Yelm Community Blog
Monthly: February 2017

Rep. Denny Heck celebrates rare, bi-partisan achievements




– From Rep. Denny Heck’s constituents newsletter:
“In today’s Washington, D.C. climate, unanimous and bipartisan achievements are rare and should be celebrated.

Our new Secretary of Veterans Affairs achieved just that, with 100 percent support from the U.S. Senate in his recent confirmation vote, supportive words from both sides of the aisle in the House of Representatives, and support from the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, AMVETS, Disabled American Veterans, Paralyzed Veterans of America, and Vietnam Veterans of America. As a member of the House, I’m unable to cast a vote on Cabinet appointees, but I am pleased to see this consensus selection for a department of critical importance to the 10th Congressional District.

Frankly, I wish we had a lot more consensus selections like this.

I look forward to continuing to work with Secretary Shulkin, and we hope he is able to hit the ground running regarding the many challenges that remain at the VA in order to best serve our veterans.”
Read more from Rep. Heck’s website.

Yelm Dollars for Scholars Annual Auction, Sat. March 4




Yelm Dollars for Scholars Annual Auction at Yelm High School
Saturday, March 4, 2017
Free Admission – Family Friendly Event
4:00 p.m. – Silent Auction, Snacks, Fun & Games
5:30 p.m. – Silent Auction tables begin closing
4-6:00 p.m. – $7 Loaded Potato Bar or $4 Frank’s Frank
6:45 p.m. – Live Auction begins

This is a great family evening of entertainment, food and fun with proceeds providing scholarship funds for Yelm High School’s graduating Class of 2017.

Proceeds benefit merit based scholarships for Yelm High School graduating seniors for the Class of 2017 to continue their education.
Facebook at Yelm Dollars for Scholars.
Read more from Yelm Community Schools.

Mark your calendar for next Who’s Who in the Nisqually!
Mt. Rainier Nat’l Park Superintendent Randy King
Tuesday, March 14, 7pm at The Triad




Host and Interviewer Steve Craig is a Fulbright scholar, Vice President and founding Board member of the Yelm Business Association (YBA), and a founding member of the Nisqually Land Trust.


Initial sponsors of the Who’s Who interview series are the Triad Arts Theater, Yelm Business Association (YBA), Olympia Federal Savings (OFS), and Keystone Masonry.

WA. Atty. Gen. Ferguson to resist Trump Admin. on legalized marijuana


WA Attorney General Bob Ferguson


– “Washington state will resist federal crackdown on legal weed, AG Ferguson says”
* Washington’s Attorney General Bob Ferguson and Gov. Jay Inslee have vowed to defend the state’s legal marijuana law against a federal crackdown suggested Thursday by the White House.

* With White House press secretary Sean Spicer suggesting Thursday that the Trump administration would crack down on states that have legal recreational marijuana, Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson vowed to defend Washington state’s legal pot law.

* Ferguson said his lawyers are already “quite prepared” to argue against a federal crackdown but will begin reviewing strategies now that Spicer has sent the administration’s first signals about recreational marijuana.

* Ferguson said it was inconsistent for Trump and Republicans to support states’ rights and a crackdown on legal marijuana in states where voters have approved it.

* A national poll by Quinnipiac University released Thursday showed that 71 percent of voters said the government should not enforce federal laws against states that have legalized medical or recreational marijuana.
Read more from Marijuana News.


Click here to read Gov. Inslee’s & Atty. Gen Ferguson’s letter to Atty. Gen. Sessions.

Yelm High’s Girls Wrestling Team achieve first State Title


Photo credit: Yelm Girls Wrestling Facebook site


Yelm High School girls’ wrestling coach Amy Earley rarely takes the time to add up potential team scoring scenarios while her squad is competing at a tournament.

She leaves that up to her wrestlers.”

“This certainly was the case at the Mat Classic as before the official announcement was even made the Tornados already had done all the math. They knew Yelm was headed towards its first state championship.

The Tornados advanced a school-record six wrestlers to the state championships. All six placed, including three who advanced to the finals, as Yelm edged Federal Way to capture the state girls’ wrestling championship at the Tacoma Dome on February 18,” quoting Thurston Talk.com.
Read more

Introducing Senior Services for South Sound and
SHIBA, Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors




– About Senior Services for South Sound, serving Yelm’s Senior Activities Center
Established in 1973, Senior Services for South Sound offers progressive and comprehensive services for seniors. Our mission is to improve the quality of life for people as they age. Senior Services offers a wide range of programs for seniors and their families include adult day care, Meals on Wheels, Senior Community Dining, Senior Transportation services, the Care Connection Caregiver Registry, social services, health programs, adult learning, and indpendent living programs.

The largest program offered by Senior Services for South Sound is the Senior Nutrition Program provided in both Mason and Thurston counties. This pogram alone provides over 110,000 meals each year to 2,500 individual seniors.

Senior Services for South Sound is proud to provide activities programs at the Virgil Clarkson Lacey Senior Center, Olympia Senior Center, and Yelm Senior Activities Center.
Read more


Click here for their Facebook site.


– What is SHIBA, Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors
SHIBA is a free, unbiased, and confidential program provided to you from the Office of the Insurance Commissioner.
Read more

Beyond The Ordinary Show interviews JZ Knight at 5pm today!
Yelm continues to be in spotlight of the spiritual world


JZ Knight
Photo © 2016-2017 JZ Knight,
used with permission.


– JZ Knight interviewed this evening at 5PM PST on the Beyond The Ordinary Show
Topic: Creating Your Future Now
Read more


Click here to sign-up for free INSTANT ACCESS to the LISTEN LIVE page of the Free Web Stream or Replay Page (if you missed the broadcast).
Note: This is a replay from the amazing January 20, 2015 interview.


– About the Beyond The Ordinary Show
The Beyond The Ordinary Show, founded and hosted by John Burgos, offers FREE LIVE interactive webinar broadcasts featuring the world’s leading transformative thought leaders, energy healers and spiritual masters.

Established as a platform to honestly speak about subjects, feelings and thoughts that are hard to find in mass media, the Beyond The Ordinary Show quickly grew into an interactive community for those seeking ancient wisdom, the next generation of mystical teachings, spiritual awakening and soulful guidance.

Each broadcast is LIVE and FREE, and features John sitting down with today’s most relevant, cutting-edge experts and awakened luminaries to talk about physical, mental and spiritual clarity and direction, and so much more!
Read more

State Auditor issues Yelm 3rd “historic” deficiency finding –
All 3 reports from Harding’s lack of management skills,
Interim Mayor Foster to enact new procedures


Seal of the Washington State Auditor’s Office


City of Yelm receives scathing audit report from State Auditor
* Conditions were all under former Mayor Harding’s and previous councils’ oversight
* Previous councils complicit by not asking questions, “rubber-stamping” Harding’s actions
* Revolving door of former Yelm Finance Directors indicative of issues, yet little was asked
* Harding was Thurston County Deputy Auditor for a year – yet underscores his lack of skills
* Is this the ending epithet to Harding’s “reign of error” which Interim Mayor Foster inherited?
* New Councilors Carmody, Stillwell, DePinto asked financial/budget questions in early 2016.

Onward to the Future
* Interim Mayor and City Administrator make their “high priority to address the historic issues”
* I recommend an independent accountant needs to be on city’s Finance Committee
* I’ll repeat my previous call – councilors should demand an independent budget audit, now!
* Interim Mayor Foster should publicly address this report with his constituents immediately



The Washington State Auditor released their every-two-year audit for the City of Yelm on February 16, 2017. The report lists several areas of “deficiency” which had not been corrected from the two previous deficiency audits, covered here when they were released: the 2014 audit on November 10, 2014, and the 2012 audit on February 19, 2013.


Excerpts from The City of Yelm Audit released February 16, 2017:
Description of Condition
During our audit we identified the following deficiencies in internal controls over financial reporting that, when taken together, represent a material weakness:
* The City does not have formal policies in place that establish effective controls over financial statement preparation.
* The City does not have procedures in place, including supervision and oversight, to ensure information entered into the general ledger is accurate.
* The City lacks an effective review process to ensure amounts reported on the financial statements agree to the supporting general ledger.
* The City did not implement an independent review of journal entries to ensure they were allowable, accurate, and supported.
* City staff responsible for reporting amounts in the financial statements and compiling the footnotes did not ensure they were prepared in accordance with the Budget, Accounting and Reporting Systems (BARS) Manual.


Cause of Condition
The City has not made it a priority to provide adequate training and oversight or develop the necessary resources or processes, to prepare accurate accounting records and financial statements.


Recommendation
We recommend:
* The City create formal written policies that establish effective controls over the preparation of the financial statements.
* The City implement procedures, to ensure information entered into the general ledger is accurate.
* The City implement an effective review process to ensure amounts reported on the financial statements agree to supporting accounting
records.
* A secondary independent review of journal entries to ensure they are allowable, accurate, and supported.
* Individuals responsible for preparing and reviewing the financial statements, notes, and schedules have sufficient technical training and effectively use the BARS Manual when preparing the City’s annual financial report.


City’s Response
The City of Yelm has made it a high priority to address the historic issues identified by the State Auditor’s Office.


Auditor’s Remarks
We appreciate the City’s response and wish to thank the City’s staff and management for their cooperation and assistance during our audit.
We also look forward to working with the new Mayor, City Administrator, and Finance Director to address the issues identified in this audit.
We look forward to reviewing the corrective action during the next audit.


Click here to read Yelm’s “Accountability Audit Report.”
Click here to read Yelm’s “Financial Statements Audit Report.”

Noting the passing of area Democratic Party volunteer Scott Brineman


Scott Brineman
Photo credit: Thurston County Democrats



– From the Thurston County Democrats
“It is with incredible sadness that we must let our Thurston County Democratic family know that Scott Brineman passed away Friday from complications of the flu, at St. Peter’s hospital. Scott was the new Chair of the 2nd LD and he was so excited for the future of our party. He recently retired from the Carpenters, and was a proud labor activist. We were blessed to have him as our friend. We will miss his energy, dedication, smile and laugh. The family has asked for privacy at this time. We ask that you keep his family in your thoughts and hearts through this very rough time. They will know that Scott’s larger Democratic and Labor family will be there for them. We will post information about a celebration of life when more is known.”


– Editor’s Note:
As the Democratic Party’s Area Caucus Coordinator (ACC) for Yelm last Spring, I enjoyed working with and learned much from Scott. His passing is noted with great sadness, as his passion and experience will be sorely missed. Blessings to his family in their loss.

President’s Day in America, 2017


Warren G. Harding, Andrew Jackson, Calvin Coolidge
Photos Everett Collection/Rex Features



“Washington’s Birthday is a United States federal holiday celebrated on the third Monday of February in honor of George Washington, the first President of the United States. It is also commonly known as Presidents Day (sometimes spelled Presidents’ Day or President’s Day). As Washington’s Birthday or Presidents Day, it is also the official name of a concurrent state holiday celebrated on the same day in a number of states,” quoting Wikipedia.
Read more

Read more of President’s Day trivia from MSN.

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Archives

Social Media Auto Publish Powered By : XYZScripts.com