Steve Klein addresses current issues impacting Yelm and vicinity and provides a meeting place for anyone with an interest in this area to provide their ideas and opinions
– Published here every Father’s Day since June 15, 2008. “Father’s Day is a celebration honoring fathers and celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society. It is celebrated on the third Sunday of June in many countries and on other days elsewhere. It complements Mother’s Day, the celebration honoring mothers,” quoting Wikipedia.
– Father’s Day was first celebrated in the United States in Spokane, WA., June 19, 1910. Sonora Smart Dodd originally thought of the idea while listening to a Mother’s Day sermon the previous year. Read more from Visit Spokane.com.
Click here for Father’s Day Fun Facts from Chiff.com.
– “A Look Back at Father’s Day Throughout the Years” Amanda Garrity, Good Housekeeping. Read more
– “‘Gift’ – A very touching video. About Father and son.” Read more
– “Father’s Day Under Trump: A Grotesque Exercise in the Destruction of Families” By William Rivers Pitt, Truthout. Read more
“[ABC] EXCLUSIVE: Trump says he doesn’t particularly believe in unidentified flying objects”
Editor’s note: If Trump’s pilots know about extraterrestrial life, then why hasn’t he released that information to the public? He says to ABC News, “You’ll be the first to know.”
“President Donald Trump said he doesn’t particularly believe in unidentified flying objects (UFOs), despite a rise in reports of unidentified aircraft by U.S. Navy pilots.
“In an exclusive interview with ABC News Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos this week, the president was asked what he made of the increased reports.
‘”I think it’s probably — I want them to think whatever they think. They do say, and I’ve seen, and I’ve read, and I’ve heard. And I did have one very brief meeting on it. But people are saying they’re seeing UFOs. Do I believe it? Not particular,’ Trump said.
“Asked if he thought he would know if there were a case of extraterrestrial life, the president replied, ‘Well, I think my great pilots would know. Our great pilots would know.’
‘They see things a little bit different from the past. So we’re going to see. We’re watching, and you’ll be the first to know,’ he continued,” quoting ABC News on MSN. Read more
Editor’s note: Yelm Blog readers know I have warned for months about a potential debt ceiling impasse and possible government shutdown again this Fall, as these issues became quite apparent last week with disarray between Congressional Republicans and The White House!
“GOP in disarray as budget impasse threatens shutdown, deep cuts — and default”
“GOP leaders have spent months cajoling President Trump in favor of a bipartisan budget deal that would fund the government and raise the limit on federal borrowing this fall, but their efforts have yet to produce a deal. And the uncertain path forward was underscored a few days ago at the Capitol, when a budget meeting between key Senate Republicans, including Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), and senior White House officials left out Democrats, whose votes will be imperative to avoid a shutdown and an economy-shaking breach of the federal debt limit,” by Erica Werner, Seung Min Kim, Washington Post. Read more
“Trump budget negotiators get Republican brushback”
“With Trump and acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney at his side, acting budget chief Russ Vought repeatedly urged Mitch McConnell and Kevin McCarthy to raise the debt ceiling without a broader agreement to lift stiff spending caps.
“McConnell, the Senate majority leader, was open to different ways to raise the debt ceiling and eager to avoid default. But he eventually grew tired of hearing from Vought.
“‘Listen buddy, we’re not doing a clean debt ceiling. Get a budget caps deal,’ McConnell said, according to people familiar with the conversation in April,” by Nancy Cook, Burgess Everett and John Bresnahan, Politico. Read more
“As deficit skyrockets, author of GOP tax bill admits cuts may not pay for themselves”
“Rep. Kevin Brady, who wrote the Republican tax bill of 2017, admits it’s “hard to know” whether cuts will work”
“William Hoagland has engaged in nearly every Washington budget-deficit battle for four decades. A longtime analyst and onetime senior Republican congressional budget aide, he brought a sensibility learned growing up on an Indiana farm: You’ve got to balance the books over time.
“He feels like a voice in the wilderness now,” by Kate Davidson and Jon Hilsenrath, The Wall Street Journal. Read more
“The summer travel season is underway, and Delta is again expanding at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport as it in June marks the five-year anniversary of officially naming Seattle a hub.
“Delta will grow by five percent in Seattle this summer, primarily through the use of larger aircraft on existing routes. Service from Seattle to destinations in the West region will expand through additional seats, with peak-day seats to Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Diego and San Jose — up 23 percent on average over summer 2018. Delta also launched its popular Airbus A220 aircraft on the Seattle-San Jose route and will launch additional A220 routes this fall, while the new Airbus A330-900neo, featuring the airline’s next-generation Delta One Suite and Delta Premium Select cabin, will debut on Seattle-Shanghai in July and eventually expand to the Seoul-Incheon and Tokyo-Narita routes.”
“The growth continues the expansion of Delta’s Seattle hub, which was officially established in June 2014. Five years ago this month, Delta customers and employees gathered at Sea-Tac for a gatehouse ceremony to inaugurate service to Seoul-Incheon International Airport,” by Liz Savadelis, Delta New Hub. Read more
“Red, White & You comes to Eagles Pride Saturday night”
“Some might say that serving in the military is no laughing matter. Jennifer McMillen — a former seaman in the U.S. Navy and an Army wife — aims to prove them wrong.
“McMillen of Yelm is producing Red, White & You, a comedy show by and about people who’ve lived the military lifestyle. The show is Saturday night at Samuel Adams Brewhouse at Eagles Pride Golf Course.
“‘I want it to be relatable,’ McMillen said. ‘We all understand each other. We all know where we’re coming from. We understand the deployment aspect and the lifestyle. We know the hardships, and we know the silly moments in the military.'”
“RED, WHITE & YOU, 7 p.m., Saturday, doors open at 6 p.m., $15 in advance, $25 at the door, ages 18 and older, Samuel Adams Brewhouse at Eagles Pride Golf Course, I-5 and Exit 116, Tacoma,” by Molly Gilmore, Weekly Volcano. Read more
Trump’s Executive Order streamlines the approval process for GMO crops. June 11,2019 in Council Bluffs, Iowa Credit: AP Photo/Patrick Semansky
Editor’s note: This is now the 2nd time President Trump has flipped on health-conscious Americans – the first being his about-face on vaccines and medical consent. [Blogger Klein has been a member of the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) for 25+ years, referenced in the story below.]
Six years ago, Yelm’s ‘No GMO March’ brought local attention to this issue. Read more
“Trump orders simpler path for genetically engineered food”
“President Trump wants to make it easier for genetically engineered plants and animals to enter the food supply, and he signed an executive order Tuesday directing federal agencies to simplify the “regulatory maze” for producers.
“The move comes as companies are turning to newer genetic engineering techniques that make it easier to tinker with the traits of plants and animals.
“Greg Jaffe, biotechnology director at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, said the impact of the executive order will depend on the details of how it’s carried out by federal agencies. Simply deregulating could make people lose confidence in genetically engineered foods, he said,” quoting Candice Choi, Associated Press. Read more
Click here to read President Trump’s official Executive Order.
Click here for the Statement of CSPI Biotechnology Director Greg Jaffe.
“Yelm residents ‘March against Monsanto’”
“Fight to label genetically modified food goes global”
By Steven Wyble, Nisqually Valley News, June 3, 2013. Read more
Editor’s note: Councilor Camrody updated the Splash Park’s cost overrun numbers for Yelm Community Blog and her Facebook readers:
“The Spray park and Playground; according to the budget, we received/will receive $545,118 for the playground AND spray park for 2018 and 2019 in revenue from grants.
“We will have spent/will spend $642,109 for the playground AND spray park for 2018 and 2019. That makes us officially $96,991 over budget (spending more $$ than we receive), if we use ONLY grant money. I’m not sure where the NVN got $650,000 in grant money from.
“If you look at revenue for the spray park alone, it’s $305k. When the city came to us in March to ask for $443k, that’s probably where I got the “$160k” (math/memory error) overage from. I realize now that the city was asking for $443k for BOTH spray and playground. Regardless, we still haven’t been told exactly how much “extra” we’re paying for equipment, or how much both projects combined will finally cost.
“Here’s a link to the 2019-2020 budget: look for the Municipal Building Fund 302 (revenue and expenses),” by Yelm councilor Molly Carmody.
Click here for Councilor Carmody Facebook post, scroll down to June 13, 2019.
“New Splash Pad May Not Be Ready for Use by Prairie Days” “
“The splash pad at Yelm City Park has Yelmites in a state of anticipation, with some hoping the new water feature will be open by Prairie Days, June 28-30.
“Project manager Pat Hughes said that while the splash pad is coming along, it won’t likely be ready for use by the time the festival rolls around.
“‘The construction of the splash pad will be complete by Prairie Days, but that doesn’t mean it will be ready for use the next day,’ Hughes said,” by Daniel Warn, Nisqually Valley News. Read more
Bald Hills landowner withdraws from Fire Mountain Farms biosolids spraying contract
“The immediate threat of contaminated sewage sludge being spread between Bald Hills Road and the Nisqually River is OVER. 300 of you signed petitions, another 200+ wrote letters of protest to the Department of Ecology and over 100 supported our resistance with over $10,000 of financial contributions. This citizen activism resulted in the landowner pulling out from his contract with Fire Mountain Farms, the large waste hauler from Lewis County. Now we are working to make sure that we are not exposed to such a threat soon! Thank you SO MUCH!” By Preserve The Commons Moderator Ed Kinney. Read more
Click here to read the official letter from Yelm’s Preserve the Commons advocacy group.
Blogger Klein is a contributor to and supporter of Preserve the Commons work.
“Flag Day is June 14 and celebrates the official symbol for the United States: our Stars and Stripes. Flag Day was first recognized by Congress on June 14, 1777, which became know as Flag Day.
“Not only is the U.S. flag older than the Union Jack of Great Britain and the tri-color flag of France, but also is the only flag to have been flown on the moon.
“Congress first stated that there should be a star and stripe for every state,” quoting the VFW. Read more
Bill and Ronelle worked with Friendly Water. L to R: Curt Andino, Ronelle and Bill Funk, and David Albert. Photo credit: Mary Ellen Psaltis
“Thinking Globally, Acting Locally: Bill and Ronelle Funk with Friendly Water for the World”
“Bill Funk says, ‘We do the best we can with what we got.’ This phrase encapsulates Bill Funk’s philosophy of life. It’s a ‘Bill-ism’ adds his daughter Ronelle Funk, who has heard his expression many times over the years. The ‘what we got’ part has deepened in meaning for the Funk family where life has delivered a few large lemons. With dignity and grace, Bill is exemplifying how it is possible to make lemonade, and pass on the good to others.
“The story involves Bill, his late wife Marilyn Zuckerman, Ronelle and Friendly Water for the World along with two unexpected cancer diagnoses. Over three decades ago, Bill and Marilyn met through their Allstate insurance careers. Their love blossomed; they got married and integrated their families. Less than two years ago, the active, healthy pair retired to enjoy the next phase of life. Suddenly last August Marilyn died from glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer. That was one of the lemons. In April, to commemorate Marilyn’s love of learning and the family’s long time connection with South Puget Sound Community College, Bill worked with the SPSCC Foundation creating an endowment that will provide an annual educational scholarship to a student. That was a little lemonade,” by Mary Ellen Psaltis, for Thurston Talk.
Read more of the Funk’s compelling and touching story.
