foundation.

The league is excited to bring derby back to the heart of Tacoma. “Foss Waterway is a perfect location that ties in well with Dockyard’s nautical theme,” said Sarah Miani, Co-Chair of the league’s Bout Production Committee. “It’s right on the water in a dockyard. How perfect is that?”

The Dockyard Derby Dames is comprised of four teams: Femme Fianna, Hellbound Homewreckers, Marauding Mollys and Trampires. The championship-bound Trampires play the Hellbound Homewreckers, while the Femme Fianna and Marauding Mollys battle it out for a spot at the championship bout in June.

Because of the limited parking at Foss, fans are encouraged to park at the Tacoma Dome Park and Ride next to Freighthouse Square. A shuttle will be provided to transport attendees to and from the venue.

Three Chicks Catering, Inc. will be serving plates of barbecue grilled on-site with their new BBQ Rig. There is also a beer garden serving $3 wine and beer for attendees ages 21 and over.

Seabury School is hosting a fashion show at Maxwell’s Speakeasy May 15 highlighting spring fashion along with a sure-to-be delicious buffet.

Seabury parent and owner of Vixen’s House of Shoes and Apparel is coordinating the event that will feature spring looks found at the 6^th Avenue Shop on professional models as well as Seabury staff. Dinner includes salmon, chicken, salad, roasted vegetables and potatoes and dessert. A no-host bar is also available. Tickets are $35 and can be purchased in advance by contacting Katherine Overton at katherineo@seabury.org. 1-3 p.m. May 15, Maxwell’s Speakeasy 454 Saint Helens Ave.

Black Violin. (COLIN BRENNAN PHOTOGRAPHY )

The 24th annual international performing arts festival, Giant Magnet is May 11-15 at Seattle Center and May 17 in Tacoma.

Like a Giant Magnet, this festival attracts people of all ages and backgrounds to its global attractions and  provides an opportunity to experience cultures from around the world through authentic theatre, music, dance,  puppetry, and circus performances.

Performers come from countries all around the world, including Germany,  Colombia, Senegal and Korea. Last year’s festival welcomed the 35,000 children and families in attendance over the  week.

Tacoma performances include:

• Circus INcognitus from Quebec, Canada-

The triumphant return of this hilarious, well traveled circus star; veteran of Cirque du Soliel, Cirque Éloize, and his own solo career that’s had audiences cheering around the world and garnered him major prizes in Paris and New York.  This is world class clowning, juggling and balancing that will astonish and delight.

• Black Violin from the United States-

The two Miami-born frontmen for this hip-hop combo, 2005 Champions on tv’s Night at the Apollo, display breathtaking virtuosity while blending classical music with contemporary beats; all the time emphasizing a message of dedication, self-determination and empowerment.

• Cimarron from Columbia-

This widely traveled ensemble plays the festive dance music called joropo, a fiercely virtuosic display of rippling melodies played on harp, bandola and cuatro accompanied by bass, cajon and maracas. This rapid and joyous music supports lively and colorful dance.

• Bunraku Bay Puppet Troupe from Japan/United States-

Kotobuki Shiki Sanbaso and The Lion Dance.

Bunraku brings traditional Japanese customs to the stage along with celebratory dance, joyful stories and whole lot of humor.  The puppets will bless audience members with good fortune, share a tale of what happens to a child who gets bit by a lion, and leave you with sore cheeks from excessive giggling.

Tickets are $10-$15. Tickets and information available at: www.GiantMagnet.org

Two historic sites in Tacoma are in the running to receive preservation grants. The Spanish Steps, the pubic stairway adjacent to the old Elks Temple, and Titlow Lodge are among 25 finalists in the Puget Sound area competing for $1 million in restoration grants from National Trust for Historic Preservation and American Express.

Anyone can vote once per day at www.partnersinpreservation.org through May 12. The winner will receive full project funding, up to $125,000. Distribution of the remainder of the $1 million will be determined by a selection committee.

Fire at Occupational Medical Clinic (photo courtesy Fife Police Department)

On April 24, Tacoma Fire Department and the Fife Police Department responded to the Occupational Medical Clinic in Fife at approximately 11:40 a.m.

Upon arrival, Officers found that the structure was fully engulfed in the portion of the building that was occupied by Occupational Medical.

A quick response by Tacoma Fire Department allowed a quick containment of the blaze, which saved the adjoining business.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation by a joint investigation team of Tacoma Fire Department, Fife Police Department, and the ATF personnel.

Students of the Bryant Montessori Peace committee have teamed up with Etta Projects, a local non-profit to provide clean water and fresh vegetables to the children of Las Maratos, Bolivia.

The Peace Committee is hosting an Earth Day celebration at Bryant Montessori from 4-7 p.m. April 22 in order to reach our goal of $600,000. These funds will go towards providing a water distribution system to each home and to the school of Las Maratos as well as one year of training and supplies for a school garden.

The event will feature vendors selling a variety of goods, ranging from earth friendly toys to vegetable starts. The peace committee will be selling their own Peace in Every Drop multipurpose spray and soft scrub, earth friendly cleaning products. Students from the University of Puget Sound as well as other members of the community will be organizing fun activities and games related to water and the environment.

717 S. Grant Ave., Tacoma.

The College Success Foundation (CSF), in collaboration with the City of Tacoma and Tacoma Public Utilities, announces six new college scholarships to benefit the youth of Tacoma. The CSF Leadership 1000 Scholarships, three funded by the City of Tacoma and three funded by Tacoma Public Utilities, will be awarded to six students for a maximum of four years and will be in amounts of up to $5,000 for each of those years.

Deadline to apply is May 1.  To be eligible, students must be:
High school seniors in a Tacoma public high school, or college freshmen or college sophomores who have graduated from a Tacoma public high school who intend to pursue or are already pursuing a degree in science, engineering or energy efficiency at a college in Washington State and demonstrate a financial need.

Awards are expected to be announced during June.
Recipients will participate in a one-week unpaid internship either at the City of Tacoma or Tacoma Public Utilities at the end of each academic year.  Recipients will also attend one formal meeting of the City of Tacoma Council or the Tacoma Public Utilities Board to describe their progress towards obtaining their degree.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to help the young people of Tacoma dream big, attend and graduate from college, achieve success in their careers and life, and give back to their community,” said James Donaldson, director of the Tacoma branch of the College Success Foundation.

To apply go to: www.collegesuccessfoundation and click on Scholarships/Leadership 1000 and follow the links.

Tacoma Public Utilities and the State of Washington are offering rebates for energy-efficient appliances.

Tacoma Power customers who buy qualifying Energy Star-rated refrigerators and clothes washers are eligible for more than $300 in rebates. 
When they buy a qualifying refrigerator and recycle their old one, customers can get $75 from the state and $30 from the utility. When they buy a qualifying clothes washer, Tacoma Power and Tacoma Water customers can get $100 from the state and $100 from the utility.

In addition to saving on new appliances, people will save energy on their electric bills with new Energy Star appliances. Older refrigerators can use up to four times more energy than newer, more efficient models. Unplugging an old fridge can save people up to $140 in annual energy costs. Efficient clothes washers can save people up to $45 a year in combined water and sewer charges and another $40 on their electric bill.

Rebates from the state are part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The state portion of the rebate is available until Dec. 31, or until funds run out. Rebate applications are available online at www.KnowYourPower.com/cashforappliances or by calling (253) 502-8377. Tacoma Power customers can call 1 (877) 577-0510 or visit www.jacoinc.net to have their old refrigerator recycled.