“Welcome to Bunkhouse BBQ & Burgers! We have a great menu to choose from and you can stop by for Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner.

We offer a wide variety of items. This is a full sit down restaurant. Please check out our menu to see all we have to offer.”

Great breakfasts.

Bunkhouse Burgers
35611 SR 507
McKenna, Washington
360.458.9298

Hours:
Monday through Friday
6am – 10pm

Saturday & Sunday
7am – 10pm

CALL AHEAD FOR TAKE-OUT.
TELL TODD YOU HEARD ABOUT BUNKHOUSE BURGERS ON THE YELM COMMUNITY BLOG!

This writer has been a satisfied Bunkhouse customer through many owners and changes since 1988!

Two companies serving Yelm are reportedly in deep financial trouble:

1. VENTURE BANK
“Federal regulators have ordered Venture Bank to raise more capital or find a buyer by next month because of concerns about its financial health.

In a letter dated Feb. 13 but disclosed on the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s Web site Friday, the FDIC notified the bank that it has 60 days to raise more money, find a buyer or find a merger partner. The 60-day period ends April 14. Among the FDIC’s concerns were that:

The bank’s condition continues to deteriorate.

The bank’s management has not demonstrated the ability to return the bank to a safe and sound condition.

‘We are appealing this and take exception to their conclusions,’ Venture Bank President and Chief Executive Jim Arneson said Saturday. He declined to comment at length about the directive but said regulator concerns stem from investment losses the company reported in the third quarter of last year.

Venture Financial Group Inc., parent company of the bank, announced an after-tax loss of $26.1 million in the third quarter of last year that was linked to investment losses related to mortgage giants Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. Although the company reported a $1.4 million profit in the fourth quarter last year, it still reported a full-year net loss of $21.4 million…

Mike Edwards, a former Federal Reserve adviser and founder of Thurston First Bank, took issue with the FDIC’s approach to dealing with Venture.

‘I’m disappointed to see the regulators have announced their concerns with the bank in a public fashion, dragging it through a prolonged public view,’ he said…

‘They were striving to do the right things and got caught in a very unusual circumstance,’ Edwards said,” quoting The Olympian.

2. FAIRPOINT COMMUNICATIONS
“Two major safety valves in the financial house of cards that is New England’s largest landline telecommunications service provider blew last week [March 11], leaving FairPoint Communications in a position of significant weakness, even as the company admits that its financial picture will worsen in the short term.

The North Carolina-based company, which bought Verizon’s northern New England operations last year, had always made questionable assumptions when arguing it had the financial wherewithal to do the deal.

Regulators at the Maine Public Utilities Commission and its counterparts in New Hampshire and Vermont were so concerned that when they approved the $2.3 billion deal, they specified several limitations intended to preserve FairPoint’s long-term financial stability.

But recent documents filed by FairPoint with state and federal regulators show that “stable” isn’t exactly the right word for its current status…

The picture gets worse. FairPoint is losing customers at a steeper-than-expected rate, which is, in turn, reducing its income. At the same time, FairPoint has warned federal regulators that its troubled transition to a new billing system which meant delays in sending out bills, leading to receiving payments later than projected could mean further cash shortages, even taking into account the suspended dividend,” quoting The Boston Phoenix.

The Boston Phoenix asked last Fall, “Will FairPoint run out of money?”
From the AP, CLICK HERE.

Even in these challenging economic conditions, our community opened their wallets and hearts for Schools Scholarships this month:

YELM
The Yelm Dollars for Scholars annual auction raised more than $140,000 for scholarships a few weeks ago. That compares to $175,000 last year or a 20% drop in donations.

RAINIER
“The Rainier Education Foundation Auction Saturday [March 21] raised nearly $43,000 for scholarships and teacher grants, just shy of last years total.

Last years auction raised about $46,000.

The money raised provides scholarships to seniors and former graduates, as well as providing grants to the Rainier School District staff,” quoting the local newspaper.
[Ed. Note: That is only down 6% compared with last year and is quite remarkable in these economic times!]

UPDATE:
Paula Meyer, Secretary for the Rainier Education Foundation tells the Yelm Community Blog, “The Rainier Education Foundation is extremely grateful for the generous outpouring of support by our community, in order to benefit our students and staff. We feel truly blessed. THANK YOU!”
CONGRATULATIONS to Rainier!

On another note, the local newspaper reports Yelm Schools Admin Cutting Back.

Yelm Community School’s Superintendent Andy Wolf reports in his March, 2009 column, “How the increased state deficit will impact Yelm Community Schools specifically is still an unknown. Until state lawmakers are able to develop their own budget we will not have a clear picture of just how deep program reductions will need to be made locally in order to preserve the financial and academic integrity of the district.”

Yelm’s Allstate Insurance Agency owner Ronelle Funk

My wife & I had the sincere pleasure of meeting Ronelle Funk, Yelm’s Allstate Insurance Agent at the Chamber After Hours at Prairie Park last week.

Quoting her website:
“As a Personal Financial Representative in Yelm, I know many local families. My knowledge and understanding of the people in this community help me provide customers with an outstanding level of service. I look forward to helping families like yours protect the things that are important your family, home, car and more. I can also help you prepare a strategy to achieve your financial goals.

Im proud to work with a company whos been serving satisfied customers for over 70 years. I can offer quality insurance thats affordable and provide easy access for you to contact me in person, over the phone, or through my Web site – wherever and whenever you need. Both Allstate and I know how important price and service are for a long-lasting relationship.

Allstate: Yelm Insurance
PO Box 5290
Prairie Park Plaza #3
10501 Creek St
Yelm, WA 98597
P:(360) 458-6061

TELL ALLSTATE YOU READ ABOUT THEM ON THE YELM COMMUNITY BLOG.

All of the fine businesses of Prairie Plaza will hold a Re-opening on Saturday, March 28th from 1-3pm, where the public is invited to join and take part in the potential to win 2 tickets to the Indy 500.

Prairie Plaza is directly adjacent the Yelm Post Office on Creek Street
Prairie Plaza is home to these locally owned-businesses and more:

– Yelm Travel
– Chinese Wok
– The Office
– Domino’s Pizza
– Al Victor’s Salon
– Gordon Grobelny, D.C. Chiropractic
– Bernard L. Perez, Attorney At Law
– ABC Academy Pre-School
– Allstate Insurance

STOP BY AND TELL THEM YOU HEARD ABOUT THEM ON THE YELM COMMUNITY BLOG!

“The Senate Transportation Committee leaders outlined a $4.3 billion transportation budget proposal Wednesday [March 25] that carries a mixture of good and bad news for South Sound projects. Several projects get funds, but a few are delayed. The House is likely to release its rival proposal next week…

$11.4 million is for realignment of State Route 510 at Yelm, also known as the Yelm bypass. The funds are $6.7 million more than pledged previously and allow the first phase to be built, creating an immediate link or loop with the north-south arterial into downtown Yelm,” quoting The Olympian.

Representative Tom Campbell
Photo from Representative Campbell’s official website

House approves Rep. Campbells measure cracking down on Superbug
“The state house of Representatives today [March 9] passed a bill sponsored by Rep. Tom Campbell, R-Roy, that cracks down on the rate of bacterial infections contracted in hospitals and health care facilities around Washington.

Campbells bill, HB 1123, requires better testing and safeguards against methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), the flesh-eating bacteria dubbed a superbug due to its drug-resistance.

According to a Seattle Times investigation, the number of identified cases of MRSA is exploding in Washington hospitals 4,723 cases in 2007 versus 141 in 1997.

In 2007, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that approximately 94,360 people nationwide developed a serious MRSA infection in 2005. Of these people, the CDC estimated that approximately 18,650 died during a hospital stay related to the infection.

‘This bill is a good step in the right direction,’ said Campbell during the House Floor debate. ‘We must protect patients when theyre at their most vulnerable.’ …

The House passed HB 1123 unanimously. It now heads to the Senate for further consideration before becoming law,” quoting Rep. Campbell’s Press Release.

Senator Randi Becker
Photo from Senator Becker’s Legislative website

Representative Jim McCune
Photo from Representative McCune’s Legislative website

2nd Legislative District Sen. Randi Becker & Rep. Jim McCune have a joint Legislative Update.
CLICK HERE

The Yelm City Council heard from this writer last night about the fact that they continue to issue Plat Developments without sufficient water rights. I proposed rescinding the Council resolution imposed against moratoriums and that this City Council start to take a look at a growth moratorium until the city has sufficient water rights to support hooking-up all of the previously approved homes to the city’s water supply.

Mayor Pro-tem Isom recoiled at my mention of the moratorium issue [The City Council has had a resolution in-place since April 13, 2005 that a “moratorium” may not be imposed or be on the Council’s Agenda again.]. Isom said my statement about a moratorium was a mis-characterization and misinformation and he could see through me [and my motives]. I told him I merely quoted the Council’s Minutes of April 13, 2005:
“MOTION BY BOB ISOM, SECONDED BY JOE BAKER THAT NO MORATORIAMS (sic) BE IMPOSED AND THAT THE ISSUE NOT BE BROUGHT BEFORE COUNCIL AGAIN. CARRIED.”
Listen to Mr. Isom in his own words from the April 13, 2005 City Council audio record:

When the issue of approving the John’s Meadow Final Plat was brought up for questions last night, there was only one from Council Member Pat Fetterly who asked Staff if the city had enough water to support 40+ homes in this development. Assistant Planner Nisha Box never directly answered the question, rather stated all of the information is in the Staff report. Ms. Fetterly said “Thank you,” and the vote on this Plat passed unanimously.
If Council would have read the Staff Report on John’s Meadow, they would have noted this:
“The City currently does not hold sufficient water rights to serve all undeveloped lots within its water service area, but has determined that the proposed means of water supply for this final subdivision is adequate…”
“If the City is unable to provide potable water at the time a building permit application is submitted for any structure within this subdivision, the permit will not be issued until such time as evidence of an adequate water supply can be made…”
You can read the Staff report for yourself:
John’s Meadows Final Plat Staff Report, scroll to the top of page 3.

My letter read on-the-record to the Council (which you can also read on ProtectYelm.org), Mayor Pro-tem Isom’s rebuttal and Mrs. Fetterly’s comments can all be heard in-context from the City Council’s video file:

Or access via YouTube.

Note:
Mayor Harding said I went over several minutes and to limit comment to three minutes in the future. The Council allows 15 minutes for public comment. Interesting that there was no one in the audience other than those on the agenda, a local newspaper reporter, plus Mr. Hashim to whom I pointed; not one other member of the public was present. Given the empty hall, if I thought necessary, Mr. Hashim would have filled out a public comment card and provided me his time. My comment lasted 4 minutes, 50 seconds.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Write to:
Vicki Cline, Compliance & Enforcement
Water Resources Program
Southwest Regional Office
Dept. of Ecology (Ms. Cline’s office oversees Yelm)
VWIN461@ECY.WA.GOV

Tell Ms. Cline that you are writing as a citizen and that you are requesting enforcement of Yelm’s continual
plat approvals going beyond the city’s current water allocation and you want your letter to be included in the official public record of the City of Yelm’s Water Mitigation Plan.

My letter on the record along with the recording of the March 24th public Council exchange will be added to Yelm’s Water Mitigation Plan at the State Dept. of Ecology & Dept. of Health requesting enforcement to show how the Yelm City Council continues to defy state water regulations:

Click Here for the City’s Water Plan.
If you are a property owner in the City of Yelm like this writer, get ready for a major water rate hike!

THINGS WILL ONLY CHANGE WHEN THE CITIZENS SAY “ENOUGH’!

UPDATE: April 14, 2009
I wrote to Mr. Isom on April 3rd to ask him to:
“identify what you view as the mischaracterization,
and I will gladly publish your views as a correction on the Yelm Community Blog,
since your motion & the Council resolution were not just limited to “we would not entertain the the idea of a moratorium.”
I want to insure that I provide the public with accurate information from your viewpoint.”

No response has been received to date, which speaks volumes!

“Dungeness Valley Creamery is a family farm on Towne Road [Sequim] that sells raw Jersey milk from their own herd of Jersey cows. This milk is sold in Yelm exclusively at the Yelm Food Co-op.

From the Creamery:

Greetings to family, friends, supporters and customers,

First of all, thank you so much for your continued support! Our family feels blessed to continue our love of farming and provide a wholesome and healthy food to families throughout western Washington. The switch to a raw milk niche market ensured this farm’s survival and allowed my husband and me an opportunity to keep this farm a productive family farm for years to come! We are humbled by your loyal support.

As involved supporters, I’d like to fill you in on what’s happening on the farm these days. Due to the dry summer, the cows were able to stay on pasture into November, 2008. The longer they can stay out, the better! We have also been blessed with many calves lately, with a high bull ratio. That is good news for our jersey beef customers and we will continue to raise our bulls as grass-fed natural beef.

On a different note, we’ve voted with our ballots, now it’s time to vote with our dollar. I encourage you, now more then ever, to support your local community. Support people you know, who work hard, who give, who understand what is REALLY valuable and worthwhile. I encourage you to eat and shop locally…and beyond. Consider local ham, organic vegetables, baked bread, jam from local berries you perhaps picked yourself, the list goes on. It’s not only an interesting topic at the dinner table, it’s healthy, fun, and keeps our local farms, workers, and communities in business.

Here is an updated list of our many stores and drop points.

Stores that carry our products:
Dungeness Valley Creamery-Sequim
Sunny Farms Country Store-Sequim/Carlsborg
Country Aire-Port Angeles
Port Townsend Food Co-op
CJ’s Evergreen Market-Bremerton
Marlene’s Markets – Tacoma and Federal Way
Greenfresh Market-Renton
Mountain Community Co-op-Eatonville
Natures Market-Kent
Yelm Food Co-op
Olympia Food Co-op- East and West
Redmond Whole Foods
Bellevue Whole Foods
Roosevelt Whole Foods
Westlake Whole Foods
Vancouver Whole Foods
Real Foods Bainbridge
Dragon’s Leir-Belfair
Oakland Bay Organic Farm-Shelton
Mana Mills-Mountlake Terrace
Petosa’s-Lynwood

Drop points: A huge thanks goes out to our drop leaders. You are great!
Lofall
Hansville
Indianola
Gig Harbor
Silverdale
Purdy
Bainbridge Island
Mercer Island
Bellevue
Sammamish
Woodenville
Phinney
Lynwood
Redmond
Yelm
Olympia
Allyn
Ridgefield
Camas
Vancouver

Please let me know if you’d like the contact information on any of these stores or drop points.

The farm store is open from 10-5 Monday through Saturday. Please stop by and visit us and the animals!

Thanks again and God bless!
Sarah McCarthey
Dungeness Valley Creamery
1915 Towne Rd.
Sequim WA 98382
360/683-0716

MY WIFE & I HAVE VISITED THIS LOVELY FAMILY AT THEIR FARM. TELL THEM YOU HEARD ABOUT DUNGENESS VALLEY CREAMERY PRODUCTS ON THE YELM COMMUNITY BLOG!

“Our stated goal is to act as a hub for local news and entertainment while serving the community as a local forum.”
NISQUALLY RADIO

Marcella Zengota has been a long time Yelm resident, having been born the same year her grandparents moved to Yelm: 1973. She is a 1991 Yelm High grad.

In speaking with the Yelm Community Blog, Marcella was asked what made her think of starting a local internet radio station?
She said she was USA hostess of the Karoake World Championship, which gave her the inspiration for a project for Yelm, as she eventually got burned out on karaoke shows. She loves music and decided to work in her own house here in Yelm & work with musicians to provide them a vehicle in which to be heard.

Nisqually Radio provides an opportunity for the musical community to share their talents with the public and a directory for businesses with their own radio commercial for the local community.

Marcella’s friend Frank added the cookbook.
An art gallery & virtual tour are planned.

Her vision is for her blog and Bulletin Board be an avenue of sharing interests for the entire community.
Marcella explained, “This is open to the community.
Nothing is sold from the website. We provide advertising from the website & link directly to other websites.

There is events calendar & a broadcast calendar.”

You will not read about Nisqually radio in the local newspaper because Marcella explained they consider her Blog and site a competitor and will not provide any information to their readers about her site.

Dispatch News reporter Bruce Smith wrote a nice story about Nisqually Radio: CLICK HERE.

THE YELM COMMUNITY WELCOMES NISQUALLY RADIO TO THE YELM COMMUNITY!
TELL MARCELLA YOU READ ABOUT NISQUALLY RADIO ON THE YELM COMMUNITY BLOG!

TWO CITY PROJECTS HAVE OFFICIAL RIBBON CUTTINGS THIS WEEK!

From the City of Yelm Website:
Ribbon Cuttings Scheduled for Coates Avenue and Yelm Prairie Line Trail

The City is proud to invite you to the official opening and ribbon cutting for two significant transportation projects completed in the past year, the Coates Avenue Reconstruction and the phase 1 of the Yelm Prairie Line Trail.
Coates Avenue
March 24th at 11:00 AM
Intersection of Coates Avenue and Cullens Street

The Yelm Prairie Line Trail
March 25th at 11:00 AM
First Street near the Kiosk