GET READY FOR CINEMAGIG OUTDOOR MOVIES START IN GIG HARBOR!

CinemaGig is back in Gig Harbor. A great line of movies are planned for this years CinemaGig Outdoor Movies, thanks to this years sponsor MultiCare Gig Harbor Medical Park.

The City of Gig Harbor has been putting outdoor movies on for four years. The movies are held every other weekend on Fridays and Saturdays in two different parks. Friday night movies are "Classic Movie" night, geared more towards grown ups. Classic Night is held at Gig Harbor's Donkey Creek Park. This years movies for Classic Night are;

July 10th Twelve Angry Men

July 24th Breakfast at Tiffanys

August 7th Harold and Maude

August 21st Ferris Buehler's Day Off

On Saturday nights enjoy FAMILY NIGHT at Skansie Brothers Park. This year;

July 11th Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

July 25th The Tale of Desperaux

August 8th Kung Fu Panda

August 22nd Disney's Lady and the Tramp

All movies start at dark, so for the first weekend approximately 9:15pm. Bring chairs and blankets. Movies will not be shown in case of rain.

Find out more about CinemaGig at http://www.gigharborguide.com/

LOW TIDE BEACH CLEAN UP THIS WEEK

Join Mayor Chuck Hunter on Thursday June 25th from 1-3pm on the beach at Jerisich Dock. Mayor Hunter is certainly not afraid to get his hands dirty and he will be working along side local volunteers picking up trash on the beach during this weeks extreme low tides. He welcomes your help. Bring a rack or net if you like, wear boots and gloves. See you on the beach!

GIG HARBOR GARDENS OPEN THIS WEEKEND

Beautiful Gig Harbor gardens will be celebrated the weekend of June 27 & 28th in honor of the annual Gig Harbor Garden Tour. The annual two-day event features private gardens, lectures and more on Saturday and Sunday. This year 6 private homes will be featured on the tour with garden themes including perennial, waterfront, historic and a farm gardens.

Expanded feature this year includes the drawing for the artist created Adirondack Chairs, created by nine local artists and on display at the gardens. Raffle tickets will be available at all the gardens and at many local businesses leading up to the weekend of the tour.

In the past 12 years the Gig Harbor Garden Tour has grown and become one of the regions best known tours – providing peeks into the private gardens of Gig Harbor residents.

The Gig Harbor Garden Tour is a tour for literacy, with proceeds benefiting the Peninsula Adult Basic Education Program at the Gig Harbor campus of Tacoma Community College. During the past decade $60K has been raised for local literacy efforts from the tour.

Tickets for the Gig Harbor Garden Tour go on sale in April. Learn more at http://www.gigharborgardentour.com/ .
For information about special overnight Garden Tour packages at Gig Harbor area accommodation, visit http://www.gigharborguide.com/ .

Flags a Flying in Gig Harbor?

The City of Gig Harbor's American Flag Display goes up and down on power poles through out the community multiple times a year including Memorial Day, 4th of July and other holidays. City crews make sure this job gets done through out the year, installing some 50 flags each time.

Now the public is encouraged to step up and help replace many of the flags that are frayed and faded. City budget cuts prevent purchasing new flags, but Mayor Hunter and others are looking to individual citizens to assist.

New flags can be donated to the city to replace the older ones, starting today and through July 1st. Flags must be new and unused, 3'x5' and polyester. Many Gig Harbor area stores have flags with these specifications in stock for less than $20 including Ace Hardware (Point Fosdick), Ace Hardware (Judson), Costco, Target, Rexal, Rite Aid and Home Depot.

Citizens wishing to donate flags can drop them off at the Gig Harbor Visitor Information Center, located at 3125 Judson Street. The Visitor Center is open 10am-4pm every day except Tuesday and Sundays from 11am-3pm. After hours the flags can be dropped in the mail slot at the Visitor Information Center.

This is a great way to allow individuals to contribute in a patriotic way to their community. Questions can be directed to the Gig Harbor Marketing Office (253) 853-3554.

NEW MILE MARKERS MARK THE SPOT IN GIG HARBOR

It’s time to walk the walk in Gig Harbor. Thanks to innovative people like Dr. Pat Hogan and many other volunteers associated with Healthy Communities of Pierce County, you can now walk or run or bike in Gig Harbor and use mile markers embedded in the sidewalks as your guide.

For more than a year I have been working with volunteers from a local non-profit called Healthy Communities of Pierce County. This group has a vision to create innovative and collaborative ideas and programs that help sustain multiple perspectives of health and wellness in Gig Harbor and the Key Peninsula. These volunteers, made up of local physicians, educators and business leaders have done lectures, a full weekend collaborative summit and are taking the lead on the community garden currently underway at Wilkinson Farm Park. And, through the leadership of Dr. Pat Hogan, they developed and initiated a new mileage marker system in Gig Harbor.

With the goal of getting Gig Harbor residents to be physically active, Healthy Communities of Pierce County wanted to create easily navigable walking/running loops as a motivator. Three loops have been created, all of them intersecting and all of them an easy, entertaining and fun way to move about town, without a car. Encouraging physical activity and less traffic provides a benefit to everyone.

Dr. Hogan, a local Neurologist, and his wife Joan a local DieticianDietician, made a personal contribution to purchase the materials needed for the sidewalk markers. A special material was used that is weather and vandal proof and designed specifically for this type of use. The City of Gig Harbor’s public works staff worked with Hogan on placing the markers on the sidewalks in a manner that is clear and easy to understand. Three routes are in place, with a little more work needed to complete all of the marker placements. The routes are;

GREEN ROUTE – begins at the Old Ferry Landing and proceeds along Harborview Drive along the harbor to Vernhardsen and then all the way back making a 4mile loop.
BLUE ROUTE – begins at the Pierce County Library on Point Fosdick and proceeds down Soundview to Harborview, up Pioneer and left on Judson and back up Soundview to Point Fosdick making a 5mile loop.
RED ROUTE – begins at the Kimball Park and Ride, goes right on Pioneer, left on Stinson, right on Harborview, right on Pioneer, right on Edwards, left on Stinson and back to the Park and Ride making a 3mi loop.

The final piece of the program is to create a map/guide showing the routes as well as other trails in the area. With the extension of the Cushman Trail slated for completion in the fall, Gig Harbor will now have a wide variety of interesting routes to enjoy on foot or bike. Healthy Communities of Gig Harbor believes that Gig Harbor could become a role model for other communities as an ACTIVE CITY. Watch our website for the map, but get out and enjoy the routes now, and let us know what you think. If you would like to get involved in this, or other projects of Healthy Communities of Pierce County, contact Dr. Pat Hogan at hoganpsn@aol.com If you would like to get involved with this or other Healthy Communities of Pierce County projects, contact Dr. Pat Hogan at hoganpsn@aol.com


Contact me at lundl@cityofgigharbor.net


Laureen Lund - City of Gig Harbor Marketing
Director
Reach Gig Harbor Marketing Director Laureen Lund
at lundl@cityofgigharbor.net.

Book Hotel in Gig Harbor and Play Canterwood Golf

Have you always wanted to play the award winning Canterwood Golf and Country Club but you aren't a member? Now, through a special offer with Gig Harbor hotel operators, non-members can book an overnight package midweek and get a tee time at Canterwood. This special offer is for a limited time. Find out how at http://www.gigharborguide.com/page.php?id=954

GIG HARBOR Fathers Day Deals

Treat Dad to a great meal this coming Sunday in honor of Fathers Day. Many Gig Harbor restaurants are offering specials just for Dad. Here is a list of a few;

• BRIX 25, 7707 Pioneer Way, (253) 858-6626 is planning a special Fathers Day BBQ with Carolina Styel Baby Back Ribs, Brix Brick Pressed Chicken and Grilled Bone-in Ribeye and lots more goodies.


• Anthony's Homeport Restaurant, 8827 N. Harborview Drive, (253) 853-6353, will be serving breakfast and lunch with a view on Fathers Day


• Tanglewood Grill, 3222 56th Street NW, (253) 858-5555 will be serving brunch from 9am-3pm and at 4pm special prime rib dinner. Reservations recommended


• The Harvester, 8809 Soundview Dr, (253) 851-8500, offers special Fathers Day Crab Omelette and Steak and Eggs.


• Sip Restaurant and Wine Bar, 4793 Pt. Fosdick Dr. NW, (253) 853-3020 wants you to cutomize your Fathers Day Grill menu. Choose from a variety of grill worthy sides, entrees and sweet stuff.

Check with your favorite local Gig Harbor restaurant this week to learn about other specials for Fathers Day. Need a unique gift idea? Check out the Thursday Evening Art Event this Thursday with galleries and shops open until 8pm

It's back! Summer Outdoor Concerts in Gig Harbor

http://www.gigharborguide.com/

Gig Harbor's favorite summer time activity returns to the historic waterfront on Tuesday June 30th with the 7th annual Gig Harbor SUMMER SOUNDS AT SKANSIE outdoor concert series.

This free event runs every Tuesday night from 6:30-8pm at Skansie Brothers Park in historic downtown Gig Harbor. Presented by the City of Gig Harbor in partnership with CenturyTel and St. Anthony Hospital, Summer Sounds at Skansie draws huge crowds and has a loyal following each year.

Nine concerts will be presented this year. The schedule includes;

• June 30th Hannah Weeks Country Singer/Songwriter


• July 7th 133rd Army Band


• July 14th Jug of Punch Celtic/Irish


• July 21st The Beatniks, Gig Harbor hometown favorite (street closures for this concert)


• July 28th Aurora String Quartet


• August 4th Seattle Women's Jazz Orchestra (also National Night Out and street closures)


• August 11th the High Rollers, nine piece dance band


• August 18th Dewgrass Bluegrass


• August 25th Big Hand Colvin, a little blues, a little country

Join the fun. Greet your neighbors and make new friends at Gig Harbor's Summer Sounds at Skansie.

GREAT SHOWS FATHERS DAY WEEKEND IN GIG HARBOR

http://www.gigharborguide.com/

Two great options for performances in Gig Harbor to help celebrate Dads Day Weekend!

Opening June 18th - The Paradise Theatre, Gig Harbor presents THE MISS FIRECRACKER CONTEST. This story belongs in the group of Southern Gothic comedies for which Beth Henley is best known. It's heroine, Carnelle, is an irrepressible young woman who things that winning the local beauty contest will restore her soiled reputation and make her somebody in her small Mississippi community. the general conclusion the characters reach is that, even if the real you is not the fulfillment of your hopes, you will be more at peace if you learn to define and accpet your own self.

Don't miss this wonderful performance running Fridays and Saturdays through July 5th. For details and ticket information visit http://www.paradisetheatre.org/

Saturday June 20th don't miss BOUNDLESS STRINGS, A BEATLES TRIBUTE, at Fox Island Yacht Club. This wonderful performance will take place at 6pm and will be performed by the Peninsula Youth Orchestra to benefit PenMet Foundations, Boundless Playground project. Tickets are $40 per person or $75 per couple.

The Boundless Playground project will provide children with disabilities accessibility to playground designed just for them. This playground will be built at the 98 acre Sehmel Homested Park located at 78th and Sehmel Drive NW, Gig Harbor.

Learn more about this project, the foundation and the concert at http://www.penmetfoundation.org/

FREE GUIDED BEACH WALKS IN GIG HARBOR

Saturday June 20th marks the start of the beach walk season in Gig Harbor with a free, fun filled, family event to explore the dynamic tidelans of the Purdy sand spit in Gig Harbor.

Alan Rammer, a marine education and outreach specialist, will lead the tour, opening up an exciting world with sand dollars, anemones, squid and other life found as the tide rolls back. Harbor WildWatch beach naturalists will be on hand to help identify beach critters and answer questions at their touch tanks. Information booths will also highlight recent activities to improve water quality.

So come play at the beach on Saturday June 20th, 10am - noon.

Learn more at http://www.harborwildwatch.org/

MUEVE comes to Gig Harbor Wesley Inn

https://www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id+1717548

Gig Harbor's Route 16 Running presents Health Education Seminar for women and parents on Saturday June 20th with lectures by:

• Nutritionist, Donna Peloquin, M.S. MD


• Physical Therapist, Craig Faeth, MPT,ATC,CSCS


• Pediatrician, Dr. Thomas Herron, MD


• Podiatrist, Scott Runde, DPM


• Elite female athletes, Kelly Strong and Karen Steen

Route 16 has assembled some of the best professtionals in Gig Harbor and put together an evening of learning. It's three years in the making for this project and the goal is to help women and parents understand the meaning of stress to the body while being active. This will be a two part seminar:

First Session at 2pm is for young adolescent girls and women who live an active lifestyle and want to know how to reduct physical stress and injuries. This session will be all about the female gender and the challenges women encounter while physically active.

Second session at 4pm is for parents who want to learn about their kids growth and challenges when living an active lifestyle. Children go through many transformations while living an active lifestyle and at the same time risking long term physical injuries. Professionals will discuss the main signs to look for and teach you how to help redust those risks.

Space is limited. Registration is only $20 before June 17th and $30 after June 17th.

Register at https://www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id+1717548

GIG HARBOR SCORES in BEST OF THE SOUTH SOUND

http://www.gigharborguide.com/

(Left Aloha Bed and Breakfast www.alohabeachsidebb.com. Right The Maritime Inn www.martimeinn.com )

South Sound Magazines, 2009 BEST OF THE SOUTH SOUND issue is on newstands now and we are proud of the many, many Gig Harbor businesses that made the cut this year.

In addition to the "list", Gig Harbor's Brix 25 is featured in a beautiful six page article starting on page 115.

Some of Gig Harbor's winners include:

• Favorite outdoor dining experience (South Sound Mag Staff Recommendation) TIDES TAVERN



• Best Wine Selection, Runner Up Water to Wine



• Best Bar/Lounge, Runner Up Tides Tavern



• Best Bakery, Runner Up Susanne's Bakery



• Best Private Dining, Runnery Up Brix 25



• Best Outdoor Dining, Anthony's Restaurants



• Best Coffee. Runner Up Cutters Point



• Best Movie Theatre, Runner Up Galaxy Theatre Uptown



• Best Group Activity, Runner Up Boating in Gig Harbor!



• Best Baby Shop, HUSH BABY, in Uptown



• Best Shopping Mall, Runner Up Uptown Gig Harbor



• Best Place to Work, Runner Up Rush Custom Homes



• Best Large Business, MULTICARE HEALTH SYSTEM



• BEst Small Business, Runner Up Rush Custom Homes



• Editors Pick - Mommy Mondays at Gig Harbor Julep, Uptown



• Best Cosmetic Dentistry SoundBridge Center



• Best Builder, RUSH CUSTOM HOMES



• Best Nursery, Runner Up Peninsula Gardens



• Best Archtect, Runner Up North Pacific Design



• Best Interior Design, Sandra Newell and Runner up North Pacific Design



• Best Remodelers, East Bay Homes



• Best Hardware Store, Runner Up Ace Hardware



• Best of Show, Hotels, Runner Up The Maritime Inn



• Best Bed and Breakfast Aloha Beachside Bed and Breakfast



• Best Doctor, Runner Up Joan Halley MD



• Best Dentist, Karla Bloomquist DDS runner up Keiko Wada DDS



• Best Naturapath, Leslie Charles ND and runner up Peninsula Naturapathic Clinic



• Best Orthodontist, J. Timothy Quinn DDS



• Best Pediatrician, Thomas Herron MD Harbor Pediatrics



• Best Place to Propose, Runner Up Kopachuck State Park



• Best Birthday Party, Runner Up Galaxy Theatre



• BEst Private School, Gig Harbor Academy



• Best Day Care, Our School



• Best Summer Camp, Camp Seymour



• Best Dog Trainer Jeanne Hampl

What a great list. It's so easy to stay local for all your needs in Gig Harbor!

Lele Opens in Uptown Gig Harbor

Gig Harbor has added another great dining option with the opening of Lele in Gig Harbor's (4747 Pt Fosdick Drive NW Suite 200 - (253) 514-6382) Uptown village this past week.

Gig Harborites have longed for new dining choices, and Lele is the first of a list of new restaurants preparing to open over the next few months.

The Gig Harbor Lele is the third restaurant for Lele Tran and features a mix of Vietnamese and Thai Cuisine such as;

• Crispy Fried Squid



• Green Papaya Salad



• Stir Fries and Noodles



• Steamed Sea Bass or Halibutr



• Viet Curry, Indian Curry, Thai Curry and Green Curry

just to name a few.

Lele joins recently opened Sip Wine Bar and Restaurant with additional dining options slated for Uptown this year. Learn more about Lele at http://www.lelerestaurant.com/

Gig Harbor HEALTHY LIVING IN HARD TIMES - Don't miss this!

www.gigharborguide.com

Free Lecture to be presented as part of Gig Harbor Healthy Harbor Program

Gig Harbor, Wash. –May 26, 2009 Join Dr. Paul Schneider and Joan Hogan, Nutritionist, for a free lecture on Wednesday June 10th, 6:30pm at the Gig Harbor Civic Center, 3510 Grandview Street Gig Harbor. This lecture, one in a series, will focus on an open conversation, how the current trend of “bad news” can affect our health and how to rise above and remain healthy in hard times.
Healthy Living in Hard Times is presented by Healthy Communities of Gig Harbor. Learn more at www.healthypierce.org

This free lecture is brought to you by the City of Gig Harbor's Healthy Harbor program, sponsored by St. Anthony Hospital and MultiCare Gig Harbor Medical Park.

Learn more about Healthy Harbor at www.gigharborguide.com

MORE WINE NEWS - MARILYN MERLOT

The Keeping Room, 7811 Pioneer Way in Gig Harbor, will host their annual MARILYN MERLOT Wine Tasting on June 13th from 6-9pm.

Come join the fun and taste the 2007 Vintage, another Diamond frmo Nova Wines of St. Helena and Napa CA.

Enjoy live music from Jessica Blinn, Violinist and Vocalist accomomanied by Scott Cossu, Jazz and Classical Pianist.

There will be great music, food and wine including:

• Abella Cabernet 92 points from Washington
• Zerba Cabernet from Washington
• Campagnes (all made in the tradition "Methode Champenoise"
• Chock a Bloc Chocolate from Australia 91 points

$15 cover, please RSVP (253) 858-9170, www.gigharborwinegiftshop.com

Wine Makers Dinner come to Brix in Gig Harbor

Family owned Walla Walla winery, Five Star Cellars, and Founder David Huse will be here Thursday June 11th for Brix 25 Gig Harbor, Chef Thad Lyman's four course dinner paired with 4 of they're very best wines.

The story of Five Star Cellars is all about family. The grapes are local, the business is run by family - all local- and they enjoy visitors stopping by to sample their wines.

Five Star Cellars began as a retirement project for David Huse. After assisting at another winery, David realized he wanted to make small amounts of wine in his free time - the kinds of wines he loved to drink. Over time, he found that he enjoyed the project so much that he wanted to create a business out of his "project."

Can you say "Yum"? That's what we think when we taste the wines produced by this little rising star winery. Pround for pund Five Star is making some of the best wines in the state, and not raising their prices with every high score they get. Its stallar wines include super-silky reds that caress your tongue and fill your mouth with big dark fruit flavors. Thes out of this world wines are priced very affordably, but hard to find.

Enjoy them with the wine maker and Chef Thad Lyman's four course matching menu on June 11th at Brix 25 in Gig Harbor WA. $75 per person plus tax and gratuity. Very limited seating is available so call today for your reservations. (253) 858-6626

GIG HARBOR'S TALL SHIP COMES HOME!

http://www.gigharborguide.com/

AMAZING GRACE is back in Gig Harbor, after "wintering" in San Diego for some refurbishing. While in San Diego the tall ship received a brand new deck and new ceiling. Janis and Steve Denton, owners of the Amazing Grace did most of the work themselves. But they also took advantage of a winter in San Diego and enjoyed three sailings between projects including cannon battles with the HMS Surprise (from Master and Commander), the Lynx and the Californian. The Denton’s now invite you back to the Amazing Grace for charters, weddings, special occasions and more! Welcome back to Grace and her Crew! http://www.amazinggracetallship.com/.

The Denton's also own the Waterfront Inn, voted Gig Harbor's best Bed and Breakfast. Check it out at http://www.waterfront-inn.com/

GIG HARBOR OFFERS BIG GIG DEALS - SUMMER 2009

http://www.gigharborguide.com/

Something new for Summer 2009 is the BIG GIG DEAL at local lodging properties in Gig Harbor. Extend your weekend Monday through Thursday with these awesome packages created for you by The INN at Gig Harbor, the Best Western Wesley Inn, the Maritime Inn and the Waterfront Inn - all locally owned and operated inns.

So many great reasons to be in Gig Harbor midweek;

• Tuesday Outdoor Concerts start June 30th


• Wednesday Farmers Market opens June 3rd


• Thursday Art Evenings, every Thursday until 8pm through September

It's a Big Gig Deal and you don't want to miss it. See the packages on line at http://www.gigharborguide.com/.

Get your gig on this summer in historic downtown Gig Harbor Washington!