Dheaven (cq) Webber waves good-bye to Santa after he, his sister Promise Caruthers and mom Monica Ayers received Christmas gifts from The Salvation Army’s Angel Toy & Joy store at the Tacoma Elks Lodge. The Salvation Army, in association with the Elks and Toys for Tots, anticipates handling out toys and food for 1,700 to 2,000 Pierce County families from Thursday through Saturday. Local Walmart stores donated 340 bicycles and $25,000 cash.

Pierce County Sheriff Paul Pastor lights the first candle during the menorah lighting and Chanukah Celebration outside the Pantages Theater in downtown Tacoma on Tuesday, December 20, 2011. (Lui Kit Wong/Staff photographer)

Dana Falsko, 5, of University Place finds her perfect pumpkin at Double R Farms just off River Road near Puyallup.

Mike Heavey of Seattle gets some oomph out of his pumpkin slingshot at Double R Farms just off River Road near Puyallup.

A crowd watches one of the pig races at Maris Farms near Buckley.

Busker Alex Polly of Tacoma sings a spontaneous song made from the phrases that have been created and left by others around the seating in Tollefson Plaza in downtown Tacoma, August 7, 2011. The large collection of words and letters is a new temporary art installation called “Words” by James Grayson Sinding of Tacoma. It continues to be available to the public for hands-on participation through the end of August 2011.

Taylor Eastman, 16, makes a face while learning how to suture from Julieanna Housden, RN/at right, at Tacoma General on Wednesday, July 20, 2011. Nearly 100 students from 43 South Sound schools get a hands-on look at careers in nursing at MultiCare Health System’s annual Nurse Camp. During the five-day camp that begins July 18, students try out the da Vinci robotic surgery equipment, perform “Skittlectomies, “spend time in various departments at Good Samaritan, Allenmore, Tacoma General, and Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital, and visit six local colleges and universities, and participate in mock disaster preparedness drills. (Lui Kit Wong/Staff photographer)

Fire spinners Jacob Jung, foreground, and Tai Rae, of Vashon Island, practice their moves with double staffs on Ruston Way, in Tacoma, July 6, 2011. The pair spent time on the waterfront before Jung boarded the train to visit family in Oregon.(Janet Jensen/Staff photographer)

We are working on a feature story about two University of Puget Sound alumni who have just received $25,000 fellowships to travel and study their art.
Here is contortionist Jacki Ward.