Grit City Magazine

22/09/2025

This hasn’t happened in over 50 years. Anyone who’s been following the story of our resident orcas will understand the significance of what happened last week.

There’s a lot we don’t understand about the lives of orcas but when you see things like this happening, it’s hard to think of it as anything other than a milestone in a culture that is entirely foreign to ours.

Here's the original caption from photographer Jami Cantrell:

"This week something extraordinary happened, something I never thought I’d witness. J-Pod, one of the three Southern Resident killer whale pods, traveled south under the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, the Fox Island Bridge, and into Carr Inlet. This marks the first documented visit by J-Pod to this area since the orca capture era over 50 years ago.

"According to the Orca Behavior Institute, Southern Residents historically frequented the southernmost parts of Puget Sound, as shown by captures between 1965 and 1972. At least eight whales were taken during that time, including the original Shamu from Carr Inlet and Hugo, Lolita’s longtime companion, from Vaughn Bay.

"After these traumatic events, Southern Resident visits to the South Sound became rare and poorly documented. NOAA’s 2006 critical habitat report notes only a few sightings south of the Narrows Bridge between October and January, and just one in April. In 2014, K and L Pods briefly ventured south of the bridge, though not far.

"Until now, J-Pod had not been recorded this far south in decades. While I didn't get to see them go under the Fox Island Bridge, I did get to see them as they entered Carr Inlet and traveled north until they were visible from Purdy. 😳 I still can't believe this isn't a dream.

"That night, I stayed up as long as I possibly could at a friend’s house overlooking Henderson Bay, listening to see if they would head out. Well, J-Pod not only stayed the night, but when they exited Carr Inlet, they went even further south, near Anderson Island before flipping back north towards the Narrows."

Seeing whales from the Narrows Bridge is already an emotional experience for me… BUT SEEING J-POD FROM THE BRIDGE?!!!!!!?????

I missed a lot of the action because my camera malfunctioned but I'm still on freaking cloud nine and I don't know if I’ll ever get off. Seriously just pinch me I must be dreaming. There's a lot more photos coming from this encounter. 🤍🖤

Orca Network Community Group

16/09/2025

Thanks for sticking with us, Tacoma.

We have a lot of stories yet to tell—some fun, some difficult—and we appreciate all the support from people like you.

A huge reason we’re able to do all of this is the generous backing of our Patreon supporters (listed below).

If you like what we do, if you find value in it, please consider signing up on our Patreon.

If you have the desire and the means, please consider signing up for a subscription to our print magazine.

Check out our Linktree for either of those options: https://linktr.ee/gritcitymag

All of it adds up and keeps us going and all of it goes right back into our community.

For everyone who’s already a part of it, thank you. You’re the reason this magazine still exists.

If you know anyone on this list of Patreon supporters, be sure to give them an extra crisp high-5 for us next time you see them.

PS- This photo mashup is from a photo essay in Hard Copy 26 by Sierra Hartman called This is Tacoma. Go grab yourself a copy and check it out.

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Aaron & Sarah Pedersen
Abbie Watters
Abe Fox
Alan Passero
Alex Hernandez
Allison Campbell & Jason Loan
Amanda
Amanda Yard
Andrea Michelbach
Angela Ferguson
Annette Parsons
Barb Fowler
Barb Toews
Becca Cox-Merrill
Ben and Hannah Childs
Ben German
Benjamin Strutin
Bill McClure
Bob Thoma
Brad Peregrin
Brieanna Vaughn
Brook Gillaspie
Carleen
Carly Frank
Carol Lentz
Carrie Wilhelme
Carrie Woods
Christy R-B
Colin Dory
Colleen MacLeod
Corliss Serka
Dale Subitch
Danielle Massie
David Lam
David W. Campbell
Deb & Tom Llewellyn
Derek Heitz
Derek J. Moore
DH Burke
Doug Snyder
Eddieg13 G
Elizabeth Hirschhorn
Eric Jacobsen
Erica Jouglard
Erin
Greg Hoeker
Guadnola Family
Guion Rosenzweig
Hayley Penor
Heather Carroll
Heather Urschel
Heidi Schutz
J.R. Caines
Jack Krohn
Jackie Flowers
Jamie Brooks
Jan Miller
Jane Whipple
Jared Mott
Jeffrey Sargent
Jen Richards
Jenna Covey
Jennifer A Callaghan
Jess & Rachael Bouma
Jessica Saia
Jessica Winston
John James Nelson
Jon & Rachel Brandon
Judy Calora
Julie kiesel
K8 S
Kandace & Brian Espinosa
Kate Larsen & Chris Harvey
Katherine Figaro
Kathy Susag
Katrina
Kayla Howser
Kevin Heiderich
Kile Sloppy
Kristofer & Ranell Nystrom
Kyle Peirson
Laura Gardner
Laura Lockhart
Lauren
Lauri Lindquist
Lea Kelley
Lee MacClellan
Linda Garton
Liz Ryan
Lori Laubach
Lynae Kibiger
Lynda Best
Maggie Anderson
Malloranne
Marc Heinzman
Marce Olson-Elvins
Margot Kahn Case
Mari G
Maria Courogen
Mariesa Bus
Marty & MaryMikel Stump
Matt Newport
Melanie Cole
Melissa Myers
Melissa Nordquist
Michael Goronkin
Michele Jones
Michele Slotemaker
Michelle Farber
Mike Johnson
Mike Mattsen
Natalie Nunes
Nikki Wheeler
Paige Armstrong
Pam Jackowich
Pamela
Patience Colkitt
Patricia Bowman
Paul Ferguson
Pretty Gritty Tours
Rachel Ervin
Reed Speir
Rich Lilly
Rick
Rob Sheridan
Ruth Ballard
Ruth Keller
Ryan Davis
Sarah Gray
Sarah White
Shelley Bemrose
Sherry Jansen and Sarah Kulbacki
Shiloh Threads
Sierra’s Best Friend Jason
Sierra's unauthorized sidekick
Sometimes We Mean It
Stacie Chapman
Stephen Pawlawski
Steve Cole
Steve LaBerge
Sue Hayes
Tacoma Beer Week
Tammi Bryant
Tammy DeBord
Tealah Hill
Tekla Waterfield
The Pioneer Collective
Timothy Atwill
Torri Henson
Ursula Klein
V
Vanessa
Vivian deZwager
W Dian Rogers
Wyatt Nunn
Yannick

10/09/2025

Writing prompt! Have you ever wanted to write something for our magazine but never had a solid idea?

Then consider this your invitation: The year is 2045, seismologists are able to predict earthquakes and volcanic eruptions now.

Tahoma is predicted to catastrophically erupt in one year's time. Scientists expect total destruction within 25 miles of the mountain and extreme risk to human life up to 50 miles.

Tell us the rest of the story.

➡ Every entry over 300 words gets featured on our website.
➡ Top three get $50 and their story published in the next issue. 700 word limit.
➡ Email your story to [email protected] with the subject line “Eruption story”
➡ Deadline is September 17 at 11:59 PM
➡ NO AI GENERATED CONTENT. We can tell the difference.

The stories going in print will also have illustrations going along with them. If you’re interested in doing an illustration (or you know an illustrator who would be good for it), leave a comment below.

🗻🎨: Sophie Yun Lee

20/08/2025

You can’t have an honest conversation about neighborhoods in Tacoma without talking about redlining.

The poster that comes with Hard Copy 26 by TeyAnjulee Leon is a direct reference to this practice and how it shaped the city we live in now. The following is an edited excerpt from our interview:

TeyAnjulee’s painting is based on a map from 1929 that was used to determine the risk of a home loan approval. Neighborhoods with Black families were colored red and labeled “hazardous.” Neighborhoods that were 100% “Native-born white” with no Black people or “low class foreign families” were colored green and labeled “best.”

“I can directly quote people who have said things like, ‘This part of Tacoma sucked until we got here.’ Sucked for who? Because I actually liked it a lot better before. I hate that there are places that I grew up coming to that are not only unrecognizable, but I'm getting looked at like I don't belong here.

“And so my request is before you say something like that, whether you mean it harmfully or not, think about how it could harm other people, and then also consider why it is exactly the way it is. If you are in a part of Tacoma, whether you're going to see a show or you recently came here from somewhere else and you're buying a house. And your complaint is that there's no grocery stores over here, or there's a lot of crime, or there's so many homeless people, or there's lots of drugs, ask why.

“It's important to me that it is clear to readers, listeners, observers of the art, that it's not an individual person. It's not a certain group of people. It is absolutely the systems, and we have to decide to not participate in them. We have to decide to dismantle them. We have to decide to stop perpetuating them. And step number one is question things.

“Because if you live here, you're so fu***ng proud. You are so proud of this city and especially your neighborhood. And I think that in being good neighbors, you have to know the history of where you're living. And sometimes that history is uncomfortable.”

Read the whole interview and get a print of her painting with Hard Copy 26: https://gritcitymag.com/product/hard-copy-26/

14/08/2025

Come to the Hard Copy 26 release party!

Our latest magazine is officially out in the world now and we’d love to show it off to all you wonderful people.

Come meet some of the creatives that made it happen, see some of the original art, and pick up a copy if you don’t already have a subscription.

★ 703 Pacific Ave (above Thai Pepper)
★ Friday August 15th, 6-9 PM
★ Bring some people or meet some people
★ Kids are welcome
★ In case you haven't been here before, we’re on the second floor with only stairs to get up. If you have any mobility issues, send us a DM. We have a solution and we’ll send you details.

RSVP (not required but helpful for us): https://forms.gle/1kctVTDtvNBzUQuK7

Special for this event:
★ Catering by Chef Geezy’s Kitchen
★ Free collage table hosted by Heather Swanson, cover artist for HC26

24/07/2025

Goodnight, Tacoma.

📷: (via IG)

08/07/2025

Tahoma and Luna will be doing their thing again for the next couple nights.

Depending on where you’re standing, the moon will be coming up somewhere on the south slope of the mountain. The further north you are, the closer to the peak the moon will be.

Tonight should be a better show sometime between 8 and 8:30 with some sunset color on the mountain.

Tomorrow night the moon will be slightly more full and will be closer to the actual peak but it’ll be coming up an hour later so it'll be darker when the moon is actually visible.

If anyone gets any good shots, feel free to drop them in the comments so we can all oooh and aaaah.

And if anyone wants to come hang out and watch it/shoot it together, I'll be at the Dune Peninsula around 8:00 tonight. Look for the guy in the donut hat with a big camera.

05/07/2025

Whatever freedom means to you and however you choose to spend this holiday, this is a perfect time to reflect on how other people in our community might be feeling about it right now.

Is your idea of freedom inclusive or exclusionary?

Does it celebrate arrogance or humility?

Does it glorify a romanticized vision of America or does it consider our flawed and complex history?

Do you feel entitled to it or grateful for it?

If you feel confident and secure in your freedoms, I would encourage you to ask yourself what you’re doing to support those who do not.

And if this makes you feel criticized and you feel a need to lash out in the comments, ask yourself why. Are you only saying it here because of the anonymity of social media?

Go ahead and say what you need to say but remember that I’m always up for real conversations with real people and the offer to buy the first round still stands.

-Sierra Hartman, Editor in Chief

20/06/2025

"In 2020 the assignment was pretty clear; go to the protest, wear the shirt, say their names, post the black square, delete the black square because it was actually counterproductive, read the books, and call out the performative anti-racists. Done. Doesn’t it feel good to stand on the right side of history?

"I stood there and it felt great. It felt righteous. I took dramatic photos and wrote impassioned articles that got a lot of attention and praise. Even better, I had a handful of racist idiots popping up on social media and got to shut them down so hard that they deleted their own comment threads in tantrums of frustration.

"And look at all the things we accomplished! All the corporations put out DEI statements so everyone knew they were definitely not racists. That’s meaningful, right? Commercials during the Super Bowl had more Black people than ever before. Representation matters, right? In 2021, Juneteenth became an official National Holiday. We made history, right? We made an indelible mark on the world and there was no going back… right?"

Part I — Then and Now In 2020 the assignment was pretty clear; go to the protest, wear the shirt, say their names, post the black square, delete the black square because it was actually counterproductive, read the books, and call out the performative anti-racists. Done. Doesn’t it feel good to s...

01/06/2025

The NOAA space weather forecast looks promising for tonight.

It's never a guarantee that anything will happen but this is the strongest forecast we've had this year and the weather looks decent.

Here are some general tips for viewing:

1- Get somewhere dark. If you're close enough to artificial light that you can see your shadow, it's not dark enough. Finding truly dark places in the city is actually quite difficult. This photo was taken from the Point Defiance Promenade in May 2024. Titlow Beach also has some good dark spots. Keep in mind, though, that these are both very popular locations. The third picture is a screenshot from lightpollutionmap.info

2- Give your eyes time to adjust. It can take 20-30 minutes to get fully acclimated to the dark so if you’re cruising down Ruston Way and you expect to see something right when you pull over and get out, you’re going to be disappointed.

3- Don’t expect to see all the colors with your naked eye. This one is not projected to be as strong as the big one last year so it may be harder to see. If you see some wispy clouds way up high in the sky, you may actually be looking at the aurora. What looks pale gray to you will look green or purple to a camera. This is because the cells in your eyes that work better in the dark (rods) don’t do color like the cones do in the daytime.

If you get anything good, feel free to share it in the comments!

📷: Sierra Hartman