Photo credit: Rory Sagner Photography & Fine Art


– Olympia Regional Airport, closest official National Weather Service station to Yelm (16 miles), recorded these +85 degree heat wave temperatures:
July 22 = 88
July 23 = 92
July 24 = 91
July 25 = 93 tied the record high set in 1988
July 26 = 92
July 27 = 88
July 29 = 95
July 30 = 89
July 31 = forecast high 85
Aug. 1 = forecast high 80
Aug. 2 and 3 = forecast highs 69, 72 respectively
Aug. 4 = forecast high 76 for Jazz in the Park.

Last precipitation here was July 7 = .07 inches,
the total rainfall recorded for the entire month of July was one-tenth of the historic average.
June recorded .88 inches, half the historic average.
Total rainfall for June and July combined = .95 inches, an exceptional dry two months!


– “Watch smoke from wildfires in California, Oregon drift to Washington and Idaho”
“Smoke from the Carr Fire and other wildfires in California and Oregon has drifted north to Washington and across Idaho, creating hazy skies across the region. Take precautions if you’re sensitive to air pollution,” by the National Weather Service, July 30, 2018.
Click here


– “Here’s when our Puget Sound heatwave will end”
“The heat wave across Western Washington ends later this week, with cooler and cleaner air on the way,” by Rich Marriott, KING-5 TV News, Seattle.
Click here


– Siberian wildfire smoke drifts into Washington State
“Smoke from Siberia continues to permeate the air in Washington, along with fires across Washington state and Canada,” by Jennifer King, KING-5 TV News, Seattle.
Click here

Courtesy: Rory Sagner Photography & Fine Art


– “Scenes from Yelm UFO Festival”
“The UFO Symposium is an educational and informative series of UFO experts speaking about their knowledge of UFOs.”
By KING-5 TV News, Seattle.
Click here


– “Walking around Yelm UFO Fest 2018”
Click here for the video by Jason Harbour.



“Accompanied by several other-worldly participants, the Artesian Rumble Arkestra leads a noon parade around the grounds at the UFO Festival 2018 & Cosmic Symposium on Sunday in Yelm. The three-day event featured all things extraterrestrial, including a Stargate and exhibits along with a UFO symposium keynoted with a series of speakers addressing a variety of cosmic topics,” quoting The Olympian, July 30, 2018.
Photo credit: Steve Bloom, The Olympian


– “Yelm UFO Festival 2018”
Outstanding video, by Adam Boyce.
Click here


– “U.F.O. Fest Unites Communities and Galaxies”
“Last weekend Yelm Washington lit up the skies with its 2nd annual UFO-fest and Cosmic Symposium.”
By newKerala.com
Read more


– Mark your calendar:
Yelm’s Jazz in the Park, Saturday, August 4th, 5pm

Courtesy: Yelm Jazz in the Park


– Save the date
Saturday, August 4th, starting 5pm. 🎺🎷🎸❤️
You are invited to the 2nd annual edition of Yelm’s “Jazz in the Park”
Hosted by Pizzeria LaGitana and the City of Yelm.

“Join us @ Yelm City Park for the 2nd annual edition of “Jazz in the Park” Festival. Prepare to enjoy a relaxing evening, taking in the breathtaking view of Mount Rainier while serenaded by live jazz bands. FREE admission!

“Bring your family and friends, picnic basket and blankets, or maybe enjoy the food supplies offered on site. Regardless of what you bring with you, be prepared to be transported to a vacation state of mind. A beer and wine garden will also be featured,” by Yelm’s Jazz in the Park.
Read more

Photo credit: Thurston County Fair


Thurston County Fair
August 1-5, 2018
3054 Carpenter Road
Lacey, WA 98503
Click here for information and to purchase your tickets to the 2018 Fair!

Photo credit: CELP


– Editor’s Note:
I was recently asked about my views on the “culvert case,” the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision in Washington v. United States, which the United States Supreme Court affirmed. The statements from the Center for Environmental Law & Policy (CELP) in Seattle and The Olympian Editorial Board echo my views and are important reminders about government’s role to honor treaties.


– “Culvert Case Update: A Victory for Tribal Treaty Rights”
“On June 11, an equally divided United States Supreme Court affirmed the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision in Washington v. United States (the “culvert case”). The United States and a group of Indian Tribes filed suit seeking an injunction requiring Washington State to repair culverts under its control to restore access of fish, including salmon and steelhead, to more than 1,000 miles of upstream habitat. Restoring passage is expected to result in production of several hundred thousand more adult fish annually. This will be a significant boost for the State’s ailing salmon runs and for those who depend on the runs.

“The Supreme Court (without the participation of Justice Anthony Kennedy, who had been involved in an earlier aspect of the case) affirmed the decision, meaning that the Order to remove or repair the culverts will stand and fish will have access to the habitat which they need to recover and thrive. This decision is also a significant victory for Tribal treaty rights, in that the right to fish is now understood to include the right to habitat suitable for fish production,” quoting The Center for Environmental Law & Policy (CELP), Seattle.
Click here to read the full article on the Supreme Court decision.


– “Where is leadership on salmon, culverts?”
From The Olympian Editorial Board:
“The court’s decision on Monday means that the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision from last year stands. And that means Washington taxpayers must pay to fix more than 900 culverts as part of upholding tribes’ treaty fighting rights and to protect or restore habitat for threatened salmon runs before it is too late.

“In effect, the culvert case affirms that habitat protection – implied in earlier federal fishing cases – is an extension of the treaty right to harvest fish. The case rests in part on the notion that if salmon runs go extinct, the tribal right to half is literally nothing,.
Read more


Blogger Klein is an annual contributor and supporter of CELP, and a subscriber to The Olympian.

“An orca whale breaches in view of Mount Baker, some 60 miles distant,
in the Salish Sea in the San Juan Islands.” Trump Admin. endangers orcas.
Photo credit: Elaine Thompson, AP


– Editor’s note:
I am not interested in cultivating a political debate here about President Trump, only reporting instead on how his policies will affect our lives in Puget Sound. With all of the other news drowning out these stories below, the administration’s multiple proposals last week amount to a staggering assault on the environment, which will ultimately be felt here in the Pacific Northwest.

Remember that “Fake News” is the term used for a story one does not like being publicized, similar to the term “cult,” used for a group that someone does not like and/or understand. The stories below are all fact-based, however treat them as “Fake News” if you wish, and to your heart be true.


– “Trump to Seek Repeal of California’s Smog-Fighting Power”
* Proposed revision to auto emission standards coming out soon
* Will propose end of state’s waiver from federal standards

“The Trump administration will seek to revoke California’s authority to regulate automobile greenhouse gas emissions — including its mandate for electric-car sales — in a proposed revision of Obama-era standards, according to three people familiar with the plan,” by Ryan Beene, Jennifer A Dlouhy, John Lippert, and Ari Natter, Bloomberg News.
Read more


– “Trump administration officials dismissed benefits of national monuments”
“In a quest to shrink national monuments last year, senior Interior Department officials dismissed evidence that these public sites boosted tourism and spurred archaeological discoveries, according to documents the department released this month and retracted a day later.

“The thousands of pages of email correspondence chart how Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and his aides instead tailored their survey of protected sites to emphasize the value of logging, ranching and energy development that would be unlocked if they were not designated national monuments,” by Juliet Eilperin, The Washington Post.
Read more


– “Lawmakers, Lobbyists and the Administration Join Forces to Overhaul the Endangered Species Act”
“The Endangered Species Act, which for 45 years has safeguarded fragile wildlife while blocking ranching, logging and oil drilling on protected habitats, is coming under attack from lawmakers, the White House and industry on a scale not seen in decades, driven partly by fears that the Republicans will lose ground in November’s midterm elections.

“In the past two weeks, more than two dozen pieces of legislation, policy initiatives and amendments designed to weaken the law have been either introduced or voted on in Congress or proposed by the Trump administration,” By Coral Davenport and Lisa Friedman, The New York Times.
Read more


– “Trump Administration Neuters Nuclear Safety Board”
“Under a new order from the Energy Department, a nuclear safety board will have to fight for information about and access to nuclear laboratories. In the past, the board has brought serious problems at those labs to light.

“The Trump administration has quietly taken steps that may inhibit independent oversight of its most high-risk nuclear facilities, including some buildings at Los Alamos National Laboratory, a Department of Energy document shows.

“An order published on the department’s website in mid-May outlines new limits on the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board,” by Rebecca Moss, Santa Fe New Mexican.
Read more


– All of these previous stories added to this from a year ago –
“Trump Administration Tosses Rule to Protect Endangered Whales and Sea Turtles”
“The Trump administration on Monday threw out a new rule intended to limit the numbers of endangered whales and sea turtles getting caught in fishing nets off the West Coast, saying existing protections were already working,” quoting the AP.
Read more

Photo credit: Debbie Voyles


– “UFO photographed at Yelm UFO event opening”
“First you see a drone, now zoom in behind it [and below to the right]….
This photo was taken last evening, July 27th, at the Yelm UFO Festival opener.
The round black object is a drone and the other [distant] one is unidentified.”

Courtesy: Friendly Water for the World Facebook post


– “FRIENDLY WATER FOR THE WORLD – LET’S DO DINNER!”
Friday, August 3 at 7 PM PDT
Yelm Community Center

“Not just any dinner. Ethiopian Food! In Yelm! Our Ethiopia Representative Abraham Bezabeh is coming to cook for you! He is a great cook! And you’ll get to learn about our work at the same time.

“At the Yelm Community Center, Friday, August 3rd, 7-9 P.M. Admission is by donation, BUT YOU MUST HAVE A RESERVATION – we are going to fill all the seats, so reserve now!

“Don’t miss out on tasting one of the most authentic Ethiopian food in town. Abraham Bezabeh, our Ethiopia country representative is bringing spices and sauces the whole way from Ethiopia; and he is an excellent cook. This year we are celebrating in both Olympia and Yelm; all for the pleasure of authentic food lovers.”
Click here to RSVP as soon as possible, or call us at: 360-918-3642.

Courtesy: The Triad Theater


– Editor’s Note:
Times ARE a changin’ here.
Yelm was heralded this week in The Olympian with the nickname a ‘woo-woo’ community, derived after Ramtha’s School of Enlightenment (RSE) garnered worldwide acclaim for our town when the school was created here in 1988, became one of the spiritual world’s hubs for over 3 decades, and embraced the existence of UFOs. Now, 30 years later, many local businesses have finally joined in to reap the benefits of being supporters, hosts and sponsors of UFO Fest, begun with the inspiration and insight of RSE student Jayne Cameron. Why even the City of Yelm, which long-held the school as anathema to this town, has joined as an event sponsor/co-host. And the NVN is also a sponsor, always following the money of headlines to increased newspaper sales.
Times ARE a changin’. Have fun in Yelm this weekend.


– The Olympian:
“Yelm embraces its ‘woo-woo’ reputation with UFO festival and symposium”
“Olympia has Lakefair. Shelton has OysterFest. And Yelm has this weekend’s UFO Festival.

“The second annual event, part free music festival and part paid symposium on space aliens and other out-of-the-mainstream topics, celebrates the city’s reputation as home to a wide array of people with a wide array of beliefs.

“‘It’s a beautiful way to embrace diversity under the umbrella of welcoming the aliens and anything else that is not the same old same old,’ said organizer Cameron Jayne, director of arts at Yelm’s Triad Arts Theater. ‘Yelm is known as a woo-woo community, so I figured we might as well play it up.’

‘It’s very funny,’ said James Flick of Tenino, who played original tunes with his wife, Krista “Kissy” Flick, at last year’s festival and will play again Saturday. ‘It’s just perfect for the town of Yelm,’” by Molly Gilmore, contributing writer in The Olympian.
Read more


– From The Olympian:
Friday (July 27) — Sunday
“Celebrate the great unknown in Yelm this weekend”

“If you’re looking for something a little different, head to the Yelm UFO Fest this weekend. It’s a event in two parts: a free festival and a Cosmic Symposium geared for sci-fi and extra-terrestrial fans. The festival features live music, entertainment, various carney tent shows, hot air balloon rides, a kids’ play zone, food and more family-friendly fun. Bring a blanket to enjoy the entertainment. The symposium, in an air-conditioned tent on the grounds, will feature talks by UFO experts; tickets are sold to each lecture. Hours are 4-10 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday. It’s all happening on Prairie Park Lane Southeast in Yelm. Go to thetriadartstheater.com/yelm-ufo-fest-details for more information.
Read more

Photo credit: Washington State Department of Natural Resources


– “Most of Washington under high or very high wildfire risk”
“Several counties in Western Washington are now under a high wildfire risk, with no relief from the dry conditions in sight.”

“According to the Washington State Department of Natural Resources website, every county in Western Washington is under a moderate or high risk for wildfires, with no relief in sight.

Only Clallam, Jefferson, Pacific, and Wahkiakum counties in Western Washington are under a moderate wildfire danger. All other counties in Western Washington are under a high wildfire danger.”

“The Washington State Patrol is also reminding drivers that tossing a cigarette from your vehicle could bring you a $1,025 fine. If the cigarette sparked a fire, those fire-fighting costs and damages could also be passed along,” by Jimmy Bernhard, KING-5 TV News, Seattle.
Read more


– From Michael Jordan, Pacific Div. VP, American Red Cross:
“While early in the season, the American Red Cross is providing shelter and support to help people in the path of wildfires which have broken out in the Western U.S. Wildfires can spread quickly, giving little time to evacuate to safety. It is important to be prepared, learn how to keep your family and home safe during a wildfire.

“If you or a loved one is in need of assistance, here is how to get help now. Simple tools like the Red Cross Emergency App can provide safety alerts to people with disasters impacting their region as well as tips on how to stay safe before, during and after emergencies. From wildfires, to home fires and floods, the Red Cross is on the ground helping those in need.”

Photo credit: Yelm Farmers Market


– From Experience Olympia & Beyond, the Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater Visitor & Convention Bureau:
“Yelm Farmer’s Market“
“Every Saturday until October 27th from 10 AM to 3 PM”

“The market has over 20 vendors including farmers, artisans, bakers, beekeepers, leatherworkers and much more plus a thriving children’s program and special events. Every dollar you spend contributes to a strong local economy and a healthy food network in our community.”
Read more


Yelm’s Farmers Market is run by the Bounty for Families (BFF) board, a not-for-profit 501(3)(c) focused on cultivating a healthy community by supporting local families, providing access to nutritious food, and strengthening the local economy.