Giddy-up! Farmers Market Rodeo Barn Dance, May 8

For a mere $25 you can attend the first-ever Farmers Market Rodeo Barn Dance! Your ticket includes a live auction, music by the Oly Mountain Boys, a free drink ticket and all night access to the mechanical bull. YeeeHaw! Show your pride for Tacoma and local farmers by attending on Saturday, May 8 at Freighthouse Square. Line dancing, good eating and hearty fun to be had by all at this country casual Ho-Down! For more information, visit http://www.tacomafarmersmarket.com/.

Congrats to the New Tacoma Award winners!

The New Tacoma Awards recognize businesses and individuals making oustanding contributions to downtown Tacoma. The 2010 winners are:

Schoenfeld Award: Recognizing exemplary performance and pizzazz as a retailer or restaurateur (Two Winners)

• Dragonfly
• Doyle’s Public House

Ghillarducci Award: Recognizing successful new development, renovation or beautification

• Pacific Plaza LLC

Union Station Award: Recognizing leading organizations, companies or individuals that have built or sustained momentum for revitalization (Two Winners)

• Tacoma Farmers Market
• Stan Selden

Popham Award: Recognizing the individual that has done the most to build “community spirit”

• Derek Young – Exit133, Suite133, Seasonal View

Hughes Group gets loan and plans to expand

Tacoma Community Redevelopment Authority (TCRA) recently provided a loan to Hughes Group, LLC to assist with the acquisition of a building located on South 37th & Lawrence streets. The total project is just over $1.2 million. The Hughes Group is a logistics company providing facility management with the majority of its business generated from military contracts. The company is relocating from Lakewood and expects to create about 15 new jobs! Hughes Group was recognized by the Puget Sound Business Journal as the 7th fastest-growing minority-owned business in Washington State in 2008.