Yelm Issues: February 2007 Archives

"I am happy to announce that two of my students at the Children's School of Excellence [CSE] won the 2007 University of Washington Neuroscience for Kids Art Contest.

There were over 1200 entries from all over the world, and Airies Hygaard and Evan Hawkins both won in the K-2 grade category...and they are only in Kindergarten! They drew colorful neurons, comparing their brain to a growing tree. The theme for this grade was
"My brain helps me..."

Over the year, we have studied the brain, and this contest fit right into our Kindergarten curriculum. Many students from CSE participated and all the drawings were unique and wonderful.

It is very exciting to see that the University of Washington knows the importance of teaching about the brain to young children.

Click here for more information. "

Cheryl Nichols
Teacher
Children's School of Excellence
Rainier, WA.

Congratulations to Ms. Nichols, CSE and the students!

CSE Award Winners Mr. Hawkins & Ms. Hygaard with their prizes
Photo courtesy of CSE

"Two area land-use watchdog groups are appealing a Yelm-area section of Thurston County's comprehensive plan, saying its [Yelm's] urban growth area is too large. "If an urban growth area is bigger than it needs to be, it's costly to taxpayers," said Tim Trohimovich of Seattle-based Futurewise, one of the two appellants along with the Olympia-based Adams Cove Group. He added that it would lead to "paving over areas that are needed for groundwater recharge and paved surfaces that will cause discharge of polluted water into surface-water supplies."

The appeal, if approved by the Western Washington Growth Management Hearings Board, could result in the second time in two years that Thurston County has been ordered to rework parts of its comprehensive plan. The county is in the process of complying with the hearing board's first such ruling, issued in 2005.

Trohimovich and Adams Cove Group spokeswoman Gayle Broadbent said they filed the appeal Feb. 16 with the hearings board because the Yelm urban growth area is bigger than it needs to be to accommodate growth.

The hearing board's role is to make sure local governments comply with the state's 1990 Growth Management Act," quoting The Olympian.

"The Yelm History Project is an attempt to relate the story of Yelm in a variety of ways. It is, actually, many stories. It is a story about the prairie, the surrounding forests, and the Nisqually River; all in the morning shadow of Ta Co Bet; Mt. Rainer. It is also the saga of the Nisqually people, who inhabited the land, shaped the environment, and spread throughout the region. The Yelm History Project, finally, relates the history of the people who settled the prairie, farmed the soil, and logged the forests," quoting the Yelm History Project site.

The Yelm History Project provides a wealth on information on the history of this area.

"Yelm, Washington. Yelm Acupuncture Clinic announces Community Acupuncture every Wednesday evening, 6pm to 7:30pm beginning February 21.

Do you suffer from stress, anxiety, trouble sleeping, PTSD, or addictions? Would you like to detoxify your body to increase your overall health and energy? Are you interested in experiencing acupuncture, but regular treatments are not in your budget? Join us for Yelm Community Acupuncture. Treatments will be done in a group setting and will be approximately 20-40 minutes long.

Yelm Acupuncture Clinic is sponsoring sessions. The fee is minimal, only $20 to cover the cost of supplies and expenses.

Yelm Acupuncture Clinic is located at: 204 Yelm Avenue West in Yelm. Please call 360.458.6942 with questions.
Treatments will be administered by longtime Yelm resident and acupuncturist, Fran Pearre, LAc and me.

Thank you,

Hilary Laferriere, LAc."

Just published on the Earthfiles website is this story [scroll to #10]:

"10) Yelm, Washington - January 22, 2007 at 2:45 p.m. Pacific -

I am a listener of Coast to Coast, and heard you on the program
Friday night, Jan. 26th.

My name is -- and on 1-22-07, I had an experience that I can't quite
believe myself yet. It was about 2:45 PM in the afternoon. I was on
the roof of a construction site in a town known as Yelm in Washington
state, about a 30 Min. drive east of Tacoma.

While I was on this roof of a Walmart, inspecting a roof, I caught
something in the sky out of the corner of my eye. We are about 15 min
south of McChord AFB. So I thought nothing of it and went on with my
work. This was a little strange though because I realized that there
wasn't an engine or any noise coming from what I had caught. I looked
back up to see what it was, and that was when I caught the image of a
craft, wasn't really a saucer, but was round. Almost spherical. That
was when it passed through a cloud and stopped just as it penetrated
the side facing south.

That was the side I was on, but it seemed to be right above McChord
AFB. This caught me off guard cause as it started to penetrate out of
the cloud, the cloud and the craft both stopped the north easterly
movement that the clouds where moving in. It was a silverish color,
almost the color of non-polished aluminum. This craft stayed in this
cloud for about 10 min, and then promptly pulled back into the cloud.
Directly after the craft pulled into the cloud, was when I noticed
what looked like a tunnel forming in the cloud. The tunnel then just
disappeared and the cloud returned to its normal wind drift."

Click the hotlink above for the full story.

1. "Greg Simmons is President of Mulai de Guise Publishing and the author of "These Things You Shall Do, and Greater" to be released in January 2007. His web site is dedicated to understanding the correlation between ancient wisdom and modern science.
Greg moved to the Pacific Northwest to be near Ramtha’s School of Enlightenment. He has been a student for twenty-five years, the marketing director for eighteen years, and Ramtha’s first appointed teacher for the past nine years. He has had the privilege to teach thousands of students in over twenty different foreign countries. Currently he is featured every month on www.beyondtheordinary.net Webcast radio program," quoting Mr. Simmons' website.
Mr. Simmons' monthly newletter "The Physics of Change" can be accessed here.

2. “I am a Woman, I am a God (not for women only)” is the title of a new book by Louise Oliverio. "I am a Woman, I am a God, (not for women only) puts forth an understanding with respect to causes relating to the oppression and suppression of women, its affect on the self-empowerment, evolution and women's relationship to God. The book allows a place for men facing some of the same issues along with humanity at large.

What surprises the reader is religion's role in the oppression and suppression of women.

Another surprise is that quantum physics science has come to the point of understanding that reality is created by thought - our thoughts both personal and collective. It is not gender specific but includes all.

My short book can be understood by all. You don't need to be a rocket scientist to understand what is being put forth," quoitng Ms. Oliveriuo's website.

3. "Evolve Your Brain, The Science of Changing Your Mind" is Dr. Joe Dispenza's book on what he has learned from his experiences, chiropractic practice and being a sudent in Ramtha's School. Listen to Dr. Dispenza's radio interview on Evolving Ideas with Elaine Smitha from January 16, 2007.

Keven Graves, publisher/managing editor of the Nisqually Valley News (NVN) wrote a cryptic editorial in his newspaper's January 26 Opinion page saying,
"...there aren't any tell-tale signs of hidden agendas or secret meetings being held in smoke-filled back rooms. If we catch wind of such goings on, however, you can bet our readers will read about it in our pages. Yes, Yelm is still a small town, and the old timers - or at least the long timers - tend to have their own tight circles. That's OK, as long as that doesn't translate into blatant cronyism.

While I'm a believer in being involved in local government, whether as an elected or appointed official, or as a citizen asking questions and attending meetings, there is a line, one that is easily crossed when a person refuses to be accountable."

Mr. Graves has published several Letters to the Editor in recent weeks asking him for facts as to what he was referring since he closed the column saying, "It's ultimately up to the reader to reach their own conclusions based on all of the facts, and we trust them to do so, because they're smart.
That's how we do our job.
What say you?"

However, the NVN story of February 9 highlighting Yelm's Citizen Committees made abundantly clear both in what was printed and in what was ommitted that with THIS city, the line of blatant cronyism has been crossed based on what was reflected in Yelm's Mayor-appointed Citizen Committees.

Did anyone notice that Glen Cunningham serves on 4 of the 6 citizen committees and what was not listed in the NVN is that he also serves the Yelm Lions as well as on the Mayor appointed Yelm Economic Committee (EDC) and the Yelm Chamber of Commerce Board. Further, Mr, Cunningham is the chariman of the Yelm Planning Commission & Vice Chair of the Yelm Tree Advisory Board. Certainly seems like a conflict of interest with all of his posts.
WHAT SAY YOU?
More preferential treatment?
Further, Cecelia Jenkins serves as the Executive Director of the Yelm Chamber of Commerce and on the Mayor appointed Yelm Economic Devleopment Committee (EDC) and the Mayor appointed Yelm Parks Advisory Board.

While I acknowledge Mr. Cunningham's & Mrs. Jenkins' service to the city, wouldn't the wise thing be for the Mayor to appoint people from all walks of life from the area to these Boards. Some have said no one else steps "up to the plate" to serve their community. I have issue with that, since more than a dozen people applied for an open City Council seat in 2006.

This writer wrote the Mayor and raised this issue last Autumn[scroll to September 28, 2006 for full story]:

Mr. Harding's response was:
"In response to your inquiry, No charter governs these types of committees and like most appointments they are appointed by the Mayor. Each of the backgrounds that you feel should be present on this committee is already present, as I find the need to I can add or reduce the membership.

I can ensure you I have confidence in those members I have selected, in my staff and myself. I believe at the end of my first term the progress we have made will speak for itself.

I hope I have provided the knowledge that you seem to be lacking in understanding how these committees are structured.

The time is now."
Mayor Ron Harding

If the aforementioned examples have not translated "into blatant cronyism", this writer knows none better. And, there are plenty more examples of blatant cronyism not listed here!

Mr. Graves states further, "Simply put, we won't gloss over the truth to protect sources, nor will we twist it to suit our whim or agenda." OK fine, then the "TIME IS NOW" to report these issues & to call for some new "blood" and diversity from among Yelm citizens to be appointed to this city's citizen committees with the current vacancies.

WRITE THE NVN AND MAYOR & LET THEM KNOW YOUR OPINION!
Kenin Graves, NVN = yelmnews@yelmonline.com
Mayor Ron Harding = ronh@ci.yelm.wa.us

Directing your attention to an informal poll on the Nisqually Valley News (NVN) website requesting your vote:

"Right or wrong track?

Do you think the City of Yelm is on the right path, or wrong track, when it comes to dealing with residential and commercial growth?
Please select one:

0 -The city is doing a great job dealing with, and planning for, growth

0- The city is doing an OK job, but could do better

0- The city is keeping up, but isn't doing much planning

0- There is no planning

0- The city is doing a flat out lousy job"

At the time of this writing, 53% of those respondents said, "The city is doing a flat out lousy job."
While an unoffical poll, this is a stinging rebuke given the other voting options!

Further, when I ran for Mayor of Yelm in 2005, I was labelled the anti-growth candidate by my opponent & his camp. As I said then and still say today, I am not anti-growth, I am for wise, controlled growth to maintain our small-town composite. I warned then that Yelm citizens in the future would look back on 2005 and question what our city offiicials were thinking approving all of the development and lacking the proper infrastucture to support such.

Now, today we have Mayor Harding giving his State of the City Address in what will be glowing terms, I am sure. Yet, not mentioned will be the city's water urgency, flooding, water rights issues, unbridled development, city officials in a cozy relationship with the developers and an unfunded Loop years away to handle a traffic mess in this town.

Hopefully, the fact that the NVN is finally taking a vote on growth here may be signalling some awareness to bring much-needed attention to this issue.

Won't you take the time to click one of the boxes so your voice can also be heard?

Writing to the Yelm Community Blog as a private citizen, Mr. Hashim's remarks are unabridged in any way:

"My daughter is a freshman at Western Washington University. This week she is studying for a test in environmental studies 101. One of the test questions is the definition of community. She asked me what I thought the definition was. The standard text book definition is "all inhabitants of a well defined area working together to create a healthy habitat.

The Thompson Creek meeting was an opportunity for community members to work together to solve a problem. It is perfectly clear, and rather sad, that the City of Yelm refuses to participate, refuses to be part of a greater community. Using the textbook definiton of cummunity (sic) it is obvious Yelm is not a community!! Instead, it is an unhealthy habitat, and getting worse all the time.

I often get called by my neighbors for help. What can we do about Wal-Mart, about Nascar, about Tahoma Terra, the traffic, and of course Thompson Creek flooding? The calls usually come after they have tried to get help, to communicate with, or to get any kind of response of any sort from the city of Yelm. It breaks my heart that little ladies who have lived their whole lives in Yelm cannot get the city to answer their calls for help.

I'm not afraid to speak out on behalf of my neighbors. Doing so has often got me in hot water with the city council. I don't really care. It is obvious the council could care less about the citizens of Yelm. I do so & I will continue to help.

It was pathetic how Yelm's representative at the Thompson Creek meeting [see January 30 entry below] sat there like a rotten log, refusing to discuss solutions of any sort. Instead, he deferred the city's position to the Tahoma Terra developers.

Now I know who owns this city, and unfortunately it is not us.

Bill Hashim
Yelm, WA

Quoting the Yelm Food Co-op Flier:

Yelm Food Coop Membership Meeting at Yelm Library
Sunday February 11, 2007

At long last we are opening a store in Yelm!
We have come far with your support to date but need your continued
support for the opening and operation of our new store.
Please plan to attend this meeting on Sunday, Feb 11, from 2-4pm
at the Yelm Library.

Things we will be discussing:
• New store front and the opening date.
• Staffing/volunteer needs
• Equipment needs
• Financial needs to meet requirements for the new store opening
• The number of members required to obtain funding from a
financial lending institution
• Plans for Annual Members meeting in August/September

Please come with your creative input, suggestions and willingness to be personally involved in the realization of this long time dream. We have created this so far together but opening and running a food co-op is an ongoing, evolving process. Be a vital part of it!

The NVN reports, "Yelm Police Department can't patrol the Yelm-to-Tenino trail head all night long.

Thanks to a state of the art digital surveillance camera now mounted at the site, however, police do have a pretty good idea what's happening there, 24 hours a day.

Two weeks ago, the City of Yelm installed remote digital cameras at the trail head and the Yelm skate park, with the intention of keeping an eye peeled for vandalism and other crimes.

More cameras are planned for other locations in the city, and Stancil said the police department hopes to link up with the surveillance cameras planned for the new Yelm Wal-Mart."

[Ed. Note: HMMM! What kind of crime is happening on a trail head next to where the Mayor & his family live in his mother's house that requires a camera? The newspaper reports it is a staging area for potential crimes quoting, "The trail head and skate park are the demonstration areas for new cameras simply because they are busy." Joggers beware, you are on camera in little ole Yelm! HMMM! Look for more cameras to come. Small-town Yelm is now history.]

As predicted, this city keeps adding more developments and crime is going to go up.
The NVN reported in its January 26th edition, "As the City of Yelm grows, so does the rime rate."

And in Lacey, drivers beware:
"Two intersections in this city will become the first locations in Thurston County where cameras will document motorists who run red lights. Olympia and Tumwater might not be far behind. A Lacey City Council committee has authorized Police Chief Dusty Pierpoint to start the enforcement program. Pierpoint said he'd like the program up and running by July with cameras monitoring two intersections - likely ­Sleater-Kinney Road and Pacific Avenue, and Martin Way and Marvin Road...
Supporters say the cameras do reduce the number of collisions caused by red-light running. Critics counter the devices serve as a revenue stream for cities and insurance companies, which can jack up the premiums of red-light scofflaws caught on film," quoting The Olympian.

If that isn't enough, download Google Earth and see the views of your property from the air -- public for all to see.

There is NO privacy left in the "land of the free."

The Yelm Community Blog received this in response to a section of the February 3, 2007 post from Kevin Farrell as a private citizen. The comments are posted here for you, unabridged in any way and relate to the NVN story of Feb. 2nd excerpted after the comments:

"I wanted to respond to the inaccurate statements that Grant Beck, Community Development Director for the City of Yelm, apparently made to the Nisqually Valley News regarding the recent meeting on Thompson Creek. I am responding as a private citizen.

In his tirade to the local media Mr. Beck stated that he contacted me once he learned the City of Yelm was on the agenda for this meeting. That's rather interesting since it was I who called Mr. Beck, before development of the agenda, to inform him of the meeting, and to ask for the City of Yelm to participate. Mr. Beck, during that phone call, appeared to have an attitude problem, asking several times, "what the hidden agenda was" and "why I was involved". He now knows why I am involved... because he, and the City of Yelm, are not.

Mr. Beck was provided with the agenda approximately 15-minutes after he requested it. There was no delay, no hidden agenda... just a request, verbally, for the City to participate. They decided to not provide any constructive dialouge on the flooding and other issues along Thompson Creek. His only comment was "no comment". Pretty sad state of affairs in the City of Yelm, as far as I am concerned.

With regard to the specific statement, "I really can't speak as to the particiaption by the City of Yelm,", Mr. Beck wanted me to tell him what his talking points should be. Is that my job? Can't Mr. Beck think for himself? Obviously not. The citizens affected by flooding along Thompson Creek are tired of calling upon deaf ears at the City of Yelm. There is absolutely no communication coming from Beck or other City staff on this issue. But hey, what should I expect from a group that prohibits the use of the word WAL-MART at it's public meetings. I digress."

Relating to & quoting the referenced February 2, 2007 NVN, who did NOT send a reporter to the aforementioned meeting,
"Also at the meeting was Yelm Community Development Director Grant Beck and engineers from the Tahoma Terra development, which has been blamed for the flooding by downstream residents.

McMurry expressed dismay that Beck did not give a presentation as was listed on the agenda, but Beck said he had to ask twice for an agenda and when he learned the city was listed, he inquired via e-mail to Ferrell, about what was expected.

'I really can't speak as to the participation by the City of Yelm,' Ferrell's e-mail stated.

Because residents have blamed Tahoma Terra for the flooding, Beck brought a Tahoma Terra engineer, and landscape architect, Bob Droll, to explain the situation upstream from the problem area.

The developers have done everything the state requires of them, Beck said, and the stream is ground water influenced.

'The development is not the problem.'

'Many of those people are in the flood plain,' Rockett said."

Ed. Note: Once again, a City of Yelm offical is very cozy with the Tahoma Terra developers (i.e. Thurston Highlands Associates owners' paid guy at the meeting stated Mssrs. Bloom & Chamberlain did not receive the invitation to this meeting & their absence was because they were out of town. That was put asunder when it was acknowledged they knew of this meeting and its purpose prior to their departure.).

Is this preferential treatment?

WHAT SAY YOU?

"Let's hope the third time is the charm for Rep. Tom Campbell's bill to require hospitals to report how many of their patients come down with an infection during treatment.

According to surveys of 300 large hospitals, 2 million Americans are infected at medical facilities each year, and about 90,000 of them die.

The public has every right to know which hospitals have aggressive infection-control programs in place and which hospitals, for whatever reasons, have high infection rates.

It should come as no surprise that the Washington State Hospital Association is opposed to Campbell's legislation.

The organization would just as soon keep infection rates out of the hands - and minds - of consumers...

It's time to add Washington to the list.

Campbell, a Republican from Roy's 2nd Legislative District that includes eastern Thurston County, has twice before tried to pass his bill.

The measure passed the state House of Representatives last year but died in the Senate. Let us hope the Senate sees the wisdom of Campbell's legislation this year and sends it to the governor for her signature into law.

HB 1106 requires the Department of Health to adopt standards for identifying, tracking and reporting health-care-associated infections acquired in hospitals and to publish annual reports of infection control measures at individual hospitals.

Disclosure is a good thing.

It will help patients who have a choice of hospitals decide where their risk of infection is less...

Lawmakers in the House and Senate should pass HB 1106.

For more information

Tracking a bill:

To view the text of House Bill 1106 or any bill, or to see background information, a summary of committee testimony and how individual legislators voted, go to www.leg.wa.gov/ ," quoting The Olympian.

I was sitting here contemplating so many issues raised on this blog I have observed in the last year with our town, I just had to put them down on paper and share them with all of you. While these WILL sound redundant, I believe many area residents are beginning to see what has been warned to City of Yelm officials about their acceptance of unbridled growth, now showing consequences.

WATER & FLOODING
1. SHALLOW GROUNDWATER HAZARDS & RELATED FLOODING NOT ADDRESSED; SHUTS CITY WELL
I wrote a warning to the City Council about the high groundwater issues in a letter published in the NVN on September 8, 2006 after my public comments were disputed at the Yelm Planning Commission meeting of August 25, 2006 where I stated:
"B. Incorporate a separate section [in the Comprehensive Plan Update] dealing with shallow groundwater hazards and related flooding. The City of Yelm staff dealt with a number of high groundwater and drainage issues with last year’s heavy rains. These rains are showing themselves to be more frequent than originally estimated. The present approach for handling shallow groundwater rise has been totally inadequate.last summer."
Now, the January 19 NVN says:
“A third well is available for emergencies, but the water supply must be treated in a special fashion because it is "under the influence of surface water," said Tim Peterson, Yelm Public Works director.”
Isn't that interesting! This well and its aquifer are just downstream from Wal-Mart’s surface conditions with soon-to-be daily traffic pollution dripping oil & fuel runoff from their proposed volume of vehicles and these high groundwater & drainage issues issues were raised last year.
No action by city. Extensive flooding, in particular in Thompson Creek, Yelm Creek and the high ground-water areas surrounding Wal-Mart.

2. YELM OFFICIALS TAKE A "BYE" ON THOMPSON CREEK FLOODING PRESENTATION IN STATE SPONSORED MEETING
Thompson Creek flooding issues have have been progressing now for years resulting in so many comments received by the Washington State Dept. of Ecology that they called a meeting with all associated agencies about this issue.
Ed Wiltsie, PE outlined groundwater issues at the October 24, 2006 Council Meeting, as well, which raised several questions, in particular about his findings that 3 culverts under SR 507 by Hawk's Landing have been covered by the developers, impeding water flow that caused flooding last year, raised again at this meeting.
Bill Hashim a Yelm resident & Dept. of Ecology official also made a presentation on water quality, which he has presented previously on several occasions to the Yelm City Council.
The NVN reports on February 2, 2007, "McMurry [Key McMurry of WA. Dept. of Fish & Wildlife] expressed dismay that Beck [Yelm Development Director Grant Beck] did not give a presentation as was listed on the agenda, but Beck said he had to ask twice for an agenda and when he learned the city was listed, he inquired via email to Ferrell about what was expected. 'I really can't speak as to the participation by the City of Yelm,' Ferrell's email stated."
Everyone at this meeting knew this was called to discuss Thompson Creek issues, in particular those caused by Tahoma Terra developers and Yelm officials would address the creek's issues within their jurisdiction.
I was at this meeting and witnessed Mr. Beck declining to make a presentation or answering questions. When asked about his silence by his official colleagues, he deferred to the Tahoma Terra developer's representative.
No response from the City of Yelm.

TRAFFIC
1. YELM TRAFFIC SUGGESTIONS BY PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER IGNORED
Ed Wiltsie, PE was the only speaker to make a public comment at the Oct. 24, 2006 City Council meeting regarding Ordinance 858 amending the Yelm Comprehensive Plan regarding traffic. Even the city's own Development Director, Grant Beck stated in his staff report to the Council that evening: "The City Council should carefully consider the points raised by Mr. Wiltsie in which he indicates that the establishment of a level of service F in the downtown core is not being used as intended by the 2001 Comprehensive Transportation Plan as adopted by the Yelm Planning Commission and the Yelm City Council, as the intention of the City Council is ultimately determined by the City Council. If the Council's intention is correctly expressed by Mr. Wiltsie's comments, it should clarify that for the record." Yet, the City approved the Comprehensive Plan revisions unanimously anyway. While the respect and admiration was noted from the City Council towards Mr. Wiltsie and his report, not one member of the City Council raised their hand to say they would like to table the adoption of Ordinance 858 amending the Yelm Comprehensive Plan and do further research regarding Mr. Wiltsie's comments.

2. CITY SAYS THIS CENTER TURN LANE ADEQUATE, FUTURE YELM TRAFFIC ISSUES NOT ADDRESSED
The Yelm Loop estimated construction date is still to begin in 2013, with an opening two years later, subject to funding ,according to the DOT website. The City of Yelm is adding a LID sponsored center-turn-lane yet will still have only one lane in and one lane out of town. A new Steven's Street connector and a Tahoma Terra access road will dump many daily car trips onto Yelm Ave. West this year. With a road mostly in gridlock many afternoons already, what is the City going to do in 3, 5, 10 years about the traffic on Yelm Ave West? No action planned.

3. CITY WILL BE WIDENING YELM AVE EAST IN A FEW YEARS WITH NO EXPENSE TO WAL-MART AS CAUSE
I stated on September 8, 2006 in a letter published in the NVN:
"Developers...impact/mitigation fees were a good idea and I applaud the City of Yelm for embracing them in 1995. However the City was following the general trends of area jurisdictions and the process has not been updated here since that 1995 adoption...The City taxpayer (not Wal-Mart) will end up paying for road widening of Yelm Hwy and continuing streets construction to accommodate Wal-Mart generated traffic, since those vehicles will have no Y3 Loop for years and be forced onto city streets. The city mitigation fees did not require Wal-Mart to cover this condition adequately." Yet, the city says fees are adequate with no action planned. Yelm taxpayer will pay.

DEVELOPERS AND CITY VERY COZY
1. THURSTON HIGHLANDS ASSOCIATES EIS FUNDING FRONTED BY CITY OF YELM TAXPAYER
Yelm’s City Council has stated public funds will not be used in private for-profit developments. Yet, quoting City Administrator Shelley Badger in the January 19 NVN, "It's after the EIS 'when it will be determined how much they have to pay.'" This means the city is fronting the money for the privately held Thurston Highlands Associates. Is this preferential treatment?
Would the city fund an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for you, me or any other developer, then determine payment AFTER the EIS?
Will the public be repaid interest on loaning money for Thurston Highlands’ EIS?
These questions not addressed.

2. ARE THURSTON HIGHLANDS ASSOCIATES INTERACTIONS BY CITY OFFICIALS PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT?
The NVN reported in its January 19 and 26 editions about Yelm Mayor Ron Harding turning over the first blade of dirt in the new Tahoma Valley Golf Clubhouse owned by Thurston Highlands Associates Steve Chamberlain and Doug Bloom, also featured in the February Yelm Chamber Prairie Viewpoint. Yet in the January 19 NVN, “The owners of the golf course, also the developers of Tahoma Terra and Thurston Highlands, offered to give the city water rights if half of the available water could be used for the Tahoma Terra development.”
Now, Thurston Highlands owners are working with the City of Yelm to exchange water rights, get approval for the Thurston Highlands development, Tahoma Terra issues, the City of Yelm is fronting funds for the Thurston Highlands EIS and now the Mayor does the groundbreaking for the Thurston Associates owned Tahoma Valley Clubhouse. Couldn't the Mayor turn over those duties to the Yelm Chamber President or some other city luminary like Larry Schorno or recently retired Thurston County Sheriff Edwards? And now a very nice donation to the Mayor's Scholarship Fund by Thurston Highlands Associates owner Bloom. Couldn't Mr. Bloom have made an individual scholarship donation in the name of the "Doug Bloom Scholarship" instead of via the Mayor's Fund? In his position, the mayor will be required to represent all constituents and perhaps comment on the Thurston Highlands application, Tahoma Tera construction & creek flooding, Tahoma Valley Golf water rights exchange and the EIS. I know everyone will all say they see no conflict of interest, yet any observer would have to say HMMM! Surely seems Thurston Highlands Associates and city officials' interactions are getting very, very cozy, indeed! Is there some preferential treatment going on?

Is Yelm soon to be known only as the "car-strangled spanner" connecting Spanaway and Lacey thanks to city officials allowing developers to impact our town?

The City of Yelm residents' silence on these issues comes at a price.
IT'S ABOUT THE TOWN'S FUTURE!

What say you?

Guest entry printed here with permission of the author:

Dear Steve & Yelm Community Blog,

Am delighted to see you addressed Emergency Preparedness in your recent newsletter [Kleiner's Korner of January 22, 2007]. Since finding Ramtha in 1983, I have been learning about preparedness in one form or another. Actually, I was dealing with emergency plans since 1978 when I first began working as a Massachusetts State Licensing Coordinator, surveying residential and vocational programs for compliance with applicable regulations and standards. In that capacity, I trained Social Service Agencies to prepare provisions for their clients for one week. Recently, Providence St. Peter Hospital created a new position entitled Emergency Preparedness Trainer especially for me! I am thrilled to be training over 2300 employees to be prepared for anything!

My experience from RSE School helped me appeal to Administration about the need for preparedness and the fact that training will take time. I remember the learning curve and my own resistance to creating a complete change in consciousness regarding storing food, water and provisions for long periods of time. There has to be a paradigm change and the concept of "hording" has to be evolved to one of "storing is a wise and prudent thing to do" which eventually will become the norm.

I did some research into trends of thinking and how concepts are created and "institutionalized" in cultural thinking. What I found was a historical perspective that I briefly share as a story in my training. During the Industrial Revolution when workers were encouraged to move from farms into the cities to work in factories, there was a shift from self sufficiency to dependency on mercantile establishments. Workers did not have access to their gardens, home canning and food storage and had to go to local general stores or their rooming houses for provisions and meals. General stores evolved to specialty stores for food and other goods, which evolved to a downtown model of localized stores, which evolved to larger department stores, which evolved to shopping centers, which evolved to covered malls, which has developed now to large one stop shopping discount stores. Each evolution encountered resistance as now seen locally with he Wal-Mart issue. Along with the change in vendor structure the concept of self sufficiency and storing declined and the Spin Doctors and Marketers of their time put a negative spin on storing food and therefore "hording" and "stockpiling" became a negative action. Even the Adventist Church teaches "In the end days those that horde will have all taken away". Religion even plays a part in the formation of cultural conscience! The 72 Hour campaign was been very effective in getting folks primed to prepare for a short period of time or prepare an evacuation kit BUT recent events have demonstrated 72 hours worth of provisions will not be enough. The huge myth that the Calvary will come in a disaster needs to be debunked. We are now encouraging people to move towards one month's worth of supplies and that is a huge leap for most people! I laugh when I think, "if only they could hear store two years worth of supplies"!

So, emergency preparedness really affects us all. We all need to help those around us to change their way of thinking. I advocate having neighborhood meetings to discuss emergency preparedness because when disaster strikes it will take entire communities to band together to support one another. The local Fire Departments and Thurston County Emergency Management provide classes for communities. I am also working with The Survival Center in providing classes and Expo's showcasing emergency supplies. In addition to my extensive duties and responsibilities at PSPH I am consulting with State Agencies and business on emergency preparedness. With all my years of focus on preparedness I still add to my provisions weekly and find new gadgets and items that will be useful.

Abigail M. Haddock
Emergency Preparedness Trainer
Providence St. Peter Hospital
360 493-5781

Thanks to Abigail for sharing her experiences.
Now, two former Presidents are actively encouraging Americans to get prepared as Bill Clinton & George Herbert Walker Bush (Bush 41) appear in joint public-service commercials touting the new government website: Ready.gov.
The Ready.gov Kit to which the Presidents refer is a must for every home AND every vehicle.
Here is the information on the Presidents' public service ad.

The Publisher/Managing Editor of the Nisqually Valley News Keven Graves published my Letter to the Editor about Yelm Water Concerns "Boil." So, now the readers of the NVN have the same information as do readers of this blog. The letter I sent to the NVN is printed below unabridged.
Additionally, the NVN published an email I received on January 29 from Yelm City Administrator Shelley Badger addressing questions I sent to her on January 15 (in full at bottom) to follow-up after receiving no response from my presentation to the Yelm City Council on January 9, 2007 which is listed on the City Council's Minutes, then click MINUTES, then January 9, 2007.

From the NVN publishing my letter and Ms. Badger's answers, we can no ascertain the following:

1. The City of Yelm has no contract, pro-rata or otherwise with the Thurston Highlands Associates for the SW Aquifer study. An agreement with the City of Yelm granting access to the property is not a binding contract telling the citizens of Yelm what share Thurston Highlands associates will pay for the $550,003 to date. Further, nothing binds Thurston Highlands Associates to pay anything, until after their EIS is underway.

2. So, the City is putting up the total amount of the money for the aquifer part of Thurston Highlands Associates EIS, all along saying it does not use taxpayer monies to fund a private for-profit development.

Yet, the City of Yelm and the NVN still have not addressed these questions posed:
Is this preferential treatment?
Would the City of Yelm do that for you, me or any other developer?
Will Thurston Highlands Associates pay the City of Yelm interest on its pro-rata share of the SW Aquifer Study for taxpayer monies fronted to do the study?
Where is the accountabiliity between the City of Yelm and Thurston Highlands Associates for this aquifer study if no contract currently exists between these two entities saying that will be determined once the EIS is under way?
Would you operate YOUR business affairs this way; i.e. undertake work on behalf of another without a written contract and decide once the work is underway & under what conditions the payment schedule will be made?

3. Based on the question Ms. Badger answered about a budget for joint mitigaiton, there is no money budgeted for joint mitigation with the cities of Olympia & Lacey & the Tribe. Joint mitigation with those jurisdictions will have to be done at some point, so we now know that $550,003 has been spent to date on Yelm alone. One would have to believe joint mitigation is going to require some large dollar outlay, as well.

What say you?
Is this preferential treatment?

The Letter I wrote to the NVN printed there on February 2. This is the unabridged version:
Dear Editor,

While I applaud your paper’s coverage of the water issues in your January 19th story titled “Yelm Water Concerns Reach Boil,” I felt many questions I posed to the Yelm City Council on January 9th becoming the basis for your story were not addressed. While you may consider me “a snarky gadfly” that “nips at the heels of the movers and shakers” & starts to look “like a whiner” for seeking answers from city officials on important matters, I say speaking up and questioning our leaders as a City of Yelm property owner/ taxpayer is our responsibility as citizens.
Does the City of Yelm have a contract with Thurston Highlands’ owners to develop water rights? Never answered, yet the implication is it does not, quoting Ms. Badger; “If a good water source is found on the Thurston Highlands site, developers will have to pay their fair share, which won't be determined until the Environmental Impact Statement is complete later this year.”
HUMMM! That’s interesting because Yelm’s City Council has stated public funds will not be used in private for-profit developments.
- Ms. Badger’s viewpoint must obviously be this is not an issue because she says, “It's after the EIS ‘when it will be determined how much they have to pay.’" So, why IS the city using public money to front a developer’s EIS?
Is this not preferential treatment?
Would the city fund an EIS for you, me or any other developer? Then determine payment AFTER the EIS?
- Will the public be repaid interest on loaning money for Thurston Highlands’ EIS?
- Obviously not quoting Ms. Badger, “It's after the EIS ‘when it will be determined how much they have to pay.’" If there is no contract now for how much they have to pay, what obligates Thurston Highlands’ developers to pay anything for this study in the future?
- “But, said Badger, and Yelm Mayor Ron Harding, pursuit of water from that location would be taking place regardless of who owns the property and what they plan to do with it.” This is private property that has had various owners during the last decade. What if there is no agreement reached with the current owners, what will the city do then; seize the land and water rights as the City of Olympia did with the brewery last year? And who will pay Thurston Highlands’ pro-rata share for the study then?
- “What limits and conditions have the developers placed on the city for the SW Aquifer Project?” Where is the accountability between Thurston Highlands’ developers and the City of Yelm if there is no contract?
- How do downstream users of the SW Aquifer like the Cities of Olympia & Lacey & the Tribe feel about Yelm’s treated waste-water recharging the aquifer from where they derive their drinking water, with the volume of treated waste-water required to be replaced back into the aquifer?
- Let’s see, the City of Yelm is nearing a water emergency with so much approved development with one of the city’s three wells unusable, quoting the NVN, “A third well is available for emergencies, but the water supply must be treated in a special fashion because it is "under the influence of surface water," said Tim Peterson, Yelm Public Works director.”
What/where were the surface conditions that caused this well to be unusable and how does the city keep approving developments with 1/3 of its wells out of service? Isn’t this well’s aquifer just downstream from Wal-Mart’s surface conditions of daily traffic pollution dripping oil & fuel runoff from their proposed volume of vehicles?

Perhaps you think these questions are posed just to “stir up the pot” to make “myself look relevant, like the myriad of conspiracy theorists you’ll find on the Internet…” That may be your view, however I learned a lot about this city & its politics as a candidate for Mayor and have raised issues and asked tough questions ever since, providing education, knowledge and facts for this area’s citizens to discern for themselves. You even reported December 15, 2006 Councilman Bob Isom’s concern the almost $600,000 funded would not be all, forcing council “to continue to sink money into this project.” “It’s ultimately up to the reader to reach their conclusion based on ALL of the facts.”

"A time comes when silence is betrayal," quoting Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on April 4, 1967.

What say your readers?

Stephen R. Klein
Yelm, WA.

Read for yourself the January 29 email response to my January 15 email to Ms. Badger.
Shelley Badger wrote [January 29]:
Steve, see below for responses to your questions. Thank you for your patience in my reply. Shelly

Shelly Badger, Yelm City Administrator

Steve Klein wrote [January 15]:

Hello Shelley,

I would like to get answers to a few of the questions I posed

last week at the City Council session:

1. Does the City of Yelm have a contract with Thurston Highlands for the SW Aquifer Project?

The City of Yelm has an agreement with Thurston Highlands Associates allowing access to the property for the SW Yelm aquifer study.

2. Does the City of Yelm have a pro-rata contract with Thurston Highlands for the SW Aquifer Project?

As stated previously in City staff reports to the City Council, this will be determined from the Thurston Highlands impact analysis completed during the Environmental Impact Statement and stated as a condition of the Conceptual Master Plan.

3. If, so, what is the pro-rata share of each party?

See response to question #2.

4. If no contract exists, how and when will that be determined?

See response to question #2. The EIS and Conceptual Master Plan conditions are anticipated to be completed in late 2007.

And other questions that I have:

5. What is the City of Yelm's budget for water for the next 10 years (i.e. water rights, studies)?

The City's water budget is comprised of operation/maintenance of the present system AND dollars for capital improvements necessary to support the city and its urban growth area. The 2007 budget for O & M is $1,304,057; annual debt service is $296,643; capital improvements (which includes projects, water rights investigation and water rights acquisition) $716,712; capital reserve $564,788. We anticipate that this budget will grow annually at the rate of 3-5% range in the next 5-year period.

Every 6 years, the City of Yelm completes a Comprehensive Water Plan which identifies projects needed for the upcoming 6-year period based on the City's expected needs. This improvement program, as well as anticipated O & M needs, is used to set monthly water rates and connection fees to allow the City to undertake the necessary work for the water utility. The current Comprehensive Water Plan is up for renewal in 2008.

6. How much money are you allowed to spend on the current SW Aquifer Study?

The current contract with Golder is authorized at $550,003.

7. On future studies?

The nature and need for future studies is based on what we discover as we advance thru our technical studies. Based on this factual information, there may be a need for additional technical work to understand how the withdrawal of water from the SW Yelm aquifer impacts the area. At that time, a budget for this work would be determined.

8. How is that allotted?

The City sets aside a portion of each new water hookup for capital improvements. These improvements include both facilities that are needed as Yelm grows and dollars necessary to obtain new water rights.

9. How much money has been budgeted for the joint mitigation to come with the City of Olympia, City of Lacey & the Nisqually Tribe?

Until all the cities complete their individual impact analysis and mitigation plans, it is difficult to understand fully where joint mitigation opportunities exist. As this information becomes available, the watershed partners will discuss where joint mitigation makes sense and each jurisdiction's appropriate share.

Thanks so much for your time.

Steve Klein

Guest Entry:

"Weyerhauser owns 70+ acres above the Tenino quarry, and despite possible land erosion and other factors there is no delay in their planning to log the hilltop above Tenino this summer. DNR had ordered a geo-tech study and it came out as a go, so far as I have heard (amazing!). Their full report has not reached the Tenino City Council oddly enough and has caused them to delay. The council sees no benefit to the city to have this done- in fact damage could be possible that will not be covered by Weyerhauser. I attended a city council meeting this week and heard the latest.

The logging company is requesting an easement road permit from the city of Tenino to do this (way cheaper and faster than using their own road). They will cut and immediately sell the land to a developer (they will not be replanting and just want out). Other than this permit, the city has little say-so in this matter. The land is outside city limits.

The lowdown is that the city *has been affected by public comment* (in my opinion the Tenino City Council is more receptive than other councils I have attended) and has scheduled a second public hearing on the subject for February 13th at 7:30 pm. I encourage all Tenino residents to attend and voice their opinion. I think everyone that goes thru Tenino or has visited the gorgeous park there agrees that this would be a sore sight - unfortunately it lies more in DNR's hands as to stopping logging altogether, but the city easement issue (yes or no) may decide its speed.
I request that you spread the word. The website for the city council of Tenino is: http://www.ci.tenino.wa.us/ I recommend folks visit it to get more accurate information than I may have provided.

If anyone has questions they are free to call me and I can get more information or direct their call. Thank you for your help, Loralin Toney (360)264-7286

Yelm's local telephone company conglomerate Fairpoint Communications had this to say in their recent newsletter that is wise counsel:
"Our area has been hit with some major weather in the last couple of months. Weather related emergencies and power outages can wreak havoc on your day to day activities. One technology you can always count on is your land line telephone service from FairPoint Communications. We would like to remind you to always keep a corded telephone for use during power outages as cordless phones will not operate during an outage due to requiring electricity. Also, cellular phones may not work if your cellular provider is relying on the local power grid.

FairPoint Communications' land lines have their own power supply so will almost always work-just plug in a corded phone to your telephone jack and your lifeline will still be available in an emergency or just to stay connected to family and friends.

During December's major wind storm and power outage, FairPoint's telephone lines never failed and our offices were open during regular office hours. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to call us at 458-2171."

Just know you may get a call center in Ellensburg, the Northeast, Missouri or North Carolina! No more customer reps are in Yelm except to take your payments.