October 2009 Archives

SPECIAL TO THE YELM COMMUNITY BLOG FROM THE INTERNATIONAL BIRD RESCUE RESEARCH CENTER

"There is an event occurring in the Pacific Northwest, a harmful algal bloom, that has produced a foamy, slimy proteinaceous substance that is coating seabirds feathers and degrading their waterproofing, such that they become wet and cold. This results in hypothermia for the bird, and ultimately, death if we do not capture them and wash this substance off their feathers.

150 birds were trucked in from Astoria, Oregon on October 24th and the Coast Guard helped us out by flying another 330 to us on the 26th. We are responding as if in an oil spill, because every single bird must go through the wash process with DAWN soap and we have just shy of 500 of them to do. It’s a all hands on deck response to save their lives!! In an oil spill, whoever is responsible for creating the spill must foot the bill. Because this is a “naturally” occurring event, we are left to utilize every resource for funding and other support. According to Washington marine biologists, this is an unprecedented event in that area.

Thanks so much!"


Your help needed to save seabirds caught in deadly algae bloom!
From the International Bird Rescue Research Center (IBRRC)

Mission to Save Migratory Birds Lands in Fairfield
From ABC News Channel 10 in Sacramento

Sick Oregon & Wash. sea birds airlifted to Calif.
From KGW Channel 8 in Portland

Deadly foam kills seabirds, puzzles scientists
From the AP in the Seattle P-I

"A quick update on the status of the foam from Pete Strutton at Oregon State University:

The foam is still strong along the Washington Coast with smaller amounts off the coast of Oregon. The winds changed direction today and are now blowing from the North which will move it offshore. They have been looking at ocean temperatures for the past 10 years and although last week was anomanously warmer, this week was actually colder so the data is inconclusive.

The Fall transition in the ocean upwelling brought offshore waters onshore which is what kicked off this event. The Columbia River may have played a role in delivering additional nutrients into the coastal zone. This could be agricultural run-off but it is natural for the nutrient content of the river to change throughout the year."

Pete will continue to track the movement of the foam and will keep us posted.

______________________________________

Laurie Pyne | IBRRC
Development Director
International Bird Rescue Research Center
4369 Cordelia Road | Fairfield, CA | 94534
E-mail: laurie@ibrrc.org

ARE YOU AWARE THE CITY OF YELM HAS EMBARKED ON CONDEMNING A CITIZEN'S WATER RIGHTS TO OBTAIN WATER IN SUPPORT OF THE CITY'S WATER SYSTEM PLAN?

Mayor Ron Harding

In a letter dated October 26, 2009, Mayor Ron Harding wrote private citizen Alice McMonigle to condemn her water rights. Mr. Harding stated that the city intends to acquire those rights "through the exercise of power under eminent domain for the purpose of providing municipal water for the City Water System."

The Yelm Community Blog has obtained that letter and received permission to publish the document, so all of the area's citizens can read for themselves the Mayor's intent and city's notice:
CLICK HERE for the City of Yelm's "Notice of Pending Exercise of Eminent Domain Authority".

ARE YOUR WATER RIGHTS SAFE?

A chronology of Yelm's recent water actions:
1. On June 12, 2009, the City of Yelm posted on their website and finally made public their long-awaited Draft Water System Plan [then click "Utilities & Streets", then "Water Plan Update"], which garnered many negative comments submitted by area residents.

2. On July 20, 2009 and as previously reported here,
Dept. of Ecology commented on the McMonigle water right & REVERSED the decision of the Thurston County Conservancy Board and specified exactly why they took that action in a letter to City of Yelm Administrator Badger where they state,

"The board (conservancy board) failed to adequately analyze the extent and validity of the subject water right [the McMonigle water right]. Ecology's records include a consultant report from 2005 that analyzed recent power records that indicate significantly less water for change." CLICK HERE to see Ecology's letter in full.

3. On August 14, 2009, the City of Yelm announced the withdrawal of their Mitigated Determination of Non-significance (MDNS) dated May 1, 2009 regarding the Yelm’s application to the Washington State Department of Ecology [DOE] for additional water rights, because the DOE said no action would be taken on Yelm’s applications for additional water rights in 2009.

4. Then, October 20, 2009, the City of Yelm received a letter from the Washington State Dept. of Health making two comments about Yelm's Water System Plan (WSP):

A. "If there is not adequate ["source, storage, and distribution"] capacity for the [next] six-year planning period, then ODW [Office of Drinking Water] will not grant an unspecified approval. The approval will be based on the existing capacity and limiting growth factor.

B. The Thurston County Conservancy Board approval for the transfer of the McMonigle water right was denied by the Department of Ecology (Ecology). This denial means the McMonigle water right is not available to the City as expected when preparing the WSP... Since the McMonigle water right was counted toward the current total water right portfolio, the information in the WSP prepared based on this assumption must be corrected."

Bottom line:
- The City of Yelm Water System Plan will not be approved by the State if the city cannot meet adequate water capacity, as outlined in the plan for the next 6-year planning period. State approval would then only be based on Yelm's existing capacity.
- The City of Yelm must remove the McMonigle water right (their acre feet per year) from their capacity calculations in the WSP, as the city cannot count/include water rights previously rejected by Ecology.
CLICK HERE for the full Dept. of Health comments on the City of Yelm Water System Plan.

5. Finally, this week on October 26, 2009, Mayor Ron Harding wrote a letter to private citizen Alice McMonigle to condemn her water rights with the city's intent to acquire those rights through eminent domain. The Yelm City Council will consider authorizing this condemnation at their November 10th meeting. The October 20th letter the city received from the Dept. of Health relates to this action and the city's exercise of eminent domain to acquire water rights.
Ed. Note: This is a wake-up call for all of the citizens of the Yelm area & in addition to the water rate increase, this aggressive behavior now characterizes the city's relationship with local citizens on a totally new level!

THIS RAISES SEVERAL ISSUES FOR OUR LOCAL CITIZENRY TO PONDER:
1. How would you feel if the City of Yelm condemned your water rights through eminent domain?

2. What are your thoughts about the City of Yelm taking this step to condemn a local citizen's water rights?

3. Yelm City Council candidate Jen Littlefield told the Yelm Community Blog in July,
"Water rights have historically been the limiting factor of growth for both agricultural and urban sectors. He who controls the water controls the ability of an area to grow. The city should continue to seek water rights and the infrastructure to provide safe and clean drinking water to its citizens. That is within the city’s scope of responsibility."
What are Mrs. Littlefield's views now about the city's actions with the Council set to consider condemning a private citizen's water rights? The Yelm Community Blog contacted Mrs. Littlefield & is awaiting her response.
UPDATE: Oct. 31
Mrs. Littlefield responded she had a family emergency & is not in a position to respond at this time.

WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THIS?

"Thurston County Solid Waste and Pacific Disposal/LeMay are conducting an online customer survey on topics such as bi-weekly garbage service, collecting glass and other solid waste service questions.

The survey can be found at www.wheredoitakemy.org and is geared toward Thurston County curbside customers outside Olympia.

Participants in the survey, which ends Oct. 31, will have their names entered in a drawing for a year’s worth of free trash and commingled recycling service," from The Olympian.

"With a battered financial sheet and a tattered reputation, FairPoint filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Monday, barely 18 months after becoming the dominant telecommunications company in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.

The bankruptcy filing was widely anticipated and fulfilled critics' predictions that FairPoint was taking on more than it could handle when it bought the Verizon properties for $2.3 billion....

FairPoint, based in Charlotte, N.C., owns and operates phone companies in 18 states with a total of 1.65 million lines. Its largest holdings are in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.

The company voluntarily filed for bankruptcy after agreeing on a deal with key lenders that would lower its debt from $2.7 billion to $1 billion and significantly cut its interest expenses, CEO David Hauser said. The plan is subject to approval by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Southern District of New York.

Hauser said the filing will not affect the company's day-to-day operations or its efforts to expand its high-speed Internet network in northern New England.

'From a customer point of view, this is a nonevent,' he said...

Regulators and politicians said they would look out for the interests of FairPoint's customers and workers. The regulatory boards in Maine and New Hampshire said they have hired bankruptcy specialists to help during the process. Staff members from the three states' regulatory boards planned to meet with FairPoint's management and staff on Monday...

Meredith Hatfield, New Hampshire's consumer advocate, said the challenge now will be advocating for customers' interests and getting FairPoint to follow through on its commitments," quoting the AP in The Olympian.

THIS IS NOW TWO MAJOR CORPORATE FAILURES WITH OFFICES IN YELM -
THIS IN ADDITION TO LAST MONTH'S VENTURE FINANCIAL'S BANK FAILURE.

FINALLY! MY ENTRY ON THE SWINE FLU VACCINE ISSUE

Editor's note: I have received many, many e-mails from readers asking why I have not covered the Swine Flu Vaccine issue. I have felt there is plenty of news in the mainstream on this subject. However, when I heard KIRO 93.7 FM radio talk show host Dori Monson in Seattle interview a "medical expert" a few weeks ago saying there is no more mercury in the thimerosal in swine flu vaccines than in the fish we eat, I had to pause and go HMMMM. Then yesterday, Thurston County Public Health Officer, Dr. Diana Yu was the special guest of Thurston County Commissioner Romero at her monthly Yelm Coffee and said there is no more mercury in a flu shot than in a can of tuna. Then why are there so many warnings about canned tuna consumption?
Alex Ansary from the Portland, OR television show Outside The Box explained about the drug industry receiving immunity for anything that goes wrong with the vaccines, etc.. Commissioner Romero cut him off as several audience members asked to let him speak.
Yelm's Survival Center Dick Mankamyer asked Dr. Yu what the role was of the County Public Health Officer in an emergency. She said she is the one that makes the final decision as to quarantine & mandatory shots, etc. Dr Yu stated that she has already been ask to declare mandatory flu shots but has refused to do so so far, stating she thinks each person will have to decide.
I finally said enough. This needs to be shared with the Yelm Community!
I only eat non-farm-raised fish from far northern Alaska waters, so why would I want to have ANY amount of the deadly toxin mercury in my body, regardless the supposedly "minuscule" amount in vaccines?

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. brilliantly researched thimerosal relating to autism in his book "Deadly Immunity" & talked about the vaccine issue on MSNBC a few years go. CLICK HERE

This 2005 Rolling Stone article by Mr. Kennedy says it all & worth a repeat here now:
CLICK HERE

And, originally published on Salon: CLICK HERE

Mr. Kennedy has been to Yelm twice in recent years for talks. His website: CLICK HERE

"Brain Neuron Degeneration via Mercury"
From the University of Calgary posted in 2006 on YouTube and a good reminder for vaccines that contain mercury. The video shows how mercury kills brain neurons: CLICK HERE

Other news stories in recent days on the Swine Flue Vaccine issue, courtesy of Yelm's Survival Center Newsletter.
America's Premier Preparedness Center
In Continuous Operation Since the early 1970's
Supplier of Family Preparedness, Health, and Survival Supplies
We have the knowledge and experience.
Call the Experts at 1-800-321-2900:

A. "Nurses file lawsuit over mandatory flu vaccine"
From KOMO-TV 4, ABC in Seattle: CLICK HERE

B. "Flu Shot Permanently Disables Washington Redskins cheerleader Desiree Jennings"
From Fox-TV posted on YouTube: CLICK HERE

C. "Hearing ordered on H1N1 vaccine rule for NY nurses"
From Newsday: CLICK HERE

D. "Vaccine revolt! Swine flu vaccine support crumbles as flimsy rationale for H1N1 shots becomes apparent"
From NaturalNews: CLICK HERE

E. Great suggestions from the Survival Center to protect you and your family:
CLICK HERE

And this local story on the subject:
"[Former State Senator in WA. State] Rasmussen addresses Graham [WA.] concerns on food safety and flu vaccinations"
From Bruce Smith in The Dispatch News: CLICK HERE

And then there are these stories in recent days:
"Ten Swine Flu Lies Told by the Mainstream Media"
From Natural News: CLICK HERE

"Hospitals to limit visitors"
"Providence St. Peter: Precautions planned to reduce H1N1 exposure"
From The Olympian

Always trust your own knowingness.
The links are provided as information only and do not imply any advice or treatment regimens.

Some recent news stories supporting the Greening of the Puget Sound region:

1. Sound cars about to get plugged in
Driving: Federal project aims to build electric charging corridor
From McClatchy's Tacoma News Tribune.
CLICK HERE

2. OLYMPIA: Learn to cut carbon footprint
"Learn how to calculate and reduce your household carbon footprint at a Cool Thurston Campaign cafe, 6:30 to 9 p.m. Oct. 27, in Room A of the Olympia Community Center, 222 Columbia St. N.W., Olympia.
Register for the event by contacting Barb Scavezze at 360-878-9901 or barb@scavezze.com or Jennifer Kenny at jennifer kenny@gmail.com or go to www.coolthurstoncampaign.ning.com".
From The Olympian.
CLICK HERE

3. THURSTON COUNTY: Survey of trash, recycling begins
"Thurston County Solid Waste and Pacific Disposal/LeMay are conducting an online customer survey on topics such as bi-weekly garbage service, collecting glass and other solid waste service questions.
The survey can be found at www.wheredoitakemy.org and is geared toward Thurston County curbside customers outside Olympia.
Participants in the survey, which ends Oct. 31, will have their names entered in a drawing for a year’s worth of free trash and commingled recycling service," from The Olympian.
CLICK HERE

4. Electric car industry pulls in for quick charge at Microsoft
"A recent report claims only 7 percent of the vehicles on American roads in the next 20 years will be electric-powered.
Representatives of two of the nation's largest companies scoffed at that notion during a conference today in Redmond.
Microsoft is hosting The Cascadia Center's Annual "Beyond Oil" event which is attracting major and minor electric car manufacturers and related companies.
Ford was there to unveil its first all-electric car," quoting KING-5 TV News in Seattle.
CLICK HERE

Sandra Romero

You’re invited to coffee with County Commissioner Sandra Romero

"This month’s coffee will focus on how to prepare yourself during the cold and flu season with special guest Public Health Officer, Dr. Diana Yu.

Join us Monday, October 26th
10am - 11am
Blue Bottle Espresso
309 E. Yelm Ave, Yelm WA

Please join Commissioner Romero as she hosts an informal coffee hour.
There is a lot happening in Thurston County, and we want to hear from you.
These coffees give you the opportunity to talk about issues of concern, ask questions about the county, and share ideas.

Complimentary coffee provided.

If you have any questions contact:
Lisa Paribello at 360-786-5747 or paribel@co.thurston.wa.us

Along this topic:
Rasmussen addresses Graham concerns on food safety and flu vaccinations

"Former State Senator Marilyn Rasmussen spoke before fifty members of the Graham Self-Reliant Community last week to discuss food safety and concerns with swine flu vaccinations that contain a mercury-based preservative called Thermiasol...

As for food, Rasmussen spoke passionately about her efforts during her twenty-three years in office, most of them as Chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, to institute regulations to rid the meat and dairy industry of E. coli, a bacteria that is found in the feces of most mammals, and although generally a helpful element in digestion, certain strains can be extremely harmful or even lethal.

'Know where your meat comes from,' Rasmussen implored. 'Read the labels. But best of all - buy local. It’s what’s best for our economy and for your health,'" quoting Bruce Smith's story in The Dispatch News.

"What is the Day of Action?"
"We're calling on people around the world to organize an action on October 24 incorporating the number 350 at an iconic place in their community, and then upload a photo of their event to 350.org website," quoting the 24 October 2009 INTERNATIONAL DAY OF CLIMATE ACTION website.

What is the day of action?

"On October 24, the International Day of Climate Action will cover almost every country on earth, the most widespread day of environmental action in the planet’s history.

There will be big rallies in big cities, and incredible creative actions across the globe: mountain climbers on our highest peaks with banners, underwater demonstrations in island nations threatened by sea level rise, churches and mosques and synagogues and ashrams engaged in symbolic action, star athletes organizing mass bike rides—and hundreds upon hundreds of community events to raise awareness of the need for urgent action.

Every event will highlight the number 350—and people will gather at some point for a big group photo depicting that all important message. At 350.org, we'll assemble all the photos for a gigantic, global, visual petition.

The thousands of events on October 24 will drive 350 and all that it represents into the human imagination, and change the negotiating environment as we head towards the crucial UN Climate Negotiations in Copenhagen in December of 2009. Copenhagen may well be the pivotal moment that determines whether or not we get the planet out of the climate crisis, and your actions on October 24 will help our leaders realize we need a real solution that pays attention to the science."

For those who want to participate in the 350.org event, but won't make it to Seattle here is an opportunity to participate in other activities locally, in Olympia. Promoted by Ecobuilding.

A PLANETARY DAY of ACTION
Saturday, October 24

1. Bike and Walk for Climate Change Action
10 am – Noon: Chehalis Western Trail, from all directions to Bush Park, Lacey
Bush Park:
11 am: exhibits, children's activities, music
11:20 am: Program

For a map and information on the event: www.uuvoiceswa.org

SPONSORS: WA State Unitarian Universalist Voices for Justice; Earth Care Catholics; Call to Action; Interfaith Works Earth Stewardship Committee; Olympia Unitarian Universalist Green Sanctuary Committee

2. Blue Line March
1 pm - 2:30 pm

Visualize Olympia under water as we trace the future shore line.
Meet at the Farmers' Market. Dress in blue, carry blue umbrellas or flags, wear snorkels, swim suits, boots, life vests. Bring beach balls, pails, mock sea creatures, blue chalk, etc. Children are welcome. Walk is approximately 2 miles.

There are no scheduled Climate Action events in Yelm known to this blog.

WHAT DOES 350 MEAN?
"Two years ago, after leading climatologists observed rapid ice melt in the Arctic and other frightening signs of climate change, they issued a series of studies showing that the planet faced both human and natural disaster if atmospheric concentrations of CO2 remained above 350 parts per million.

Everyone from Al Gore to the U.N.’s top climate scientist has now embraced this goal as necessary for stabilizing the planet and preventing complete disaster. Now the trick is getting our leaders to pay attention and craft policies that will put the world on track to get to 350.

Is 350 scientifically possible?

Right now, mostly because we’ve burned so much fossil fuel, the atmospheric concentration of co2 is 390 ppm—that’s way too high, and it’s why ice is melting, drought is spreading, forests are dying. To bring that number down, the first task is to stop putting more carbon into the atmosphere. That means a very fast transition to sun and wind and other renewable forms of power."

In his Op-Ed piece out today titled "Community paper's still preferred news source" NVN Editor/ Publisher Keven Graves says,
"With bloggers and other naysayers adament (sic) that it's the end of days for newspapers, there were some recent findings released by the National Newspaper Association...

Seems as though the bloggers and other naysayers have been sounding the death knell for newspapers just a little too quickly - wishful thinking perhaps?"

Ed. Note:
Whenever Mr. Graves mentions "bloggers", he means this Yelm Community Blog, as has been the case for almost 4 years now. He will never mentioned my name in association with the blog nor will he list the actual name of the Yelm Community Blog so as not to direct his readers to this site, yet the inference has been unmistakable and consistent.

Mr. Graves' Op-Ed today seems to be as a defensive response to a blog entry here from October 12th where I quoted a Newsweek article titled "DON'T BAIL OUT NEWSPAPERS - LET 'EM DIE AND GET OUT OF THE WAY"
I was VERY clear in that report and earlier this year that I support our newspapers, regardless of the exceptions I take on occasion to inaccuracies in the Nisqually Valley News reporting.

Mr. Graves can continue to misrepresent my views on a whole host of issues as a vehicle to feign criticism of me by continuing to publish incorrect information, if he so chooses. Appearances would indicate he does so to make himself look like a reasonable, peaceable fellow in the eyes of his readers. That he just doesn't like me or this blog has been very evident however, his continued misrepresentations seem less than straightforward and upfront yet downright disingenuous to his patrons who look to him and his newspaper for truthful, factual and accurate reporting, IMHO.

Yelm-based Ramtha's School of Enlightenment has had a phenomenal breakthrough this year with more than two dozen students learning how to read through playing cards and demonstrating that skill in front of the public - consistently.

See this demonstrated recently by two of Ramtha's event facilitators:

Laura Mooney

Ramtha appointed teacher Karriem Ali

And others:
Watch Students of Ramtha's School of Enlightenment know what card is next in a deck before seeing.

"Ramtha has captivated and inspired audiences worldwide for 30 years. His teachings have empowered tens of thousands of people to consciously create their reality and change their lives in ways that exceed their expectations and what they thought possible," quoting from YouTube.

Hear "JZ Knight’s Interview With Eldon Taylor on HayHouseRadio.com" from earlier this week.

THINK OF WHAT YOU COULD DO IF YOU HAD TRAINED YOUR MIND IN SUCH A MANNER!

"Home prices across the country are expected to shrink another 11 percent, but Kennewick, Washington is one of the few bright spots in a brand new forecast...

It's a much different story in most other parts of the country. Home prices in Los Angeles have dropped by 43 percent since June of 2006, in New York, they've fallen by nearly 22 percent to a median of $375,000," quoting KIRO radio news.

And this from CNN money:
"If you thought home prices were bottoming out, you may be wrong. They're expected to head a lot lower.

Home values are predicted to drop in 342 out of 381 markets during the next year, according to a new forecast of real estate prices.

Overall, the national median home price is predicted to drop 11.3% by June 30, 2010, according to Fiserv, a financial information and analysis firm. For the following year, the firm anticipates some stabilization with prices rising 3.6%.

In the past, Fiserv anticipated the rapid decline in home-sale prices over the past few years -- though it underestimated the scope.

Mark Zandi, chief economist with Moody's Economy.com, agreed with Fiserv's current assessments. 'I think more price declines are coming because the foreclosure crisis is not over,' he said."

THE CITY OF YELM WOULD BE WISE TO AGAIN LOWER THEIR REVENUE PROJECTIONS FROM HOME SALES & PROPERTY TAXES!

Incumbent District 3 County Commissioner Candidate Karen Valenzuela at her October 2nd Yelm Public Forum

THE YELM COMMUNITY BLOG ENDORSES KAREN VALENZUELA FOR THURSTON COUNTY COMMISSIONER & AGREES WITH THE OLYMPIAN'S EDITORIAL BOARD!

From The Olympian:
"Valenzuela deserves chance to finish term"
"Karen Valenzuela, who was appointed to a vacant seat on the Thurston County Commission in February, is running for the remaining year in the term. Valenzuela, 60, should be elected on Nov. 3 so she can demonstrate her leadership skills to county voters in advance of next year's commission election...

Democrat Valenzuela has drawn Republican Pat Beehler as an opponent. He’s a capable candidate, but does not make a compelling case for removing Valenzuela from office...

The Olympian’s editorial board believes that Valenzuela has a superior grasp of the state’s Growth Management Act and understands the need to preserve agricultural and forest land in rural portions of the county. As a former Tumwater City Council member she knows the importance of funneling growth into the urban areas surrounding the counties’ three major cities.

Valenzuela has tackled some tough issues in her first few months in office. She walked in the door facing a huge budget crisis and managed her way through that mess in a responsible fashion. She also has worked to put the finishing touches on the county’s critical areas ordinance, to resolve agricultural land issues, to set stormwater standards and to protect prairie lands. She and her colleagues have clearly concentrated their efforts in strengthening the county’s environmental protections...

Valenzuela has demonstrated her leadership abilities through a tough period. Her idea to foster stronger relationships with other elected officials in the courthouse is long overdue. Voters should give her that opportunity by electing Valenzuela on Nov. 3."

ALL COUNTY REGISTERED VOTERS MAY VOTE FOR DISTRICT 3 COUNTY COMMISSIONER!

BUILDERS / REALTOR DONATIONS TO 2009 RACES
THURSTON COUNTY COMMISSIONER VALENZUELA OPPONENT PAT BEEHLER RECEIVED: $23,658.34

"A lot of money gets spent on political campaigns and most of it is not from us individual citizens or even from groups or coalitions of groups of citizens. It's from organized business, usually corporate business, always business that has an economic stake in the policy that the successful candidates will be creating.

The builders and realtors in our community are digging deep into their commercial coffers this season to buy their candidates' way into office. There's a lot at stake. The political tilt of our community in the form of County, Municipal and Port elected positions could shift dramatically either way. For the first time in nearly a decade at the federal level and nearly twice that long locally, we have seen the light pf progressive philosophies regenerate our hopes for the future.

Big business in general and the development business in particular don't like the prospect of electing officials who will craft rules to protect the interests of the public and individual taxpayers at the expense of a few people who would expand the sprawl and encroachment of the built environment solely for their own profit.

Twenty-three of your fellow citizens who care about our community have pooled their resources to apprise you of how much builder/realtor spending is fueling local campaigns this year and which candidates have benefited the most. A thumbnail dossier on current Olympia Councilmember Craig Ottavelli adds a chilling profile of how public policy becomes private profit soon after a candidate is ushered into office on the developer PRE-PAID plan.

Visit www.23citizens.info for the ongoing, updated compendium of cash for consideration and Help Me "Out" the Development Industry's Attempt to Buy Our Local Elections.

Through a newly-formed Independent Expenditure Committee I'm calling Twenty-Three Citizens Who Care About Our Community, I have mailed an alert to selected Olympia voters about the disturbing trend of builders and realtors pouring very large sums of money into our local political campaigns...

over $200,000 since 2006!...

Candidates funded by this commercial pool of money can look deceptively like the people's choice, as voters mistakenly assume the people have spoken with their pocketbooks. The people have spoken, but the special interests have spoken in a much louder monetary voice.

Please help me to apprise the largely uninformed public of the extremely distorted impression they may get from the large quantity and misleading content of the avalanche of messages distributed by these groups."

Thank you,

Walt Jorgensen
Olympia, WA
If you have any questions, please contact me at waltjorgensen@comcast.net

Yelm's European Baker Extraordinaire Sebastian Schefer

The latest goodies from Sebastian's:

Fall has arrived and the beauty of change is in the air.

DESSERTS

Always available within a week worth of notice:
our Lemon Cheesecake and other fine desserts. Feel free to put in your requests.

HOLIDAYS

Place your orders now for our delicious Walnut Caramel Torte or our Fruitcake.
(Shipping available)

MEALS FOR YOUR FREEZER - $8/MEAL
Now, here’s the frozen meal menu for Saturday the 24th pick up.
Please order your Meals by Wednesday evening for Saturday’s pick up.

There’s a small refrigerator on our back porch where you’ll find your meals,
if we should not be home. You can place your payment in the envelope with your name on it inside the fridge and leave it there.

Refer 1 friend who buys 1 week worth of meals and you’ll get 2 meals for free.

Thank you and enjoy this beautiful autumn.

Sincerely,

Sebastian Schefer
sebastiansbest@yahoo.com
360/292-5497

Menu for the week of 17th – 23rd of October
* Chili con carne

* Fresh garden squash medley with roasted chicken and herbs and potatoes

* smoldered Pork chop on quinoa with seasonal veggies

* spinach feta Quiche

* Ground Turkey/ Jam-Potato casserole

Menu for the week of 24th-30th of October
* Meatloaf w/ oven potatoes and Swiss chard

* Chicken/Pasta salad w/ celery, carrots and herbs

* Stir fried rice w/ mixed greens and Beef

* Pork chop w/ rice and cauliflower

* Steak w/ oven potatoes and green beans

Dear Readers,

A sweet and caring official sat down to break bread with my wife and me at last April's Nisqually Valley Home, Garden & Trade Show and said,
"You don't always have to sleuth looking for the bad things here."

I replied I do no sleuthing, rather I read and educate myself on key issues and share what I have learned on this Blog, and participate in the political debate by attending as many public Council meetings as possible, speaking up when I feel important to do so. That less than a handful of citizens are at any given public meeting does not in any way diminish my actions.

I had to ask this person,
"Why are there so many things that are so glaring and just look bad here; appearance of conflict of interests, the perpetration of incorrect facts about water, Thurston Highlands debt, $400,000 for flush toilets at the park, bank failure & another bank's conflict of interest here, the outright deceptions from the Mayor, City Administrator & Community Development Director on a whole host of issues keeping the true facts of City Hall news from the public, and on, and on and on?"
One does not have to sleuth very far, as all of this is right before our eyes here for those that want to see!

If no one speaks up for change, then all of Yelm's dirty little secrets will stay buried under a bulging carpet.
Is that what this community wants?
Perhaps, yes; the silence from the public is indicative of that.

Henry A. Giroux said in Truthout:
"In the current American political landscape, truth is not merely misrepresented or falsified; it is overtly mocked. As is well known, the Bush administration repeatedly lied to the American public, furthering a legacy of government mistrust while carrying the practice of distortion to new and almost unimaginable heights. Even now, almost a year after Bush left office, it is difficult to forget the lies and government-sponsored deceits in which it was claimed that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, Iraq was making deals with al-Qaeda and, perhaps the most infamous of all, the United States did not engage in torture."

This permeates right on down to our local politics, as well!

Rosemary and Walter Brasch said in Truthout:
"Joseph Pulitzer, one of America's most respected and powerful publishers during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, once said there are three rules of journalism - 'Accuracy! Accuracy!! Accuracy!!!' The media's failure to verify the truth violates not only Pulitzer's three rules for journalists, but also a basic lesson of Newswriting 101, now forgotten in the 24/7 ratings-obsessed news media - it's more important to get it right than to be the first."

That certainly applies to our local newspaper's "journalists", who so ardently rush to get stories out on a deadline without gathering all of the facts before they go to print, as I can attest first-hand. Their misreporting facts and never correcting the errors does not well-serve their readers and the community, no matter their desire to not be "made wrong", as demonstrated by the defensive posturing in some of the Editor/Publisher's Op-Eds.

We have election ballots arriving in our mailboxes this week and unfortunately only 2 people showed up for open Mayor and Yelm City Council positions and both decided to run for the open Council seat against each other, rather than against an incumbent.
Bless them for wanting to serve the public.
One can only hope that the winner will be able to hold their own against the onslaught of a Mayor and several Council members who had no opposition, nor forum in which the public could hear their views for the next term. That apathy here is very sad, although I can certainly see why people would not want their good name dragged through the mud here of the "local, established political cabal", as one longtime city property owner called it.

Say what you will about this Blog and me personally, and that's fine, even if speaking falsely about me in hopes that such dirt will stick, just like Council member Isom and the Nisqually Valley News have done, ad nauseum.
However, some people must read this blog, for the hundreds of unique visitors spending more than 30 seconds each day at this site is quite astounding.

The silence in this town from the public on issues of importance to them and their future is really quite amazing. And, the efforts by City officials and the local newspaper to stymie the facts from being properly given to the public is well - quite, shameful. 500 people voting for an unopposed Mayor and Council members out of 5,500 residents is NOT a mandate!
However, the City of Yelm citizens get exactly what they want, don't they?!

In closing, to respond to that sweet man's questions to me last Spring:
"Why do you write so much dirt about the city?
You don't always have to sleuth looking for the bad things here."

this quote from Copernicus sums up my answer:
"Cowardice is seeing what is right, and failing to do it."

"The time-honored tradition of returning to the fields and orchards to harvest surplus crops is alive and well in South Sound.

Called gleaning, this final harvest of what’s left behind after commercial harvest is helping to feed the ever-growing number of hungry people served by food banks in the region.

The Thurston County Food Bank hired its first gleaning coordinator in May, the result of a Harvest Against Hunger federal project supported by AmeriCorps VISTA and funded by federal stimulus dollars.

Food Bank gleaning coordinator Heather Davis has teamed up with several South Sound organic farms and homeowners to make sure a wide range of food, including green beans, corn, Asian pears, and apples, doesn’t go to waste.

Since July, Davis has rounded up volunteers to glean at participating farms, typically after the commercial growers have completed their harvest.

Davis estimated that 10 percent to 15 percent of the fresh produce available through the food bank is gleaned.

It’s a welcome addition, coming at a time when the demand for food bank services is on the rise. For instance, the Thurston County Food Bank saw a 39 percent increase in clients in 2008 compared with 2007, a growth trend that’s continuing this year....

Davis said other commercial farms participating in the Thurston County Food Bank gleaning program include Kirsop Farms, Circle Hawk Farm, Lattin’s Country Cider Mill Farm and the Wobbly Cart Farm and Cooperative," from The Olympian.

Lackamas PCO Victoria Harper-Parsonson, Governor Gregoire, 2nd District Democrats Chair Jackie Reid & Weir Prairie/Rainier PCO JeanMarie Christenson.
Photo courtesy of Washington State Democrats

The Second District Democrats elected a new Chair and a new Vice Chair of Administration at their regular meeting October 5.

Former chair Jeff Stephan of Eatonville recently resigned due to job relocation. The new Chair is Jackie Jo Reid from Yelm. After electing their new chair, the organization had to fill her former position of Vice
Chair of Administration. Ken Stevenson of Spanaway was selected for this post.

The Second District Democrats represent an area which spans both South Pierce and South Thurston Counties. They meet the first Monday of each month at a location near Graham. You can find more information about them and their meeting locations. CLICK HERE
From the Press Release.

CONGRATULATIONS TO MS. REID!

EDITORIAL NOTE:

I am still baffled by the audacity of Mayor Harding to tout spending $400,000 on toilets and a concession stand for Longmire Park. In his NVN column this week, the Mayor says,
"Regardless of the challenges presented to us by the economy and state and federal cut-backs, we are working step by step to continue to improve the quality of life in our community and surrounding areas."
Mind you, I have no issue improving the quality of life here, however is spending $400,000 on a few flush toilets and a concession stand to be used only about 3 months a year really something we can afford right now, what with a State budget deficit and cutbacks in social services?
Are flush toilets instead of porta-potties REALLY going to improve the quality of life here that much - and with such high cost?

Hasn't the time come for our city's officials to pause and re-think how they do business?
Just because the city received state funding for these toilets, doesn't mean the city can't say, "NO!" and ask for the money to be appropriated elsewhere. I mean, after all, the State revenue forecast shows a $238 million drop and getting worse, as reported here. The City of Yelm laid-off 6 employees and did not fill a vacant police officer opening last month and I told the City Council last year they did not do enough to reduce spending in their budget. How are a few flush-toilets and a concession stand going to replace the loss of 7 jobs here?

Now, the figures show the state's economy is only getting worst, and affecting Yelm's revenue, too
"Year-over-year statewide taxable retail sales fell by a record amount in the second quarter of 2009, and Thurston County's dropped for the sixth consecutive quarter, according to state Department of Revenue data released Friday [Oct. 9].

Statewide taxable retail sales fell 14 percent from the April to June period of 2008 to the same period this year, while the county’s taxable retail sales dipped more than 9 percent in the same period, the data show.
Washington State taxable sales decline 14% during second quarter.

Yelm: Fell 12.27 percent to $35.71 million from $40.7 million," quoting The Olympian.

"Wash. retail sales decline is largest ever...
Pierce County was even worse than the state average with a drop in taxable retail sales of 14.1 percent," quoting KOMO-TV 4 News.
Yelm officials have stated that much of the city's sales are form Pierce County residents who come here to shop, so that affects Yelm's taxable retail sales, as well.

City Council candidate Jen Littlefield said in the NVN today,
" A recreation center that serves the whole community would be a better use of taxpayer money and would most likely receive widespread support."
Re-appropriating $400,000 flush toilets to a recreation center would have been a wise investment you could have supported, don't you think, Mrs. Littlefield?

HOW CAN THE MAYOR TELL US THAT $400,000 FOR FLUSHING PARK TOILETS IS A GOOD INVESTMENT IN THESE TIMES?
HASN'T THE TIME ARRIVED WHERE MAYOR HARDING AND THE CITY COUNCIL RETHINK SOME OF THEIR WAYS?
IS THIS WISE TO SPEND ALL OF THIS MONEY ON FLUSH TOILETS WHEN SO MANY PEOPLE ARE HURTING?

And, don't you think a taxable sales drop in Yelm near the State's record drop is news?
Afterall, the city touts the strength in the Yelm's economy with a Super Wal-Mart.
Don't you think this should have been front-page news in our local newspaper?
Where was the Nisqually Valley News on this huge story?
Asleep at the wheel?
Hello?
Seriously, the NVN dropped the ball on this one!

The NVN should have had this headline in today's edition:
Yelm's taxable retail sales drop 2nd highest in County, even exceeding County's average drop by over 3% & near State's record drop of 14%

Click here for Yelm Cinemas showtime information.

Yelm Cinemas at Prairie Park
Photo courtesy of Yelm Cinemas' website

Michael Jackson's THIS IS IT
will be shown at the Yelm Cinemas for a limited engagement.

Beginning Wednesday, October 28th
Yelm Cinemas.

"The adult smoking rate in Thurston County at 19.2 percent is higher than the state average, according to the State Department of Health's recent survey.

Statewide, the adult cigarette smoking rate has decreased to 15.3 percent, the sixth lowest in the nation.

Thurston County Public Health & Social Services, in collaboration with TOGETHER!, plans to attack this high smoking rate through enhanced promotion of the Washington State QuitLine, tobacco compliance checks, and partnering with multi-unit housing managers to develop smoke-free policies for their housing complexes," quoting the Pierce County Business Examiner.

Vanda Mikoloski
Photo credit: Vanda's website, taken by Guustaaf Damave

VANDA RETURNS TO SOUTH PUGET SOUND THIS WEEK!

"Vanda Mikoloski is a renowned stand-up comic and speaker whose passion is personal growth and development. Vanda's work is a delightful, irreverent romp down her twisted spiritual path. The concept "enlightenment" is fascinating to her. Vanda's stand-up comedy deals with the human predicament, inquiring into the nature of being a human being, the trap of it all and the absurdity of it all. She offers powerful spiritual distinctions in a ridiculously funny way that leave the audience empowered, inspired and transformed. She begins by questioning our point of view about our point of view and then challenges many of our spiritual beliefs and beliefs about reality. Many people have reported profound shifts after experiencing Vanda's stand-up work."

Vanda will be at Ricardo’s Ristorante in Lacey this Thursday & Friday from 8:30pm - 10pm.
BUY TICKETS - CLICK HERE

TELL VANDA YOU READ ABOUT HER LOCAL PERFORMANCES ON THE YELM COMMUNITY BLOG!

NVN Publisher/Editor Keven Graves defended the work of local newspapers in his Op-Ed this week, titled
"Newspapers are headed for a lockdown"
where he said,
"Meanwhile, weekly newspapers are faring much better than their daily relatives in this evolving world.

The focus of most weekly newspapers is local news and information, and that’s where television, daily newspapers and even the Internet cannot compete.

Sure, regional news stations show up in Yelm to cover the major crashes, fires and other major incidents, but they don’t cover city government, local features or homecoming.

That’s what we do...

When you want to learn more about your city council or school board candidates, water, traffic or local events, where do you turn?"

Ed. Note: This writer strongly supports local newspapers, quotes from them and advertises with them, regardless of the exceptions I take on occasion to Mr. Graves' NVN. The local newspapers have covered many Yelm issues they read about first on this Blog, as well [i.e. this Blog was the first of any media to break the story on the Thurston Highlands default]. I wrote about the sad state of our disappearing daily, venerable newspapers on January 12, 2009 with the then-immanent demise of the Seattle P-I.

Some counter what Mr. Graves says about the future of newspapers.
Interesting then, that NEWSWEEK Magazine had this story the same week as his Op-Ed:

"DON'T BAIL OUT NEWSPAPERS - LET 'EM DIE AND GET OUT OF THE WAY"
"Nobody in their right mind believes the future of the news business involves paper and ink rather than pixels on a screen. We all know where the news business is headed, and what's more, we've known it for at least a decade. So why on earth are people talking about a bailout for newspapers? Why is President Obama saying he'd consider it? Why is Congress holding hearings and considering "The Newspaper Revitalization Act" in a bid to save these ailing old rags with tax breaks and other handouts? It's like introducing legislation to save horse-drawn carriages, or steam engines, or black-and-white TV. It's stupid. It's pointless. It won't work.

The fact is, all this hysteria has nothing to do with saving the news, or saving jobs. Nor is it about saving democracy, which is what the red-in-the-face newspaper lovers always get themselves huffed about, as if newspapers and democracy were inextricably linked. Democracy existed long before newspapers did, and it will survive without them. And plenty of countries that don't have democracy do have newspapers. Nor would a bailout help readers. In fact, it would only slow down our shift to the Internet, which is a far better medium for delivering information...

Now, new companies with names like Politico and Huffington Post and The Daily Beast and Gawker are beating newspapers at their own game. The new guys are faster, and often better. They're leading, with newspapers chasing behind. If the old guys really want to retain their chokehold on the news business, they should consider buying up the new guys. Problem is, the old guys waited too long, and now they're too broke to make acquisitions. Whoops...

As for all the hand-wringing about the great "in-depth" information that only a newspaper can provide, let's be honest: the typical daily newspaper does a lousy job. It tries to provide a little bit of everything—politics, sports, business, celebrity stuff—and as a result it doesn't do anything particularly well," quoting Newsweek.

Check-out Yelm's newest restaurant:

Mariachi alegre Mexican Restaurant & Cantina
717 Yelm Ave. E
Former Arnold's Country Inn
Yelm, WA.
400-8226

We loved the extensive menu and hospitality of the staff and owners.

TELL MARIACHI YOU READ ABOUT THEM ON THE YELM COMMUNITY BLOG.

"Recycling your electronic components just got easier, especially if you live in Yelm!

Berry Electronics is providing this free service.
It's also a great place to go to have your tv, video, stereo components repaired at a very modest price.

Mr. Berry also has an amazing assortment of these items for resale.

He has never ceased to come up with an out-of-the-box, inexpensive and effective repair on any item...taken to him!"

Berry Electronics
609 W Yelm Ave # 1
Yelm, WA 98597
(360) 458-4166

And, remember Thurston County recycling.

HARVEST FAIR
Celebrating Autumn at CSE
Saturday, October 10th, 2009
11:00 AM to 3:00 PM
RAIN OR SHINE

The Children’s School of Excellence is hosting a Harvest Fair & Farmer’s Market open to our families and friends of the school.
Come enjoy the season’s harvest, baked goods, clothing, products, acoustic music and more.
Fun for the whole family!
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
Event is on rain or shine.
This event is sponsored by the CSE Parent Committee...

An Evening with Vandana Shiva

Dr. Vandana Shiva, a world-famous speaker and activist, has been called “one of the world's most prominent radical scientists.” She has authored hundreds of articles and books including Manifestos on the Future of Food and Seed (2007), Breakfast of Biodiversity: the Political Ecology of Rain Forest Destruction (2005), and Water Wars: Privatization, Pollution, and Profit (2002). She has received numerous awards and addressed the United Nations, the World Trade Organization and the World Economic Forum.

Dr. Shiva will be speaking in Olympia on Thursday, October 15th at SPSCC.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Minimum donation is $10. Sponsors and tabling opportunities are available. Please call Allen Zimmerman @ 754-3978 for more information on this event.

Council Member Bob Isom

City of Yelm Mayor Pro-tem and Council member Bob Isom's Letter to the Editor of the NVN published September 25th garnered this response:
wisewoman wrote on Oct 1, 2009 8:04 PM:
"Bob, Bob, Bob...you need to relax and take a deep breath. Lizards? Your reference just shows your ignorance and that you harbor an attitude which doesn't serve any valuable purpose except to demonstrate your inadequate grasp of the people and the issues.

Surely you can find a more productive way to spend your time rather than being so dismissive and wasting time with such demeaning references.

By the way, Safeway has been carrying the specialty items we have requested from chocolate soy ice cream to organic chicken and beef. We have found most people to be considerate and interested in building a strong sense of 'Community', rather than detracting from such a worthwhile endeavor.

Rather than continuing to position yourself in an adversarial state-of-mind; perhaps your day tomorrow could be uplifted by placing your time and attention on ways to be constructive and working with everyone to enhance harmonious relationships in this town. I'll be watching you! You can do better than this...you can be instrumental in finding the middle of the road and our common ground for the benefit of Yelm. "

This was the Letter to the Editor published in the NVN September 25th by City Council member & Mayor Pro-tem Bob Isom [see my response at bottom to just one of Mr. Isom's several incorrect comments]:

What will Knight, Klein try next to muzzle critics?
By Bob Isom
Published: Friday, September 25, 2009 4:41 PM PDT
Editor,

Once again I find that I must put pen to paper to point out the hypocrisy of Steve Klein and JZ Knight.

I will take your editorial, “Please Don’t Shoot the Piano Player,” at face value, as I have found you to be fair and forthcoming in your dealings with the city.

I would refer you to The Thomas Jefferson Center Muzzle Awards of 2006, when the Yelm City Council was roundly criticized for allegedly attempting to abridge the First Amendment Rights of the citizens of the City of Yelm regarding Wal-Mart building in the city.

Some of the criticism may have been justified, but not to the extent carried on by Klein and some of the students of RSE.

Will there be such an outpouring of passion over an apparent attempt to use economic pressure to silence your criticism of Knight and/or Klein? If not, why?

It is becoming more apparent that Knight will use any means, including legal, to silence any opposition to her effort to stop growth in this community. This includes applying economic pressure to private enterprise, as well as filing lawsuits and appeals against governmental entities, such as the City of Yelm.

Even when proven wrong, such as by the state auditor, there is no relief from the incessant hounding.

If Knight/Klein feel they were represented unfairly, why not take out another full page ad condemning you, the paper and everyone else whom they feel has maligned them or been unfair? Better yet, save the money and write a letter to the editor, detailing point by point their grievances.

Are they afraid it won’t be published? If so, that’s taking paranoia to the highest degree. It appears to me that you have published untold numbers of articles slamming you, the paper and anyone else who disagrees with them.

It would appear to me that these so-called protectors of free speech only want it protected if the speech agrees with them, but will use any means to try and silence the opposition, no matter the economic cost.

I would ask, who is next? Safeway because it won’t carry certain items that Knight/Klein want them to? A veterinary office in town because it doesn’t treat lizards?

Who’s next? What next small town local business will be targeted by those who professed to be the protectors of small town local businesses when big, bad Wal-Mart wanted to come to town?

I did not write this letter in defense of you, as you can fight your own battles. I wrote this in an attempt to point out the hypocrisy of those who want to appear to have the best interests of the community at heart. I seriously question their motives and agendas.

I know that I will once again be portrayed as the incarnate of evil and all that is wrong with the city. So, I will once again state that these are my thoughts and reactions, and this in no way reflects any official position of the city.

Bob Isom
Yelm

Ed. Note: I did not see such a diatribe from Mr. Isom when Safeway withdrew their NVN advertisements a few years ago!

Further, I find very interesting that the letter I wrote to Mr. Isom in response to one of several incorrect statements he made WAS published in the NVN. While I copied NVN Publisher/Editor Graves as a courtesy, since Isom's letter to which I was responding was in his newspaper, my 741 word letter does not meet Graves' 350 word maximum requirement. Mr. Graves has asked me to keep all of my letters for print under 350 words, indeed sending one back for me to edit or it would not be published. Though I acknowledge the letter is public property, since I sent it to a public official & copied the County Commissioners, where was the common courtesy from Mr. Graves to ask me if he could publish my letter? HMMM!

Click here for my Letter to Council member Bob Isom:

Where was the contract for the Golder study?
Letter to the Editor
By Steve Klein
Published: Friday, October 2, 2009 4:09 PM PDT

On Friday, September 25, 2009, the Yelm City Council approved Ordinance 910, authorizing the issuance and sale of a local improvement district No. 2 bond in the principal amount of $10,139,000.

From the city staff report, "It was necessary that the City issue its Local Improvement District No. 2 Bond in the amount of $10,139,000, which is the amount of assessments unpaid. The bond underwriter for the City attempted to market standard LID bonds, but has failed to place these bonds due to current economic conditions and the foreclosure of the Thurston Highlands property coupled with the pending bankruptcy proceeds by the developer of Thurston Highlands."

The proposed Ordinance was funded by a loan from Thurston First Bank and guaranteed by the USDA Rural Development Agency. With this vote, the federal taxpayer is now guarantor to a project that was supposed to be over 54% Thurston Highlands/Tahoma Terra developer financed.

Mike Edwards, a member of the Board of Directors of Thurston First spoke on-the-record at the May 24, 2006 Yelm City Council Meeting in support of the creation of the L. I. D.
According to the city's official Minutes of that meeting, Mr. Edwards stated, "...he is part of a pioneer family in Yelm since 1852 and owner of 26 acres on the assessment list."

The 8 acre, vacant parcel fronting Yelm Ave West behind Rosemont is in the LID and is listed as owned by Hallamer Investments, LLC. with an address of:
920 E BAY DR NE APT 3D301
OLYMPIA, WA, 98506
The phone number listed has been disconnected.

The Hallamer Investments, LLC address is a residential condo owned by MICHAEL DWAINE EDWARDS, according to Thurston County Assessors data.

As mentioned here previously, if Mr. Edwards is still an investor, partner or owner of parcels/property in the Killion Rd. LID that would be a direct beneficiary of this Ordinance, then shouldn't Thurston First Bank recuse themselves from making this loan due to a conflict of interest?

With the recent failure of Venture Bank, the bankruptcy of Venture Financial and the Thurston Highlands' trustee Frontier Bank loan mess, hasn't the time come we demand transparency in our area's banking practices?

UPDATE: OCTOBER 29, 2009

CLICK HERE for the response from Thurston First Bank.

The Northwest Collage Society Fall Show at Earth Artisans Gallery in Tenino.

Opening Reception
Saturday
October 10
5 to 7pm
325 Sussex Ave. W.
Tenino, WA 98589
360-264-2787

Show runs from October 8 through November 5, 2009
Hours:
Wed. – Sat. 10am - 5:30pm,
Sun. 11am – 5pm,
closed Monday & Tuesday
www.earthartisansgallery.com

PLEASE TELL EARTH ARTISANS YOU READ ABOUT THEM ON THE YELM COMMUNITY BLOG!

"Thurston Highlands, one of the largest proposed mixed-use developments in the state, has emerged as the biggest example of how the economic crisis has had a corrosive effect on development.

Through its trustee, the project’s primary lender, Frontier Bank, has started foreclosure proceedings on the 1,250-acre property after saying a loan was in default. The trustee is scheduled to auction the property to the highest bidder on the Thurston County Courthouse steps June 5, " quoting The Olympian on May 15, 2009.

The auction was postponed twice (June 5 & August 7) and the properties still have not changed hands, according to a search of Thurston County Auditor's records.

Now, comes this last Friday from Bloomberg News about Frontier Bank,
"The number of U.S. lenders that can’t collect on at least 20 percent of their loans hit an 18-year high, signaling that more bank failures and losses could slow an economic recovery.

Units of Frontier Financial Corp.,Towne Bancorp Inc. and Steel Partners Holdings LP are among 26 firms with more than one-fifth of their loans 90 days overdue or not accruing interest as of June 30 -- a level of distress almost five times the national average -- according to Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. data compiled for Bloomberg News by SNL Financial, a bank research firm. Three reported almost half of their loans weren’t being paid.

While regulators may not force firms on the list to close, requiring them to raise capital and curb loans may impede recovery in Florida, Illinois and seven other states. The banks are among the most vulnerable of a larger group of lenders whose failures the FDIC said could cost $100 billion by 2013....

Firms range in size from Frontier Bank in Everett, Washington, with $3.98 billion in assets...

'While these aren’t your giant banks, they are the guys your local strip mall and commercial real estate investors get their funds from,' said Joseph Mason, a Louisiana State University banking professor and visiting scholar at the FDIC...

Frontier Bank, owned by Frontier Financial, reported a sixfold rise in overdue loans to $764.6 million in the quarter ended June 30 from a year earlier, or 22 percent, according to FDIC data. More than 43 percent of the bank’s delinquent loans were in construction and development, FDIC data show. The bank has 51 branches in northwestern Oregon and western Washington...

Frontier “was a well-run organization for the majority of its history,” said Jeffrey Rulis, a banking analyst at D.A. Davidson & Co. in Lake Oswego, Oregon. The offer by SP Acquisition is “probably not what current shareholders envisioned a couple of years ago.” The company’s stock has dropped 92 percent in the last 12 months, and the bank posted an $84 million loss in the first half.

Patrick Fahey, Frontier’s CEO, said the transaction will resolve the bank’s credit issues. He declined to elaborate while a shareholder vote is pending."

YIKES!
Now, another bank in Washington State with Yelm connections making national news for a declining portfolio [Venture Bank failed last month, the 92nd in 2009 in the USA, its assets & deposits seized by the FDIC and given to a North Carolina Bank, and parent Venture Financial Group a total loss to stockholders, as reported here.]

UPDATE: October 29, 2009
From the Business Examiner:
"Frontier Financial shows Q3 loss"

"Three teenagers were injured in the Yelm area early Saturday morning after they attempted to make a bomb using fireworks and a plastic bag, according to S.E. Thurston Fire & EMS.

Also according to the fire district:

The bag exploded as one of the teens attempted to insert a fuse. The 15-year-old boy who was holding the bag suffered severe injuries to his face, hands and chest. He was flown by helicopter to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

The other two teens suffered facial injuries and hearing loss. Both were taken to Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia. Police weren’t releasing the teens’ names Saturday.

The incident is the latest of several in which Yelm-area youths have been injured in the past week.

'It has been horrible. That was the fifth airlift since Tuesday,' S.E. Thurston Fire & EMS Fire Chief Rita Hutcheson said Saturday.

On Thursday morning, twin 9-year-old Yelm girls suffered smoke inhalation and were flown by helicopter to Harborview Medical Center after their house burned...

On Tuesday morning, two 16-year-old girls were injured when the car they were in crossed the center line and collided with a truck in Yelm, according to the Washington State Patrol," quoting the Tacoma News Tribune.

Incumbent District 3 County Commissioner Candidate Karen Valenzuela at her October 2nd Yelm Public Forum

County Commissioner (District 3) and Commissioner candidate Karen Valenzuela was greeted by an eclectic crowd at the Blue Bottle Cafe last night in Yelm. In attendance were:
- Newly-appointed Timberland Regional Library Yelm Librarian Mike Wessels
- Elected Democratic PCO precinct 130 & 1st Vice-Chair of Legislative District 2 Jackie Reid
- Yelm City Council member Mike McGowan
- Survival Center owner Richard Mankamyer
and other area residents.

Commissioner Valenzuela & Campaign Manager Christi McGinley spoke and took questions from audience members.

VALENZUELA'S ACTION PLAN
I have a five-point action plan that I am already at work on:

1. Bring sanity to the budget

2. Return to the letter and spirit of the growth management act

3. Confront climate change

4. Re-engage in Human Services’ partnerships

5. Work on inter-jurisdictional cooperation

The Commissioner answered the following questions:
1. How do you put your action plan in place?
She is in talks with the Thurston County Economic Development Council on a whole host of issues.
She supports doing more to work with local farms. People care about eating locally and organically. We can do alot more with food production grown and distributed here.
Push to increase farming in our local economy, which was based on farming forests and fishing. We need to get back to the basics and look to these areas again for the future.

2. Where does most of the County Budget go?
77% to law and justice, which is 7% higher than the norm.
Karen shared the whole issue the County has been engaged with the Sheriff and the budget.

3. What percent is mandated?
Unknown.
However law and justice is one example - we must provide jails, deputies on roads and the Courts.

4. Regarding the issue of County Parks cutbacks, can we use volunteers to staff the parks?
This is a complicated issue as the union contracts specify we cannot place volunteers in union jobs that have eliminated.

5. What is your stand on H1N1 Swine Flu vaccine?
100,000 doses of vaccine are to be shipped here for those in high-risk groups. Karen is a former 20 year health veteran and said the County works closely with the CDC. She reminded everyone of all of the precautionary things to do to keep from getting the flu.
This scenario making news was discussed,
"The Washington State Hospital Association wants the state to make flu shots mandatory for health-care workers, the Seattle Times reports today [Oct. 1]," quoting the Wall Street Journal.

Commissioner Valenzuela remained and chatted with several audience members after the session ended, including City Council member McGowan. Coffee & a nice cheese and veggies/dips display were offered by the co-hosts.
Conspicuously absent were Mayor Harding, other Council members and our local newspaper.

For more information, or to donate and contribute your time:
karenvalenzuela.com

City Council Candidates Jen Littlefield & Tracey Wood shared their views on the water issues in a front page NVN story out yesterday, however their answers demonstrated they both have alot to learn on the City of Yelm's water issues, and whoever wins will have to get up-to-speed on this issue quickly!

Mrs. Littlefield spoke of acquiring water rights as a major issue and while true, the county Commissioners received a staff briefing on Tuesday, September 29th on Yelm's water and were told by Ecology that Yelm may not even be up for consideration for more water rights until next year or 2011. Littlefield added she thinks "the city has an opportunity to build positive public support for many of the issues regarding water if they reach out more often..."

As reported here August 28th:
Ecology REVERSED the decision of the Thurston County Conservancy Board on July 20, 2009 and specified exactly why they took that action in a letter to Mrs. Badger where they state,
"The board (conservancy board) failed to adequately analyze the extent and validity of the subject water right [the McMonigle water right]."

So, the McMonigle water right may not be a transferable right and may not be valid.
CLICK HERE to see Ecology's letter in full.

The Dept. of Ecology takes years to approve water rights applications and with McMonigle out of the picture, Yelm will not likely be considered for any more water rights anytime soon, so the city had better get used to living within their water allocation!
The City needs to come clean and tell the public the truth about their Draft Water System Plan and why the rates have being increased by such a large amount!
Will that happen?

Mrs. Littlefield clearly did not address what Mayor Harding has described as a water rate increase to support infrastructure -- infrastructure that the city's Draft Water System Plan says is to move the wells to the SW area (Thurston Highlands) over a mile from the city on land in which the developers have defaulted. To support this infrastructure was the major cause of a 69% rate increase.

Council Candidate Tracey Wood says about the water rates "is not that the water rate has gone up, it's how much the water rate has gone up all at once."

Quoting the NVN, "While Wood sees the magnitude of the change as a problem, Littlefield thinks it's the timing."

If they read the city's Draft Water System Plan, they would see it is neither -- the rate increase is clearly to support infrastructure expenses associated with an multi-planned community and moving the city's wells, in addition to taking over the costs of the golf course well from a defaulted developer.

They should read these two ads in the NVN for starters;
May, 2009
July, 2009

Then there is a Letter to the Editor from Deanna Davis who voiced her water concerns at the Yelm Council Meeting last week and gave Mayor Harding kudos for coming over her house and checking things out personally. While that is nice, Ms. Davis never said if the Mayor ever answered her questions to the Council, as reported here September 25th. HMMM!

To quote Yelm citizen Frank Jones at the September 22nd Yelm City Council Meeting to the Mayor & City Council,
"If this IS only a Draft (Water System Plan), and not finalized yet, why is there a rate increase?"

1. Record need puts strain on Hooved Animal Rescue
Nonprofit: Group tries to raise funds for horses, cows, goats, sheep
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The County Commissioners requested and received a staff briefing on Tuesday, September 29th from 4-5:15pm all about the City of Yelm's water issues that have garnered so much attention in recent months.

Commissioners Cathy Wolfe, Sandra Romero and Karen Valenzuela were all very interested and engaged in learning about the nuances of what Commissioner Romero described as one of the most critical issues in the years to come for government.

The Commissioners and the County Administrator received comments from:
Thurston County Planning Dept. (nee Environmental Stewardship)
Thurston County Watershed Planning Group
WA. State Dept. of Ecology
and
Thurston County Environmental Health Dept.

City of Yelm Administrator Shelly Badger as well as additional Dept. of Ecology personnel were in the audience, along with several local Yelm citizens.

While open to the public to observe, the public was not invited to interact in this briefing.

Some of the statements by the presenters were very vague and potentially misleading, however the Commissioners asked some tough questions and were not intimidated by the daunting info presented to them, nor the apparent, smug tone of the presenters.

A few examples of the issues brought forward that the Commissioners were aware to ask some very pointed follow-up questions:
1. Staff: If a city like Yelm does not get the water rights they desire to grow, then a situation will be created where people will be forced to go outside the city's boundaries and drill exempt wells (private county property owners using under 5,000 gallons a day may drill an exempt well) which will be to the detriment of the aquifer and the County.

Commissioner Romero picked up on this and asked questions about this statement, which went into a discourse about how much water was actually available and was there some quantifiable way to know how much water is in the county.

2. Commissioner Romero asked why the Commissioners were not notified of nor did the County respond to the City of Yelm MDNS during the public comment period.
Staff answered very evasively with alot of talk about what the County's roll is in the Watershed Plan, and really did not fully address this issue the Commissioner raised.

3. Commissioner Valenzuela was a very astute listener and showed she understood the situation very well, especially when presented with the City of Yelm details on withdrawing their MDNS. She asked about the proposed 10 foot draw down in area wells, which showed she had been listening asking what period of time that 10 foot draw down occurred. Unfortunately, staff did not know.
All of that is in the MDNS where the engineering report shows that the city intends to move all of their wells to the SW Area (Thurston Highlands) and the effect of this is a 10-23 foot draw down or more to local well levels, affecting County property owners downstream of the aquifer and outside Yelm's City limits, over a 30 year period.

Surprisingly not mentioned by Staff was the fact that on July 20, 2009, Ecology REVERSED the decision of the Thurston County Conservancy Board and said the City of Yelm was not approved to use the privately contracted water from the McMonigle water rights, leaving Yelm in a precarious position where their Draft Water System Plan may not be viable and the city could already be pumping more water than their allocated 796 acre feet per year. The Commissioners were told that the City of Yelm is in a long line-up of water rights applications Ecology is considering and would not receive any new water rights for at least a few years, if then.

Finally, Commissioner Cathy Wolfe said she found these briefings to be very valuable, as did all three Commissioners and asked for another briefing at the first of 2010, adding that she was particularly excited to get up-to-speed in gaining more knowledge about water issues...

The frankness each of these Commissioners exhibited in saying they knew little of these complicated water issues was refreshing. By their naivety in asking simple questions that often times were answered by undocumented and not-well-informed views, these 3 Commissioners certainly cast ripples that will be seen in the weeks, months and years ahead.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THURSTON COUNTY COMMISSIONERS FOR ASKING FOR THIS BRIEFING FOR THEMSELVES AND ALL OF THE PARTICIPANTS.