1. whatnext wrote on Aug 30, 2010 6:11 AM:

"So tired of Yelm and how it makes it's residence pick up their slack.
First it was irrigation cutbacks and then fines for going over set water allotments.
In one month Of July our development here in yelm even after changing all the irrigation heads to low flow we used up half our allotment forcing us to shut off the water in fear we would have to pay serious penalties.
I dont think I will be buying my next home in Yelm.
P.S. We need another coffee place in Yelm like we need a mexican restaurant! "

2. m1987 wrote on Aug 31, 2010 8:12 AM:
" Yelm is getting even more ridiculous than its ever been!"

QUESTION:
Why is a whole new water system being built 2 miles from the current water system and on the backs of Yelm's water rate payers?

Why was this question NEVER raised in the NVN's story about the 235% water connection fee increase? Afterall, they have the Water System Plan (WSP) and can see all of these facts for themselves.

Where is the desire to do the right thing on the part of Yelm's leaders?

BLUE WATERS ACUPUNCTURE CENTER

GRAND OPENING - OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010
2:00 noon to 1:30 pm

"Chinese Medicine includes numerous time tested methods many proven via continuous use for over 1000 years, to help restore balance and harmony to your life. To assist us in enhancing your health and well being and to help you to recover from illness we may recommend Acupuncture, and in addition we may recommend Chinese Herbal Formulas to continue the balancing process after you leave our office. We may also recommend several other forms of therapy to extend your treatment between visits. Come see what this form of alternative medicine can do for you. It is natural, safe, holistic and effective."

Dr. Michael E. Carruth, MD, LAc told the Yelm Community Blog:

"I am truly excited to be newly opened in Yelm, WA as of May 8th 2010. I have always been a small town type of person and for me Yelm provides just that. I am honored and pleased to be able to serve the citizens of Yelm and of the surrounding communities.
I personally have found Yelm to be a dynamic mix of friendly, open, genuinely caring individuals with a good sense of humor.
For me, Yelm has just the right blend of features I was looking for in locating to a small town. I am also quite aware of the west coast’s open mindedness to complimentary and alternative medicine."

Blue Waters Acupuncture Center
211 Yelm Ave. West, adjacent to Yelm National Auto Parts.
(parking in rear of building)
Yelm, WA 98597
Phone: (360) 790-5625
info@bluewatersacupuncturecenter.com

TELL BLUE WATERS ACUPUNCTURE CENTER YOU READ ABOUT THEM ON THE YELM COMMUNITY BLOG.

The Olympian's John Dodge reported recently,
"The Nature Conservancy, working with state and local agencies and fire districts, plans to set about 10 fires totaling 200 acres late this summer and fall on the prairies of South Sound...

It’s part of a continuing effort that began in 2001 to use a centuries-old tool – fire – to restore fire-dependent prairie landscapes on public and conservancy-owned land in south Thurston County."

Unseasonable rain forecast for W. Washington
"The National Weather Service forecasts about one inch of rain Tuesday in much of Western Washington as an unseasonable wet and windy system moves through the Northwest," quoting the AP in The Olympian.

New home sales hit slowest pace on record
Unexpected 12.4 percent drop is latest sign recovery fading

"Sales of new homes dropped sharply last month to the slowest pace on record, the latest sign that the economic recovery is fading.

The Commerce Department said Wednesday [Aug. 25] that new home sales fell 12.4 percent in July from a month earlier to a seasonally adjusted annual sales pace of 276,600. That was the slowest pace on records dating back to 1963. The past three months have been the worst on record for new home sales...

Weak home sales mean fewer jobs in the construction industry, which normally powers economic recoveries. Each new home built creates, on average, the equivalent of three jobs for a year and generates about $90,000 in taxes, according to the National Association of Home Builders."

Ed. Note: How will that translate to Yelm?
Long-time Yelm Remax agent Cynthia Schmier, who has her fingers on the pulse of Yelm real estate, gave a personal account to Yelm's City Council last Tuesday about the massive water rate increases & 235% increase for residential water hook-ups here affecting people's decisions to not rent & buy homes in Yelm's city limits, especially military on a monthly stipend.

And effective this Wednesday in Thurston County:
time of Transfer / sale inspection
Program Begins September 1, 2010

Thurston County's sewage system regulations (Article IV) were updated on May 18, 2010 to meet the minimum requirements of state law WAC 246-272A-0015. A key part of these amendments is a requirement for the evaluation of On-Site Sewage System (OSS) when the property they serve is sold or transferred. The requirement was put in place to help inventory sewage systems and identify and assure the timely repair of Failing Sewage Systems.
Application and Supporting Documents

Part of this process requires an Industry Professional, either a certified Pumper, Installer, or Monitoring Specialist, to inspect the system. The following documents must be submitted to our office either by mail or in-person along with the $170 fee.

Thurston County Public Health and Social Services Department
412 Lilly Rd. NE
Olympia, WA 98506-5132
(360) 867-2500

In the meantime, this writer's wife wrote a rare Letter to the Editor to the Nisqually Valley News on the distortions of what has been written by former Nisqually Valley News reporter, most recent City of Yelm Community and Government Relations Coordinator (whose position was eliminated in 2009 during the city's cost-cutting) & Friends of the Yelm Library official Cindy Teixeira.

Yael said,
"Our library is about to shrink down considerably, as Mayor Harding has publicly stated. His comment that the library should be of a size to only serve City of Yelm residents ignores the fact that property tax-payers
outside of Yelm contribute a large percentage to fund Yelm's library.

Some serious people stepped up in a significant way long-ago & asked about the future of a public library building, years AHEAD of the ending of the 2011 lease. Cindy Teixeira's letter last week unintelligently attacked those that stepped forward...

We all want a library here."

CLICK HERE for the full text of Klein's letter, used here with permission.

Director Nancy Tribush Hillman announces the presentation of
LISTEN TO ME, an original musical revue
with musical direction by Stephen Borsuk.

LISTEN TO ME,
title song by Steven Silverstein (music) and David John Madore (lyrics), is about a group of ambitious and diverse young people who compete to win first prize in the local literary contest.....by presenting original performance pieces on the subject of the evolution of communication through the ages.

They are daunted, urged on, critiqued and inspired by a motley group of local judges, and their own personal internal grudges. No one, not even the cast, knows who the winner will be.
The show features music from Broadway's funniest and brightest hit shows.
Choreography by Patrick Wigren and Lucrecia Longshore.

This is the Inaugural debut as an outdoor live theater space for the Covered Stage at Gordon's Garden Center.

SATURDAY & SUNDAY EVENINGS AT 7:30PM.
ALL TICKETS $10
Gordon's Garden Center
508 Yelm Ave. E.

JZ Knight is reporting on her website,

In a broad-ranging interview with JZ Knight, MSNBC’s Cosmic Log reporter Alan Boyle writes:

“It’s been six years since “What the Bleep Do We Know!?” blended the woo-woo world of spiritual self-actualization with the woo-woo world of quantum physics — with a channeled 35,000-year-old spirit named Ramtha playing a prominent role in the documentary.

Today, JZ Knight, the 64-year-old woman who channels that 35,000-year-old spirit, is looking back at the “Bleep” and giving a lot of thought to what lies ahead.”

CLICK HERE for the MSNBC interview.

Also from Mr. Boyle’s report,
JZ Knight discusses spirit channeling, quantum physics and life after “What the Bleep Do We Know!?” Click to watch video clips:

* The linkage between physics and personal reality
* Mind over matter? JZ Knight argues that mind is matter
* Looking beyond the ‘What the Bleep’ movie
* Making a quantum leap from the laboratory

Even Mayor Pro-tem Bon Isom asked City of Yelm Project and Program Manager Stephanie Ray if this kind of major increase had a cap.

Both of these concerns were wonderful, yet missed the point.
As Mrs. Ray explained, as is seen now, this increase is only because of Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) which required these kind of increases.
Why are there Capital improvement Projects (CIP) for new wells. new reservoirs, new infrastructure, new multi-miles of pipelines, new decontamination tests and other items to support a new water system 2 miles from the existing one?
DRILL BABY, DRILL.

Only because this City Council has approved all of this in their Water System Plan and is using major water rate increases to exiting customers and outrageous new connection fees on new residential hook-ups to fund to the 10's of millions of dollars for a whole new water infrastructure in the SW area (Thurston Highlands).

Doesn't that want to make you want to ask what is wrong with the existing water system?

And well-respected, local real estate agent Cynthia Schmier raised some excellent points about the water rate increases here affecting home rentals & sales. She should know, as she's been in the real estate market here for years.
Unfortunately, Mayor Harding did not get her and answered rather defensively saying his water rates for his family of 4 were only about $20 per month - the rest was for sewer.
He missed the point - the huge increases to water bills affecting his constituents HAVE been for water, raising monthly bills from $50 to $60 and up.
This lady is a bellwether of what is going on in this town & what she said should bring the Mayor and City Council to attention:
Ms. Schmier said people cannot afford to move to Yelm anymore after seeing the new residential connection fees, increased monthly water rates, increasing taxes & other city imposed sanctions and fees, especially as these affect military families on a monthly stipend.

To Mr. Woods' benefit, the Water System Plan (WSP) was first voted before he took office, though he voted for water rate increases in 2010 and to send the WSP to Health for approval.
Of course, last night he anyway went ahead & voted for the massive connection fee increase.

Hopefully, Mr. Woods will be asking more and more questions.

From the McCrea Winery website:
"The McCrea Cellars winery is located in a lovely country setting with a stunning view of Mt. Rainier. We're a half-hour from Olympia, the State capital, and benefit from being only about an hour south of Seattle, with its many fine restaurants, markets, and cultural riches. Our lush, green maritime zone has a moderate climate with warm summers and occasional winter snow."

Rolf Boone reported for The Olympian on August 12th:

"Doug McCrea of McCrea Cellars of Rainier plans to open the Olympia Wine and Tasting Bar at noon Saturday [Aug. 14] , featuring the red and white Rhone Valley varietals that the business is known for, as well as Salida wines, a relatively new wine label for the company.

The wine-tasting bar is in the New Caldonia Building on Fifth Avenue, which also is home to the Olympia Downtown Association and the shoe store Bonaventure.

McCrea Cellars offers wine tasting by appointment at his production facility in Rainier, but the location doesn’t lend itself to visitors, he said. The new tasting room allows the business to market itself to an area outside of Seattle, potentially boosting its direct-to-consumer sales, which represent 18 percent of McCrea’s sales."

The Yelm City Council will hold a Public Hearing Tuesday, August 24, 2010 to "shove-it" to new water connection uses with an almost 3.5 times water connection fee increase via Ordinance No. 926, from $1,500.00 per Equivalent Residential Unit (ERU) to $5,036.00 per ERU.

They are also set to approve Ordinance No. 927 amending the Yelm Municipal Code (YMC) to revise the definition of an Equivalent Residential Unit (ERU), effective October 1, 2010, at 215 gallons per day, which equates to 875 cubic feet per month.
CLICK HERE to calculate your own daily water usage, from the USGS.

SINCE THE CITY KNOWS FEW WILL ATTEND THE PUBIC HEARING OR MAKE ANY COMMENT, THE YELM CITY COUNCIL WILL VOTE ON THIS DIRECTLY AFTER THE "PUBLIC HEARING", WHICH IS JUST A FORMALITY.
OTHERWISE, WHY SCHEDULE AN ORDINANCE VOTE RIGHT AFTER A PUBLIC HEARING ON THAT ORDINANCE?
THEY KNOW LESS THAN A HANDFUL WILL COMMENT.
THIS SHOWS THE CITY COUNCIL HAS NO INTENT TO CONSIDER & DELIBERATE ON A PUBLIC COMMENT, PERIOD.
THIS IS ALL FOR SHOW FOR THEM TO SAY THEY FOLLOWED PROCEDURE.
AND, YOU KNOW WHAT?
THEY ARE RIGHT.
FEW WILL ATTEND EXCEPT CITY CHAMBER PRESIDENT GLEN CUNNINGHAM AND THE NVN REPORTER.
YET THE CITY COUNCIL IS SETTING POLICY ON FUTURE DEVELOPMENT ALL IN FRONT OF AND YET BEHIND THE PUBLIC'S BACK!

Mayor Harding spoke in his NVN column this week of his admiration for the large number of military families in this community he encountered while recently door-belling. Yet that comment is hypocrisy, since under his administration has been the largest string of annual tax increases, the largest water rate-payer increases & the largest spending (on litigation) in City of Yelm history!

And recently-elected City Council member Tracey Wood ran on a ticket to speak-up for the public here.
His actions in voting for tax increases, water rate-payer increases & the litigation spending in Yelm in his 8 months in office show otherwise!
I warned the public he had little knowledge of water issues here on October 3, 2009 when he said about the water rate increase:
"is not that the water rate has gone up, it's how much the water rate has gone up all at once."
What an ignorant statement then!
Mr. Wood, you preside over a Water System Plan (WSP) that raises water rate-payer rates almost 70% between 2009 & 2015, a Plan about which you show you know virtually nothing, yet vote for ordinances on this Plan's rate increases!

These two and their fellow Council members are basically voting to tax the very people they say they want to help - via water rate increases & connection fees! To raise the water-connection fees almost
3 1/2 times will certainly dampen development here & people wanting to buy a home here now.

Questions should be raised, yet will not be:
- Why is the public funding almost $20 million dollars to move the city's water system to the SW area [Thurston Highlands site]?

- Where is the justification & why is the City of Yelm so completely absolute in rebuilding the entire water system 2 miles from their current system?
Why not question why the city doesn't drill existing wells deeper into the aquifer if the issue is the city's shallow wells affecting Yelm Creek?

- Why is that water system move being funded on the backs of water system rate-payers through massive water rate increases & connection fees?

- Isn't the city is well-served with their current, adequate water system?
Why not make improvements to that?
Wouldn't that save millions of dollars?

- Is the city dumping their current water system?
Certainly seems that way with the 10's of millions of dollars proposed in miles of new piping, drilling test wells, storage, etc. as outlined on the city's Water System Plan.
Funding requirements for the the 6 year plan is almost $11 million without Master-Planned Communities, $16.5 million with Master-Planned Communities.

- Yelm's Water System Plan (WSP) has not yet been approved by Health or Ecology.
Yet, these ordinances when passed become city policy.
This is also against the city's own Yelm Vision Statement (Plan).
Is this is just another avenue to future development so no one notices?
Where is the public asking why?

- Folks, Ordinance No. 926 unanimously now becomes city policy Tuesday, all while the Yelm public is asleep!

- This is Yelm's City Council:
At the close of 2009, the tally of what this City Council imposed on their residents & businesses were:

1. a 69% water rate increase from 2009-2015
2. 1% property tax increases in 2008 & 2009 (and probably again in 2010)
3. B & O tax increase
4. Utility tax increase
5. Laid-off 6 city staffers, including Community and Government Relations Coordinator Cindy Teixeira, for whom the city had then built a new office.
6. Made policy to leave an open Police Department position unfilled.
7. Instituted spending multi-tens of thousands of dollars in litigation expenses to seize a citizen's water rights.

And in 2010, Yelm's City Council voted to reduce businesses' irrigation by a mandatory 50%
& now are raising water hook-up fees from $1,500 to over $5,000 for residential customers.

And, if anyone didn't notice, on the Council's Agenda tonight,
"Executive Session to discuss litigation & potential litigation."
Translated = That means more thousands of dollars in expenditures for sure!

If you should wish to attend to voice your concerns,
7pm
Tuesday, August 24th
Yelm's Council Chmabers
Public Safety Building
206 McKenzie Ave SE
Yelm

WATCH YOUR WATER BILL ANNUALLY FOR MORE INCREASES & ENJOY!
THE PUBLIC'S SILENCE ON THIS IS COMPLICIT IN THE RATE INCREASES.

Letter writers to the Nisqually Valley News (NVN) Belinda and Larry Barkan of Yelm wrote had their letter published August 20, 2010 titled: "Hopefully the city didn't flush away funding"

"Is it true that our city leaders could have asked for a grant to keep our present library open or to build a new library building?

If they instead chose to ask for a grant for toilets in the park plus kicked in millions of our dollars, they have some explaining to do...

Please, city leaders, show us that you have not flushed our great library down the toilet."

Someone here FINALLY got the message and had the courage to say that if the Longmire Park flush toilets were the city's priority, where did that leave the future of the library in the city's mind?

And, we have former Nisqually Valley News reporter, most recent City of Yelm Community and Government Relations Coordinator (laid off in 2009) & Friends of the Yelm Library official Cindy Teixeira spouting-off in this week's newspaper all sorts of things that do not correlate with the facts.

Instead of Teixeira segregating people on the Library issue, she should have the vision to see everyone wants a good library here.

However, Mrs. Teixeria's attitude shows us why we don't have a public library building here.
If she is with Friends of the Library and saying these things, I would not like to see the "Enemies of the Library"!

Mrs. Teixeira's wrote in her Letter to the Editor to the NVN this week:
"Timberland's situation with the Yelm library in a rented space is not such a big deal. Timberland says the agency is not in the business of providing facilities and yet about one-third of the libraries in the 27 library system are in fact owned by Timberland or are in a configuration not in keeping with the agency's ancient policy.
In other words, Yelm is not the only exception to their rules:
there are so many exceptions the rules are irrelevant.
It is time for Timberland's board of directors to scrap a 50-year-old policy that does not apply to today's economic circumstances.
It is time for the City of Yelm to make the library a top-shelf issue. Both agencies need to step pout of their own way and let us get to work."

In response to Mrs. Teixeira's unfounded assertions,
TRL Director Michael Crose told the Yelm Community Blog on August 20th all TRL libraries in incorporated cities and towns are in public buildings except Montesano (which was donated & that city now owns) & Yelm's current facility in leased space.
Crose said, "Not surprising considering that our mandate is to assure that residents in those areas receive quality library service."
Crose continued, "Timberland DOES own or lease several buildings in un-incorporated areas of the five-counties" (totaling 7 of the 27 libraries) & these are very small libraries.

I do agree with Teixeria on this: "It is time for the City of Yelm to make the library a top-shelf issue."
For a public library in Yelm, the city must take command to acquire that space. This is their responsibility.
Unless the public wants to have one in unincorporated Thurston County & leave the city out.

The time for the city to have made this a priority was 5 or 10 years ago, was it not?
And, where WAS the Friends of the Library then?
Their silence all these years on the future of a public library building here has been baffling to me.

Mrs. Teixeira attended and said nothing then about the March 25, 2008 Yelm Library Board's annual report to the Yelm City Council raising the "red-flag" on the library's future.
HMMM!

Cindy, are we all going to reach out and stand together on this
or
be divided?
I reach my hand out to you.
Will you take mine for the greater good of our community in our desire for a wonderful library
or not & remain divided?

"UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FALL"

Think of weconnect.com as a hub of sorts. A showcase of individual work, whether by an entrepreneur, a writer, an artist, a visionary, we will make room for all those concepts and endeavors.

We want it to be fun and enlightening, an adventure of some kind. Controversial, maybe. We will throw in our own opinions about products, services, sites that we find useful and interesting. And provide a link to those sites for easy access."

These Yelm-based businesses are affiliated with Weconnect.com:

Sleepsonic.com:
"We design and create Innovative Personal Sound Delivery Systems™ for the entire family and for various applications, including sleep enhancement, stress relief & learning, sleep disorder alleviation...
Established in Yelm in 2007.

Bellysonic.com:
"Bellysonic enables an expectant Mom to have the freedom to enjoy listening to her own pregnancy music and CD audio selections from her existing portable MP3 or CD player."

Hemisyncforyou.com:
"Hemisyncforyou.com (also known as Discovery Tools and workshops) is an independently-owned authorized distributor and orientation center of Hemi-Sync® and related products, serving a broad, global base of customers since 1996."

Weconnect.com also hosts:
"The Gateway Experience Blog is dedicated to the legacy work of Robert A. Monroe, Founder of the Monroe Institute and Monroe Products, home of the Hemi-Sync Patented Technology."

The blog is at: http://blog.thegatewayexperience.com.
For more information, e-mail: info@thegatewayexperience.com

Rainier-based Babes in Belts announces a NEW community service!

"Preparedness and Construction Classifieds"

We are starting a new community service for construction and preparedness supplies.
If you have construction materials or preparedness items to give away or sell, this classified service is for you -
And It's FREE!

Please submit your short ad including price or "for free" and your contact information.
Email your ad to diane@babesinbelts.com

Your ad will be posted as written - please keep it brief. The ads will appear with each newsletter.

If you are in need of or in the market for new/used materials or preparedness items, sign up for our newsletter here and become a part of the Babes Community.

Please notify us if your item has been picked up/sold.

CLICK HERE to read about the mission of Babes in Belts.

TELL BABES IN BELTS YOU READ ABOUT THEIR COMMUNITY SERVICE ON THE YELM COMMUNITY BLOG!

"Ad hominem abusive usually involves insulting or belittling one's opponent in order to invalidate their argument...
This tactic is logically fallacious because insults and even true negative facts about the opponent's personal character have nothing to do with the logical merits of the opponent's arguments or assertions," quoting Wikipedia.

Now we have the former Nisqually Valley News reporter, most recent City of Yelm Community and Government Relations Coordinator (laid off in 2009) & Friends of the Yelm Library official Cindy Teixeira spouting in today's newspaper all sorts of things that do not correlate with the facts.

Instead of segregating people on the Library issue, she should have the vision to see everyone wants a good library here.
That people are called "naysayers" that are "distractions", yet who have come forward and volunteered their time, given large donations, pledged even more no-strings-attached monies for a new building, funded all sorts of children & adult programs over the years & wanted the truth on this issue to be shared with the public, is well, sad and unfortunate!
We're all in this one together, Cindy!
However, this attitude shows us why we don't have a public library building here.

Let's examine Texieira's letter, item-by-item. Here are some of her assertions that caught my eye:

1. "Don't let the naysayers be a distractions"

The title of Teixeira's Letter to the Editor is referring to me.
Nisqually Valley News editor/publisher Keven Graves put this title on there in reference to my constant bringing out the facts on the library for 5 years being a "naysayer" & a "distraction".
This is the ad hominem approach to reporting.

2. "Some people are confused and frightened into thinking the Yelm library will disappear because the lease is up next year."

I have always quoted Mayor Harding, who has publicly stated the Yelm Library we have come to know & love will be very much smaller, since the city cannot pay for the current lease itself after 2011.
Here is what Harding said in his State of the City Address on February 9, 2010 about the Library's future.
CLICK HERE
No one I have heard has EVER said the library will disappear.
This is the ad hominem approach to reporting.

3. "The process, as usual in Yelm, is only hampered by those who continue to scream, "I told you so.'"

Yelm Community Blog readers KNOW I have been raising the issue of Yelm Library's future for over 5 years and continually brought this to public awareness.
While Teixeira means me, I have never said, "I told you so," rather continued to call for concerted action by the city & community.
This is the ad hominem approach to reporting.

4. "There are those who want to speak up on behalf of the library but don't want to be perceived as being associated with the whiners."

Again, Teixeira means me as "whiner", since an NVN letter writer called me by that name on the Park Toilets funding issue a few weeks ago.
Why do those people not speak out? Where is their courage to do so? Would Texeira & others call them whiners if they do speak out? HMMM?
This is the ad hominem approach to reporting.

5. "Timberland's situation with the Yelm library in a rented space is not such a big deal. Timberland says the agency is not in the business of providing facilities and yet about one-third of the libraries in the 27 library system are in fact owned by Timberland or are in a configuration not in keeping with the agency's ancient policy.
In other words, Yelm is not the only exception to their rules:
there are so many exceptions the rules are irrelevant.
It is time for Timberland's board of directors to scrap a 50-year-old policy that does not apply to today's economic circumstances.
It is time for the City of Yelm to make the library a top-shelf issue. Both agencies need to step pout of their own way and let us get to work."

HMMM! Two Agencies? Guess she means TRL & the City of Yelm.
TRL is out 'of the way' as their Board of Directors said on March 31, 2010 they would no longer fund rent in a Yelm leased facility beyond 2011.
TRL Director Michael Crose told the Yelm Community Blog all TRL libraries in incorporated cities and towns are in public buildings except Montesano (which was donated) & Yelm's current facility in leased space. Crose said, "Not surprising considering that our mandate is to assure that residents in those areas receive quality library service."
Crose continued, "Timberland DOES own or lease several buildings in un-incorporated areas of the five-counties" (totaling 7 of the 27 libraries), & these are very small libraries.
For a public library in Yelm, the city must take command to acquire that space. This is their responsibility.
This is the ad hominem approach to reporting.

I do agree with Teixeria on this: "It is time for the City of Yelm to make the library a top-shelf issue."
Yet the time to have made this a priority was 10 or 5 years ago.

6. They (Friends of the Library) have provided scores of thousands of dollars to the library with no strings attached.
I emphasize that because the library has had some big donors who provided funds with special interests in mind."

Hmmm, again!
Teixeira again is referring to my wife & I, however without the facts!
When TRL was about to open in the Fay Fuller Building, Yelm's Librarian at the time, Kristen Blalack approached us and asked if we would be willing to donate some titles to the new library, as the space was being increased from the former capacity of 30,000 titles to 54,000 titles and she did not want the new library to look empty.
YES, we did make a specific donation of $25,000 to house the complete book, CD & videotape archive of Ramtha's School of Enlightenment in the new building. After all, the School was housed in Yelm, had thousands of students & their families that lived here and students that visited from all over the world.
That donation brought thousands of new patrons to the Yelm Library.
Our donation was welcomed then by TRL officials, as the single-largest donation in Yelm Library history, even garnering a write-up then by Teixeira on the front-page of her former employer's newspaper.
Some of those funds still have yet to be earmarked & we have no issue donating the balance to the general fund for Yelm, once a new facility is established.
We also met with a TRL Foundation representative & Ms. Blalack in summer of 2007 at their request to discuss the future of a public Yelm Library Building.
We offered an additional $25,000 of seed money for a facility, no strings attached.
We were told then the city was not interested - the timing was not right.
When I raised the then-looming Fay Fuller Building lease's 2012 deadline as Library Board Chair 3 years ago & went public in the annual Yelm Library Board Report to the City Council, whose wording TRL officials approved back in March, 2008, Yelm Friends of the Library was silent & they have been ever since regarding the library's future - until Mrs. Teixeira's letter today. HMMM!
We have also been strong supporters of the library for over 15 years, funding programs here for children & adults.
Omissions of these facts is the ad hominem approach to reporting.

7. "It is time to stop pointing fingers, whining, stalling or whatever is holding up the process."

Meaning, I am the 'whiner' in Teixeira's view.
However, this is not in my hands.
For over three years, I have called on the city and leaders to come forward, with only Teixeira's & the NVN's type of 'ad hominem' rhetoric as a response.
Yes, Mrs. Teixeira, you need to "stop pointing fingers" and call for a united approach to getting a structure here.
This is the City of Yelm's responsibility for a public structure in their town & they know that!
This is the ad hominem approach to reporting.

As I said on August 6th, "UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FALL" on this issue.

I continue to be absolutely amazed at the lack of candor on the library issue, the waste of time in providing our area with a suitable building & the amount of energy keeping the facts from the public!

Mrs. Teixeira, as a Friends of the Library member, you can politicize the future of the Yelm Library and use the 'ad hominem' approach now that crunch-time is here about the library's future
OR
you can rally ALL peoples in this endeavor and no longer segregate some by pointing fingers at whom you mislabel "whiners".

To quote Texieira,
"The process, as usual in Yelm, is only hampered by those who continue to scream..."
so she says, and by those who don't let the true facts be known!

Are we all going to reach out and stand together on this
or
be divided?
I reach my hand out to you.
Will you take mine for the greater good of our community in our desire for a world class library or not?


"UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FALL"