The News Tribune from Tacoma, Washington • A3

thenewstribune.com Friday, August 30, 2013 A3 What? Nobody at City Hall thought to fire up some tiki torches? "1 Get that man a stiff, slightly edgy in the manner of insomniacs coping with seasonal affective disorder. But on this day it was all about the aloha. They put aside politics, potholes and other problems and played dress-up like high school kids during spirit week. "What you probably can't see is a lot of us are sitting up here in Hawaiian shirts today," said Councilwoman Lauren Walker, who could only have been See NOSE, A6 It was Hawaiian shirt day at the Tacoma City Council meeting this week. Otherwise known as promote -a-luau day.

Flowers and leaves exploded from the dais like Ed Hume's display garden, or like the crowd at a Jimmy Buffet concert The council members mustVe had to raid their closets to do their waist-up tribute to the 50th state. Most of the time, this bunch more closely resembles residents of the 49th state a bit frosty and Tacoma Dome naming partners too expensive Bedier, Tacoma's director of public assembly facilities, in an Aug. 23 letter announcing the city's rejection of the proposals. One plan, from Texas-based Legends Sales and Marketing, which is part-owned by the Dallas Cowboys and New York Yankees, according to its website, would have charged the city a $35,000 one-time fee plus $7,500 per month for a minimum yearlong contract. The other proposal, from the Superlative Group of Cincinnati, The city put out a request in June seeking "services for marketing, sale of narning rights, advertising and sponsorship" for both the Tacoma Dome and the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center.

Two replies came in, but "neither proposal received was feasible within current available budget parameters," wrote Kim lUOTOMWIDB BEOVBMBMT Fast food strikes come to Tacoma maltafclacoma CMy Manager TX. TVTicomc Now the city is planning to issue a pared-down request for proposals that doesn't ask companies to actually carry out the sales and marketing of the naming rights. The new inquiry will only ask companies to evaluate what resources the city has to sell, and how much officials could get in return, Bedier said. That's closer to what the city was hoping to get when it solicited proposals back in June, Tacoma See DOME, A6 DCAMlBOCFfUlStaff photographer restaurants' schedules. Austin Scheen, a shift supervisor at a Papa John's pizza outlet on Pacific Avenue, said he thinks the franchise owners for whom he works are sensitive to the workers' plights, but the parent corporation is not Scheen said he works 40 hours weekly at the Pacific Avenue restaurant and seeks overtime work at other Papa John's to supplement his income.

"I need the hours to pay my bills," said the 22-year-old who See STRIKES, A4 day at Cheney Stadium that will include tailgating in the afternoon and special ticket packages for a 7 p.m. game between the Rainiers and the Sacramento River Cats. For more information, go to tacomarainiers.com. On Sunday, the Wounded Warrior team will face the women of the Seattle University softball team at the university's Logan Field. Game time is 5 p.m.

Adam Ashton, staff writer A' would have charged the city $7,500 per month for 18 months, while billing the city for the company's expenses. Both plans also would have taken a cut of the revenue from sales of the naming rights, as well as from advertising and sponsorships. "At the end of the day, we felt the pricing model of neither of them really worked for us," Bedier said. "Even the one that looks less costly was somewhat open-ended, which concerned us." tin viuHHBomium For videos of Thursday's picketing and interviews with fast-food workers, go to ttienewitrNHneucom. Gig Harbor making $10.75 an hour to make ends meet.

"It's not fair. The workers are making poverty wages while the corporations are making billions," said Balogh. Most weeks Balogh works every day to accommodate the wounds suffered while serving in Iraq or Afghanistan. One of the players, Nick Clark, is a Puyallup resident who lost a leg in Afghanistan six years ago while serving with an Italy-based airborne brigade. The game is free to get in.

People can make donations to the Wounded Warrior team at the stadium or go online to thewwast.org. The morning softball game leads into a veteran appreciation BY MELISSA SANTOS Staff writer Tacoma officials will relaunch their search for a company to help them explore selling naming rights to the Tacoma Dome. The reason? The first round of proposals submitted to the city would have cost too much money, according to the city's evaluation of the submissions. Metro Parks director takes leave of absence BY MELISSA SANTOS Staff writer The top employee at Metro Parks Tacoma is taking an extended leave of absence for medical reasons. Jack Wilson, executive director of Metro Parks, has been on leave sincejuly 1.

Hesentanemailto employees June 26 announcing he was taking time off to "address and focus on a personal health issue." "I remain very appreciative and proud of my association with Metro Parks Tacoma and wish to again acknowledge and thank all of you for the exceptional service you provide this community," Wilson wrote. "I hope you have a great summer and I look forward to returning as soon as I can." While Wilson is gone, Steve Knauer is serving as acting executive director. Knauer is the agency's director of parks and natural resources, and oversees park operations. Metro Parks has not publicly announced the staffing change, but provided The News Tribune with a copy of Wilson's June email after the newspaper inquired about Wilson's prolonged absence. Knauer has filled in for Wilson in the past while Wilson was on vacation, said Metro Parks spokeswoman Nancy Johnson.

Staff are treating Wilson's current medical absence the same way, she said. "They definitely feel like it's just business as usual," Johnson said. "If no different than if he was on a vacation." Staff expect Wilson to return, but they're not sure when that will be, said Aaron Pointer, president of the Metro Parks board of commissioners. "We're not at the point of thinking of some kind of See WILSON, A6 HOLIDAY HOURS Here's a breakdown of what will be open or closed Monday for the Labor Day holiday: Tacoma garbage pickup will be on schedule. The Tacoma landfill, recycling center and household hazardous waste facility will operate under normal hours.

Tacoma Public Library branches will be closed starting Saturday. Pierce County Library System locations will be closed. City of Tacoma and Pierce County government buildings will be closed. RaitDOdeiiipJoyBesajidsiippoitafSftoiii WoriAiQWaslaYi for a $15 mi rartMg he haste work 71 howaweekatthe Arbytand aOg Harbor McDonald jHAtomateendi meet $9.19 an hour (the highest state rninimum wage in the country) to $15 an hour. The first Tacoma protest occurred outside an Arby's restaurant at 6330 Sixth Avenue at 10 a.m.

More than a dozen pickets carrying signs chanted slogans and heard speeches. Their visible protest drew honks from several sympathetic drivers along the busy arterial. Karl Balogh, a meat slicer at the Sixth Avenue Arby's, said he works 30 hours earning rninimum wage at that restaurant and 40 hours weekly at a McDonalds in Workers acmss the (mmtry took to the stivets to argue BY JOHN GILLIE Staff writer Workers, union staffers and sympathizers in Tacoma on Thursday joined a nationwide strike designed to draw attention to the plight of fast food workers making die minimum wage. Like other protesters in some 60 cities, the workers in Tacoma on Thursday sought minimum wage increases from the present Pierce Transit buses will run on a Sunday schedule, without bus shop or phone service. Tacoma Link light rail and Sound Transit Express bus service will run on a Sunday schedule.

Sounder trains will not run. The U.S. Postal Service will not operate. Point Defiance Zoo Aquarium in Tacoma will be open, as well as Northwest Trek. Their hours are 8 JO a.m.-6 p.m.

and 9 JO a.m.-6 respectively. stacia.gtennthenewstribune.com ghhmhtshbmothi Amputee Softball team to play JBLM squad A traveling Softball team made up of veterans who lost limbs in combat has a game scheduled at Cheney Stadium in Tacoma on Saturday against a squad of players from Joint Base Lewis-McChord. The Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team has played in more than 60 cities over the past two years, including a game at Fenway Park in Boston. It has 21 players, each of whom has had an amputation because of.