Own property & live in the Yelm area?

Here's what is in-store for 2009 for you:

1. Yelm School's Levy increase takes effect
2. Fire Levy
3. Your annual Library taxes
Plus:
- Yelm Schools targeting classroom construction funding before 2012
- Yelm Timberland Regional Library deficit funding levy
and a new library will have to be built to house the library in a public building.

all of this on top of economic news out this week:

Economy sailing into rougher waters
U.S. business economists see economy shrinking more
From MSNBC: click here

Mortgaging the future in desperate times
Despite big penalties, many are cashing in or borrowing against retirement
From MSNBC: click here

County proposes cuts, may need more
Work force would drop by 7 percent, but $1.2 million gap remains
From The Olympian: click here

Investors pay dearly to tap retirement funds
In addition to penalty, savers lose out on chance for more growth
From MSNBC: click here

Wholesale prices plunge by a record amount
October’s one-month decline of 2.8 percent is the biggest on record
From MSNBC: click here

State shortfall likely to increase
Governor to readjust budget after job, revenue outlooks are released this week
From The Olympian: click here
[Ed. Note: What will happen to the unfunded Yelm Bypass?]

Holiday sales outlook looks flat
Economic slowdown worries some South Sound retailers
From The Olympian: click here

The Washington Policy Center held its Pierce County 2008 Small Business Issue Forum [Nov. 18] in Tacoma in partnership with the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber.
"Michael Ennis, director of the WPC Center for Transportation, said his staff is watching two problems closely. The first is a projected $1.5 billion shortfall between gas-tax money collected for road improvement projects and the cost of those projects. In years past, the legislature has been able to make up the difference, but this year may be different. Ennis said lawmakers will either have to cancel several projects or fund them with money from the state's general fund," quoting the Pierce County Business Examiner.
[Ed. Note: Bypass funding in the 2009 Legislature appears in jeopardy. Expect Yelm's traffic to continue to get worse, since no capacity has been added to Yelm's main thoroughfare, only a turn lane to help with flow. There is still only one through lane in and one lane out and through town.]

Home construction cannot move forward in five subdivisions [Tahoma Terra Phase II, Divisions 5 & 6; Windshadow I; Windshadow II; Wyndstone; and Berry Valley I] because of a court order outlining the city's lack of water, so building permit fess, home sales taxes & owner property taxes from these projects will not be coming into city coffers, either.

YELM LEVIES RARELY PASS ON THE FIRST BALLOT.
HOW WILL THE PUBLIC VOTE IN 2009 ON MORE LEVIES & TAXES?

Posted by Steve at 5:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"The McClatchy Co. has announced that The Olympian newspaper will be printed at The News Tribune in Tacoma starting in November.

In an e-mail to employees Friday [Oct. 10], Olympian President and Publisher John Winn Miller said the move will allow The Olympian to be delivered earlier in most areas, and the newspaper could avoid future capital expenses.

Miller said eight jobs will be affected by the printing move. Three employees could be transferred from Olympia to Tacoma, and the company will try to avoid layoffs by seeking volunteers for severance packages.

McClatchy has been seeking greater efficiency in the past year because of an industrywide downturn in print advertising.

In June, The Olympian laid off 17 people, including four in the newsroom. It offered buyouts in September that resulted in four more newsroom employees leaving," quoting KING5-News.

Of course, McClatchy publishes The Olympian, The Tacoma News Tribune and The Bellingham Herald all in Puget Sound.

Posted by Steve at 6:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"Reducing waste is especially important during the holiday season. Americans throw away one million extra tons of waste each week between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day. Think about this: If every family in the U.S. used two feet less of gift wrap ribbon the 38,000 miles of ribbon saved would be enough to tie a bow around the whole planet.

This season is the perfect opportunity to teach children about what really matters. Ad agencies spend over $15 billion a year on advertising aimed at children, and parents can help wean their children away from material overload by setting an example. Plus, parents who are less stressed out and exhausted just might experience the real meaning of the holidays - a warm feeling inside that comes from doing something that makes a difference.

The following Thurston County businesses are participating in the 2008 Waste Free Holidays Program. Please contact them directly to purchase gifts or to find out more information. Discounted prices apply to purchases made from Nov. 15 through Dec. 31, 2008.

The WasteFree Holidays program has started!

So visit www.wastefreeholidays.com and get some great ideas for your holiday shopping list this year," quoting Thurston County Waste Free Holidays.

Posted by Steve at 5:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"A longtime South Sound radio executive who has been trying to open an AM radio station in Yelm since 2004 says he can see light at the end of the tunnel.

"I felt that it gave me the best opportunity to be granted a license if I was choosing an area that was not yet served," said Brian Butler, the sole owner of the proposed station in Yelm.

Butler is the general sales manager at Olympia's KXXO at 96.1 FM and owns a small stake in that station. He has been with that station since it went on the air in August 1989.

Butler started work on the Yelm station in 2004, filing a short application with the Federal Communications Commission that year, then a longer one in December 2007, he said. He now is waiting for a construction permit to be granted and aims to be on the air in mid-2009, Butler said.

This much he knows: The station will broadcast at 1120 AM; will operate at 10,000 watts during the day and 6,000 at night; and because of its directional signal, it likely won't be heard east of Yelm or north of Tacoma. However, it should cover Thurston County, he said. The county is home to about 12 stations, according to FCC data.

Station call letters haven't been determined, and although he envisions a station carrying music, news and local sports, Butler did not want to disclose the music format...

Yelm is Thurston County's fastest-growing city, with its population growing 6.2 percent in the year-over-year period ending in April, according to a recent estimate by the state Office of Financial Management. A Wal-Mart supercenter opened there in 2007, and the city's taxable retail sales have been strong.

A category of taxable retail sales known as retail trade, which excludes construction and is considered a better measure of consumer spending, shot up nearly 50 percent to $21.7 million from $14.7 million in the year-over-year second-quarter period this year [mostly because of a Wal-Mart opening in July, 2007]. In the first quarter of 2008, year-over-year taxable retail sales in Yelm were higher by 52 percent, according to the state Department of Revenue.

'I've been in the radio business for 30 years, and I saw it as an opportunity as a station owner,' Butler said about putting a station in Yelm," quoting
The Olympian.

Of course, Yelm has been home to radio station KRSE - Beyond the Ordinary Free Webcast Radio for many years.
Owners Nancy Lorenz & Elena Young say:

"Our program is in service to the community ... now a world-wide community. Our intent is to promote the wonderment, possibilities, wisdom, discovery, and enjoyment of life!

Two friends, with many years of searching for knowledge and answers, traveled to a gathering of shamans on a mountain top in 1999, because of their message "the world is as you dream it." The radio program began with our desire to share with you this possibility, whatever truths we had found, and would continue to find ...and the magical quantum doors opened with a way to do it. The program started in 2000 as "Where the Eagle Meets the Condor" broadcasting over KNRY on Historic Cannery Row in California.

One year and a half later we found, through our own program... The most magical, Ramtha and his School of Enlightenment. That was when all the pieces of knowledge we had gathered from many sources came together, and where we finally found answers to the great questions and discovered just how true the shaman's message is --along with the knowledge and disciplines that enable us to experience it.
One more year after that, we moved to Washington and within months resumed the program under its new name. We now had so much more to bring to you, including quantum physics, neurobiology, explained in such easy to grasp and delightful ways...

The World Is Listening! Over 90 countries show up in our stats [that listen in to Yelm, WA.]."

Posted by Steve at 6:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"Thurston County Commissioner Bob Macleod announced Monday he has been diagnosed with very early stage Alzheimer's disease and will resign his seat Dec. 31.

The timing of his announcement, nearly a week after the election, presents some unique challenges for local Democratic Party leaders and elected officials in appointing his successor.

Macleod, 81, announced his resignation by reading a letter to Thurston County residents Monday morning at the end of the commissioners' regular meeting, which is televised. He noted his diagnosis for an unspecified medical condition in the letter, but later confirmed in an interview it is Alzheimer's disease...

Macleod said he has committed to staying on the board until the 2009 budget is adopted. The county faces a projected $4.3 million budget shortfall next year. Commissioners are scheduled to vote on the budget Dec. 15...

The Thurston County Democratic Party will forward a list of three potential candidates listed in priority order for appointment by the remaining two commissioners. Gov. Chris Gregoire would step in and make the appointment if the commissioners cannot agree on a replacement within five days of the vacancy.

The precinct committee officers elected during the August primary will take office Dec. 1. They then have a month to finalize a slate of candidates. It's up to the party to determine if all the officers in the county or only those within the district now represented by Macleod will make those decisions...

Macleod represents District 3, which encompasses west Olympia, Tumwater and western Thurston County...

Last week, voters elected Commissioner Cathy Wolfe to a third four-year term and Commissioner-elect Sandra Romero, who will succeed incumbent Diane Oberquell on Jan. 1.

Sandra Romero

Cathy Wolfe

Romero must move up her oath of office to December from the traditional first meeting in January to be qualified to vote for Macleod's successor. She and Wolfe must vote at Romero's first meeting as commissioner, presumably Jan. 5, or the decision falls to Gregoire," quoting The Olympian.

THE YELM COMMUNITY BLOG ACKNOWLEDGES MR. MACLEOD FOR HIS SERVICE TO THE COUNTY AND WISHES HIM WELL!

Posted by Steve at 6:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Dear Readers;

I know that some of you may have issue with my "prattle" [to quote Dave's column in the NVN] yet no one else around here has even dared to stand-up and speak to the truth about the several issues here, especially the water case covered on this Blog several times.

Mayor Ron Harding was quoted on the front page of the Nisqually Valley News on October 10th saying that Thurston County Superior Court Judge Wickham's Letter Opinion about the case of JZ Knight vs. City of Yelm et al amounts to "Business as usual." And the City of Yelm Press Release of October 10th says "The City of Yelm is pleased with Judge Wickham's decision..."
Read the Press Release for yourself. CLICK HERE!

In the same story, City Administrator Shelly Badger said,
'In light of the vast time and money dedicated to this case,' said City Administrator Shelly Badger in a press release, 'it is ironic that the decision equates to Yelm doing business as usual.'

'The permitting process isn’t changed.'”

The permitting process has now changed and changed big time, Mrs. Badger!

To quote the NVN in their November 14th edition, "In the judge's findings, the city is required to prove potable water at final plat approval and notify Knight of water issued of these developments."

Yes, that is the key determination affecting the City of Yelm, a city that says they should not have to prove water availability until the building permit phase and that was in the Letter Opinion issued in October.
Where was the Mayor on this very issue then? That changes the permitting process for the city in a major way!

And, the NVN out on the newsstands today has quite a different headline from Mayor Harding now that Judge Wickham issued his final decision in this case on November 7th. Mayor Harding takes issue with the Judge's decision and says he "disregarded everything the city suggested."

What happened between the Judge's Letter Opinion and the Final Decision, which was virtually unchanged?

Readers of the NVN were not afforded that information until today, yet Yelm Community Blog readers not only had ALL of the details, they had access to the Court documents to read for themselves since this began in July, 2007!


Pastor Jeff Adams says in his NVN column today:
"In recent years, the losers of elections have acted so disrespectful and dishonoring of our elected officials. If our candidate loses, we act as obstructionists - like spoiled children who throw tantrums when they don't get their way.
May I encourage you to show character whether your candidate or his/her opponent is in office.
It's okay to disagree on issues and even let your disagreements be known.
However, if we cannot show proper respect when doing so, we taint our cause.
We mix foolishness in and undermine the very things for which we stand."

Pastor Adams, I could not agree with you more; have respect for our officials, yet speak up when one sees things differently!
Our government requires, indeed demands participation from the public. Dissent is the hallmark of a Constitutional Republic like ours.
Subjugation and subversion of the truth by officials we voted into office is not to be tolerated by anyone, period.
I find speaking up and calling our leaders on issues affecting our area to NOT be "disrespectful and dishonoring of our elected officials." Indeed, for city officials and the newspaper to keep facts from their constituents IS "disrespectful and dishonoring" of the public!
And last month, the city's "Business as usual" press release and NVN story kept the facts from the public, as I told the City Council on October 28th.
If the public does not want the truth here; if the public is not interested in what city officials are keeping from them, please let me know.

I will be interested to see if the City of Yelm honors and respects the Court's final decision, which means that the city may NOT proceed with these five subdivisions [Tahoma Terra Phase II, Divisions 5 & 6; Windshadow I; Windshadow II; Wyndstone; and Berry Valley I] until the City of Yelm proves water availability, that the State Dept. of Ecology says the city does not have.
Of course, the City has until early December to appeal.

The NVN reported in today's edition the "City tightening its belt for 2009-10". That would be wise, for now on top of the economic downturn, the city can expect no further tax revenue from building permit fees, home sales tax and future property tax revenue from these 5 subdivisions, until it gets it's water issues straightened out, which could be a long time.

And, the City still has alot of explaining to do. The City Council has always said they will not use public monies to fund private developments, yet that is exactly what they did in funding the Thurston Highlands water study to the tune of over 2/3 of a million dollars. City Administrator Badger said the Thurston Highlands Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will address how the Yelm taxpayers get repaid. One certainly will be interested in that because with the State Dept. of Ecology saying the City does not have sufficient water now to support all of the building permits already issued, how is a 5,000 home development going to get approval to build?

WHAT SAY YOU?

UPDATE [Friday, November 14th, 4:40pm]: The NVN published only on their website JZ Knight's Press Release in response to last week's NVN story about developers' Bloom/Chamberlain complaints on RSE campus sewage.

The Mayor said in the NVN story the city "will look this week to decide if we want to appeal.”

Who will take the appeals case when the Judge said the City of Yelm was not following:
- the RCW
- the Washington Water Code
- Yelm's own Municipal Code
- An Amicus Curiae (friend of the court) Brief filed by the Washington State Dept. of Ecology & the State Assistant Attorney General stating Yelm did not have enough water rights to support existing building permits, much less any new ones?

Mayor Harding said, “I’m confident in the end, the city will prevail.”
Prevail against the laws of the State of Washington meant to protect the public?

WHO WILL TAKE A CASE THEY ARE SURE TO LOSE AGAINST THESE CODES?

Posted by Steve at 5:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (11) | TrackBacks (0)

Yelm-based Intention Media announces the movie FUEL is being shown in limited release in the U. S. now as their current, featured project:

"Most Americans know we’ve got a problem: an addiction to oil that taxes the environment, entangles us in costly foreign policies, and threatens the nation’s long-term stability. But few are informed or empowered enough to do much about it. Enter Josh Tickell, an expert young activist who, driven by his own emotionally charged motives, shuttles us on a revelatory, whirlwind journey to unravel this addiction—from its historical origins to political constructs that support it, to alternatives available now and the steps we can take to change things. Tickell tracks the rising domination of the petrochemical industry—from Rockefeller’s strategy to halt ethanol use in Ford’s first cars to the mysterious death of Rudolph Diesel at the height of his biodiesel engine’s popularization, to our government’s choice to declare war after 9/11, rather than wean the country from fossil fuel. Never minimizing the complexities of ending oil dependence, Tickell uncovers a hopeful reality pointing toward a decentralized, sustainable energy infrastructure—like big rigs tanking up on biofuel at Carl’s Corner Texas truck stop, a new Brooklyn biodiesel plant serving three states, a miraculous Arizona algae-based fuel farm, and the Swedish public voting to be petroleum free by 2020. Sweeping and exhilarating, Tickell’s passionate film goes beyond great storytelling; it rings out like a bell that stirs consciousness and makes individual action suddenly seem consequential.

Josh Tickell, a leading expert on alternative fuels, grew up in Louisiana, where members of his family suffered from diseases linked to pollution from oil refineries. After discovering biodiesel, he earned an MFA in film from Florida State University's School of Motion Picture, Television, and Recording Arts to chronicle and vitalize the green-energy movement. He has been working on Fields of Fuel for 10 years. Tickell also authored a controversial companion book, Biodiesel America—How to Achieve Energy Security, Free America from Middle-East Oil Dependence, and Make Money Growing Fuel."

--© Sundance Film Festival

Intention Media is handling the distribution of FUEL, which is headed by filmmaker Betsy Chasse (co-creator of the hit film What the Bleep Do We Know?!) of Yelm.

Check-out theaters & show times.

Coming to Yelm Cinemas, December 5th, 2008
Q & A will follow with Josh Tickell, after the screening.

Posted by Steve at 6:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"Two troubling trends have reshaped the lives of Americans over the past few decades: Our jobs are less secure, and we are less likely to participate in social and community groups. A first-of-its-kind study suggests these phenomena are linked.

Analyzing decades of data, sociologist Jennie Brand of the University of California, Los Angeles and Sarah Burgard of the University of Michigan found workers who have been laid off even once are 35 percent less likely to be involved in community or social organizations than workers who have never lost a job under those circumstances.

What’s more, that lowered likelihood of civic involvement remains steady decades after the involuntary termination.

'That surprised us,' Brand said. 'It’s not like they got re-employed and things went back to normal. There was a change in their lifetime trajectory.'

'Just one disruption in employment makes workers significantly less likely to participate in a whole range of social activities, from joining book clubs to participating in the PTA and supporting charities,' she said.

'After being laid off or downsized, workers are less likely to give back to their community.'

The study, published in the September issue of the journal Social Forces, grew out of Brand’s longtime interest in the effects of losing a job, which is an increasingly relevant field of research. As Louis Uchitelle of The New York Times wrote in his 2006 book The Disposable American, the attitude of corporations toward their workers changed fundamentally between the mid-1970s and the late 1990s, as job security gradually gave way to 'the easy and frequent use of layoffs,'” quoting Miller-McCune.

THIS IS SOMETHING OF WHICH TO BE AWARE AS OUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS HAVE THEIR JOBS AFFECTED.
THIS WRITER WAS IN A LOCAL SHOP HAVING LUNCH RECENTLY AND LISTENED TO FORMER ARNOLD'S EMPLOYEES SPEAK OF THEIR CHALLENGES SINCE BEING LAID-OFF. TWO FRIENDS BISTRO, ARNOLD'S COUNTRY INN, BAR CINCO & SEBASTIAN'S BEST HAVE ALL CLOSED HERE THIS YEAR!
OTHERS ARE BEING TESTED, AS THE NVN REPORTED ABOUT OUR GOOD FRIEND INSUK JOHNSON'S CHINESE WOK!

SUPPORT OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES AND TELL THEM YOU READ ABOUT THEIR SHOPS YELM'S COMMUNITY BLOG!

Posted by Steve at 6:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"Veterans Day is an American holiday honoring military veterans. Both a federal holiday and a state holiday in all states, it is celebrated on the same day as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day in other parts of the world, falling on November 11, the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I. (Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice.)

Veterans Day is largely intended to thank veterans for their service, to acknowledge that their contributions to United States national security are appreciated..., quoting Wikipedia.

More from Wikipedia:
"The Congress, by an act approved June 1, 1954 (68 Stat. 168), changed the name of the holiday to Veterans Day."

"The Uniform Holidays Bill (Public Law 90-363 (82 Stat. 250)) was signed on June 28, 1968, and was intended to ensure three-day weekends for federal employees by celebrating four national holidays on Mondays: Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Columbus Day. After protests by veterans' groups, it was moved back to November 11 in 1978 (most states had reverted to the original date during the '70s). Even though it is a federal and state holiday, it is formally observed in most parts of the United States only by government offices and banks."

"Veterans Day closures, events" in the South Sound, quoting The Olympian.

FROM "ANY SOLDIER.COM"
Want to send your support to a Soldier in harm's way,
but have no idea of what to send, who to send it to, or how to send it?

How this works:

We have Soldier contacts on the "Where to Send" page. Click through the names and select the one(s) you wish to support. They list what the folks they represent want and need. We even have a search capability so you can easily identify what the troops need most.

All the Soldiers involved in this effort are military volunteers stationed in areas that are in harm's way. You send your support (letters and/or packages) addressed to them and when they see the "Attn: Any Soldier" line in their address they put your letters and packages into the hands of Soldiers who don't get much or any mail first. Everything is shared.

We have "What to Send", "How to Send" and "FAQ" pages to help you properly send letters and packages, please read these. Be sure to also read our "New & Stuff" and "Success Stories" pages. This effort is 110% voluntary. You send your support, and maybe some stuff, directly to whatever unit or units you want, you don't send us anything.

We also have a video you may watch free online, "Tango Mike!" which is a great overview of how the site works. The video is available for purchase HERE.

PLEASE read the entire web site before you send anything.
We want you to be informed and comfortable with this effort.

Thank you for your support!

Posted by Steve at 5:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Gail Louise Schorno Passes

Gail Schorno, "Age 65, of Yelm, passed away Wednesday, November 5th 2008, after a two-year battle with cancer. Born in Tacoma to Dallas and Marguerite Edwards, she spent most of her life in Yelm. Gail graduated from Yelm High School in 1961, and was married to her high school sweetheart Larry Schorno for 47 years. Gail, a devoted, talented mother and homemaker, had many interests. She enjoyed singing, acting, horseback riding, cooking, gardening, beachcombing, and piloting her Cessna. She was a great fan of her nine adoring grandchildren, attending their many ballgames and musical events. Many charitable organizations benefited from her generosity, including Yelm Dollars for Scholars, POSSCA, Yelm Performing Arts, Drew Harvey Theater, and Yelm Historical Society. She loved to love her family. She is survived by her mother Marguerite Edwards, husband Larry Schorno, daughters Gayla Schorno-Duerr and Cindy Schorno, sons Dan and Glenn Schorno, sisters Dallas Ann Landon and Christine Chatwood, brother Jeff Edwards, and nine precious grandchildren, Peter, Kristie, Daniel, Natalie, Austin, Jack, Will, Alexis and Laney. Gail will be dearly missed by all and we know we will see her again in Heaven. A memorial service will be held Tuesday, November 11, 2008 at 1 pm at the Lawrence Lake Pavilion in Yelm. A brief gravesite visit and reception will follow. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Dollars for Scholars Endowment Fund in memory of Gail Schorno," quoting the Tacoma News Tribune.

THE YELM COMMUNITY BLOG SENDS HUGS TO THE SCHORNO FAMILY DURING THEIR TIME OF LOSS!

Posted by Steve at 5:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)