Dear Readers;

Five years ago this month, I was asked by several people in the community to share my knowledge & information with the public in a format that would allow the public to engage in thoughtful conversation. A blog was suggested, which made a public debut on March 29, 2006.

Over the years, the Yelm Community Blog has brought a depth of understanding to local issues, featured our area’s talented business-owners’ shops, questioned actions of Yelm’s City Hall not in the public interest & provided a forum for citizens to air their views on a whole range of topics. And, all stories are archived and available for public access 24/7 via a search engine.
This blog has never advertised nor taken one cent from anyone. I owe no one nor am I beholding to anyone!

While the local weekly newspaper has continually decried me and this blog, let’s be clear about a few things as we move into this blog’s 6th year:

– this is NOT a newspaper, nor is this blog designed to compete with the newspaper.
– I am NOT a journalist and have been up-front about that from the start. I have NO journalistic training.
– this blog uses excerpts from various authors to provide information, always properly crediting the source, while providing readers with link access to the originator’s story, for all to read in-full for themselves.
– when someone sends this blog and the Nisqually Valley News (NVN) a Letter to the Editor at the same time, I wait until after the NVN’s print deadline Wednesday evenings to publish here, having seen the local newspaper NOT publish a writer’s letter once on the blog, which unfortunately deprives their readers of the letter.
– this blog contributes to Puget Sound’s print & broadcast media and has asked the local newspaper to carry Yelm Community Blog stories on their site, and have been declined. Broadcast & print media nationwide are turning more to local blogs and local news for sources for their content. The NVN considers blogs a threat, rather than an asset.
So, do I “throw-in-the-towel” just because the local newspaper and city administrators do not like me or this blog? I won’t.
– this blog has been focusing more during these challenging economic times on our local businesses, highlighting the varied talents in our area to the thousands of blog visitors weekly.

Regardless of the controversies this blog has raised, many have benefited from knowing a different angle to the issues of the day. The number of visitors to this site show a continued public enthusiasm.

ONWARD INTO THE 6TH YEAR!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST AND CONTINUED SUPPORT!
LOOK FOR SOME EXCITING ADDITIONS COMING SOON