HAPPY HALLOWEEN TO YELM COMMUNITY BLOG READERS!

Wikipedia has alot of information about this holiday.

Senior Minister Jeff Adams, College St. Christian Church
Photo from Lacey’s College St. Christian Church website

A letter I wrote to the Nisqually Valley News (NVN) was published last week explaining who frequent NVN letter writer Jeff Adams is, questioning his motives and asking why we have not heard about this man in the newspaper.
NVN publisher/editor Graves replied,
“Jeff Adams has always been forthright with the Nisqually Valley News about his profession as a pastor and intent to someday expand his congregation to Yelm.”

A Yelm Community Blog reader wrote to me about Mr. Graves reply saying,
“How are the READERS supposed to know who he [Jeff Adams] is if neither he, nor the paper, say so. I guess they’re supposed to ‘know.'”

Good point.
After all, the NVN won an investigative journalism award for a story published in 2005 due to Jeff Adams supplying the NVN with information for reporters to pursue. Mr. Adams was mentioned in the story, yet his profession and intent were mysteriously missing. Previously, the NVN published over a half dozen letters to the editor by Adams where he interjected himself into a Yelm political campaign with venom about someone he knew nothing about nor has ever met. My, oh my, is this how Christian values are being practiced by this man?

Never once has the NVN mentioned Mr. Adams title or position in the newspaper. Mr. Graves got a promotion to publisher and committed in his February 5, 2007 editorial saying “we won’t gloss over the truth to protect sources, nor will we twist it to suit our whim or agenda.” This may be his stand, yet we must rely on other newspapers and journals outside of Yelm to give us the bigger picture, in particular when important information is missing in our local paper. Searching the NVN archives for their coverage of Jeff Adams’ identity resulted in none being found. And, now we have Mr. Adams letter published 2 weeks ago stating he is “an ever-increasing-personality in Yelm,” again without identification from the NVN. And, Mr. Adams was a public speaker at a Yelm meeting last weekend. HMMM!

You can read the letter published in the NVN
I wrote about the Minister Jeff Adams of College Street Christian Church in Lacey.

The NVN never identifies Jeff Adams in their front section stories or letters, however you will find his name and position buried in the Living Section at the bottom of their October 19 Worship Guide:
“Limited space is available for Bible Studies in Yelm, the second and fourth Thursdays of the month at 7 p.m., led by Pastor Jeff Adams. Call 360-491-7372 if interested or go to www.cschristian.org .”

If this man is “an ever-increasing-personality in Yelm,” shouldn’t area citizens know all about him?

Joseph Pulitzer, the editor and publisher in whose name the most prized honor in journalism is awarded, stated in May, 1904, “Our republic and its press will rise and fall together. An able, disinterested, public-spirited press, with trained intelligence to know the right and courage to do it, can preserve that public virtue without which popular government is a sham and a mockery. A cynical, mercenary, demagogic press will produce in time a people as base as itself.”

This writer says the time has come for our local journalists to be more vigilant and steadfast in keeping the public interests in mind.

1. The Nov. 5th Thurston County Board of Commissioners Meeting was postponed to give the County Staff an opportunity to resubmit more comprehensive information to the Commissioners, since the Thurston Planning Commission did NOT approve Yelm’s Comp. Plan Amendments.

2. Additional briefs will be presented & discussed among the Commissioners on Tuesday, Nov. 27th from 2-3pm.
The public is welcome to attend as observers only, however no public comments are permitted at this meeting.
The is a Board briefing by County Staff to clarify several issues.

3. A tentative reschedule date of Tuesday, December 4 at 6pm is the suggested date/time of the public hearing on the Yelm Comp. Plan.
That is not definite, as that date/time must be agreed to by the Commissioners at a Board Meeting.
So, until the Board meets and agrees, the Dec. 4th date will not appear on the calendar.
However, the Dec. 4th date is expected to be approved.
Those wishing to provide public testimony at the proposed Dec, 4th meeting are encouraged to attend the Nov. 27 briefing to be in full knowledge of what will be covered at the Public Hearing.

4. Aimee Swenson, Associate Planner for Development Services is the person to write for those wishing to have their comments be included as part of the public input, however you must do so in writing by December 3rd at 5pm.

You may email your comments 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

5. The Board of Commissioners will have Work Sessions on Dec. 12 from 3-4pm and on Dec. 18 to review and interchange amongst themselves all of the public input.
The public is welcome to attend as observers only, however no public comments are permitted at these 2 sessions.

The following is a Guest Entry from Bald Hills Fire Commissioner Bill Owen about the Levy on the ballot for those in the Bald Hills Fire District to have knowledge to make an educated vote:

The Bald Hills Fire Department is asking the taxpayers to pass a levy lid increase of about 29 cents per thousand dollar
assessment to pay for more equipment and training for the volunteer fire fighters and medical responders. I’ve been campaigning
for the levy and getting a lot of good positive feedback until the new property tax assessments came in the mail last week.
My property tax went up about 60 % and I nearly fell out of my chair. My first reaction was “I being robbed !!!” I’m guessing
that there are a lot of voters who are thinking; not another cent in taxes. I really can’t blame them.

I’m writing to plead for the fire department. No matter how much your assessment goes up we only get a one percent increase
in our budget without the levy passing. We need a lot of stuff to assure a proper response to neighbors who have emergencies.
We have a large newer mobile home that has been generously donated to the fire department. We need about 30k to move it
and set it up. We need more air packs, and bunker gear for all the new responder volunteers that have signed up, which will
cost the district about 60k. We want to buy a thermal imaging device to locate the seat of the fire in a house or quickly locate
all the victims of a car crash, it costs about 10k. We want to add a second fire engine for times that our main engine is out of
service, it will cost about 40k for a used one and we need to equip it with hose, fans, tools, hose fittings etc. …. more money.
I hope your reader are getting the picture. We need to pass the levy.

The volunteer response since we have ended our contract with Yelm has been fantastic. We have a class of 11 volunteers
going through medical First Responder class and they are nearly finished. We are starting a Fire Corp program for those who
don’t respond to calls but who want to help the fire department. This includes a Fire Cadet program for young people 16-18
years old who want to train as fire fighters and medical responders. We’ve had a number of people join up who have prior
experience as either fire fighters and/or EMTs. An important way that voters can show your support for all these great volunteers
is to pass the levy.

If you would pass these thoughts on to your readers, I would be in debt to you.

Bill Owen
Commissioner
Bald Hills Fire District
360.894.3515

Photo courtesy of Stefan Elie

FROM THE ELIE JEWELRY PRESS RELEASE
Yelm Jeweler Margarette Elie has won three national awards with all of her three new designs in the current “Tahitian Pearl Trophy” contest for 2007-08. This is her second consecutive year winning a National Design Award .

Every other year the Cultured Pearl Association of America, and the Pearl Association of Tahiti sponsors the prestigious worldwide Tahitian Pearl Trophy design contest. This 2007-08 event was themed Song of the Stars. Margarette Elie was a national winner in the US with all three of her designs.

The first award was 2nd Place in the Parure (set of three) category. This design is a choker, earring and bracelet set inspired by the beauty and elegance of the written music Ode to Joy by Beethoven. Margarette was practicing her piano lesson and felt moved by the placement of the notes on the page. Where there were notes, she saw pearls, and the design was created. The pieces are made of white gold. The choker displays the actual note placement of Ode to Joy and meets in a clef clasp with a cascade of white gold chain dangles with Pearls and Pave Diamond Stars to the front. The earrings are in the same clef design along with the matching bracelet.

Her next entry was an exquisite Brooch based on the Van Gogh painting Starry Night. This is a yellow and white gold piece with enamel inlay and pearls. Impressed by the impassioned movement of the painting, Elie saw Pearls where there were stars. This elegant creation, titled Pearl of the Night, was awarded 3rd place in the Brooch category.

The third design was the Ballade in the Accessory category. It was awarded 3rd place. This is a stunning yellow gold belt in musical stanza. Where there are black notes, Margarette saw black pearls. This belt plays the key of C with an elegant treble clef clasp meeting in a cascade of Pave Diamond Stars and Pearl dangles. This exquisite creation is in congruous theme to the Ode to Joy Parure.

Margarette Elies first award was First Place for the US in the international 2005-06 Tahitian Pearl Trophy contest for her Ice and Spice creation. To see her winning piece from 2006 visit, click here.

Margarette Elie is an inspired jewelry designer who has been creating jewelry in the City of Yelm since 1992
She can be visited in her Jewelry store & Design Center at
210 E Yelm Ave in Yelm, Wa. 98597.
Tel: 360-358-5758

This was a very spot-on Letter to the Editor in the NVN, what with QFC closing here today.

Think about supporting local stores
QFC
Editor,

There are some of us in this area who will very much miss QFC.

We watched QFC struggle to survive when Safeway came to Yelm, and, by now, the unbelievable has happened – Wal-Mart has also come to this town.

QFC is the first to have to fold and go.

Many of us did not want the “super giant” in our community as, typically, one by one, some of the smaller stores lose too much business. Many of us do not shop at Wal-Mart for this and other reasons.

We know QFC has many loyal customers, but apparently that was not enough.

We want QFC to know that we appreciate the very excellent and personal service, including special orders and carrying the products we ask for. It is a comfort to know we can count on our quality foods, especially produce and meats, the organic and free-range chicken.

Thank you, QFC, for carrying Wilcox Farms dairy products.

Must we really say goodbye to such easy access to the natural and organic products QFC carries? Thanks, QFC, for being true in the organic department. You are the only larger grocery store whose “organic” labels I have come to trust.

And what other store has someone so capable in the produce section who will help you select the best of any item?

The list goes on – bulk herbs and spices, best wine and cheese selection in town, day-old bakery items, including Artisan breads. Did I mention Deborah, the happiest, most pleasant grocery checker in town? She has managed to stay that way through this transition, but her face also had some tears when we last spoke.

For those who read this, have you considered that if you want a store to stay in our town, a good way is to patronize it. Today I shopped at a nearby store. It sure looked empty in there. Perhaps it was just the time of day.

Let’s not have to write any more eulogies.

Iris Moore
Yelm

I AGREE WITH YOU MS. MOORE.

It’s the 10th annual Sight Night! Trick-or-treat for eyewear on Halloween this year to benefit Give the Gift of Sght. All the collected eyewear will be cleaned, repaired, and hand-delivered to underprivileged individuals worldwide who cannot otherwise access or afford it.

Representative Tom Campbell
Photo from Representative Campbell’s official website

FROM REP. CAMPBELL’S OFFICIAL OCTOBER 24TH PRESS RELEASE.
“After several days of flurry over the requirement of hospitals to report details of serious medical errors, Rep. Tom Campbell said the Washington State Hospital Association is backing away from their position that they dont have to report such errors.

Campbell, (R-Roy) a Chiropractor by profession, expressed his anger with the position of the hospital association in a number of newspaper and television stories exposing the associations decision that the state Department of Health must stop releasing hospital-specific adverse-event statistics.

The hospital association said disclosing the errors punished the hospitals unfairly without improving patient care. They contend legislation passed last year forbids release of such records.

The public response in the past few days, however, seems to have prompted the hospital association to reconsider its position. Our phone was ringing off the hook, a Hospital Association spokeswoman told the Spokesman-Review. Theres been a lot of reaction to this, more than we expected.

Serious errors ranging from operating on the wrong body part (21 such occurrences in the past year) to leaving objects behind after surgery (34 such occurrences in the past year)

People are entitled to know which hospital has the best and the worst record of patient care, Campbell said. For the association to say people wouldnt understand is arrogant; its just a condescending slap in the face.

In addition to the numbers on surgeries on wrong body parts and foreign objects left behind over the past year, hospitals across the state have reported eight cases of patients receiving the wrong surgical procedure and six cases of death or disability from medication errors.

The state Dept. of Health said it is seeking a formal opinion from state Attorney General Rob McKenna. And Campbell said he will also plan to offer new legislation in the 2008 session to emphasize the requirement of the department to disclose the information.”

Contact: Rep. Tom Campbell at (360) 786-7912 or campbell.tom@leg.wa.gov

THANK YOU REP. CAMPBELL FOR BEING THE LONE VOICE TAKING A STAND FOR YOUR CONSTITUENTS!

October 27: March to End the War and Impeach Bush and Cheney
Seattle
12 Noon at Judkins Park

Ian Mardon at his Yelm Library performance
Photo courtesy of Miceal Ledwith

The Friends of the Yelm Library presented a very special performance last night
Tuesday, October 23
from visiting German violinist Ian Mardon
who demonstrated his skill at playing works by Bach, Paganini and Debussy, as well as the American Premiere of Mardons newest composition, Lux Aeterna.
Over 225 people jammed the Library and enjoyed the intense, warm tone of his 1775 Guadagnini violin.
Mr. Mardon’s stories added to the warmth of the evening.
The evening was a gift from Yael & Steve Klein.