Raw milk
Photo credit: KING 5 TV News, Seattle

– “Raw Milk and Cheese Are Undergoing a Renaissance as Artisanal Foods Rise in Popularity”
* Raw Milk Has Been Wrongfully Demonized
* To Be Safe, Raw Dairy Cows Must Be Raised on Pasture
* The Benefits of Raw Milk
* How to Identify a High-Quality Producer of Raw Milk
* Where to Buy Raw Milk, and What to Do if it’s Not Legal in Your State
By Dr. Mercola.
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– “Making the Decision to Switch to Raw Milk”
* Why Make the Switch to Raw Milk?
* International Dairy Foods Association Tries to Halt Raw Milk Movement
* CDC Twists Raw Milk Data to Make It Seem More Dangerous
* The Hypocrisy in Banning Raw Milk While ‘Legal” Foods Kill Millions
By Dr. Mercola.
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– “Study: Raw Milk Can Reduce Asthma and Allergies”
* Raw Milk May Reduce the Risk of Infection, Fever and Inflammation in Infants
* Whey Protein in Raw Milk May Offer Protection Against Asthma
* Demand for Raw Milk Is Surging
* The Coalition for Safe Milk Tries to Defeat Raw Milk Bill in Wisconsin
* More Health Reasons to Drink Your Milk Raw
* Support Raw, Grass-Fed Milk Products
By Dr. Mercola.
Read more


– I have personally visited these two area raw milk producers & support their work
* Dungeness Valley Creamery
“The Dungeness Valley Creamery is a family owned and operated raw milk dairy located in Sequim, WA. We practice the most clean and sanitary conditions from the milking parlor to our customers. We eat and drink what we produce, and are proud to be a provider of this high quality natural food throughout Western Washington.
Sold in Yelm at the Yelm Food Co-op.
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* Cozy Vale Creamery Farm
“Laurie Barta Lovingly Sells Raw Milk at Cozy Vale Creamery Farm”
Read more from Thurston Talk.

“Cozy Vale Farm is located on 76 acres in the hills of Tenino, WA. We are a licensed Grade A Raw Milk Dairy. At our micro dairy, we milk several different breeds of milk cows that we find are more suitable to thriving on grass pastures. Jersey’s, Milking Shorthorns, Ayrshire’s & Brown Swiss cows graze lush pastures all year long.”
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Click here for where to buy Cozy Vale Farm products.

John Perkins
Photo credit: Berrett-Koehler Publishers

– Noted author John Perkins spoke in Yelm at Ramtha’s School of Enlightenment (RSE) in 2006 after release of his first book: Confessions of an Economic Hit Man.
He updates more in his new book.


– “Dogmas of Our Economic System Must Change, Says Former Economic Hit Man”
“The pernicious influence of “economic hit men” has spread around the globe. John Perkins revealed his firsthand experience of this violent and coercive phenomenon: Now, in The New Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, he brings this story of greed and corruption up to date with more than 100 new pages,” quoting Mark Karlin, Truthout.
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– “The Evil Empire Has The World In A Death Grip”
How Boeing plundered Washington state
“Perkins describes how Boeing plundered Washington state taxpayers. Using lobbyists, bribes, and blackmail threats to move production facilities to another state, Boeing succeeded in having the Washington state legislature give the corporation a tax break that diverted $8.7 billion into Boeings’ coffers from health care, education and other social services. The massive subsidies legislated for the benefit of corporations are another form of rent extraction and Hit Man activity,” quoting Dr. Paul Craig Roberts, frequent contributor to Global Research – Centre for Research on Globalization. Roberts is a former Assistant Secretary of the US Treasury and Associate Editor of the Wall Street Journal, and has held numerous university appointments.
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© National Association of Town Watch.
National Night Out™ is a registered trademark of NATW

– National Night Out Against Crime in the City of Yelm – August 2nd
On Tuesday, August 2nd, neighborhoods throughout the City of Yelm are encouraged to come together to join forces with thousands for communities nationwide for the 33rd Annual National Night Out Against Crime Event. National Night Out will involve over 16,728 communities from all 50 states, territories, Canadian cities and military bases around the world. In all, 38.3 million people are expected to participate.

National Night Out is designed to:
(1) Heighten crime and drug prevention awareness;
(2) Generate support for, and participation in, local anti-crime efforts;
(3) Strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships; and
(4) Send a message to criminals letting them know neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.

From 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. Yelm residents are encouraged to attend the National Night Out Against Crime Event that will take place at the Yelm Community Center. There will be food and beverages available as well as displays for the children and Officers to speak to and meet. This is a night for America to stand together to promote awareness, safety and unity. National Night Out showcases the vital importance of police-community partnerships and citizen involvement in our fight to build a safer nation,” quoting co-hosts, the City of Yelm and the Police Department.
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“Tribal canoes were arriving at Alki Beach in Seattle as part of an annual Native American celebration.”
Photo credit: KING 5-TV News, Seattle

– “Tribal canoes arrive at Seattle beach in annual celebration”
“Dozens of tribal canoes were arriving at Alki Beach in Seattle as part of an annual Native American celebration.

Members of the Muckleshoot Tribe greeted the boats Wednesday afternoon as part of the 2016 Paddle to Nisqually.”

“On Saturday canoes were expected to arrive at the Port of Olympia landing, where they will be greeted by members of the Nisqually Tribe,” quoting the Associated Press, KING 5-TV News.
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– “Paddle To Nisqually Canoe Journey 2016”
“On Saturday, July 30th to August 6th, between eight to fifteen thousand visitors will be arriving at the greater Yelm area for the 2016 Paddle to Nisqually Canoe Journey. Hosted by the Nisqually Nation, this epic event is a week-long celebration of potlatching protocols on the Nisqually Indian Tribe reservation.

This family-friendly event is open to the public, and several thousand visitors are expected to attend,” quoting S.E. Thurston Fire Authority.
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– “As many as 20,000 people expected for arrival of tribal canoes”
* More than 120 canoes will land on Saturday at the Port of Olympia
* Afterward, the Nisqually tribe will host 10,000 guests
* Preparations for the events began more than a year ago

“The tribe has been preparing for the event for more than a year. It partnered with the Port of Olympia and the city of Olympia for the landing ceremony on Saturday, which organizers say is expected to draw 18,000 to 20,000 participants and spectators,” by Lisa Pemberton, The Olympian.
Read more and get event details.

The Pride of the Southeast Thurston Fire Authority Fleet
Photo courtesy: Southeast Thurston Fire Authority

– “SE Thurston fire vote about keeping staff up, insurance rates low”
* The proposition would raise the property tax rate from $1.47 to $1.50 per $1,000 valuation
* Reserves kept the fire authority from laying off firefighters during the recession
* If the measure fails, the fire authority’s insurance rating is likely to go up
“Voters in Rainier, Yelm, and the surrounding areas will decide whether to raise taxes and restore pre-recession funding to the Southeast Thurston County Fire Authority in the Aug. 2 primary.

Fire district officials say the increased funding would allow the fire authority to maintain its current fire response times and personnel.”

“There has been a 17 percent increase in emergency calls within the district in recent years, and the city of Yelm is the biggest growth area, Fire Chief Mark King said.

The authority’s reserve account was drained during the recession to keep the authority staffed and running. It managed to keep all of its firefighters, but had to lay off other personnel. The increased tax would maintain the 19 uniformed firefighters and the current response times of about 6 minutes inside of the cities of Rainier and Yelm, King said,” quoting Rhiannon Berg, The Olympian.
Read more


The Yelm Community Blog supports the SE Thurston Fire Authority Levy Lid Lift

Public Safety Building housing Council Chambers, Yelm

– Tonight’s City Council session is Mayor Harding’s last at the gavel
On Friday, July 23, Yelm’s Mayor Ron Harding formally announced his resignation
* Harding’s last day as Yelm’s Mayor is August 9 at 5pm, reportedly becoming City Administrator in Aumsville, OR, replacing Maryann Hills, who left to take on new challenges after serving almost 21 years as City Administrator.
Read more
* A formal announcement will be forthcoming today of Harding’s Aumsville, OR. position
UPDATE: From The Olympian July 27: click here
UPDATE: The Aumsville, OR. City Council appointed Harding July 25: click here
* Clearly, 2.5 years into Harding’s third term on a $30,000 Mayor’s salary and running the city when City Administrator Badger resigned, instead of hiring a full-time replacement, and his lack of focus on his construction business, required looking elsewhere to supplement income
* Yelm’s City Council must appoint interim mayor within 90 days to fill term until Nov. 2017 election
* The City Council will then have to appoint an interim City Councilor to fill that vacated seat
* Wed., July 27 Study Session is Harding’s last Mayor’s Report to be publicly presented
* A Public Hearing on the 6 Year Transportation Plan is on tonight’s council agenda
* Harding’s last Council directive will be to discuss potential litigation, a 30 minute Executive Session with City Attorney Steve DeJulio present by phone. hmmm.


– Tahoma Terra Phase II Public Hearing had huge turnout Monday
On Monday, July 25 at 9am, the Public Hearing on the build-out of 198 parcels in Tahoma Terra Phase II garnered one of the largest turn-outs and number of public comments at a Public Hearing in the last decade. Residents of Pierce County commented on the unprecedented growth of Yelm having an impact on their traffic and current Tahoma Terra residents discussed lack of promised park space, road width, traffic impacts, emergency vehicle access, and water issues with the proposed development adding so many new homes. The overriding sentiment was that Yelm needs to allow the infra-structure to “catch-up” before such massive growth is approved. Harding is leaving a bevy of angry residents at the city’s growth policies.


– Hearings Examiner told about state water law set in Yelm –
2 Supreme Court cases, now law, must be followed
I spoke about the city of Yelm not having enough water allocation to support these 198 parcels. While Tahoma Terra Phase II legal counsel kept saying that Yelm had enough approved connections, I said that connections were not the issue, rather Ecology-granted water rights allocation for the city of Yelm were of note, as defined by 2 Supreme Court water law cases.
Read more of my full public statement for the record.

Credit: © AccuWeather

– “90-degree heat to build across northwestern US this week”
“Dangerous heat will surge northward and send temperatures soaring across the northwestern United States this week.

The core of the heat has remained bottled up over the southwestern U.S. for much of the month, but that will all change during the final week of July.”

“Highs in the upper 80s and low to mid-90s F will be common across Washington and Oregon by week’s end. The century mark may be surpassed in some spots.”

“As heat expands this week, new wildfires could ignite [in Washington],” quoting Renee Duff, AccuWeather.com Meteorologist.
Read more


– Yelm’s forecast is for one of the hottest 2016 days this Friday, to date
Click here

– Yelm Business Association, Triad Theater to Host Art Show
The Yelm Business Association and The Triad Arts Theater announcing they are hosting an arts and crafts show from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the weekend of September 10th. The show will be located at RE/MAX Country in downtown Yelm.

“Though a fundraiser, the emphasis is on supporting and featuring local artists,” said Steve Craig, Yelm Business Association (YBA) vice president and chair of the YBA’s Beautification Committee, in a Press Release. He added, “This is the first sponsorship of a summer arts and crafts show in Yelm featuring the amazing talent that resides in the area.”

The minimal entry fee is $25, which will be charged to participants. Artists interested in participating in the summer arts/crafts show/sale can contact Craig at 360-790-7490.

Sponsoring an annual summer and winter art show is consistent with the Yelm Business Association Beautification Committee’s recommendation that the arts in Yelm could and should become a focal point, seeking to make Yelm more of a “destination” and less of a perceived “drive-by” experience, Craig explained. The Yelm Business Assn. hosted the first-of-a-kind community Art Show last December, covered here:
“Yelm Art Show dazzles showcasing the varied talents in this community.”


Blogger Klein is a founding Board member of the Yelm Business Assn.

Thurston County Auditor Mary Hall delivers the oath of office to
Yelm Councilors Molly Carmody and Joe DePinto, Dec. 29, 2015
as Rep. Denny Heck looks on. Photo credit: Dan Crowe

– From Yelm Councilor Joe DePinto’s Facebook post of July 24, 2016:
** Used With Permission **
[Editor’s note: Joe DePinto grew-up in Yelm, is a Political Science degree-holder, and has a wealth of experience serving as executive legislative assistant to state Rep. Paul Harris (R-Vancouver), the minority whip.

If you haven’t heard, Mayor Harding is resigning on August 9th to become a city administrator in an Oregon city. He has served Yelm for over a decade and I truly thank him for his dedication to this city. A couple of his accomplishments include keeping Yelm’s credit rating excellent and the construction of more sidewalks than Yelm has ever had. I wish him luck down in Oregon and the best in all his future endeavors.

Due to the timing of Mayor Harding’s resignation the public will not have an opportunity to vote on this important decision. Instead the city council will decide who will be lead our city until next year’s election. If you like what I have brought to Yelm so far and believe I would be the right person to be interim Mayor, I would encourage you to email the city council and let them know that you support me. It doesn’t have to be a long email just a few sentences, your name and if you are a Yelm resident. I would truly appreciate your support. Here are the emails:

Molly Carmody mollyc@ci.yelm.wa.us
Joe DePinto joed@ci.yelm.wa.us
J.W. Foster jwf@ci.yelm.wa.us
Russ Hendrickson russh@ci.yelm.wa.us
Bob Isom bobi@ci.yelm.wa.us
Tad Stillwell tads@ci.yelm.wa.us
Tracey Wood traceyw@ci.yelm.wa.us

It has been my honor and privilege to serve on the city council and the people of Yelm. I will fully support and work with the next Mayor whoever it may be, you have my word on that. Should I not get the appointment, I will continue to serve on the council but can promise you for the first time in over a decade, there will be a contested race for Mayor next year and the people will have an opportunity to have their voice heard. Again thank you for your support and words of encouragement. This is OUR town!
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THE YELM COMMUNITY BLOG ENDORSES JOE DEPINTO AS YELM’S INTERIM MAYOR SELECTION!
This is about moving forward into the future and not continuing with the past in making poor choices by omitting public discourse. Not since Mayor Kathy Wolf left office have elected leaders here had public dialogue, until Tad Stilwell, Molly Camrody and Joe DePinto were elected last Fall. All of the incumbent officials for Councilor lost last Fall running on the coattails of Mayor Harding’s policies, except JW Foster, who had no opponent, yet also ran on Harding’s record of staying the course of the past.

– “Water rescue teams prepare for busy week with temperatures heating up”
“THURSTON COUNTY, Wash. — It’ll soon feel a lot more like summer around the Puget Sound region, and water rescue teams are getting ready for a busy week ahead.

The Nisqually River is a typically a very popular spot for swimmers and tubers each summer. On Saturday, the water appeared to be quite calm in some spots, but rescuers say it is quite deceiving,” quoting KOMO TV-4 News Staff.
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