STATE SENATOR MARILYN RASMUSSEN ANNOUNCES TOWN HALL MEETINGS:
Wednesday, April 4
Roy City Hall:
6:30-7:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 7
Orting High School Commons:
9:30-10:30 a.m.
Graham Fire Station:
11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Eatonville Library:
1:00-2:30 p.m.
Yelm Middle School:
3:00-4:30 p.m.
"A message from The Nature Conservancy of Washington
================================================
Ask your Commissioners to preserve Thurston County's rural heritage
As you may know, Thurston County has been engaged in a rather lengthy planning process regarding the rules for managing designated rural residential lands. This effort has in large been a response to a law suit challenging them to be more protective and not over-develop. The county instituted a temporary moratorium on new subdivisions on its rural lands, and initiated a process that included meetings, public hearings and comment periods. Plan iterations have bounced back and forth between the County Commissioners and the Planning Commission. Perhaps you participated in some of this.
Your Thurston County Commissioners are now considering the final two rule options for rural residential land rules. This is a good time to contact them with your thoughts.
The Nature Conservancy urges the protection of Thurston County's rural legacy. The Conservancy works with private landowners, Fort Lewis and many volunteers and other partners to restore and preserve habitat in Thurston County. We believe it is appropriate for the county to restrict development of rural lands in order to protect wildlife habitat, water quality and working rural landscapes.
Please write or call your Commissioners and ask them to choose the most restrictive option they can to protect Thurston County's rural lands.
To send comments to Commissioners Wolfe, Oberquell and MacLeod, visit their Web site
Or call 360-786-5440 to leave a message or set up an appointment to meet with them."
Don't miss the The Nisqually Valley Home, Garden & Trade Show
sponsored by the Nisqually Valley News and the Yelm Chamber of Commerce.
this weekend!
"Dreamtime Visual Communications is a diverse business resource.
We provide a wide array of services, from design and fabrication of signs, trade show booths, and vehicle graphics, to complete identity packages, brochures, business cards, and much more.
Give us a call or email us to find out how we can help you create the most effective promotional tool for your business.
Dreamtime Visual Communications, Inc. • 112 Yelm Ave East • Yelm, WA 98597
Voice 360.458.7183 • Fax 360.458.9449 • Toll-Free 866.458.7183"
I DID!
"Fine European Pastries
Our Story
Sebastian missed the taste of home. His wife and friends in the U.S. loved the smell and taste of Sebi’s baking. “These flavors are so uncommon!” “There are no desserts like this around here.” “You should really sell this stuff!” were common remarks.
In 2004, Sebi and his wife Amy launched Sebastian’s Best, moving the business to Yelm, WA in December of 2005.
Sebastian makes all his products by hand from the finest natural ingredients, and then delivers them to customers in Yelm and Olympia, and by UPS to people all over the U.S. These pastries are sure to delight your palate with flavors uncommon in the U.S.
We Offer
A delightful menu of Linzer Tortes (rasberry and blueberry), Engadiner Nuss Torte, Swiss Rueblitorte (carrot cake), Apfel Strudel, and a variety of puff pastries and cookies.
For a wholesale or retail price list, please contact us!"
Sebastian's Best
458 9313
105 E Yelm Ave
YOU MUST STOP IN FOR SOME OF THE BEST TREATS THIS SIDE OF OLD EUROPE!
I did.
Professional Pest Control Service for the South Puget Sound Area.
We provide complete professional service for residential homes, including, Annual Inspections, Quarterly Pest Control Programs, and prompt effective elimination of active infestations of carpenter ants, termites, spiders, mice, rats and many other pests.
Serving the pest control needs of Yelm, Ranier, Roy, Lacey, Olympia, Spanaway, Graham, Dupont, Lakewood, Tacoma, Tumwater, Parkland, Puyallup, Rochester, Tenino, Centralia, Chehalis and all rural areas of Pierce, Thurston and Lewis County.
Call Matt Purcell
1 (877) 720-8800
PCI Pest Control
I did!
"The Prairie Hotel offers wonderful accommodations, whether you´re on vacation or a business trip. We are centrally located between the Tacoma and Olympia areas. This is a great opportunity to enjoy our beautiful country surroundings, while only having a short commute to the city!"
Give them a call when your family or friends visit.
PRAIRIE HOTEL
458-8300
I did!
"Governor Chris Gregoire today [March 8] was recognized by the Center for Women and Democracy (CWD) for her work supporting and on behalf of women in Washington and across the country. She was honored as part of International Women’s Day celebrations by CWD, which supports women’s leadership all over the world.
Governor Gregoire has appointed more women to her Cabinet than any other Governor in the country. Of the 29 positions on her Executive Cabinet, women hold 14," quoting her office's Press Release...
And this from Jean Marie Christenson (D-Rainier)
1st Vice Chair, LD2
Greetings Friends,
I feel privileged today to share with you this lovely picture of our State's Governor, Christine Gregorie and myself at a recent gathering where I presented our Governor with a copy of my book, THE KEEPERS AND THE CAGED, a compilation of interviews discussing the Washington State prison system.
Jean Marie Christenson with WA. Gov. Christine Gregoire
Photo courtesy of Ms. Christenson
The City of Yelm has alot of opportunities for area citizens to serve their community, many of which do not require the indvidual to be living within the city limits. Here is a current list of openings:
Elected positions that DO require the person to live within Yelm city limits:
Yelm City Council seats up for election in 2007, each for a 4-year term-
Pos. 1 = Don Miller
Pos. 2 = Joe Baker
Pos. 6 = John Thompson
Pos. 7 = Russ Hendrickson
Positions NOT requiring City of Yelm residency:
Yelm Community Schools all with a 4-year term-
Dist. 2 = Donna Edwards
Dist. 3 = Denise Hendrickson
Dist. 5 = William Hauss
Fire Protection Dist. 17 Bald Hills 6-year term
Pos. 3 = Roger McMaster
Yelm Fire District 6-year term
Pos. 1 = Tim Bruner
Yelm Cemetary District 6-year term
Pos. 1 - Darlene Baker
Yelm Planning Commission
1. seat recently vacated by the resignation of Tami Jenkins
Yelm Timberland Library Advisory Board 5-year term
1. seat recently vacated by the resignation of Tami Jenkins
2. seat recently vacated by the retirement of Pam Walker
Three members must be a resident of the City of Yelm, shall own property inside the city limits or shall have a current City of Yelm business license. The remaining two members shall reside within either the Yelm or Rainier school districts.
Yelm Historic Preservation Commission
Members shall be residents of Yelm’s designated sphere of influence
Yelm Parks Advisory Committee
Two seats are vacant.
Consists of seven members who are residents of the Yelm area, and are appointed by the Mayor.
Glen Cunningham stopped me at last Monday's Planning Commission meeting and asked why I commented on his serving on 6 local committees (see Yelm Community Blog entry of February 13, 2007, then scroll down) saying many of these had openings because of lack of community participation & his wealth of knowledge would otherwise go wasted. I told him service to the community is to be acknowledged, however diversity among committee members is what will bring fresh new ideas to the forefront. Does the very same person serving on the Yelm Economic Planning Committee, Yelm Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and Yelm Planning Commission encourage diversity and divergent viewpoints, creating a lively discussion about vital issues of the day?
Now is YOUR chance to participate. Those of you living in the county surrounding Yelm can participate in most of these Yelm committees listed above. Now is YOUR chance to have a voice.
What say you?
Will you step up to the plate to serve and fill these committees with your new ideas, new "blood", new passion, and new vigor to will reshape this town for the future?
To learn more, chekout the City of Yelm site under Citizen Committees.
"As the House prepares to consider the 2007-09 Capital Budget, Rep. Tom Campbell (R-Roy) today announced proposed funding for four 2nd District projects that are included in the budget.
The House budget proposal includes appropriations of: $1 million for the Bethel Community Center; $823,000 for Mashel State Park; $160,000 for the Eatonville Family Park; and $350,000 for the Rainier Lifelong Learning Center....
The budget proposal also includes $350,000 for the Rainier Lifelong Center. The goal is to create a food and clothing bank, a youth center, library, museum, learning arts center and a disaster survival center in an existing building. Last year, Campbell was able to appropriate $75,000 for a new heating system for the center, and in the 2005 budget, he got enough to fix the roof of the historic structure -- 'the old school house.'
Campbell noted that this is the first step for the 2007 Capital Budget. It must be voted out by both the House and the Senate before it goes to the Governor for her signature. The 2007 Legislative session ends on April 22," quoting Rep. Tom Campbell's Press Release.
The Pierce County Business Examiner reports,
"Wilcox Family Farms announced today it will keep its milk and egg products free of cloned animals. Wilcox supplies more than 20 percent of the area's milk and is the first major producer in the state to announce it will be free of cloned animals.
Wilcox has agreements with its suppliers to ensure the milk it purchases is free of artificial hormones. Farm officials said the family will add to those agreements to make sure its milk and chickens are not from cloned animals.
In December 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a draft report saying meat and milk from cloned animals, and their offspring, are as safe to eat as conventionally bred animals. The FDA, however, also kept in place a voluntary moratorium on the use of cloned animals for food."
scroll to Monday, March 19, 2007 stories.
In his monthly Guest Column in the March 16 issue of the Nisqually Valley News (NVN), Yelm Mayor Ron Harding states:
"...Bottom line, this momentum [growth] contributes to our ability to improve the infrastructure and quality of life for our citizenry and the people that travel through and shop in Yelm. Without it, we would still see the demand for road and other improvements, but would not have the financial ability to construct them.
This year we are spending more money on road projects than ever before, our businesses have increased sales, community projects are on the rise, services that at one time were not available in our city are becoming more available, new homes are being built."
So, according to this scenario, growth is required to fund projects?
The Mayor does not list the costs of this growth to the community:
* major traffic
* air quality compromised
* noise & water pollution
* increasing crime
* straining of our natural resources like the aquifer
* permanent loss of our small-town character.
The very reason we must tackle some of these projects like road expansion, water aquifer studies, larger police presence, surveillance cameras in our parks and waste disposal issues is that the Yelm City Council continues to approve any and all development with little attention to providing the infra-structure & properly administered impact fees to support such growth.
And, more developments are approved every month in Yelm, on top of the massive Tahoma Terra & Thurston Higlhands developments.
For example, the Mountain Shadow subdivision was approved on February 27, 2007.
That thinking is how Puyallup and other cities got into a pickle described in the March 19 blog entry below!
That thinking must change to one focused on how the decisions of today affect the future!
Growth alone does not fund these projects, rather wise fiscal management & decision-making does, coupled with how such growth will affect the future of our town and children.
If City Hall thinks more development = more tax revenue, what will they do when Thurston County leads the way in foreclosures and this buidling boom here leads to homes being foreclosed and shuttered, with no tax revenue coming from those properties?
Oh, that won't happen they say?
Such is already fact, as reported in the March 18 Olympian (see March 18 entry below).
What do you think?
Yelm Mayor Ron Harding
Photo from City of Yelm website
"While commercial growth blossoms in the South Sound, so does gridlock. Will congestion spell stalls for small business?
Doing business on Puyallup's South Hill can be a Catch-22.
At least that's what Thomas Anderson, owner of Plaza II Music Center on South Hill, has discovered.
It's where you want to be, as far as growth goes, and it's where you don't want to be, as far as congestion goes," he said. "You want to be where the customers are, right?"
Thousands of prospective customers stream past his South Hill location, but almost all of them are caught in the gridlock traffic that can turn a cross-town commute into a whole-afternoon affair. Giving customers a good enough reason to exit off Meridian can be a challenge for small business owners...
While commercial growth blossoms in the South Sound, so does gridlock. Will congestion spell stalls for small business?
Many people speculate on how South Hill became what it is today. Some blame it on poor planning; others blame the traffic on developers putting rapid commercial growth in motion. Many business owners fear there isn't much that can be done to resolve the grisley bottleneck that South Meridian has become. Bumper stickers even boast: "Pray for me, I drive Meridian."
Regardless of how it got that way, South Hill has become the universal example in the South Sound of what not to do when planning a community.
Gig Harbor ultimately has become an example of good planning, he said, while South Hill is the poster child of the need for growth management.
While there doesn't seem to be another community to match South Hill as far as congestion paired with rapid development, potential for the same nightmarish result seems to be present to a lesser degree in communities such as Federal Way, Covington, Black Diamond, Hawks Prairie and Bonney Lake [Ed. Note: And Yelm!]," quoting the Business Examiner.
Is Yelm doomed become another South Hill?
What do you think?
The Olympian reports in today's edition,
"County foreclosure rate highest in Washington
More local homeowners unable to pay their mortgages
All those low-interest and no-interest mortgage loans that helped fuel South Sound’s hot housing market last year are coming back to haunt some homeowners.
Thurston County led the state in foreclosures as a percentage of households last year, according to Realty Trac, a Southern California company that tracks foreclosure data nationwide.
The company’s data show:
• One in every 61 mortgages, or 1.64 percent of Thurston County’s households, recorded a foreclosure last year, compared with one foreclosure for every 129 mortgages statewide, a rate of 0.77 percent.
• Foreclosures in Thurston County increased nearly 8 percent last year, from 413 in 2005 to 446 in 2006...
South Sound real estate agents and mortgage lenders blame some of the increases on programs that enticed buyers into the market with mortgages that required no money down or allowed buyers to pay interest only for several years."
WILL THE BUILDING BOOM IN YELM HOME DEVELOPMENTS ADD TO THE FORECLOSURE AMOUNTS?
WILL YELM HAVE ALOT OF FORECLOSED HOMES?
YIKES!
Washington State House Bill 1031 has been introduced by the committee on technology, energy & communications concerning concerns RFID's; that all packages must be clearly labeled that the devise is included, that the buyer must give permission for the information to be used and how to remove the device after purchase.
"Radio-frequency identification (RFID) is an automatic identification method, relying on storing and remotely retrieving data using devices called RFID tags or transponders. An RFID tag is an object that can be attached to or incorporated into a product, animal, or person for the purpose of identification using radio waves. Chip-based RFID tags contain silicon chips and antennas. Passive tags require no internal power source, whereas active tags require a power source," quoting Wikipedia.
Oh, and who was the first major U. S. company to incorporate RFID technology to track products?
Your local friendly Wal-Mart!
If you would like to suuport this legislation, write to your local Representative.
"Join filmmaker Betsy Chasse, Elora Media author Gary Craig and musical guest Brent Pendleton for songs, book readings, and fun for the whole family. [Upcoming cities visited include Seattle, Portland & Bellingham]
Wednesday, March 21st at 7:00 pm
Barnes & Noble
Olympia, WA
360-534-0388
Visit the Elora Media website for more information.
Betsy Chasse has been part of the creative team behind the sleeper hit, What The Bleep Do We Know?! and What the BLEEP - Down the Rabbit Hole from 2003 to today. She is credited as Writer, Director and Producer of the movies, along with William Arntz and Mark Vicente. To date, “The Bleep” is one of the highest grossing documentaries of all time. In addition, Betsy has freelanced as a Production Manager and Line Producer on over 30 feature films. With her own production company, Rampant Feline Films, she has produced several features, cable specials, and music videos. Betsy was listed in Variety’s top 50 Independent Producers of 2004.
Betsy started her own media and publishing company, Elora Media, which offers spiritually oriented, motivational books, videos and music for children of all ages – adults included! She is a highly sought after speaker on such subjects as spirituality, the blending of science and spirituality, and marketing to the cultural creative demographic," quoting the mailing from What The Bleep Do We Know!?.
Betsy Chasse and Gary Craig were featured in the February issue of Southwest Washington Family &
mentioned in the Monterey Herald.
Ms. Chasse & Mr. Craig and their families call the Yelm area home.
"Cosmology at the Frontier
Two of the world's most venerated scientific minds, physicists Dr. Stephen Hawking and Dr. Brian Greene, will discuss frontiers of a new cosmology in a two-part lecture series at McCaw Hall - Seattle Center on March 26 and April 9.
As a KCTS member you can save 15% off your ticket price to this event. Just use the password: *KCTS* to activate the savings.
Don't miss this exciting journey to uncover the secrets of the universe - from supergravity to supersymmetry, from quantum theory to M-theory, from holography to duality. With characteristic exuberance they will take us to the wild frontiers of science, where superstring theory and p-branes may hold the final clue to the puzzle," quoting Ticketmaster.
"The wailing siren. The flashing lights. The sense of impending doom. Is this bringing back unpleasant memories? Sorry about that. If you’ve ever been pulled over by a police officer and experienced that sudden panic over how to conduct yourself, you’re likely to find this column useful. And if you ever get a ticket at some point down the road, the tips provided here can help you avoid increases in your auto insurance premiums for years to come.
1. Don’t try anything funny.
2. Turn your vehicle into a blab-free zone.
3. ‘Can I get a warning?’
4. Resist throwing in the towel.
5. Consider traffic school.
6. You can go to court.
7. Think about how to plead.
8. Think about how to defend yourself.
9. Track down the officer’s notes.
10. Show up prepared,"
quoting MSNBC.
"Welcome. The Great Rethinking, brought to you by Axiom Conferences, is an international organization dedicated to assisting in the birthing of a new humanity, and thereby, the realization of the successful cultivation of a sustainable and workable world."
The Great Rethinking announces their Seattle Dialogue: A Quest Beyond the Limits of the Ordinary with
Rupert Sheldrake, Ph.D. & Bruce Lipton, Ph.D.
August 10 - 11, 2007
"Two amazing minds are coming together in Seattle, Washington to push the edge of history well beyond the limits of the ordinary. Blending science and spirituality into startling insights, acclaimed revolutionary biologists Rupert Sheldrake and Bruce Lipton will show us the wonder and daring of their research and how it relates to our lives....
Rarely if ever in our lives do we have an extraordinary opportunity to directly participate with two of the most original thinkers on the planet. For the first and probably the only time two truly revolutionary biologists, Dr. Rupert Sheldrake and Dr. Bruce Lipton will come together for a history making event to blow the lid off of science in groundbreaking talks and experiential workshops. After experiencing their presentations in Seattle we will come away knowing that our world perspective must dramatically shift and magnificently expand, that our lives have changed. This is not an exaggerated claim but a preview of one of the greatest explorations into something truly grand which can uncover and undermine the falsity of the platforms upon which so much of today’s limited perspectives stand."
Dr. Lipton has spoken in Yelm several times in the past.
For more information:
Call Toll-free (1) 888.777.5981 or (1) 831.706.2701
email office@greatmystery.org
Rep. Tom Campbell has announced
that he will hold a Town Hall Meeting in Yelm
Saturday, March 24
11:00am until 1:00pm
Yelm City Hall
105 Yelm Ave W
Further, "Washington State is getting closer to becoming the 16th state to require hospitals to report hospital-acquired infections. The House today [March 8] approved by 86-10 House Bill 1106 to require such reporting. Sponsor of the bill, Rep. Tom Campbell (R-Roy) said such a law is "long overdue."
Campbell's bill now goes to the Senate for consideration, where he says he's hopeful it will pass this year. Campbell has introduced similar legislation for the past two years. Last year it passed the House with a strong bi-partisan vote, but the Senate turned action into a study, Campbell said," quoting Rep. Campbell's Press Release.
Introducing a new website for the Yelm communityand the world by engineer Ed Wiltsie.
Mr. Wiltsie has now provided a website with knowledge he has presented in public seminars and some to the Yelm City Council. Quoting Mr. Wiltise's site:
OUR MISSION
As no one is actually fully objective in their observation and interpretation of our world and reality, it is important to engage the real experience. Part of this process is to be introduced to new ideas and then pursue them and to add to personal understanding through exchange with other minds.
The purpose of this web site is to introduce science concepts and information from a slightly different perspective and relate experiences.
OVERVIEW
Over the past 12 years, the author has delivered a series of General Science and Earth Science talks and has published several text, audio and video documents for use and enjoyment by a very specific audience and were not recorded or released to the general public. Conditions on our planet today and scientific information released is clearly confirming the truth of the information presented and context in which they were released. As such, the author has elected to offer these items to the general public in an effort to increase general public awareness and understanding. This process is greatly assisted by the availability of the Internet.
SE THURSTON FIRE/EMS DISTRICT MAP
Red & Yellow areas are upcoming fire levy voting precincts
Photo courtesy of SE Thurston Fire/EMS, used with permission
The once-rejected SE Thurston Fire/EMS Levy, which encompasses and area from Four Corners to Lawrence Lake, to Vail Loop to Rainier and out to MacIntosh Lake is again on the ballot for voters within that district and set for May 15, 2007.
This levy is vital for this area just to maintain response time when calling in an emergency. There has been a 27% increase in call volume for emergency services in just 6 years.
If this levy fails, then call response time will decrease in emergencies due to lack of staffing.
Bottom line:
"S.E.Thurston Fire/EMS serves the Thurston County areas of Yelm, Rainier and Bald Hill which encompases an area of 105 square miles. Last year we responded to 3031 unique calls from ONE station. This is more calls than most other Fire Districts ran from any ONE of their stations. Our calls have been growing each of the last 4 years and we expect them to increase greatly in the next few years. Our area is growing rapidly with over 5000 new homes planned in the very near future. Since State law limits our budget growth to one percent a year we will definitely need the help of our voters in order to maintain our levy rate of $1.50. This is necessary so that we can acquire more response personnel to handle the increased call load," quoting the SE Thurston Fire site.
See co-chief Hutcheson's "Important Message."
Please educate yourself on the ramifications of this vote and spead the word!
If you have any questions, our co-chiefs are always available: please contact Chief Hutcheson or Chief King at 360-458-2799
Yelm Fire
Rainier Fire
Bald Hills Fire
"Remember that Daylight Savings Time begins when you retire this Saturday night (Sunday, March 11 at 2am), so you will set your clocks ahead one hour in most of the USA.
This reader found this story to be very credible and contemplated how Yelm's housing boom will be affected by the issues listed.
The story is reprinted here with permission of the author:
The Housing Bubble Starts to Burst
By Dean Baker
t r u t h o u t | Columnist
Tuesday 06 March 2007
Is there anything as beautiful as the sound of surprised economists in the springtime? I haven't had this much fun since the NASDAQ started to deflate seven years ago.
Okay, enough of the gloating; while the collapse of the housing bubble was both predictable and inevitable, it is not pretty. Tens of millions of people will be hurt as they see much of the equity in their homes - money that most had counted on to support their retirement - disappear. Millions more will be forced out of their homes as they find that they are unable to meet the payments on adjustable rate mortgages that reset at higher rates. People who had worked hard and saved in order to become homeowners will see their dream disappear.
The timing and process of the unwinding of the bubble cannot be known, but the basic story is clear. Investors are finally realizing that the high-risk mortgages they have been holding are high-risk.
Mortgage brokers, who make their money on issuing mortgages, not holding them, had been anxious to get as many people as possible to buy mortgages. While old-fashioned bankers would demand large down payments and good credit histories, many mortgage brokers were happy to issue mortgages that they knew buyers could not pay off. Since the brokers dump their mortgages in the secondary market almost immediately after they are issued, they have little reason to be concerned about whether the buyer can actually meet the payments.
Mortgage brokers were able to entice more people into the housing market with low "teaser rates" that were often several percentage points below the market rate to which the loan would eventually reset. Many homebuyers who could meet their monthly payment on a mortgage with a 1.5 percent interest rate would be hopelessly over their heads when the mortgage reset to a 6.5 percent rate.
But, everything was fine, as long as home prices continued their rapid appreciation. If a homebuyer's income wasn't high enough to make the mortgage payment, the homebuyer could draw on the new equity created by a rising home price. As a result, delinquency and foreclosure rates remained low through 2004 and 2005, even as the number of high-risk mortgages soared.
However, the party began to end last year as house prices started to fall. The fall thus far has been relatively modest (around 3 percent nationwide), but with prices going in the wrong direction, most new homebuyers have no equity that they could rely upon to meet their monthly payments. As a result, delinquency rates began to soar in 2006. More than 10 percent of the subprime adjustable rate mortgages issued last year (the most risky category) were already seriously delinquent or foreclosed within 10 months of issuance. This is even before any of these mortgages reset to a higher interest rate.
With foreclosure rates soaring, the music is about to stop. The investors who bought up these mortgages in the secondary market are now refusing to lend more money. Credit is drying up for both the subprime and the Alt-A market, which is a notch above subprime in creditworthiness. These two segments of the housing market together accounted for 40 percent of the mortgages issued in the last two years.
If 40 percent of potential homebuyers suddenly have problems getting credit, it has to have a large impact on the housing market. Throw into the mix that the inventory of unsold homes is 25 percent higher than at the same time last year. And, the number of vacant units up for sale (normally an indication of a highly motivated seller) is up more than 40 percent compared to last year. Since house prices fell by three percent last year (six percent in real terms), it looks like we have the beginnings of a serious slide in house prices. And, a sharp fall in house prices will lead to more problems in the mortgage market.
That is the story of a collapsing housing bubble. It is not pretty. It was predictable. However, the experts either looked the other way or said everything was fine. And, the politicians pushed policies that persuaded many moderate-income families to buy overvalued homes that they could not afford. And the mortgage brokers made a fortune selling bad mortgages.
That is the way the US economy works these days. Those who mess up the economy do well, while their victims - in this case millions of moderate-income homebuyers who will lose their homes - pay the price for the experts' mistakes.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
/Dean Baker
The Tacoma News Tribune reported this week that there is a glut of unsold homes in Pierce County,
"New figures released Wednesday by the Northwest Multiple Listing Service show more than 6,000 homes were for sale in Pierce County in February – an increase of 45 percent from the same month a year ago.
The crush of listings hit elsewhere too, with double-digit percentage increases in all but two of the 19 counties tracked by the MLS.
The number of closed sales in Pierce County also weakened last month, declining from 1,003 in February 2006 to 892.
Thurston County prices barely moved, from $249,000 to $250,000 – a 0.4 percent increase. However, sales inched upward from last year, with 295 sales closed in February compared with 280 for the same month in 2006."
In January, 2007, this writer found himself along 103rd Ave. in Yelm taking pictures of the high groundwater areas
surrounding the Wal-Mart construction site from the backside, doing research for a story about flooding and high groundwater hazards in Yelm, and in particular the shutdown of Yelm's well # 1 due to contamination, which draws its water just downstream from the aquifer beneath the Wal-Mart site.
I presented the Wal-Mart site flooding as an issue to both the Yelm Planning Commission and the Yelm City Council in 2006 and will do so again in 2007 during the Comprehensive Plan Update sessions.
That research was printed as a Letter to the Editor in the local Nisqually Valley News (NVN) on Feb. 2nd (subscriber access only).
Just after that January photography date, a story appeared on Linda Moulton Howe's Earthfiles site about UFO's spotted over Yelm's Wal-Mart construction site by Wal-Mart construction employees [see http://yelmcommunity.org/ then scroll to February 15, 2007]. Coincidentally, Ms. Howe has been in Yelm in the past as a speaker during the early 1990's at Ramtha's School of Enlightenment, presenting her findings in her then-published book "A Strange Harvest" which explored the worldwide animal mutilation mystery which has haunted the United States and other countries from the mid-20th century to date."
Now that we're just weeks away from a Wal-Mart opening here & during the January photo session, I paused to contemplate several things about this site:
A. What about the high ground-water flooding issue?
During the rainy season in subsequent years, the 750 vehicles that Wal-Mart states will traffic through its parking lots will add oil drippings runoff that will infiltrate into the aquifer. This year, there was no vehicular runoff except from a few construction vehicles. How will Wal-Mart's projected traffic pollution affect the aquifer in the future after store opening?
B. Then Mayor Pro-Tem Harding and the 2005 Yelm City Council supported the approval of this store here to the effect being the recipient of the 2006 Jefferson Muzzle Awards for inhibiting citizen comment about Wal-Mart.
With the Mayor, City Council and others pressing for better-paying jobs here, are they aware of the opportunities for training programs, apprenticeships and internships, high school tech field visits, etc. on the Wal Mart site during the construction phase?
The Wal-Mart construction site is a golden opportunity for City of Yelm officials to follow through on their stated desire to help our young people get some skills, maybe earn a few bucks, & keep their minds growing.
Further, these kinds of activities would be perfect opportunities for our youth to be active, instead of being idle and causing problems for the community and Yelm Library, in particular. Mayor Harding addressed this issue in the March 2 NVN regarding the February 27th Yelm Timberland Library Board presentation to the City Council about youth problems at the Library saying "It's not so much the lack of places to go as it is a behavior issue, Harding said... Harding said the city has lots of ideas for some kind of youth center, but engaging students and teaching them to have a respect level is what will help the library."
Lack of a youth center, the dissolution of and non-interest by city officials to support continuity of the fine community Drew Harvey Theater and other youth programs are a large part of the problem, too. Our youth want and deserve great programs to keep their minds and bodies active and expanding.
Bottom line:
Are the high-groundwater areas surrounding the Wal-Mart site going to be addressed by the City, or just be allowed to flood, with subsequent oil pollution runoff in wet years?
Has Mayor Harding, the Yelm City Council & Mayor appointed Yelm Economic Development Committee (EDC) worked with Wal-Mart seeking educational opportunities and jobs for our youth during the construction phase?
It's about the Future!
What say you?
"At Student Orchestras of Greater Olympia (SOGO) old violins don’t die, they are reborn as visual art. Through the Art of Music project 13 violins transformed from unplayable musical instruments to three-dimensional canvases to unique artistic creations by artists: Marilyn Abel, Epiphanio, Holly Harmon, Lori Heckman, Susan Johns, Robin Lee, Pam Leonard, Georgia Munger, Ana Ordonez (student artist), Shelley Swelland, Gina Vitale Syrja, Cynthia Wolfe, and Julie Barrett Ziegler. The violins will be auctioned at a SOGO fundraiser Saturday, March 10 at Indian Summer Country Club.
Artists completed their projects in the fall of 2006 shortly after which the violins went on tour throughout Thurston County. During the month of September student artists were also invited to participate using a violin template to illustrate what they would do on the canvas of a real violin. The templates were displayed during the October Arts Walk at the Washington Center where the public voted on their favorite. Ana Ordonez, a freshman at North Thurston High School, won for her piece entitled Nocturne, inspired by a piece she was currently performing in the orchestra.
Often the cost of repairing an old violin exceeds the value of the violin itself and thus was born the idea of painting and auctioning them by orchestras nationwide. All of the Art of Music recycled violins were donated to SOGO by R.L. Ray Violin Shop (Olympia), Bischofberger Violins (Seattle) and local individuals cleaning out their closets.
Co-chairing the Art of Music event at Indian Summer Saturday, March 10 at 7 pm are Mr. and Mrs. Sam Reed with auctioneers Randy & Steve from KAOS Radio. Tickets are $25 each which includes hors d' oeuvres, one beverage, music, silent and live auction festivities. A no-host bar will be available as well as a dessert auction. Call 360-352-1438 to reserve your tickets as there is limited seating," quoting the Student Orchestras of Greater Olympia website.
Note: The picture on their website is of Bettye Johnson's violin, which was inspired by nature and what she has learned as a student at Ramtha's School of Enlightenment. (i.e. it has 7 strings instead of 4...)
Yelm Earth Worm & Castings Farm is reporting in their February Newsletter that:
"The Yelm Co-op has signed a lease agreement and will be opening a store soon in downtown Yelm across the street from Lemuria in the location of most recently Fine Consign and previously the RSE Book Store location. The YFC is looking for new members and no doubt people whom would like to help with their effort. You can find out more information, sign up for membership and check on the status of their developments at www.yelmcoop.com."
A record high temperature was reported for this date at Olympia Regional Airport.
70 degrees broke the previous all time high for this date of 67 degrees set in 2005.
From the Washington State Department of Health, Division of Environemtnal Health, Office of Drinking Water
New Water Use Efficiency Rule Goes Into Effect January 22, 2007[for Municipal Water Suppliers like the City of Yelm]
The Office of Drinking Water has taken an important step in conserving water for the environment and meeting the needs of future generations by adopting rules that require public water systems to use water more efficiently.
Who is Affected?
These rules apply to water systems that are municipal water suppliers. Municipal water suppliers include:
Group A community water systems with 15 or more residential connections.
Non-community water systems that use water in a residential manner.
What are the Requirements?
The rules require water systems to use water efficiently and demonstrate that they are doing so. Specifically, water systems must:
Develop a plan through a public process and enact measures to manage water use.
Reduce distribution system leakage to 10 percent or less.
Install service meters within 10 years, if not already installed, to accurately account for water usage and leakage.
Reporting annually on their progress in using water efficiently.
"In the three years that state Rep. Tom Campbell has been crusading to stop hospital-acquired infections, one of the leading causes of death in America, the Pierce County Republican hasn't had to look far to point to a patient who might have been saved.
In 2002, Campbell's father died at a Seattle hospital where he contracted Clostridium difficile, the most common cause of diarrhea in hospital patients.
Campbell has made it clear he is not seeking retribution, only the prevention of needless deaths. But for years he has run smack into opposition from the state's powerful Hospital Association, which has argued that his bills to require hospitals to publicly report infection rates would give the public misleading information.
This year, Campbell has compromised. So have the hospitals. And his bill is finally getting traction. The bill passed a House committee 11-2 last month, and the full House was expected to vote on the proposal as early as Monday [March 5]," quoting The Seattle Times.
This guide has alot of great information for you and your family's protection:
A publication prepared jointly by the
Washington Military Department
and the
Washington State Dept. of Health
titled
Emergency Resource Guide
Livable Thurston presents
a Forum and Social Gathering
“Post 933: Opportunities and Challenges”
Capitol Playhouse
Wednesday, March 7, 2007, 5:30 pm
Speakers: Jeff Kingsbury, Kaleen Cottingham, Rhenda Strub, Sue Danver, Lisa Remlinger and others
Come and learn about crucial impending land-use decisions for the County and State, and what you can do to help!!!
* Olympia City Council Member and theater owner Jeff Kingsbury
will welcome us and share his wit and wisdom
* Futurewise Lobbyist Kaleen Cottingham
will speak on current landuse legislation of major importance to our state
* Sue Danver of Black Hills Audubon Society
will talk about projects now under consideration and their potential impacts
* Thurston County Planning Commission member Rhenda Strub
will address the importance of the County's pending rezone decision
* Lisa Remlinger, President of Thurston Conservation Voters,
will unveil a consensus list of priorities for a livable and healthy Thurston County.
Music Refreshments Socializing
For more information, contact:
Sandra Romero, 357-8131
Peggy Bruton, 866-7165
Who We Are
We are a broad-based group of Thurston County citizens working to prevent irresponsible development in our neighborhoods and protect our quality of life. We are rural and urban property owners and county residents who are proud to call Thurston our home. We believe that Thurston County can grow in a responsible way. However, we see the effects of irresponsible development and we are organizing to protect our neighborhoods so that Thurston County continues to be a great place to live and raise our families.
Rep. Tom Campbell
Photo from the Rep. Campbell's website
"(Olympia) The House Select Committee on Environmental Health voted unanimously for a bill to replace lead wheel weights, now used exclusively, to an environmentally preferred alternative, such as zinc or steel.
House Bill 2143 passed the committee today[Feb. 27] 9 to 0, and now moves to the House floor for action. The measure is sponsored by Rep. Tom Campbell (R-Roy) chair of the committee.
"This is a great idea that is easy to do that will have an impact on the environment, and also on the health of young children," Campbell said.
He pointed out that the problem with lead wheel weights falling off vehicles end up on and alongside Washington's state roadways. They can contribute to soil, surface, and groundwater contamination.
Lead is known for its harmful effects to every system of the human body, and it harms individuals of all ages, especially harmful to children, fetuses, and adults of childbearing age.
Campbell said this bill is an quick and easy way to do something constructive for the environment.
If passed, the law will require replacement of lead wheel weights for passenger vehicles and light trucks with lead-free alternatives beginning Jan.1, 2008 for state-owned vehicles, and the following year for all used vehicles registered in the state.
The bill now goes to the House Appropriations Committee," quoting Rep. Campbell's Press Release.
The Yelm Timberland Library Board of Directors gave their annual report to the Yelm City Council on Tuesday, February 27 including the following highlights:
- new patrons increased by 8% over 2005
- checked out items increased by 6% year over year
- Wi-Fi now offered at Yelm's libraryThe Friends' of the Library Book Tile fundraiser has sold 409 tiles, with 48 remaining. You can make a tax-deductible donation for $40 each.
- There are two open seats on the Yelm Library Board:
"The Yelm Library Advisory Board advises the Mayor and City Council on specific library matters. It consists of five members appointed by the Mayor for a period of five years, on the basis of demonstrated interest in, or knowledge and support of public libraries, who serve without compensation for their service. Three of the members appointed to a position on the board shall be either a resident of the City of Yelm or shall own property inside the city limits or shall have a current City of Yelm business license. The remaining two members shall reside within either the Yelm or Rainier school districts," quoting the City of Yelm website.
The Library's current lease exprires in 5 years, so the time is now to start thinking about a future home for Yelm's Library.
The current Yelm Library Advisory Board members are:
Jeanette Burnham
Steve Klein
Ronni Nutter
The Yelm Timberland librarian [Kristen Blalack] serves as Timberland Regional Library Board liaison to the Yelm Library Advisory Board.
If you are interested in being a Board member, please let Ms. Blalack know at the Yelm Library.
Yelm's Timberland Regional Library Branch
Photo courtesy of Free Flow Media
A new blog has been announced using the Nisqually Valley News website (NVN) as host.
Award-winning local author Bettye Johnson's Blog "Winds of Change" can be accessed on the NVN website
under "Reader Blogs."
Ms. Johnson is the author of Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls and was named the winner of the prestigious 2006 Independent Publisher Book Awards in the category "Religious Fiction."
HMMM! Remember the op/ed piece by NVN publisher/managing editor Keven Graves printed in Spring, 2006 condemning blogs and a local blogger?
Congratulations to Mr. Graves and his newspaper for now sponsoring readers' blogs!
Bettye Johnson
Photo courtesy of Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls website
Our Toxic World: Environmental Pollution and Our Health
Do you know someone with cancer, heart disease, or diabetes? What about autoimmune disease, neurological disease, hormone disorders, or children with behavioral disorders? The answer is more than likely a big YES! As the rates for these disorders are increasing around the world, especially among our children, it begs the question….Why?
Despite being one of the wealthiest, Americans have fallen to one of the sickest countries in the world. Besides the declining nutritional intake from our fast-food diets, one possible explanation for this increasing disease is the effect pollution and toxic chemicals are having on the entire animal population.
In today’s polluted world, toxic chemicals can be found in our air, our water, and yes…our food! They are unavoidable and found virtually EVERYWHERE and now in EVERY LIVING THING… including in YOU!!
They have complex names like heavy metals, pesticides, chlorofluorocarbons and phthalates, yet they are found in less complex, everyday places like our homes and workplaces. Our hygiene products, cosmetics, cleaning supplies, clothing, carpets and even dental fillings are just a few of their “seemingly safe” sources. Research proves that we are slowly being poisoned by industrial chemicals, smoke from burning garbage, and gasoline-diesel fumes.
According to the Environmental Working Group, the average American is known to have 56 toxic chemicals in their bloodstream. Medical studies link these toxins as potential causes of our nation’s biggest killers such as heart disease, cancer, and neurological disease like strokes, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s to name a few.
Could these chemicals be compromising you or your family’s health?
Dr. Andrew Iverson, a Yelm graduate, will present these topics and how you and your family can avoid these harmful chemicals. This presentation will focus on what chemical pollutants and environmental toxins are, where they are found, and how they affect you. You will learn about eliminating these pollutants through tissue cleansing and detoxification with good nutrition, hydrotherapy, and botanical medicine. He will also speak about fasting and its purpose in detoxification and treating medical conditions.
Dr. Iverson has been conducting therapeutic cleanses since 1993 as well as acting as head intern at a well known fasting center in California. He enjoys medical outreaches in third world countries when he isn’t practicing at his clinic in Tacoma. He is the director of a family practice that focuses on health education and treating the cause of patient’s disease with nutritional medicine, herbal and homeopathic remedies, hydrotherapy and exercise.
Bring your family and friends to see a presentation that is sure to have you on the edge of your seat, taking notes, and asking questions. You will come away with a new appreciation of the increasing global problem of Our Toxic World.
Monday, March 5th at 7 pm in Yelm Middle School Commons- Admission $4
This is printed with permission of Dr. Andrew Iverson.
Dr. Andrew Iverson
Photo from Trilium Foundation
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