HAPPY 4th of JULY !

"In the United States, Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. Congress approved the wording of the Declaration on July 4 and then sent it to the printer.

In 1776, John Adams declared, "The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epocha in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forevermore."[3]

[3] Letter to Abigail Adams," quoting Wikipedia.

The Declaration of Independence
from The Boston Globe

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FYI for Thurston County residents:

The Fourth of July is quickly approaching and fireworks will soon fill the air. Thurston County Solid Waste would like to remind residents what to do after the smoke settles. Once you clean up the debris from your fireworks display, these materials go in the trash bin only. Please do not place them in the recycling or the organics. While some fireworks packing does indeed contain paper or cardboard, there are many other items attached that make it non-recyclable such as the shiny coatings, plastic bases or tubes, and explosive residuals. These other materials contaminate the recyclables.

Speaking of contamination, we want to remind residents to please follow the recycling rule of “when in doubt, throw it out”. When residents are uncertain about the recyclability of an item, they often place it in the recycling bin “just in case”. Unfortunately this theory adds great expense to the recycling process due to extra sorting and having to dispose of the non-recyclable items.

The only plastics allowed in recycling are diary tubs and the narrow neck bottles and jugs. Plastic bags, deli containers, clamshells, toys, Styrofoam, and of course, diapers are prohibited. Ammunition and hypodermic needles do not belong in the recycling either and pose a danger to staff that work on the sorting lines. Placing incorrect items in your residential recycling may result in your bin being tagged by the hauler or not collected.

There are plenty of resources to help you determine what can and cannot be recycled. Just go to the Thurston County Solid Waste website for the Yes/No list. This information is also on your bin label and comes as a billing insert on the back side of your annual calendar. If you don’t find the answer for a specific item, please call your hauler or Thurston County at 357-2491 and we will be happy to help.

Terri Thomas
Education and Outreach Specialist
Thurston County Solid Waste

Visit our FREE materials exchange at
www.2good2toss.com

FROM AN ASTUTE READER OF THE YELM COMMUNITY BLOG!

"As you are well aware, we have had one of the driest summers on record so far, and it doesn't look to get any better. I love the sunshine and mild temperatures, but I also wish for some rain.

Having said that, I would like to ask that everyone please be very safe and aware during your July 4 celebration. I like fireworks just as much as the next person, but, we do live in a rural area where there is a tremendous amount of potential fuel for a fire, and it only takes a very small spark to start a very disastrous conflagration.

So please, keep an eye out for yourselves, your kids, and your neighbors.
Keep a garden hose handy, and for the sake of your pets, put them indoors if
possible. (I had a beautiful dog go deaf because someone decided it would be
fun to throw firecrackers at her..)," quoting these wise Yelm Community Blog reader's comments.

HAVE A FUN 4TH EVERYONE!

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Joshua the Scribe

Local dad Luke Sutton welcomes his son Josh this Friday, July 3rd at 9 pm to enjoy an inspiring and electrifying
evening at the China Clipper Club Cafe in Olympia.

"Joshua's Hip-Hopetry lives through his spiritually inspired lyrics and electric,high-intensity style of delivery, which has excited audiences everywhere…"

Joshua The Scribe
Friday, July 3rd - 9PM
China Clipper Club Café
402 4th Ave E
Olympia, WA
(360) 943-6300‎
Doors Open at 9PM

"Joshua The Scribe is an incredible performance Poet and yet he is so much more than a poet. He's a dynamic Spoken Word Artist, yet he is so much more than that. He serves up his powerfully inspiring lyrics in an exciting energetic Hip-Hop style, and yet he is not a typical hip-hop or rap artist. So, what is he?
Well, when you combine his fierce, eloquent poetry (containing his messages of Hope), with his hip-hop style, you get Hip-Hopetry.

His work examines themes of unity, respect, higher consciousness, as well as the balance between the natural & industrial, the ancient & the modern, the sacred & the profane. His powerful, lyrical phrases with dynamic hip-hop style have won him finalist spots in many poetry slams, from local to national. He has also created, hosted and coordinated a number of outstanding spoken word events, including the weekly open mic at the Mosaic Piano Bar in Milwaukee, which he grew to one of the largest open mics in the city," quoting Joshua's website.

CLICK HERE to learn more about Joshua the Scribe.

TELL JOSHUA THE SCRIBE YOU READ ABOUT HIM ON THE YELM COMMUNITY BLOG!

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Auctioneer Cindy Schorno & her brother World Auto Auctioneer Champion Danny Schorno, seated is CSE Board of Trustees Chair Emeritus, Carey Miller

Guests checking-out & bidding on Silent Auction items

CSE Auction guests Steve Klein, Congressional Candidate & Rep. Tom Campbell and his wife Lynn
All photos courtesy of the Children's School of Excellence (CSE)

The Children's School of Excellence, located in Rainier, Washington, held their 6th Annual Auction on Saturday, June 27th at the CSE campus on a delightful sunny afternoon. Over 500 people gathered for the festivities, starting at 3pm for a Silent Auction, followed by a buffet four-course dinner and a Live Auction with World Auto Auctioneer Champion Danny Schorno and his sister Cindy, children of Auctioneer Larry Schorno.

Actress Linda Evans and philanthropist Roberta Brittingham were the honorary co-chairs of the event. Attendees were from a broad spectrum of the community, including CSE families, friends, supporting local business owners and special guests, Congressional Candidate & Rep. Tom Campbell and his wife Lynn.

The highlight of the evening was a performance from the student’s themselves and a new video documentary about the school’s vision and programs. The most highly anticipated item for auction was the private audience with Ramtha donated by JZ Knight that garnered $37,500. Other items of note were a Claw Foot Tub donated by actress Salma Hayek, a large garden array from Gordon's Garden Center, an MXU 150 ATV donated by CSE founder Marjorie Laydon & Paulson's ATV'S, and a Five Jetted Soaking Bathtub from Yelm's Lasco Bathware. There were three full-year tuition endowments towards financial aid donated by Marjorie Layden, Linda Evans, and Yael & Steve Klein, which launched a paddle call for Financial Aid raising over $37,000 to provide financial assistance to students who, without such assistance would not have the opportunity for a CSE education.

"We are very proud to announce that $142,197.49 was raised at CSE’s 6th Annual Auction. This was our most successful auction, not in dollars, but in community spirit and support. There was more good will, volunteerism, and guests in attendance whose involvement, care, friendship and commitment keep our school growing and thriving. The Board, Faculty and Staff are honored and our students and families are blessed and treasured by a truly special and remarkable community," expressed a CSE Board of Trustees member to the Yelm Community Blog.

Other area Schools' Auctions in 2009:
- The Yelm Dollars for Scholars annual auction raised more than $140,000 for scholarships in March, 2009.

- The Rainier Education Foundation Auction Saturday [March 21] raised nearly $43,000 for scholarships and teacher grants, just shy of last year’s total.

The community opening their wallets for our area children with almost $325,000 in donations in this economic environment is truly amazing.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE BENEFICIARIES - OUR LOCAL STUDENTS!
AND THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED IN ALL OF THE FUNDRAISERS IN 2009!

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Nancy Hillman offered this area some of the best vehicles for our community's talent to be expressed in her 10 years as Director of the Drew Harvey Theater, with her production/direction of fabulous plays and musicals.

Now, Nancy returns to Yelm offering her experience once again to the community.
If you have ever had a desire to sing, dance and act, now is your chance!

FOR ADULTS:
The Art of the Playful Actor Taught by Nancy Hillman
Wednesday nights @ the Blue Bottle Cafe, Yelm
Call 789-2486 to register

"In an 8 week period, we will use Improvisation, Monologues, and Scene work to show how to access, with ease, the most joyful and entertaining part of you. This skill can be used in every life situation, starting with professional presentations, through personal conversations, and all the way to theatrical productions," says Ms. Hillman.

TELL NANCY YOU HEARD ABOUT HER CLASSES ON THE YELM COMMUNITY BLOG!

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I have been impressed with the fine investigative reporting on challenging area issues Olympian reporter Christian Hill has penned - so much so I wrote him a note after yesterday's report in The Olympian on the Tumwater Brewery's declining viability. I am sharing this with all of you, as this correlates with Yelm's own situation:

Dear Mr. Hill,

I can always tell when you have written a story -
I have noticed you do your homework and delve into many aspects of a featured article.
I appreciate that.

This paragraph in the brewery story [Sunday, June 28th front page of The Olympian] is very astute on your part:
"It’s a story etched in misfortune. A big corporation shuts down the century-old brewery, saying it’s no longer profitable. A start-up company, All American Bottled Water Corp., led by a chief executive with big dreams and virtually no business acumen, picks up the property for a song. That executive, L. Eric Whetstone, runs the business into the ground, leaving creditors on the hook for millions in unpaid bills after refinancing falls through and his criminal past as a scam artist is exposed in this newspaper. Creditors force the company and property into bankruptcy. A year of litigation and one unsuccessful offer for the property follow; then the lenders seize control of the property. They foreclose on it and put up a “For sale” sign.

And there it sits."

Unfortunately, this is also indicative that banks and lenders just did not vet and due diligence on their developers, prior to the downturn that in-turn, contributed to that very economic downturn.

We know that well out here in Yelm with the bright-eyed dream of a 5,000 home development (15,000-20,000 more people) proposed for a town of 5,000, with little foresight given to environmental, water, traffic, groundwater recharge and other costs to the public, as "city fathers" tripped over each other shoving those issues aside all-the-while salivating at the prospect of supporting Mayor Harding's "...stance in recent years for growth to pay for growth," as he told the NVN printed on April 17th, 2009.

As I always said, none of Yelm's leaders took an Economic 101 class to know that when the music [growth] stopped, someone was going to be without a chair [money to continue to pay for the infrastructure of what that growth required] with such short vision. [Ed. Note: Nor did they listen to and heed the public.] That happened and now Yelm taxpayers are left with $1.6 million in debt for the Golf Course well, almost $200 thousand in unpaid invoices and back-taxes owed to the city by the developers, and a [proposed] $71 million Yelm-taxpayer tab that begins with water rate hikes July 1st in an unapproved Water System Plan [with an option] to pay a Master Planned Community's (MPC) water needs.

You have reported several aspects of that excellently, from the water case against the City of Yelm to the Thurston Highlands default and subsequent debt burden left to Yelm taxpayers.

I just had to write to acknowledge your work!

Most sincerely,

Steve Klein

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1. "Small Towns Help to shape county"
was the title of The Olympian story Saturday, June 27 and had this to say:
RAINIER
Location: 12 miles southeast of Olympia and 6 miles southwest of Yelm
History: Established in 1890, the town of Rainier was named in 1884 by Northern Pacific officials because of its proximity to Mount Rainier, amid the ten al quelth prairies, an American Indian word meaning “the best yet.” The area was homesteaded by Albert and Maria Gehrke in 1890, and there still are many Gehrke families in the area.
Population: About 1,740, according to 2008 OFM estimates.

YELM
Location: Yelm is at the junction of state Routes 507 and 510, about 15 miles southeast of Olympia in eastern Thurston County.
History: The city was incorporated Dec. 10, 1924. Yelm is a Salish Indian word that means “heat waves from the sun.” Yelm was known as a village site for the Nisqually tribe. Since the 1980s, Yelm also has been home to JZ Knight, who claims to channel a 35,000-year-old warrior named Ramtha, and Ramtha School of Enlightenment, run by Knight.
Population: About 5,150, according to 2008 OFM estimates.
Features: In recent years, shopping centers and a cinema complex have sprung up in Yelm. A new library has opened near the cinema. Also, a Wal-Mart Supercenter opened in 2007.

2. Intercity Transit Named Best Transit System in the Country
for its size by the American Public Transportation Association

"In 2006, Intercity Transit [IT] officially set its vision to be a leading transit system in the country, committed to enhancing the quality of life for all citizens of Thurston County.

Three years later, that vision is realized. The American Public Transportation Association has named Intercity Transit the best transit system in the nation for its size. The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) presented the Outstanding Public Transportation System Achievement Award to just three transit systems in the country this year, based on size categories. Intercity Transit won the title in the medium-size category of transit systems providing between 4 and 30 million rides annually. There are a total of 108 medium-sized transit systems in operation across the U.S....

"Intercity Transit is only the third Washington State system to receive the award and the first since 1991. The award was previously given to Seattle’s King County Metro (Seattle) and Pierce Transit (Tacoma).

'This is a great honor,' stated Intercity Transit General Manager Mike Harbour. 'It’s a tribute to our outstanding employees, the leadership of the Intercity Transit Authority, and our entire community that supports and understands the value of public transportation.'

The Intercity Transit Authority, the only governing transit board in Washington State to have citizen representation with full voting power serving with elected officials, redefined the agency’s credo in 2006 adopting a new mission and vision that reflected its focus as not only a high-performing bus system but as the community’s mobility manager," quoting the IT website.

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Artists Heidel and Raya Bethel

"Paradise Studios is a premier architectural finishing and fine art mural studio that is recognized for its fabulous conceptualization, design and application of finely crafted decorative faux finishes, European plasters(including Venetian plaster, marmarino and more), and tromp l’oeil murals. We provide an unlimited spectrum of stunning, extraordinary fine finishes to achieve any effect imaginable. We are committed to artistic excellence and craftsmanship in every project. Every project is designed custom to you, your unique space, and your individual needs," quoting their website.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS
"Paradise Studios is a unique company formed by identical twin sisters, Heidel and Raya Bethel. With 15 years experience in fine art and studying with renowned artists in their early years, they have developed a diverse level of skill and creative direction. Through drawing and painting courses, Raya and Heidel have received extensive training that they have applied for years in project execution. The identical twins have worked on paintings side be side for years. Starting off their great works with oil on canvas, they eventually transitioned to small and large scale murals .They work in tandem on tromp l’oeil murals, matching painting styles exactly, allowing the finished piece to look like it was painted by one artist. They have a versatile ability to paint in styles ranging from realism to surrealism to impressionism to whimsical. Heidel and Raya have a great talent for painting reproductions capturing the beauty of a classic or renaissance piece of art."

CONTACT
Paradise Studios
info@paradisestudiosart.com
Phone # (425)830-2911 Kirkland, Wa
Phone # (360)789-5744 Olympia, Wa

TELL PARADISE STUDIOS ART YOU READ ABOUT THEM ON THE YELM COMMUNITY BLOG!

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Dear Readers;

No matter what each of us may feel about Michael Jackson's flaws, his were no different than our own. These define the human condition that are all of our roadblocks towards evolution. His were just more publicized than ours!

We have a generation alive today that truly do not know the contribution that this man made to our evolving society; emerging from the ignorance, blindness and prejudice of the inequities amongst races.

Let THIS and his whole genre of works be Michael Jackson's legacy. That there be no one untouched and unmoved by this man's co-production of this piece the world-over is fitting this day, I say!

For those that are too young to know or to jar your memory from 24 years ago [yes, 24 years ago; Michael was 26!]:

"USA for Africa (United Support of Artists for Africa), was the name under which forty-five predominantly U.S. artists, led by Harry Belafonte, Kenny Rogers, Michael Jackson, and Lionel Richie, recorded the hit single "We Are the World" in 1985. The song was a US and UK Number One for the collective in April of that year. The considerable profits from the enterprise went to the USA for Africa Foundation, which used them for the relief of famine and disease in Africa; critics, however, claim that this money went directly to the (often military) governments of the affected countries rather than the people. A recording of the live performance was released with the Live Aid DVD set released on November 8, 2004," quoting YouTube.

And, the final released version of the song went viral & touched the world in 1985 long before cell phones, laptops, I-Phones, Twitter, Facebook & Blogs! click here

Bless Michael Jackson for bridging Blues & Pop and in doing so, bridged yet another racial chasm with his music, starting with our youth and moving beyond to all ages.

"THERE COMES A TIME, WHEN WE HEED A CERTAIN CALL, WHEN THE WORLD MUST COME TOGETHER AS ONE..."

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In his Op-Ed piece out today [print edition of June 26] in the Nisqually Valley News (NVN), Publisher's Column writer Keven Graves titled story says "Replacing the perceived me with the real one." This piece is very interesting because he is attempting to dispel the many myths he hears about himself.

Mr. Graves should not be surprised about that, because I was always taught "what goes around, comes around" and Mr. Graves sure does shovel misconceptions himself.

To wit: He has mentioned in the same column several times he and his family's move from Yelm to near Rainier, the column from where I quote:
"Try and find an acre inside Yelm city limits. It didn't exist at the time.

Nope, a savvy bloggist observed, I obviously fled Yelm because I didn't want to endure an increased water bill two years down the road."

This "savvy bloggist" said nor implied any such thing, as most any reader can see for themselves from this June 18th Blog entry about the city's debt service comprising the huge city water rate increase, still unreported in Mr. Graves' newspaper:

"HOW LONG IS SILENCE GOING TO BE THE MANTRA HERE?
HOW LONG WILL THIS ALL BE IGNORED BY THE NISQUALLY VALLEY NEWS?
[Ed. Note: After all, this newspaper is the first to publish front-page reports and editorials on their perceptions of malfeasance by the Cities of Rainier & Roy. Why does the City of Yelm get a bye?
And, the NVN's publisher/editor has said several times in his Op-Eds he no longer resides in Yelm, therefore is not affected by city policies at his new residence? HMMM!]"
CLICK HERE for the full story.

Does this say anything that Graves "fled Yelm because I didn't want to endure an increased water bill two years down the road?"
NO!
What this sentence DOES say is that the water rate increases do not affect him, so he does not personally know the burdens Yelm property owners will bear beginning July 1st, and the Yelm Draft Water System Plan debt spread to the taxpayer has not been covered by his newspaper.

Mr. Graves spoke in the column of his "extreme shyness," yet he certainly is not shy about penning misconceptions to the public with his newspaper's omissions & facts twisting.

This is now the third week in a row where the NVN has gotten a story incorrect;
the previous two weeks garnering e-mails to Mr. Graves & his reporter by me. I recommend Mr. Graves look at his own actions as to why he must write a column titled "Replacing the perceived me with the real one."

OF COURSE, AS ALWAYS, YOUR THOUGHTS ARE APPRECIATED!

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