It looks like a serious activity, but for many it’s a fun day in the sun.

"We’re just playing around on tractors today," Montesano’s Al Gillman said with a laugh. "I like to call them big-boy toys. It’s just a way to have a good time."

Gillman’s big-boy toy is a 1955 Oliver Super 77. And he was showing off his green, rumbling machine during a tractor pull Saturday at a festival at Wilcox Family Farms in Roy.

The best way to show off a tractor, he said, is by dragging a

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From videographer Joe Barrentine:

I’m heading out to Roy today for a farming festival.

Want to be a member of Tacoma’s Human Rights Commission? Now’s your chance.

The city is searching for people to apply for the two open positions. It’s open to "anyone willing to serve for a three-year term." According to a press release, the city is seeking people from underrepresented neighborhoods, like Northeast Tacoma and the South End. It is also encouraging Hispanics, blacks and Pacific Islanders to apply.

For more information, visit the commission’s Web site or contact Cynthia Leingang at 253-594-7848. Deadline for applications is July 25.

Click below to read the press release:

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Increasing gang violence and meth use has prompted Sen. Patty Murray to return from the other Washington and visit Tacoma.

She’ll be meeting with the "area’s top law enforcement official and concerned citizens about the problems the city and county face with increased gang violence and meth use," her office e-mailed.

If you’re interested, she’ll be at the Tacoma Police Department headquarters at 3701 S. Pine St. on Tuesday at 10:30 a.m.

Click below to read the press release:

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One of Taste of Tacoma’s selling points is that there’s a little something for everyone. So while I’ve given you my recommendations, they are just opinions. And they’re coming from a guy who thinks vegan is a curse word and wants massive federal funding to avoid another mad-cow disease scare.

I asked three people at the festival about what they enjoyed. Gig Harbor’s Gary Peterson, 69, was munching on a plate of barbecue beef from Pac Island Grill Hawaiian Style BBQ and gave it a thumbs-up. The 69-year-old said a dessert of strawberry shortcake is an annual event.

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There’s a reason Ed Murrieta has his job and I have mine. We ate the same the same grub, and I’m left slobbering about the idea of hot dogs, cheese and bacon being combined into one bite.

Ed, meanwhile, breaks it down like culinary science.

As seen in Tacoma:

(Thanks, Nadia!)