“A group hoping to improve the fate of stray and abandoned dogs in the Nisqually Valley appeared before the Yelm City Council Tuesday.

Yelm Animal Alliance is comprised of residents of Yelm, Rainier, Roy, McKenna and Tenino.

Alliance representative Lynn Brewer introduced the group, and explained its mission and goals for future Yelm animal care.

I understand that there have been some concerns regarding animal control, Brewer said. We see this as an alliance of community members.

What we want to do is find out how we can help.

While the group has several long-term goals, members said their immediate goal is public outreach so the community knows where they can go to find a lost dog.

Currently, the City of Yelm offers animal control and houses stray dogs that were picked up in a shelter at the Public Works Department on Rhoton Road.

A book with pictures of the dogs being held at the shelter is available for viewing at Yelm City Hall.

Brewer said the group would like to see directional signs to the shelter similar to the signs directing the public to the police department or city hall.

Ultimately, group members said they want to form a no-kill shelter in the community, but first would like to see the alliance work with the city to find homes for dogs that are not claimed.

Currently, the adoption fee is $55 per animal.

Dogs are held by the city for at least three days to see if the owner comes to claim them, plus two days for adoption.

However, the city usually keeps a dog for closer to 10 days, Mayor Ron Harding said,” quoting the NVN.

Oprah devoted her show Thursday, May 28 the world of animals many of us never see:
“Lisa Ling Investigates the Hidden World of Puppy Mills”
Just like with the Yelm Animal Alliance bringing up the local issue of animal treatment, Oprah was petitioned to do a show on animal treatment with a Chicago billboard:
“Just before Sophie (Oprah’s beloved cocker spaniel Sophie died on March 10, 2008) passed away, Oprahand thousands of driverssaw a billboard just off the Kennedy Expressway in Chicago that read, “Oprah: Do a show on puppy mills. The dogs need you.”…
“The billboard certainly worked. ‘It is my belief that when you actually see this, America, with your own eyes,’ Oprah says, ‘that you are not going stand for it.'”

Thurston County’s WasteMobile

The Thurston County WasteMobile offers a convenient way to dispose of household toxic products without having to drive to HazoHouse on Hogum Bay Road. The WasteMobile is a traveling collection station where residents can dispose of household poisonous products free-of-charge.

The next WasteMobile events will be held on the following days at Yelm Middle School, 402 Yelm Ave. W:

Saturday, May 31 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sunday, June 1 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Items Accepted at the WasteMobile

Please bring waste in five-gallon containers or smaller. The following items will be accepted (no business-generated wastes, please):

* Auto products (motor oil, oil filters, antifreeze, car batteries, brake fluid)
* Oil-based and latex paints
* Thinners and solvents
* Pesticides
* Glues and adhesives
* Any type of battery (also visit the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation for a list of local sites that accept rechargeable batteries)
* Cleaning supplies
* Pool and hobby chemicals
* Fluorescent light tubes, yard light bulbs and their ballasts
* Contaminated kerosene and gasoline.

Items Not Accepted at the WasteMobile

* Medical wastes
* Explosives
* Ammunition or flares
* Compressed gas cylinders (propane tanks)
* Empty or leaking containers
* Garbage
* Business-generated wastes. (For information about business-generated wastes, please call (360) 786-5457.)
* Smoke detectors
* Fire extinguishers
* Computers, monitors, TVs and electronics

Questions: Call 357-2491 or e-mail wwm-webmaster@co.thurston.wa.us.

From the Thurston County website.

Jackie Jo Reid

1. Jackie Jo Reid has decided to withdraw from the race for Thurston County Commissioner.

Reid announced on May 28:
“It is with much contemplation that I have decided to withdraw from the race for Thurston County Commissioner, 2008. My support for this position now goes to Sandra Romero who shares my
environmental vision for Thurston County.

During my tenure as an elected Precinct Committee Officer with the Democratic Party, I have come to realize how important the role of PCO is in local politics, and that I can be more effective there.

This is a time to stand together with our fellow Democrats to show our strength, our support, and our solidarity…

Thank you for all of your support.”

Sandra Romero
2. Join us on the Ride with Romero
“Big Bike Ride: Meet at 9:30 am at the Chambers Lake Trailhead. Meet and talk with Sandra at 9:45. The ride to Yelm will start at 10:00 am.”
(A bicycle ride to promote Sandra Romero’s campaign for Thurston County Commissioner)
The ride will end in Yelm.
“Romero was instrumental in securing funding for the Chehalis Western Trail I-5 overpass and for the I-5 Bicycle Trail’s underpass at Sleater-Kinney Rd. (in Olympia) ”

JeanMarie Christenson
3. You are invited to a Kick-off Party…Friday, May 30, 2008…
6:00 PM to 8:00 PM…for JeanMarie Christenson, Candidate for State Representative…LD2, Position 1…
Frontier Park
Frontier Park is situated in one of the fastest growing areas of Pierce County, on Meridian between Puyallup and Graham.
21800 Meridian South
Graham

Ms. Christenson was covered in a front-page story in the Eatonville Dispatch on Wednesday, May 28, “By an impressive 6-1 margin, JeanMarie Christenson was selected by the 2nd Legislative District Democrats to be their nominee in the race against Jim McCune (R-Graham) for State Representative.”

Chuck Collins
4. 2nd District State Representative candidate Chuck Collins spoke at a Yelm Town Hall Meeting
on Wednesday, May 28, 2008
at Gordons Grange in Yelm.
Mr. Collins was asked questions about his stands on his platform’s cornerstone: the three E’s:
Environment (& Energy), Economy & Education by those gathered and the print media. He also shared his inspiration for running for public office, his goals in representing his constituents and his reasons for choosing to move to this area a year ago.

Mr. Collins is a 1996 University of Washington graduate with ties to the environment. He is a life-long sportsman, a former U.S. Forest Service firefighter, ranger, and Department of Energy Program Manager. Collins currently provides strategic consulting and advice to the electric power industry.

Chuck Collins

Town Hall Meeting With 2nd District State Representative Candidate

CHUCK COLLINS

2nd District State Representative candidate Chuck Collins
will speak and answer questions at a
YELM TOWN HALL MEETING

at 7:00 pm on Wednesday, May 28, 2008

at Gordons Grange, 308 East Yelm Ave.

Mr. Collins is a 1996 University of Washington graduate with ties to the environment. He is a life-long sportsman, a former U.S. Forest Service firefighter, ranger, and Department of Energy Program Manager. Collins currently provides strategic consulting and advice to the electric power industry.

Mr. Collins is a resident of Yelm and is active in many business and charitable organizations.

Hosted by the the Yelm Community Blog.

WON’T YOU JOIN US TO HEAR MR. COLLINS VISION FOR THE DISTRICT
AND SHARE YOUR VIEWS TO UPDATE HIM ON YELM’S ISSUES?

Lyn Brewer spoke on behalf of the Yelm Animal Alliance during the public comment section of the City Council Meeting Tuesday evening. These comments are usually reserved for 5 persons to speak 3 minutes each about topics not on the evening’s agenda. Since no one else wanted to speak, Mayor Harding let Ms. Brewer talk and the banter went on for over 20 minutes, a rarity for a Council meeting.

Ms. Brewer identified herself with a Yelm address & Founding Chairman and CEO of The Integrity Institute, Inc., a for-profit research company that predicts and indexes structural integrity of organizations. She said she was the designated spokesperson to discuss improvements in Yelm’s Animal Shelter situation including:
– better directional signs to the Shelter
– informational flier inserts in water bills
both of which she offered to pay herself
– fostering animals
– extending hold times prior to sending animals to County

The Mayor corrected Ms. Brewer and said that while policy was to hold animals for owners to reunite with their pets for 5 business days, the city holds them for up to 10 days.

Mr. Harding told the large collective of this group that they have misinformation;
specifically “we’re involved with animal control, not an animal shelter or rescue; that’s not the service we (City of Yelm) provide.”
He continued, “We’re willing to work with groups such as yours. What you want us to address, we’re addressing in an indirect fashion.”
The city would prefer to give all of the animals to a licensed shelter after the hold period. Mr. Harding said the current facilities are sufficient. He suggested this group form a licensed shelter.

Council member McGowan said, “it seems alot of the animals are dumps (abandoned pets). The group should be advocating programs to spay & neuter animals and a couple of different strategies to handle the problem.” If there was to be a a shelter, the city clerk pointed out that there are zoning restrictions for an in-city shelter.

Council member Isom suggested raising the city’s pet licensing fees to a substantial level on those pet owners that have not spayed or neutered their pets while reducing licensing fees for those that have ID chips implanted on their pets.

WHAT SAY YOU?

Ninth District Congressman Adam Smith

Town Hall Meetings with Congressman Adam Smith

“You are invited to join the Congressman

Wednesday, May 28th, 2008

7:00-8:30pm

Federal Way Community Center

876 South 333rd Street, Federal Way, 98003

&

Saturday, June 7th, 2008

1:00-2:30pm

Sumner City Council Chambers

1104 Maple Street, Sumner, 98390

Ninth District Congressman Adam Smith is looking forward to meeting with constituents to listen to concerns, answer questions, and discuss issues facing Congress, including:

o The Budget

o Military and Veterans

o Healthcare

o And more.

Please RSVP if you are able to attend

(253) 896-3775 or (888) SMITH09

This mailing was prepared, published and mailed at taxpayer expense,” quoting Rep. Adams emailer.

A caisson entering Arlington National Cemetery across the Potomac River from Washington, DC
Photo from Arlington National Cemetery website,
Courtesy of Andrew V McMaster, May 2006

Dear Readers;

This weekend is our Memorial Day holiday when America pauses to honor those that have given their lives in service to their country. The Yelm Community Blog host & Kleiners Korner editor/publsiher appreciates and honors all of those who have served to defend, protect, and preserve our country from outside invaders. Memorial Day was first called Decoration Day to honor Union soldiers who died during the American Civil War. After World War I, it expanded to include those who died in any war or military action, quoting Wikipedia.

Ed. Note: While we pause to honor those that gave their lives against outside invaders, the collective population of the USA has done little to reign in the powers this President & Vice-President have afforded themselves. Not since Nixons Watergate Era have we seen such abuse of power, trampling on the U. S. Constitution and egregious acts done against fellow citizens in their home country. The difference between then and now is that a bi-partisan Congress saw Nixons abuses and went after them for the whole world to see. We see no Republican Senator today of the caliber of then-Senator Howard Baker (R-TN.) coming together with Democrats to impeach the President. Indeed, Nixons abuses of power pail in comparison to this Presidents.

On this Memorial Day, this writers thoughts and prayers are with the families that have had to endure monumental suffering at the hands of this administration by losing sons and daughters in a deceptive war, where they get swept aside in the fog of war, people like Pat Tillmans mother, who explained her story for CBS News 60 Minutes May 4, 2008. Mr. Tillman was an NFL football great who was inspired to enlist to serve his country after 9/11 and was killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan, with the Pentagon covering-up the truth and using Tillmans name to fabricate more deceptions.

The Nisqually Valley News ran this story on Friday, May 16,

“In an effort to restore Yelm Creek to its former glory, Yelm resident Barb Wood and the Yelm Creek Stewards are looking for creek history and various grant opportunities.

Currently, Wood has a grant application pending to renovate and restore the 900 feet of Yelm Creek that runs through her property near First Street and Railway Road.

The goal is to get other people interested in other restoration projects, Wood said. Were trying to provide information about your backyard stream that was once viable.

Woods application is to remove silt, which is full of nutrients, but congesting the creek, as well as to transfer trees planted in a previous restoration attempt.

The grant is for matching funds in the amount of $30,000.

The goal of the project is to conduct adaptive management of a 1990 restoration project that was not successful, Wood said. The past project was initiated to control an agricultural grass (reed canary grass) that invaded the active channel of Yelm Creek. …

Wood said she hopes that her restoration project will help increase the flow of Yelm Creek and allow nutrients to deposit to neighboring fields, rather than sit as silt deposits in the creek.

By removing berms created by the backup, Wood said she hopes to create an active connection with the floodplain.

Wood, who has owned Yelm Creek property since the 1980s, is hoping her restoration project will spark other property owners to restore the creek as well…

As part of her restoration project, Wood is looking for historical information on the creek. Currently she has several photos of a Yelm Creek Flood Control Project, from which she is trying to identify the locations…

If you have any information about Yelm Creek history or would like to participate in restoration efforts, e-mail Wood at parkwood@ywave.com.”

Last year on Friday, July 20, the Nisqually Valley News reported about Yelm’s new Wal-Mart opening and noted the official opening on July 18, 2007. The City of Yelm said then about the store’s requirements to mitigate traffic, “Wal-Mart will also pave 103rd Avenue from Creek Street to the new connection, which must be built within 10 months of the store’s opening.”

That 10 months was up on May 19, 2008…

Not seeing any connector, this writer wrote to Yelm’s Community and Government Relations Coordinator
Cindy Teixeira for an update for Yelm Community blog readers.

Here is her response:

“The land use approval and MDNS required the connector be constructed within 18 months of the purchase of the right of way. The State DOT closed on the property June 22, 2007, with the deadline being November 22, 2008. Wal-Mart contributed nearly $220,000 to the purchase of the right-of-way and the construction plans are in for review.

Wal-Mart has also submitted a letter of credit toward construction of the connector road.”

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