I-5 Tacoma construction update
Photo courtesy: WSDOT


Story Highlights
* Plan ahead for I-5 drives thru Tacoma after July 4th.
* The new northbound lanes over I-705 will open,
* Southbound city center exit lanes to SR 7 and I-705 will re-open,
* Read about all of the other dates for additional changes.


– From Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT):
Tacoma Area Construction

Get ready and plan ahead! Two big traffic shifts are scheduled to occur shortly after the July 4 holiday and will last for six months.

The first will affect northbound Interstate 5 traffic when all northbound lanes will move onto a newly-built northbound I-5 bridge over I-705. Once that traffic shift is complete, an even bigger shift, this time to southbound I-5 traffic, will occur.

Starting July 10, southbound drivers will notice changes being made to southbound I-5 approaching Tacoma as crews place barrier and restripe the southbound lanes into two distinct roadways.
New! Southbound I-5 exit to Tacoma’s city center back to 2 lanes
Contractor crews have completed their work on the shoulder of southbound I-5 and have reopened both lanes of the southbound I-5 exit (#133) to I-705 and SR 7.
Read more

* Alternative Route suggested during construction periods.

– BALD HILL RD, SMITH PRAIRIE RD TO OWL PIT Safety Improvement Project
The 1.3 mile section of Bald Hill Rd. from the Owl Pit to just west of Mountain Vista Rd. currently under construction and being treated with a gravel underlay will be paved beginning July 6th-7th. Expect long delays, alternate route advised.

Update:
“JUST A REMINDER – The 25 MPH speed limit through the project is in effect 24 hours a day, 7 days a week until the signs are removed at the completion of the project. TCSO deputies are monitoring the traffic in the area and ticketing violators. Traffic fines are doubled.” Alternative Route advised.
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JZ Knight
Photo courtesy: JZ Knight. Copyright © 2017.
Used with permission.


Story Highlights
The Triad Theater begins the summer/fall monthly interview series Who’s Who in the Nisqually.
JZ Knight is the first guest of the 2nd series this Wednesday, July 5, at 7:00 pm.
Steve Craig, biologist and Fulbright Scholar, Yelm property owner, conducts the interviews.
Free tickets are being made available on a first come basis through the Triad Theater.
The interview will be taped for YouTube and on Olympia Public Access TV, channel 22.


– From the Press Release:
The Triad Theater announces the start of the summer/fall monthly interview series titled Who’s Who in the Nisqually Watershed: Mountain to Sea. Kicking it off is JZ Knight, president of JZK, Inc., and Ramtha’s School of Enlightenment. The school was established in the 1980s and has hosted over 30,000 students from the United States and 70 foreign countries. JZ Knight is the unique channel of Ramtha and author of the best-selling autobiography, A State of Mind, My Story. Historians and religious experts who have studied her life’s work call JZ Knight the Great American Channel and recognize her as one of the most charismatic and compelling spiritual leaders of the modern age.

JZ Knight will be interviewed on stage at the Triad Arts Theater Wednesday, July 5, at 7:00 pm.
Cameron Jayne, theater director, said she is pleased and excited to bring people with notable and interesting backgrounds to the theater to be interviewed with time at the end of each session for public Q and A. It is a huge opportunity for the community to learn about individuals in the Nisqually watershed who are making a difference in a variety of ways.

Steve Craig, biologist and Fulbright Scholar, conducts the interviews. Craig said he models the interviews along the lines of Charlie Rose, who has for several years conducted interviews on PBS television. The format is simple and relaxed, with interesting and gentle probing of interviewee’s involvement in the Yelm and greater Nisqually community.

It is anticipated that there will be a lot of interest in the JZ Knight interview, and seating capacity at the Triad is limited. Free tickets are being made available on a first come basis through the Triad Theater. The interview will be taped and subsequently shown on You Tube and on Olympia Public Access TV, channel 22.

Other interesting interviewees will be announced soon. The Public will not be disappointed, according to theater director, Jayne.
Initial sponsors of the [first series] interview sessions at the Triad Theater [were] the Yelm Business Association, Olympia Federal Savings and Keystone Masonry. Admission is free, but donations are appreciated.
Questions may be directed to Steve Craig: (360) 790-7490.


– UPDATE: July 1, 2017
“Free event will feature Ramtha channeler JZ Knight”
By Lisa Pemberton, The Olympian.
Read more

Yelm’s Historic Water Tower
Photo courtesy: Rory Sagner Photography.
Copyright © 2017. Used with permission.

Republished from the Yelm Business Assn. (YBA). Used with permission.

Story highlights
* Yelm’s water tower receives Washington Heritage Register designation.
* The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation considers this an official historic landmark.
* A non-profit organization underway to accept donations for renovations.

– Washington Heritage Register adds Yelm’s historic tower
The City of Yelm announced that Yelm’s historic tower was listed on the Washington Heritage Register today [June 28]. Their official list represents historically significant properties and sites in our State .

– The Yelm Water Tower Historic Preservation Project was initiated by the YBA Board
Yelm’s water tower now in first step towards funding preservation.
The Historic Landmark designation of Yelm’s water tower opens the way for for state funding eligibility of renovations.

The Yelm Water Tower Historic Preservation Project was initiated by the Board of the Yelm Business Assn. (YBA), who concluded a separate non-profit entity was necessary to move forward. YBA Vice President Steve Craig resigned from the organization to pursue and form an exploratory committee of local leaders to accomplish this task, which the YBA endorses and supports.

Craig began the process of obtaining 501(c)3 non-profit status to accept public donations and be in a position to utilize additional fundraising opportunities by forming an exploratory committee under the name “Save the Yelm Water Tower.” Members of this group have met twice, which is comprised of Craig, Barrie Wilcox, Margaret Clapp, Beverly Vines-Haines, EJ Curry, Tim Larsen and Steve Klein. Craig said, “The Yelm Water Tower is the first water tower in the state to have this historical designation. I attended the meeting of the Governor’s Council on Historic Preservation and witnessed the unanimous vote taken by the council approving it. A formal presentation will be made at an upcoming Yelm City Council meeting.”

YBA President Cynthia Schmier said this, “Congratulations to Steve Craig and the Save the Yelm Water Tower Committee. The YBA Board acknowledges the committee for their efforts and achievement in the preservation of a Yelm treasure.”

– UPDATE: June 29, 2017
“The ‘Tin Man’ gets landmark status”
Yelm Business Assn. (YBA) referenced in story.
By Lisa Pemberton, The Olympian.
Read more

– UPDATE: July 12, 2017
“State preservation council meets in Coulee Dam”
“The Washington State Governor’s Advisory Council on Historic Preservation met in Coulee Dam Town Hall June 27 to address eight nominations to either the Washington Heritage Register or the National Register of Historic Places.

The seven-member council generally meets three times annually at various locations across the state. Their work is to review and approve selected nominations to either the Washington Heritage Register or the National Register of Historic Places, or both.”

“In Yelm, the historic city water tower, dating to 1946, made the state register,” by Bob Valen, The Star, Grand Coulee, WA.
Read more

– UPDATE: March 8, 2018
“Water Tower, Triad Theater Receive State Funding”
“Money From Capital Budget Will Spruce Up and Refurbish Two Yelm Landmarks”
By the Nisqually Valley News.
Read more

‘Uber Eats’ now a South Sound app
Photo courtesy: TechTimes.com


– Editor’s Note:
The impact on the city of Yelm is clear when introduced here:
Less sales tax revenue from patrons dining-in, where checks are usually higher than take-out or delivery.


– “Eat at home in your pajamas? Uber has an app for that — and you can use it in Olympia”
“UberEats launches this week [June 10] in Thurston County.

The food delivery service from the ride-hail company Uber leverages its fleet of drivers to deliver food from participating restaurants.

So far, the company has dozens of Olympia restaurants signed up to participate, said Uber spokesman Nathan Hambley.”

“It’s the second food delivery system to launch in Thurston County in the last year. Puget Sound To Go began in August.”

“Users must make their orders through a separate UberEats app that lists restaurants active in a diner’s area. On top of the cost of food, a delivery fee of $4.99 is added. Delivery areas stretch from Lacey to Olympia and some outlying areas, but which restaurants show up in a user’s app depends on participating restaurants at that time and the diner’s proximity to those locations,” by Sue Kid, the Tacoma News-Tribune.
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Mount Rainier’s Historic Inns and Lodges
Photo courtesy: Jeff and Sonja Anderson


Story Highlights
* Seattleites Jeff & Sonja Anderson discovered historical images of the park,
* They were on a family trip to Paradise Inn and wanted to know more.
* They culled an extensive collection of images at Mt. Rainier National Park Archives.
* The Andersons preserved this historical information in a new book.
* Yelm’s role in the park’s history is covered.


– About the book
“Mount Rainier’s Historic Inns and Lodges came about by accident! During the summer of 2015, we took our college-aged daughters to Paradise for a few days in order to spend some time with them. We really enjoyed looking at the historical images of Paradise Inn that lined the hallway, and my husband went into the gift shop to buy one of those brown books by Arcadia that would have some of those images inside. He was told that it didn’t exist. When he asked, a park ranger said, “Why don’t you write it!” When Jeff found out that the images were available to the public through the archives in Ashford, we wrote to Arcadia, they loved the idea, and we got started!” by Maria Marshall, The Picture Book Buzz – Interview with Sonja Anderson.
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– Book-signing July 1st
The Andersons will be be doing a book-signing on July 1st at Paradise Inn on Mount Rainier during the centennial activities (11am), and also at the Federal Way Barnes and Noble on July 9th from 1-3pm.

– From the South Thurston Economic Development Initiative (STEDI):
Recently, eight rural communities in the South County began working together to support locally owned businesses. We’ve found that this collaborative work makes us stronger, better community members, and proud of the place we make home. We want you to join us!

Shop South is a buy-local campaign designed specifically for the unique needs of the rural business owners and rural shoppers in the South Thurston County area.

Supported by the South Thurston Economic Development Initiative (STEDI), the mission of this campaign is to instill local pride through intergenerational participation and to build community wealth. Representatives from Rochester, Grand Mound, Bucoda, Tenino, Rainier, Yelm, Roy, and McKenna have all been at the table in designing, implementing, and leading this effort. Continued inter-community collaboration is central to our success moving forward. We believe that the more local businesses can work together, the more successful we will be.

Are you a business in the South Thurston County area?
BECOME A SHOP SOUTH BUSINESS!
Read more

* Up to 10,000 participants will transit Yelm July 15-16,
*Yelm Councilor Molly Carmody was instrumental in getting Yelm rest stop,
* Bicycle food/rest stop moved to Yelm from Tenino,
* Food Truck vendors requested to apply to serve hungry bicyclists,
* See Food Vendor Q & A info below.


The Cascade Bicycle Club Kaiser Permanente STP (Seattle to Portland) Classic presented by Alaska Airlines has moved their Tenino rest stop to Yelm City Park in 2017. Up to 10,000 participants will transit Yelm, allowing our town to showcase the Community Center and City Park. The CLIF BAR® Energy Bar folks will have a snack stop available. With the recent adoption of Yelm’s Food Truck regulations, Food Truck vendors are requested to apply, serving all of the bicyclists stopping in Yelm. Please apply by contacting Line Critchfield [pronounced “Lyn”], Executive Director, Yelm Chamber of Commerce, at 360-458-6608. Yelm’s Community Center will also serve as a rest stop, cooling and First Aid Station.


2017 Event date:
Saturday, July 15- Sunday, July 16, 2017


– Food Truck Vendors Q & A:
1. Is there a fee for the food vendor?
Yes. To manage the number of food vendors, there is a $150 fee and 10 spaces available that comply with ADA access requirements. We are developing a map so vendors can select and reserve their spot through the application form, which will be available through the Chamber of Commerce.

2. Is there a Parks Department permit required?
No. The only permit needed from the City is a business license, click here.

3. What hours you would like the food vendor(s)?
Riders depart Seattle at 4:45am. Yelm suggests food vendor hours from 10am until the late afternoon/early evening.

4. Will power be available?
No.

5. For more information please contact: Michael Grayum, City Administrator, at (360) 458-8405, or Line Critchfield, Yelm Chamber Executive Director, at (360)458-6608.


– Background information from the City of Yelm:
The City of Yelm has been designated as an official stop of the Seattle to Portland (STP) Bicycle ride on July 15 and 16, 2017. The STP is the largest multi-day bicycle event in the Pacific Northwest with up to 10,000 participants riding more than 200 miles.

Cliff Bar will be the featured sponsor at the Yelm STP stop, which will be at the City Park and Yelm Community Center. The City is partnering with the Cascade Bicycle Club and Yelm Area Chamber of Commerce to feature opportunities for vendors to sell food and provide support for the riders. Details about the number of vendors, costs, and other logistics are being finalized and will be made available on the City and Chamber’s websites. The City is also partnering with the business community to put banners up along Yelm Avenue to welcome the riders and promote local businesses. The Community Center will be used as a cooling station and place for first aid for both bicycles and riders.

“We are excited to be an official stop on this historic ride, said Mayor JW Foster. Our best in-the-nation Future Farmers of America program has been supporting riders for years. This official designation will strengthen our partnership with the bicycle community and raise awareness of Yelm’s fantastic miles of trails along agriculture, forest and wetlands that connect all cities within Thurston County.”

The City of Yelm is the historic gateway to Mt. Rainier. Yelm is known for its miles of bicycle trails and provides access to the Regional Trail Network, which connects to all cities within Thurston County through the Yelm-Tenino Trail and Chehalis-Western Trail.

For more information please contact Michael Grayum, City Administrator (360) 458-8405, or Line Critchfield, Chamber Executive Director (360)458-6608 for more details.


– From the Cascade Bicycle Club:
“This 200+ mile bicycle ride is the largest multi-day bicycle event in the Northwest, with up to 10,000 participants riding from Seattle to Portland in one or two days. The route takes you through the scenic valleys, forests, and farmlands of western Washington and Oregon. Come ride what Bicycling Magazine has listed as one of the best cycling events in the nation!

– Enjoy:
* An epic journey connecting two of America’s great bicycling cities
* The choice of a one-day or two-day event
* An exclusive journey through Joint Base Lewis-McChord
* An amazing network of volunteers and organizations to help you reach the finish line
* A diverse community of cyclists working towards one common goal: Portland or BUST!

PureSolar, Inc.


– “Solar panel production comes to Thurston County”
“For the last six years, he [Entrepreneur Rich Phillips] has been noodling on an idea that finally became PureSolar, a solar panel manufacturer that is underway in 10,000 square feet of space in Tumwater at the New Market Industrial Campus. It also has an executive team, eight employees, a board of directors and a customer advisory board made up of a group of solar panel installers — the same folks PureSolar works with directly as customers, Phillips said.

‘It fees like a milestone,’ said Phillips, 46, about the business reaching this point. He added, though: “It’s exciting, but I’m not content.”

The company’s flagship product is a 52-pound solar panel with 60 solar cells. It has glass on both sides and produces around 300 watts of power or what is known as kilowatt hours for the downstream residential or commercial customer,” by Rolf Boone, The Olympian.
Read more


– About PureSolar, Inc.
“PureSolar, Inc. manufactures solar photovoltaic modules and surfaces. It also offers custom solar surfaces for consumer products; and architectural laminates. In addition, the company offers engineering, procurement, construction services for commercial and industrial level photovoltaic installs. PureSolar, Inc. was founded in 2010 and is based in Tumwater, Washington,” quoting Bloomberg.
Read more


– Editor’s Note:
I have used solar panels in my Yelm homes since 1992 to generate and store solar power.

“Clicking “like” can say a lot about you.”
Photo credit: Stephen Lam/Getty Images


– “Facebook may know you better than your friends and family, study finds”
“Clicking “like” on Facebook on pages for Wikipedia, hugs and R&B doesn’t seem like you’re giving away profound information that provides a window into your soul. How much can such benign stuff say about you anyway?

Well, plenty.

University of Cambridge and Stanford University researchers found that taking stock of an individual’s Facebook likes creates a strikingly-accurate personality assessment — even more accurate than an assessment done by friends and family. Their findings appear in a new study published Monday [January 12, 2015] by the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,” by Elahe Izadi, The Washington Post.
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– “Smile! Facebook May Soon be Filming You”
“Facebook has just been granted a series of patents in the US which, if put into effect, would enable the company to use the camera on your computer, tablet or smartphone to monitor and record your facial expressions while you’re on the site,” quoting By Sonia Hickey, Sydney Criminal Lawyers.
Read more


– “What Happens to Your Body When You Use the Internet”
Story at-a-glance
* The internet has enabled connections across the globe to be easier and cheaper, but at a psychological and physical cost that may increase your stress and anxiety
* Large software companies, such as Google and Apple, enjoy greater profits the longer you stay on your devices and so engineer programs to offer positive feedback, encouraging your engagement and even dependence
* Recent research identified physical symptoms associated with separation from your digital devices that may be driven by rising levels of cortisol and anxiety; consider using EFT to reduce your anxiety levels and your dependence
By Dr. Mercola.
Read more


– “DHS Is Starting to Scan Americans’ Faces Before They Get on International Flights”
“In June of last year, without congressional authorization, and without consulting the public, the Department of Homeland Security started scanning the faces of Americans leaving the country, too.

You may have heard about new JetBlue or Delta programs that let passengers board their flights by submitting to a face recognition scan. Few realize, however, that these systems are actually the first phase of DHS’s “Biometric Exit” program.”

“While these systems differ in details, they have two things in common. First, they are laying the groundwork for a much broader, mandatory deployment of Biometric Exit across the country. Second, they scan the faces of everyone—including American citizens.

Treating U.S. citizens like foreign nationals contradicts years of congressional mandates. DHS has never consulted the American public about whether Americans should be subject to face recognition. That’s because Congress has never given Homeland Security permission to do it in the first place,” by Harrison Rudolph,Slate.com.
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– “Google ends Gmail snooping, has all the personalized data needed for ads”
“Google has unexpectedly announced that it will no longer read Gmail users’ messages to gain an advertising edge. And it appears the internet giant’s sudden change of heart may have been motivated by plans to better serve their most important clients.

Google is referring people to its paid business email model, titled ‘G Suite,’ as a reference point for how Gmail will provide ads to its users from now on,” by RT, Russian Times.
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– “Deportation Is Going High-Tech Under Trump”
“The process began with Obama, but the new administration is using technology designed for tracking down terrorists to surveil immigrants more than ever before,” by Alvaro M. Bedoya, The Atlantic.
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– “WikiLeaks Reveals How the CIA Could Hack Your Router”
“Your Wi-Fi router, sitting in the corner of your home accumulating dust and unpatched security flaws, provides an attractive target for hackers. Including, according to a new WikiLeaks release, the CIA.

On Thursday [June 15, 2017], WikiLeaks published a detailed a set of descriptions and documentation for the CIA’s router-hacking toolkit. It’s the latest drip in the months-long trickle of secret CIA files it’s called Vault7, and it hints at how the agency leverages vulnerabilities in common routers sold by companies including D-Link and Linksys,” by Andy Greenberg, WIRED.com.
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