– “Shortcuts to get a human operator”
“So what can you do to get through to someone who will help?

First, check a great website called “Get Human.com,” (www.gethuman.com) which lists inside numbers at hundreds of companies.

Still no luck?

Then, take to social media: If you Tweet a company or post on their Facebook page, you may get results, fast. Companies monitor these sites, and don’t want negative posts staying up unanswered,” quoting John Matarese, KING 5 News.

Gov. Jay Inslee

The number of oil trains running across Washington is unacceptable, and the Legislature will consider bills in the upcoming session that mandate advance notification of oil shipments by rail as well as more funding for railroad crossings and emergency response training, Gov. Jay Inslee said Friday.

“[He was] speaking to the Safe Energy Leadership Alliance that met Friday at Olympia City Hall to address the surge of oil and coal trains passing through Washington.

The alliance is a coalition of local, state and tribal leaders from the Northwest who say the trains threaten the environment, economy and public safety.

As shipments of oil increase in the Puget Sound region, so does the likelihood for spills and accidents.”
“Between 11 and 16 trains pass through rural and suburban areas of Thurston and Pierce counties every week, according to reports from BNSF Railway.”

‘It is clear that we have to take significant action including being better prepared to handle an oil train explosion or large scale spill,’ Inslee said.

Although the federal government is the main regulator of the railroads, Inslee said there are some actions the state can take now, such as lowering speed limits of the trains,” quoting Andy Hobbs, The Olympian.
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Editor’s note:
BRAVO to Gov. Inslee continuing to take a stand on this important issue to us in rural Thurston County & statewide!

– UPDATE: November 25, 2014
“Govt Data Sharpens Focus on Crude-Oil Train Routes”
“A ProPublica analysis of federal government data adds new details to whats known about the routes taken by trains carrying crude oil. Local governments are often unaware of the potential dangers they face,” by Isaiah Thompson, special to ProPublica.
Read more

“Crude Connections: Where Do Trains Carry Crude Oil?”
See this map, by Yue Qiu, Eric Sagara and Lena Groeger, ProPublica, and Isaiah Thompson, special to ProPublica.
Read more

UPDATE: December 1, 2014
Washington State Draft 2014 Marine & Rail Oil Transportation Study by the Dept. of Ecology released
Read more

– UPDATE: June 10, 2015
“Oil Trains Don’t Have to Derail or Explode to Be Hazardous, Doctors Warn”
“In May, hundreds of doctors, nurses and health-care professionals from Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) called on Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and Oregon Gov. Kate Brown to take a stronger position against proposed oil-by-rail shipping terminals in their respective states, in order to insure the health and physical security of families and communities there.”

“The group has sounded the alarm over what it sees as a direct health threat to the country stemming from the oil-by-rail system,” By Dahr Jamail, Truthout.
Read more

“Keeping Market Shares by Force”

Monsanto, Pepsi, Kraft, and a collection of other pesticide producers and junk food manufacturers have poured over $100 million to defeat state and county initiatives to keep American consumers in the dark about genetically engineered (GE) ingredients in our food.

This is despite the fact that more than 60 other nations already require such labeling. It really goes to show that the entire business of chemical seed engineering depends on maintaining its stronghold over the American market.

Every fight these companies engage in against consumers is a loss for their brand regardless of outcome. What sense does it make to fight consumers for anti-transparency purposes?

Eventually, once awareness reaches a certain threshold, altered consumer preferences will start to choke GMOs out of the marketplace. The only questions are, how long will that take? And how much environmental and health harm will accrue in the meantime?

Chemical Technology Industry Aims to Remove Local and State Rights

The GMA, whose 300-plus members include Monsanto, Coca-Cola, and General Mills, is pushing a Congressional bill called the “Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act of 2014.”8

The bill, dubbed the “DARK” (Denying Americans the Right to Know) Act, would actually preempt all states from passing GMO labeling laws.9 It would also bar states from enacting laws that make it illegal for food companies to misrepresent their products by labeling GE ingredients as “natural.” The DARK Act would even limit the FDA’s power to force food companies to disclose GE ingredients,” by Dr. Mercola..
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For all your organic quality foods, shop at the Yelm Co-op!

Yelm Food Co-op
308 Yelm Ave, E. @ Gordon’s Garden Center
Yelm, WA. 98597
Phone: 360-400-2210
Read more from Facebook.

City of Yelm’s 750′ well drilled at end of Tahoma Blvd.
Photo copyright 2010, Yelm Community Blog
Photo taken with zoom lens June 21, 2010.

– Is Yelm’s groundwater being depleted?
Is drilling so deep (750′) into the aquifer to more-than-double Yelm’s water rights so the city can approve increased building permits wise? See the CBS News report from last Sunday below.
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– “Depleting the water”
“Lesley Stahl reports on disturbing new evidence that our planet’s groundwater is being pumped out much faster than it can be replenished”

“It’s been said that the wars of the 21st century may well be fought over water. The Earth’s population has more than doubled over the last 50 years and the demand for fresh water — to drink and to grow food — has surged along with it. But sources of water like rainfall, rivers, streams, reservoirs, certainly haven’t doubled. So where is all that extra water coming from? More and more, it’s being pumped out of the ground.

Water experts say groundwater is like a savings account — something you draw on in times of need. But savings accounts need to be replenished, and there is new evidence that so much water is being taken out, much of the world is in danger of a groundwater overdraft.”
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“The City That Gave Its Residents $3 Million”
“Then [Vallejo, CA. Councilwoman Marti] Brown]had an idea.

Shed read about an experiment in Brazil where a local government allowed its residents to suggest and vote on ideas for how to spend tax dollars. The process, with the clunky name Participatory Budgeting, allowed citizens, rather than politicians, to decide how to spend infrastructure dollars. Would this be a way, she wondered, of making sure Vallejos money would be spent in a way its residents liked?

‘I thought, theres got to be a better way to do budgeting, there needs to be more transparency,’ she said, in an interview. ‘It was a huge part of what helped propel Vallejo toward bankruptcythat financial process is not a transparent process. The public doesnt get to see it, they dont know anything about it,'” quoting Alana Semuels, The Atlantic.
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Editor’s Note:
While way too progressive for this Yelm City Council, this IS an innovative idea that got citizens involved in their local government.

Rainier FFA members at the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory,
AnnaLisa Moore, Sarah Mantegna, Jay Brown, Becca Reichel.
Photo courtesy: Rainier National FFA Chapter

The Rainier FFA was awarded a 3 Star National Chapter Award at November’s 87th National FFA Convention and Expo in Louisville, Kentucky, this writer’s hometown. As reported here previously, the Rainier FFA Chapter was sending members to accept the award on behalf of the chapter:
Seniors Becca Reichel and AnnaLisa Moore, Sophomores Sarah Mantegna and Jay Brown, who enjoyed their their first national FFA convention, in addition to touring Louisville & Nashville.
Read more from the Rainier FFA Chapter.

Calli Hyder – National Winner (1st place)
in Job Interview receiving her award with Yelm FFA Adviser Matt Mounts
and two national FFA officers. Photo courtesy: Yelm Community Schools

Yelm students impact National FFA Convention in Louisville, Ky.
“Congratulations to the following Yelm FFA students for their national accomplishments, including:
* Calli Hyder – National Winner (1st place) in Job Interview, who received a $1,000 cash scholarship.
* Top 10 Chapter in the Nation – Models of Excellence
* Top 10 Chapter in the Nation – Models of Innovation
* Students presenting: Chloe Riggins, Erin Smith, Casey Sowles and Taylor Koch
* Sheridan Lantz – national finalist in Goat Proficiency
* McKenzie Bateman and Kelley Quiroz – outstanding Agriscience projects
* Amanda Brown – chosen from among several hundred talented applicants to sing at a general session in front of a packed house of over 10,000 members.

Yelm Community Schools has the state’s largest FFA chapter, in operation here for 75 years. Hyder is Yelms fifth national winner.
Click here for the National FFA Press Release.

The National Weather Service recorded 18 degrees this morning at Olympia Regional Airport today, which tied the previous November 17th low of 18 degrees set in 1961.
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“JZ Knight relaxes with her dog at her pool inside her home on the grounds of the Ramtha’s School of Enlightenment. Knight, who says she channels the 35,000-year-old Ramtha, is turning over day-to-day operations of her business JZK Inc. to a board of directors.”
Photo credit: Michael Wagar, Nisqually Valley News

– “Purported Channeler of Ramtha Stepping Down From Daily Responsibilities for JZK, Inc.”
“JZ Knight is stepping down from some of her duties as president of her company, JZK, Inc.

“Michael Wright, a spokesman for the company, said Knight who claims to channel Ramtha, a 35,000-year-old Lemurian warrior turned spiritual guru is stepping back from the day-to-day business management role shes held for the past 10 years at the company. Shell be stepping into a role as President Emeritus, Wright said.

Knight will remain the companys visionary and continue to channel Ramtha, Wright said.

‘Shes going to continue to be involved in molding the future of the school and the organization behind the school that supports it,’ he said. ‘Shes just not going to be involved in the business management, day-in, day-out affairs.’

‘Knight has committed to appearing with Ramtha at major events next year in February and July in Yelm, in May in South Korea, in August in Italy, and in September in South Africa, Wright said,'” by Steven Wyble, Nisqually Valley News
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Copyright 2014 Lafromboise Communications, Inc.
Used with permission can not be republished for commercial use/advertising.

– “Tax-exempt status of Olympia-based think tank under challenge by channeler JZ Knight”
“The tax-exempt status of the Freedom Foundation, a conservative think tank, has been called into question by lawyers for Yelm-based spirit channeler JZ Knight.

Knight, who has a long-running battle with the Olympia-based foundation over its use of her videotaped spiritual talks, contends the group is acting as a politically partisan organization,” by Brad Shannon, The Olympian.
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Blogger Klein is an 11+ year employee of JZK, Inc. and beginning his 30th year as a student of Ramtha.

The National Weather Service recorded 16 degrees this morning at Olympia Regional Airport today, which beat the previous November 16th low of 18 degrees set in 1961.
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While the previous mornings have been as cold, no records were broken.