The Tacoma Home & Garden Show runs through Sunday, so we’ll be talking to a few of the exhibitors to find out why they attend the show.

WHO: Bill Sweatman, owner, Sweatman-Young (custom homes, remodels, historical restorations) of Bonney Lake. With marketing manager Amanda Rae Sweatman.

HOW LONG AT THE SHOW? 10 years.

WHY DO THE SHOW? “It’s the best advertising dollars we spend. It brings us customers and general exposure. We’ve been in the business 21 years. People see you year after year, …

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The Tacoma Home & Garden Show runs through Sunday, so we’ll be talking to a few of the exhibitors (exhibitionists?) to find out why they attend the show.

WHO: Lonzo Fanony, owner, Aquarium Paradise in Lakewood.

HOW LONG: Sixth or seventh year at the show.

WHAT’S ON DISPLAY: Aquarium Paradise has four fish tanks set up under the Aisle 600 sign. Full of interesting creatures made famous by Pixar films (Nemo!), the aquariums are one of the best exhibits for kids (in addition to the John Deere tractor display). …

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Federal Way’s first elected mayor will earn an annual salary of $112,800.

That’s $9,400 a month plus health insurance and vacation but no car allowance.

Based on Federal Way’s population of 88,580, the city’s Independent Salary Commission set the salary in proportion to strong mayors’ salaries at 14 Washington cities larger than 30,000.

The five-member commission used a mathematical formula to determine where Federal Way’s salary would fall to be in proportion within the group of 14 other cities. The commission uses the approach to stress fairness and accountability, setting a salary that is not too low or too high, said commission chairwoman Gloria Elliott.

The panel unanimously approved the salary Friday for the strong mayor, who will be elected Nov. 2.
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The monster trucks have gone, and for the next few days the Tacoma Dome will offer visitors the chance to live their domestic dreams – if those dreams involve homes and/or gardens.

Here are three dreams on display through Sunday at the Tacoma Home & Garden Show:

Dream: The lobby entrance will be transformed into the “perfect outdoor living environment.”
Reality: Perfect, except you’re living in the Tacoma Dome lobby.

Dream: One lucky person will win a new house in the “The Dream Home Sweepstakes.” …

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A memorial and celebration of life  for  unlimited hydroplane champion George Henley of Eatonville will be held  Jan. 30 at Emerald Downs in Auburn, his family announced today.

Henley, 73, who owned Henley’s Silver Lake Resort in Eatonville,  died Dec. 14 of a heart attack.

At the helm of the unlimited hydroplane Pay ‘n Pak, he won the Gold Cup on Lake Washington in 1974 when the race returned to Seafair after a seven-year hiatus. That same season he won seven races and the national points championship. He beat all comers, including the “Thunderboat King,” Bill Muncey. He retired from …

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An interfaith prayer service after recent tragedies – from local police shootings to the earthquake in Haiti – will take place Monday night in Tacoma.

The community service, sponsored by Associated Ministries, will include prayers, hymns and readings from the Bible and the Quran. As many as a dozen religious leaders, including pastors, a rabbi and an imam, will take part in the service from 7-8:30 p.m. at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, 7112 S. 12th St.

Associated Ministries describes the event as a “community interfaith service for peace and wholeness” after the fatal shootings of four Lakewood police officers …

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The Milton/Edgewood Pierce County Library will move to a larger, more centrally located site in Milton’s Surprise Lake Square this summer.

The new location will have twice as much space with 6,650 square feet, more computers, and meeting and conference rooms. Books and other materials will be easier to find, according to the Pierce County Library System.

The current Milton/Edgewood library is part of the Milton Senior Center at the Milton City Hall complex, 1000 Laurel St.

The library system will have an open house Feb. 4 at the new site – which is vacant – so residents can give …

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The City Council has decided the salary for Federal Way’s first full-time, elected mayor will be set by the city’s Independent Salary Commission.

A majority of the City Council Tuesday night favored having the five-member commission establish the salary, instead of letting the council set it.

Council members said the commission should fill that role because it is neutral and free of any appearance of conflict of interest.

The commission already sets salaries for council members and the appointed mayor. But council members wanted to consider the option of establishing the salary themselves for the strong elected mayor that voters …

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