– THANK YOU to readers of the Yelm Community Blog,
available via YelmCommunity.org, YelmNews.com, and Yelm.com (on the site’s upper right tab).


– Editor’s note:
The Yelm Community Blog was begun at the insistence of a supporter to my Yelm mayoral campaign, who said I had garnered so much knowledge in the year 2005, that to just walk away would be a travesty to the community. I heard this supporter’s message and with his encouragement, began the Yelm Community Blog on March 29, 2006 as a free service to the public and as a live archive of important stories of local and historical significance.

The Yelm Community Blog’s first entry thirteen years ago today is still pertinent now: “5000 pupils in Yelm Community Schools.” with the recent schools bond passage.

As always, you can e-mail this blogger at info@yelm.com.

Thank you for your continued support.

Steve Klein
Host, Yelm Community Blog

• Yelm’s SRO raises their already-high bar with The Lion in Winter!

– Standing Room Only is proud to present… THE LION IN WINTER
WHEN: March 8-31, Friday & Saturday nights at 7:30pm, Sunday matinees at 3pm (includes post-show History Chats – March 10, 17, 24).
WHERE: The Triad Arts Theater, 102 Yelm Ave. E., Yelm WA 98597
TICKETS: $20 Regular price, $17 Military (and families) & Seniors, $10 Students.
Click here to pre-purchase tickets online and to read the plot summary.

• A Review In arriving at The Triad, I was pondering the enormity of Standing Room Only (SRO) to take on this script and how this would translate to the theater’s small stage. After-all, my only previous exposure to the play was the movie adaptation from 1968 starring Peter O’Toole and Katherine Hepburn. I left The Triad amazed at how professional SRO pulled-off such an ambitious project. The Cast and Director received my standing ovation, deservedly so.
• Well-known actors to Yelm audiences shined and delighted once again: Dave Champagne, Jesse Geray, Daniel Wyman, and Will Champagne. However, these fine thespians all stretched themselves to deliver greater performances than I’ve seen on this stage from them, revealing even more depth in their respective acting ranges. In doing so, the synergy they created, much from body motions, facial expressions, and intonations in their lines delivery, was very important to the success of this show. They made the insolence of their characters really felt by the audience. Will Champagne’s performance was stellar and is to be commended for holding his own with the others, especially in scenes with his father, Dave. They commanded The Triad’s stage taken to greater heights!
• Dawn Wadsworth and Travis Martinez returned to SRO’s stage for their second time and were joined by first-timer here, Victoria Ashley. They were paramount in their roles allowing them to seamlessly engage with our seasoned Yelm-stage actors. Dawn was especially amazing in an exceptionally demanding role. I hope to see more performances from these three fine actors in future SRO shows.
• The other stand-outs in this production were the outstanding direction of Angela Marinella and the fab work by Stage Manager Alex Brown and his team, as there were many intricate set changes which were carried-off with precision. The gorgeous costumes were also noted.
• I congratulate SRO and The Lion in Winter team. They hit a home-run “outta da ballpark” which I hope is supported by patrons from far and wide, as they will be dazzled by this production!
• As a side note, I appreciated Dave Champagne’s comment in the program about his mission to provide a lasting legacy to the 2 decades of hard work by SRO founder Nancy Tribush Hillman and the numerous theater volunteers all of those years. Bravo Dave – you’re a true “mensch”!

Amtrak Installs Positive Train Control, NTSB Nears Release of Report on Derailment”

“The Washington State Department of Transportation on Monday announced two milestones that signal that passenger rail service on the Point Defiance Bypass could resume soon. Service had been suspended after a December 2017 derailment on the bypass.

“Amtrak has installed a safety feature known as Positive Train Control (PTC) on its Point Defiance Bypass. Additionally, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced that it will release its report on the December 2017 derailment, which happened in DuPont, at a board meeting in May.” [Click here for the prelim NTSB report.]

“‘Once the final NTSB report is issued, WSDOT and others involved with the service will assess the recommendations to determine next steps for returning the Amtrak Cascades and Coast Starlight service to the Point Defiance Bypass,’ WSDOT’s release states,” quoting South Sound Business. Read more

“Bonds are flashing a huge recession signal — here’s what happened to stocks last time it happened”

Key Points

• Stocks rise about 15 percent on average in the 18 months following inversions, according to Credit Suisse.
• The spread between the 3-month Treasury bill and the 10-year note went into negative territory on Friday, the first time since 2007.
• The more widely watched part of the curve — the gap between yields on the 2-year and 10-year debt — falls to just 10 basis points, versus 60 basis points a year ago. By Yun Li, CNBC. Read more

“Dow drops more than 450 points; S&P 500 posts worst day since January on worries over economy”

“Stocks dropped on Friday [March 22] as investors worried global economic growth could slow down following the Federal Reserve’s cautious outlook from earlier in the week and weak overseas data.

“The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 459 points lower as bank stocks fell on an inverted yield curve, which some investors see as a signal of a recession coming. The S&P 500 fell 1.9 percent and notched its biggest one-day drop since Jan. 3. The Nasdaq Composite declined 2.5 percent as shares of Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, Alphabet and Apple all closed lower,” quoting Fred Imbert, CNBC. Read more

• Yelm’s SRO raises their already-high bar with The Lion in Winter!

– Standing Room Only is proud to present… THE LION IN WINTER
WHEN: March 8-31, Friday & Saturday nights at 7:30pm, Sunday matinees at 3pm (includes post-show History Chats – March 10, 17, 24).
WHERE: The Triad Arts Theater, 102 Yelm Ave. E., Yelm WA 98597
TICKETS: $20 Regular price, $17 Military (and families) & Seniors, $10 Students.
Click here to pre-purchase tickets online and to read the plot summary.

• A Review In arriving at The Triad, I was pondering the enormity of Standing Room Only (SRO) to take on this script and how this would translate to the theater’s small stage. After-all, my only previous exposure to the play was the movie adaptation from 1968 starring Peter O’Toole and Katherine Hepburn. I left The Triad amazed at how professional SRO pulled-off such an ambitious project. The Cast and Director received my standing ovation, deservedly so.
• Well-known actors to Yelm audiences shined and delighted once again: Dave Champagne, Jesse Geray, Daniel Wyman, and Will Champagne. However, these fine thespians all stretched themselves to deliver greater performances than I’ve seen on this stage from them, revealing even more depth in their respective acting ranges. In doing so, the synergy they created, much from body motions, facial expressions, and intonations in their lines delivery, was very important to the success of this show. They made the insolence of their characters really felt by the audience. Will Champagne’s performance was stellar and is to be commended for holding his own with the others, especially in scenes with his father, Dave. They commanded The Triad’s stage taken to greater heights!
• Dawn Wadsworth and Travis Martinez returned to SRO’s stage for their second time and were joined by first-timer here, Victoria Ashley. They were paramount in their roles allowing them to seamlessly engage with our seasoned Yelm-stage actors. Dawn was especially amazing in an exceptionally demanding role. I hope to see more performances from these three fine actors in future SRO shows.
• The other stand-outs in this production were the outstanding direction of Angela Marinella and the fab work by Stage Manager Alex Brown and his team, as there were many intricate set changes which were carried-off with precision. The gorgeous costumes were also noted.
• I congratulate SRO and The Lion in Winter team. They hit a home-run “outta da ballpark” which I hope is supported by patrons from far and wide, as they will be dazzled by this production!
• As a side note, I appreciated Dave Champagne’s comment in the program about his mission to provide a lasting legacy to the 2 decades of hard work by SRO founder Nancy Tribush Hillman and the numerous theater volunteers all of those years. Bravo Dave – you’re a true “mensch”!

“Feds inch closer to approving Alaska mining project seen as a threat to Pacific Northwest”

“Over the past several decades, fishermen, business owners, Alaska Native organizations and environmental groups have protested a proposed open-pit copper and gold mine at the headwaters of Bristol Bay — a pristine salmon habitat.

“Now the federal government is inching toward approving the mining project.

“Nestled in southwest Alaska, Bristol Bay is home to the world’s largest wild salmon run. The watershed supports a teeming ecosystem of eagles, grizzlies and beluga whales. It’s also an economic engine for the Pacific Northwest. Each year, the fishery contributes thousands of seasonal fishing and processing jobs and millions of dollars in economic activity to Washington, Oregon, and California, according to the University of Alaska Institute of Social and Economic Research,” by Julianna Rennie in The Olympian.
Read more

From NRDC:

“President Trump and his Department of Energy are attempting to drastically weaken common-sense energy efficiency standards for light bulbs and appliances — cuts that will cost consumers billions while driving millions of tons of additional carbon pollution per year.

“The Trump administration is accepting public comments on these two disastrous anti-environment attacks.” Read more

• UPDATE: March 23, 2019

“Recording reveals oil industry execs laughing at Trump access”

“Gathered for a private meeting at a beachside Ritz–Carlton in Southern California, the oil executives were celebrating a colleague’s sudden rise. David Bernhardt, their former lawyer, had been appointed by President Donald Trump to the powerful No. 2 spot at the Department of the Interior.

“Just five months into the Trump era, the energy developers who make up the Independent Petroleum Association of America, or IPAA, already had watched the new president order a sweeping overhaul of environmental regulations that were cutting into their bottom lines – rules concerning smog, hydraulic fracturing and endangered species protection.

“Dan Naatz, the association’s political director, told the audience of about 100 executives that Bernhardt’s new role meant their priorities would be heard at the highest levels of the department,” by Lance Williams, Reveal News. Read more

Editor’s note: China stopped accepting for import America’s recycling items because of President Trump’s imposed tariff policies.

“Is this the end of recycling?”

“For decades, we were sending the bulk of our recycling to China — tons and tons of it, sent over on ships to be made into goods such as shoes and bags and new plastic products. But last year, the country restricted imports of certain recyclables, including mixed paper — magazines, office paper, junk mail — and most plastics. Waste-management companies across the country are telling towns, cities, and counties that there is no longer a market for their recycling. These municipalities have two choices: pay much higher rates to get rid of recycling, or throw it all away.

“Most are choosing the latter,” quoting Alana Semuels, The Atlantic. Read more

“Top 11 Tips to Become an Expert at Recycling”

“Do you recycle? If you do, the tips in this article will help you do it better, and if you don’t, why not make it a point to start this year, armed with the essential do’s and don’ts?

“It’s worth remembering that mankind had a zero-waste lifestyle up until about 100 years ago. There were no plastic wraps around the foods and items you bought, and virtually every scrap — be it fabric, paper, wood or metal — was repeatedly reused and creatively repurposed into new products,” by Dr. Mercola. Read more

“More regional airports studied as Washington eyes population growth” Could Olympia attract commercial air service?

• Editor’s note: Olympia Regional Airport’s main runway length can only handle regional commercial air service at present.

“Everett’s Paine Field started a new era of scheduled commercial flights this week, but other airports around Puget Sound could follow suit in the wake of new study now underway.”

“What about a new scheduled jet service in Kitsap County, Tacoma, or Olympia? What about a cargo facility, or more room to build airplane parts for the region’s aerospace manufacturing base?

“The answer to those specific questions may be years away, but a study to figure out the basics of what’s needed is currently underway.

“It’s called the Regional Aviation Baseline Study and it’s being administered by the Puget Sound Regional Council (PRSC), with matching funds from the Federal Aviation Administration,” by Glenn Farley, KING-5 TV News, Seattle. Read more

• Editor’s note: Why is this country killing civilians in a non-declared war zone and why is Trump not going to allow the statistics on drone strikes and deaths, anathema in this democracy? This “Imperial President” provides no public transparency? This is sad!

“Donald Trump Ends U.S. Policy of Revealing Drone Strikes and Civilian Deaths in Places Where It’s Not at War”

“The Republican leader signed his own executive order to nullify the practice mandated in 2016 by former President Barack Obama, who greatly expanded the U.S. military’s drone warfare across Africa and the Middle East, as well as other parts of Asia. Trump’s predecessor argued the move would provide more transparency to a shadowy campaign often criticized for operating within legal gray zones as part of the larger war on terror launched in the wake of 9/11.

“Trump offered no reasoning for his decision, but has called on the Pentagon to cut down on the information it released to the media,” by Tom O’Connor, Newsweek. Read more

“How Trump has made both the trade and budget deficits worse”

“Trump. He took office vowing to eliminate the entire national debt in eight years, but it has only gotten worse, thanks to the skyrocketing budget deficit. In turn—and this is the unanticipated or unintended effect on something else—it has made the trade deficit worse as well. The Census Bureau said Wednesday [March 6, 2019] that the trade deficit for goods soared to an all-time high in 2018: a whopping $891 billion,” by Paul Brandus, Market Watch. Read more

“Federal budget deficit leaps 77 percent so far for fiscal 2019”

• Editor’s note: Trump’s economy is slowing ahead of 2020 as national debt mounts! Recall in 2016 he originally said he would eliminate the debt? He also promised to eliminate the budget deficits. This President does not have the mind or will to trim his budget!

• The U.S. budget gap climbed to $310.3 billion from October to January, up from $175.7 the previous year
• Spending on Social Security, defense and interest payments was higher
• Tax revenues were lower following the new tax cuts, with corporate payments down 23 percent.

Deficits are heading to $1 trillion

“The Congressional Budget Office is projecting that this year’s deficit will hit $897 billion, up 15.1 percent from the $779 billion deficit recorded last year. In the CBO’s projections for the next decade, it forecasts that the deficit will once again top $1 trillion annually beginning in 2022 and will never fall below $1 trillion over the rest of the forecast period,” by The Associated Press via CBS News. Read more

“As Debt Rises [surpassed $22 trillion], Interest Costs Could Top $1 Trillion”

“The fastest growing item in the budget over the next decade will be interest on the debt, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), by Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. Read more

“The U.S. national debt has topped $22 trillion for the first time in history, according to daily figures released by the Treasury Department on Tuesday [Feb. 12].

“The debt has ballooned by more than $2 trillion in the two years since President Trump took office in January 2017, when the debt stood at $19.9 trillion. It surpassed $21 trillion for the first time in history in March 2018. Under the Obama administration, the national debt grew from $10.6 trillion to $19.9 trillion, an increase that drew sharps criticism from Republicans,” by Kathryn Watson, CBS News.

• Yelm’s SRO raises their already-high bar with The Lion in Winter!

– Standing Room Only is proud to present… THE LION IN WINTER
WHEN: March 8-31, Friday & Saturday nights at 7:30pm, Sunday matinees at 3pm (includes post-show History Chats – March 10, 17, 24).
WHERE: The Triad Arts Theater, 102 Yelm Ave. E., Yelm WA 98597
TICKETS: $20 Regular price, $17 Military (and families) & Seniors, $10 Students.
Click here to pre-purchase tickets online.

• A Review In arriving at The Triad, I was pondering the enormity of Standing Room Only (SRO) to take on this script and how this would translate to the theater’s small stage. After-all, my only previous exposure to the play was the movie adaptation from 1968 starring Peter O’Toole and Katherine Hepburn. I left The Triad amazed at how professional SRO pulled-off such an ambitious project. The Cast and Director received my standing ovation, deservedly so.
• Well-known actors to Yelm audiences shined and delighted once again: Dave Champagne, Jesse Geray, Daniel Wyman, and Will Champagne. However, these fine thespians all stretched themselves to deliver greater performances than I’ve seen on this stage from them, revealing even more depth in their respective acting ranges. In doing so, the synergy they created, much from body motions, facial expressions, and intonations in their lines delivery, was very important to the success of this show. They made the insolence of their characters really felt by the audience. Will Champagne’s performance was stellar and is to be commended for holding his own with the others, especially in scenes with his father, Dave. They commanded The Triad’s stage taken to greater heights!
• Dawn Wadsworth and Travis Martinez returned to SRO’s stage for their second time and were joined by first-timer here, Victoria Ashley. They were paramount in their roles allowing them to seamlessly engage with our seasoned Yelm-stage actors. Dawn was especially amazing in an exceptionally demanding role. I hope to see more performances from these three fine actors in future SRO shows.
• The other stand-outs in this production were the outstanding direction of Angela Marinella and the fab work by Stage Manager Alex Brown and his team, as there were many intricate set changes which were carried-off with precision. The gorgeous costumes were also noted.
• I congratulate SRO and The Lion in Winter team. They hit a home-run “outta da ballpark” which I hope is supported by patrons from far and wide, as they will be dazzled by this production!
• As a side note, I appreciated Dave Champagne’s comment in the program about his mission to provide a lasting legacy to the 2 decades of hard work by SRO founder Nancy Tribush Hillman and the numerous theater volunteers all of those years. Bravo Dave – you’re a true “mensch”!

– The Lion in Winter (the play) “The Lion in Winter”
Written by James Goldman
Directed by Angela Marinella

“Set in Castle Chinon, in France, in the year 1183, “The Lion in Winter” is a brilliantly written play of intrigue, suspense and strategic <one-ups-man-ship> “one-upsmanship” between the members of a royal family over Christmas weekend.

“Based on the historically factual family of King Henry II, the play imagines the conversations, alliances, threats and bargains that occur as Henry’s three sons position themselves to succeed their father to become the next King of England.  The dialogue is sharp and taut, the drama is intense with sudden unexpected bursts of comedy, and the characters are delightfully devious.  

“It is the ORIGINAL ‘Game of Thrones’.

“‘The Lion in Winter’ has been made into two movies – one of them winning several academy awards in 1968 (starring Peter O’Toole, Katherine Hepburn, Anthony Hopkins and Timothy Dalton).

“But before the cinematic successes of the movies, it was a play by James Goldman, and considered to be one of the best-written plays of the 20th century.”

Click here to purchase your tickets.