THURSTON COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING NOW RESCHEDULE TO WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2007

The Yelm Planning Commission met on Monday, September 17, 2007 to review and finalize changes to Yelm’s Comprehensive Plan submitted at the August Public Hearing and in written comments due to the Commission by September 4, 2007.

Senior Planner for the Thurston Regional Planning Council (TRPC) & City of Yelm adviser Kathy McCormick told the Yelm Planning Commission at that meeting they must have their Traffic Chapter of the Comprehensive Plan conform or be consistent with with the Thurston County Transportation Plan, as she had been instructed by the State. Therefore, if the Thurston County Plan states that LOS D is the standard as to how regional significance is applied, then Yelm’s Plan must follow that standard.

Yelm’s plan does not follow that standard, as the Planning Commission left the bottomless, unmeasurable traffic grade of LOS F in their plan.

Bald Hills Fire District’s Bill Owen submitted testimony to the Yelm Planning Commission stating “that response times
are growing longer which heavy traffic exacerbates. Response times for mutual aid are also increased by traffic volume.” This is declaring that the continued traffic increases approved in Yelm endanger an aspect of public safety – and this is from a fire official.

The Thurston County Planning Commission had a public hearing on the Comprehensive Plan scheduled for Wednesday, September 19th and did not have a quorum of its members, so had to postpone this meeting until Wednesday, October 3. NOW THAT MEETING HAS BEEN POSTPONED UNTIL WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10, DUE TO A LACK OF A QUORUM.

[Ed. note: This is an embarrassment; that the county cannot get a quorum from nine members of the Planning Commission for 2 scheduled meetings!]

Won’t you consider attending this meeting or sending your comments in writing by Wednesday, October 10th.

Aimee Swenson, Associate Planner for Development Services stated to me that anyone who wishes to have their comments be included as part of the public input, may do so in writing by the October 10th meeting.

You may email them directly to her at:
swensoa@co.thurston.wa.us

or via snail mail to:
2000 Lakeridge Dr. SW
Bldg.1, 2nd Floor
Olympia, WA 98502

or Fax:
360-754-2939

Concurrently, you may send your comments to:
Kathy McCormick, Senior Planner
Attn: Thurston Regional Planning Com. (TRPC)
2424 Heritage Ct SW, Suite A
Olympia, WA 98502

or directly to her email: mccormk@trpc.org

Be sure to mark all comments for the Thurston County Planning Commission Public Hearing Oct. 10.
All comments must be received by the close of the hearing on the 10th.

LET’S TELL THE THURSTON COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION THAT THEIR PARTNER IN THE REGIONAL PLAN, YELM, MUST FOLLOW THAT PLAN AND WE EXPECT THEM TO HOLD YELM ACCOUNTABLE TO DO SO!

THE THURSTON COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION NEEDS TO HEAR DIRECTLY FROM YOU!

Yelm’s QFC employees were told Friday morning that the last day of operation of their store is October 27, 2007.

This is a sad day for Yelm and clearly the previously predicted Wal-Mart Effect arriving here.

WILL YOU STOP BY AND WISH THESE FINE FOLKS WELL?
According to my conversation with store personnel, employees have not been told if they will be retained by Kroger and transferred to other area QFC stores, as opposed to permanent layoff.

I WILL MISS THEM AS I PURCHASED TURKEYS FROM THEM EVERY THANKSGIVING AND CHRISTMAS FOR LOCAL FOOD DRIVES.

This location has been one of Yelm’s major groceries during the 20 years I have been here:
from the current location’s predecessor Thriftway (housed in the Sunbird’s building next door), to Stock Market to QFC owned by Fred Meyer, to the current QFC owned by Kroger.

I must add that this is not totally a surprise, as Kroger threw in the towel long ago on this store, evidenced by the lack of competitive marketing and promotions, higher grocery item pricing, and closing the on-site bakery, seafood counter, video and customer service sections. The Wal-Mart Effect was the “nail in the coffin” for this business, no doubt. This is now a huge hole in this shopping center, as there is reportedly 2 years left on the lease, which means a vacancy for at least that long. The traffic drop from the loss of QFC customers will certainly affect other businesses in the Nisqually Plaza.

Is this the first of other Yelm stalwart businesses that will close because the Wal-Mart Effect did them in?

Can Wal-Mart’s employee wage scale and large use of part-timers replace these full time Yelm jobs at Kroger?

WHAT SAY YOU?

This story was first published on this blog at 3:51pm on Friday, September 28, 2007.

This story’s coverage in The Olympian on Oct. 1, 2007.
[Ed. Note: The Olympian states, “Since it opened 10 years ago, Safeway and Wal-Mart, which opened a Yelm Supercenter in July, have brought competition to Quality Food Centers’ store…. ”
Safeway opened in Yelm 8 years ago in 1999 and QFC managed all of this time against that competitor directly across the street. Closing 3 months later than Wal-Mart opening earlier this Summer, let’s put the timelines into perspective.]

This story’s coverage in the Nisqually Valley News on October 5, 2007.

The Blue Bottle has added delicious new Baked Goods to their menu!

Stop by for a yummy treat!
We have an array of really spectacular baked goods for everyones taste, from the classic, to the innovative.
We have a fabulous apple tart. Gourmet cupcakes, like Peanut Butter Cup and chai latte! (We change varieties often) We also have the best muffins in town and the flavors change with the seasons.

We are also now serving delicious soup for those chilly Autumn days.

The Blue Bottle is the meeting place for Yelm.
Come and post your business cards and notices on our bulletin board.
Or, drop by with a friend and play one of our board games.
You are always welcome at the Blue Bottle.

TELL COZETTE, MICHELLE & MELISSA YOU READ ABOUT THEIR NEW LINE OF BAKED GOODS ON
YELM’S FIRST COMMUNITY BLOG!

Yelm’s Bllue Bottle
309 Yelm Ave. East
across from Gordon’s Garden Center in the heart of Yelm.

Call ahead for your coffee and cakes to go…
458-4611

CONGRATULATIONS TO YELM EARTHWORM & CASTINGS FARM FOR WINNING GOVERNOR’S AWARD

“Yelm Earthworm and Casting Farm owners Kelan Moyagh and Hunt McLean learned they are receiving the 2007 Governor’s Award for Pollution Prevention and Sustainable Practices.

The award will be given on Tuesday, Oct. 9…

Last year, Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire honored five Washington businesses and a nonprofit association with the 2006 award.

More than 30 businesses applied for the award this year, and the full list of winners will be released to the public at the beginning of October.

Judges looked primarily for applicants who had made comprehensive and successful efforts to prevent pollution and incorporate sustainable practices into their operations and innovation, leadership and commitment to those efforts…

Yelm Earthworm, located on Lawrence Lake Road, uses red wiggler worms to decompose manure.

Moyagh and Hunt, self-proclaimed recyclers, take the castings – or worm feces – and sell them or mix them with soil to create what they refer to as a supreme soil, which increases growth and productivity in plants…

Yelm Earthworm, located on Lawrence Lake Road, uses red wiggler worms to decompose manure.

Moyagh and Hunt, self-proclaimed recyclers, take the castings – or worm feces – and sell them or mix them with soil to create what they refer to as a supreme soil, which increases growth and productivity in plants…

‘Franklin Roosevelt said ‘when the soil dies, the nation dies,'” Moyagh said. “It’s time for people to wake up and start stepping forward.’

One product that the farm sells is a smaller home casting kit, in which homeowners can put their food scraps in and purchase red wigglers to break them down.

Currently, the farm sells their products to approximately 60 stores in Washington state, and starting in 2008 will be exporting out of Washington,” quoting the Nisqually Valley News.

YELM EARTHWORM & CASTINGS FARM
Hours of Operation:
Monday Friday 9am to 5pm
Saturday – 10am to 5pm
Sunday – Closed

We are located, south of Yelm, WA, at 14741 Lawrence Lake Rd. SE.

From Yelm, follow Bald Hills Rd. toward Lawrence Lake.

You’ll come to a “Y” at about 5 miles. Bald Hills Rd. curves sharply left; you want to go straight to the stop sign (about 40 yards further). Turn right onto Lawrence Lake Rd. We are around the first curve, on the right. Look for the signs and the beautiful garden areas and the large white buildings.

BE SURE TO TELL KELAN & HUNT YOU READ ABOUT THEIR GOVERNOR’S AWARD ON THE YELM COMMUNITY BLOG!

Photo courtesy of Yelm-based photographer Guustaaf Damave

CITY OF YELM PRESENTS

You are cordially invited to attend the official opening and ribbon cutting ceremony of Stevens Street NW, Yelm.

When: September 27, 2007
Time: 1 PM
Location: Stevens Street NW

Refreshments will be served.

THIS WRITER CONGRATULATES THE CITY OF YELM, AS I HAVE BEEN USING THIS ARTERY MANY TIMES BYPASSING BLOCKS-LONG TRAFFIC AT THE 507/510 LIGHT. THIS IS A VERY CONVENIENT WAY TO GET FROM 5 CORNERS TO THE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND ON TO THE WEST & RETURN, WITH LITTLE DELAY. MUCH EFFORT WENT INTO THIS ARTERY BY CITY STAFF.

The Rev. Dr. Richard W. Banach

Retired United Methodist Minister The Rev. Dr. Richard W. Banach had some very astute observations published in the Nisqually Valley News last week.

“Thank you for courageously printing insightful opinion page cartoons that unmask an imperial presidency. They are reminiscent of an insight I once gained.

I became a minister with the expectation of teaching about the art of living life aglow with God’s presence within. But, to my chagrin, some members were not interested.

“They joined the church,” one wise member counseled, “because it looks good on their resume.”

Ouch!

Many people voted for the Bush II administration because faith and family values looked good on its resume. But, they got more than they bargained for – a hidden agenda.

A great big OUCH!

First, it finagled its way past losing the popular vote in 2000. Then, it bamboozled us with the ultimate “shock and awe” – 9/11. Frightened to death, we surrendered our freedom for its protection. It’s turning out to be the false security of Bush I’s “New World Order,” run by multinational corporations and a vast military-industrial complex.

All of this has an uncanny resemblance with Revelation’s “Babylon the Great,” a globalized religio-capitalistic domination system of complete control over everything and everyone, by the elite.

Twenty-seven years ago, on Sept. 19, 1980, the evangelical magazine, “Christianity Today,” warned its readers that single-issue politics was too narrow a front in battling a moral crusade, and could prove disastrous.

“It could lead to the election of a moron who holds the right view on abortion.”
[The quote is from Christianity Today: Getting Gods Kingdom into Politics. 9/19/1980, 10 [1031] quoted in Thy Kingdom Come: How the Religious Right Distorts the Faith and Threatens America, An Evangelicals Lament by Randall Balmer 2006, (New York: Basic Books) p. xvii.]

Fast forward.

Now, we are finally waking up to having been deceived by the slick spin of ravenous wolves in sheep’s clothing, the fruit of whose actions is exposing them, Matthew 7:15-20 style.

Let us not retreat into denial, but reclaim our power, and create a better future!

The Rev. Dr. Richard W. Banach

United Methodist minister”

This letter is reprinted in its entirety with permission of the author.

Dr. Banach currently resides in Rainier.
You may write him at: drrichardb@hotmail.com

A. “County plans class on preparedness”
“Thurston County is offering a class on how to prepare for disaster.

A neighborhood preparedness class is set for 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 25 at the county’s Emergency Operations Center, 2703 Pacific Ave., Olympia.

The free two-hour class is based on the principle that following a major disaster, the most immediate source of help is one’s neighbors.

Topics include identification of neighborhood skills and equipment, nine steps to take immediately following a disaster, neighborhood contact lists and identifying locations of natural gas and propane tanks.

To register for the class, send your name, phone number and agency or neighborhood to Vivian Eason at easonv@

co.thurston.wa.us or fax to 360-786-5582. For more information call 360-786-5243,” quoting the Nisqually Valley News.

B.

Abigail M. Haddock

Emergency Manager, Abigail M. Haddock is offering preparedness class at The Ant Preparedness School located at The Survival Center in McKenna.

Repeating last week’s class:
Pandemic Preparedness – Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center researchers have now proven N1H5 has spread from birds to man and man to man. We are in stage three alert. Do you know how to prepare your family for a pandemic? Learn what supplies are needed to treat family members at home when social distancing is declared. Take this class now while supplies are available! $25
9/26 7-10 pm and 9/26 7-10 pm adults only
[Ed. Note: This writer and his wife are enrolled in the 9/19 class. Won’t you join us?]
Sign-up here:
R U Ready? Emergency Preparedness Consulting and Training. Business Continuity, Preparedness and Canning
RUREADY2007@comcast.net 360 705-9818

LOCAL AUTHOR SUZANNE NICHOLS ANNOUNCES HER NEW BOOK

“The launching of the website with the publication of my new book, The Life and Times of Schrodinger’s Cat – A Quantum Tale of Love and Entanglement.

I will be doing a book signing on September 29th from 4-7 PM at the Blue Bottle in Yelm.
Books will also be available at JZ Rose and Lemuria in Yelm, as well as directly through the website,” quoting Ms. Nichols email.

What an enchanting tale! I was completely captivated by this delightful blend of fantasy and quantum science. A truly enjoyable, heart warming story.

Ronald Mallett, Ph.D.
Professor of Physics at the University of Connecticut, and author of Time Traveler A Scientists Personal Mission to Make Time Travel a Reality

Suzanne Nichols
ManyWorlds Press

Fall arrived in Yelm this morning at 2:51am.

Happy Autumn !

RECYCLE YOUR ITEMS TODAY

“Take a look around your house and more than likely you will find something that could be recycled or re-used.
If your items are on the list below, Thurston County will accept them for free or for a minimal charge during Community Recycle Days.

The event… [is TODAY] Sept. 22 at the county fairgrounds, 3054 Carpenter Road S.E. in Lacey, … will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Most of the items accepted are recycled with only a few things destined for reuse.

Remember, reuse is always more environmentally friendly than recycling.

Accepted for a small fee:

Refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners: $15 each (four appliances per vehicle).

Microwaves, TVs, computer monitors, laptop computers: $10 each.

Computer CPU’s, printers, scanners, fax machines, copiers less than 50 pounds: $5 each.

Stoves, dishwashers, washers/dryers, hot water tanks: $5 each (no plastic-cased appliances such as dishwashers).

VCRs, DVD or CD players, stereos, speakers: $2 each.

Tires: $2 each without rims, and $3 each with rims (passenger tires only)

Accepted for free:

Scrap metal including de-valved propane tanks. No barbed wire, no motorized vehicles and no major vehicle parts (check with a scrap metal recycler or wrecking yard).

Bicycles with or without tires.

Electronics: power tools, keyboards, computer mouses, phones (includes cell phones) and printed circuit boards.

Small motors, such as chain saws, string trimmers and outboard boat motors.

Lawnmowers: Push or riding.

Flowerpots: 2-gallon or larger, clean and unbroken

Reusable items for Goodwill Industries: working small kitchen appliances, kitchenware, and clothing.

Before coming to the event, please fill out the county’s tally sheet, which saves everyone time at these busy events. The form can be found at www.co.thurston.wa.us/wwm (click on Community Recycle Days in the News and Events section on the left side of the page),” quoting The Olympian.