The Tacoma Sun

18/06/2025

Here's a preview of a story that's been in the works for a few months. This is what we received when a public records request was submitted for complaints filed against the Tacoma Police Department's Chief and Deputy.

By state law, government agencies have 30 days to respond to a public records request. On the deadline of the 30th day, a notice of more time was filed by the city on our request. We expected a mountain of complaints due to the slow response. Nope. The initial batch had only two unique communications. This was one of them.

13/06/2025

Teen Sentenced in Gault Middle School Arson -
A juvenile defendant was charged with Arson in the First Degree in Washington State Superior Court for burning down Gault Middle School in Tacoma's McKinley Hill Neighborhood, according to court records obtained by the Tacoma Sun...

Gault Middle School, 1940; Tacoma Public Library Collection. A juvenile defendant was charged with Arson in the First Degree in Washington State Superior Court for burning down Gault Middle School …

25/05/2025

Iconic Tacoma Waterfront Restaurant Johnny’s Set to Reopen Soon!

[UPDATED]
The iconic waterfront location of Johnny’s Dock is set to reopen as Johnny’s Dock Seafood and Grill. The original Johnny’s served classic American and had been open for decades before closing permanently during pandemic. The new owners, Gurinderjit Singh Purewal and Poojadeep Purewal, are reopening Johnny’s and doing an East Indian take with a seafood and grill menu. They also run Tasty India in Oak Harbor and Clay Pot in Seattle. In addition to the regular menu, they will have a pizza menu featuring homemade dough. The restaurant will retain a full bar which is separate from the main restaurant seating area. The owners commented that their grease traps are installed and serviced and that they are waiting on final inspections from the Health Department which could come as early as June.
Address: 1900 East D Street

https://tacomasun.org/2025/05/25/iconic-tacoma-waterfront-restaurant-johnnys-set-to-reopen-soon/

photo: Yelp

17/05/2025

HIGHEST PAID TACOMA SCHOOL DISTRICT EMPLOYEES

The highest paid 24 Tacoma School District employees had a combined base salary of $6.5 million dollars for the school year 2023-2024, the most recent year data is available. This amount does not include other benefits and compensation.

Joshua Garcia, Superintendent: $385,757
Toni Pace, Deputy/Assist. Supt: $348,121
Lisa Nolan, Deputy/Assist. Supt: $337,771
Renee Trueblood, Deputy/Assist. Supt: $317,278
Rosalind Medina, Director/Supervisor: $315,616
Christopher Williams, Director/Supervisor: $298,938
Eric Edmond, Deputy/Assist. Supt: $287,013
Jonathan Ketler, Secondary Principal: $283,571
Scott Rich, Other District Admin: $278,085
Douglas Hostetter, Other District Admin: $276,477
Morris Aldridge, Director/Supervisor: $274,767
Steven Deaderick, Director/Supervisor: $274,167
Julie Ray, Other District Admin.: $263,510
Abdul Malik Gbenro, Professional: $258,570
Shannon Marshall, Secondary Principal: $257,519
Cynthia Blanchfield-Johnso, Elementary Principal: $252,722
Karl Hoseth, Secondary Principal: $251,695
Lysandra Ness, Secondary Principal: $251,410
Collette Stewart, Director/Supervisor: $250,544
Adam Kulaas, Other District Admin: $249,268
Renee Froembling, Secondary Principal: $248,263
Vince Blauser, Other District Admin: $245,599
James Neil, Other District Admin: $245,429
TOTAL: $6,452,090

data source: https://fiscal.wa.gov/K12/K12Salaries
story: https://tacomasun.org/2025/05/10/highest-paid-tacoma-school-district-employees/

03/05/2025

Top 23 Highest Paid City Workers in Tacoma

https://tacomasun.org/2025/05/03/top-23-highest-paid-city-workers-in-tacoma/

19/04/2025

TACOMA NOW AND THEN: THE DOME DISTRICT

Once a working class neighborhood named the Hawthorne District, the area was razed to make room for the Tacoma Dome.

Aerial archive photos from 1985, 1970, and 1945.

source: https://matterhornwab.co.pierce.wa.us/publicgis/
article: https://tacomasun.org/2025/04/19/tacoma-now-and-then-the-dome-district/

12/04/2025

Recently rediscovered: help wanted ads placed by the Mars Candy Company while they were located in Tacoma. Read more about Mars in Tacoma from our archives: https://tacomasun.org/2008/05/28/mars-in-tacoma/

12/04/2025

Moonies in Tacoma

Cancelled in Japan -
Last month, a court in Japan revoked the tax-exempt status of the Unification Church. According to BBC News, part of the case against the church stemmed from claims that its members were required to make huge financial contributions and other financial sacrifices. The church was created in 1954 under the name “Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity” but recently rebranded as “Family Federation for World Peace and Unification.” Its members are popularly called “Moonies” after its founder Sun Myung Moon. The church gained notoriety starting in the 1960s for its mass wedding ceremonies. And while the court ruling in Japan will likely be appealed, it does bring to question the activities of the Unification Church in this country.

Demolition of Historic Seattle Mansion -
The Unification church made local headlines last year when it announced they were selling a historic mansion in Seattle for $7 million dollars. Located in the exclusive Windermere neighborhood, the mansion was built in 1907 by Rolland Denny, a member of an early Seattle pioneer family. Named "Loch Kelden" the property was purchased by the Unification church in 1974 for $175,000 for use as a retreat center. Along with the sale announcement came news that the church intended on demolishing the structure as the developer buyers were interested only in the land and not a historic mansion. By having the church file for demolition, the developers were able to take advantage of a loophole in state law that allows churches to bypass processes which protect registered historic properties.

Meanwhile in Tacoma -
More locally, the Unification Church appears to own a 3-acre property in Tacoma at 5230 South Mullen. According to information obtained from the County Assessor’s website, the property has a 3 bed/2 bath home and is registered to “Holy Spirit Association, Malloch David D.A., 5230 S Mullen St, Tacoma.” An online search did not result in a church existing at the location which was confirmed by visiting in person. A visit to the site along a road marked “private” did not reveal any signage or indication that it was church property. The assessed value of the property according to the County is $806,600 and would have generated $8,789 in property tax this year.

BBC News article on Japan court case: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cge1lr7225yo
Seattle Times article on the Loch Kelden mansion: https://www.seattletimes.com/pacific-nw-magazine/a-piece-of-seattle-history-disappears-with-the-demolition-of-loch-kelden/
Tacoma Sun article: https://tacomasun.org/2025/04/12/moonies-in-tacoma/

11/04/2025

How Much Has the City of Tacoma Spent This Year? The Answer Will SHOCK You!

According to information from the City of Tacoma, the city council has approved over $135,000,000 so far this year. While a bulk was spent on payroll ($67 million), other expenditures included: $3.5 million to the Rescue Mission, $1 million to Stronghold Armored for armored transport services, $2.5 million to Government Portfolio Advisors for investment advisory services, and $19.5 million to Staff Pro for parking, security, and guest services at the Tacoma Dome and Greater Tacoma Convention Center.

Article link: https://tacomasun.org/2025/04/11/how-much-has-the-city-of-tacoma-spent-this-year-the-answer-will-shock-you/

07/04/2025

Tacoma Pays Out $270,000 in Racial Bias Case -

In their March 25th meeting, the Tacoma City Council approved $270,000.00 to be paid to city water employee, Anthony White. The case stems from a complaint filed in 2020 accusing Tacoma Public Utilities of discrimination in its hiring practices. The case, filed in 2022 was settled out of court in February.

Link to article: https://tacomasun.org/2025/04/07/tacoma-pays-out-270000-in-racial-bias-case/

06/04/2025

For those curious to learn the backstory on how Dune Park at Point Defiance came to be...

06/04/2025

Tacoma Times editorial cartoon, 1916.