ThurstonTalk

 

Submitted by City of Olympia

You may have noticed the ‘carpet’ of beautiful blue flowers alongside 18th Avenue and Henderson Boulevard in southeast Olympia. The reason for this springtime explosion is a simple change in the way we “seeded” the planter strip last year when finishing these road improvement projects. Before, we used a standard seed mix. This time, we tested an environmental, low maintenance alternative mixture of dwarf grass and wildflowers. Not only is the new mixture much nicer to look at, it also requires significantly less water and maintenance. Once the mix is well established it only needs mowing about once a month and requires minimal irrigation.

“Oly Blue” – Our Not-So-Secret Formula

80% Perennial Rye

20% Wildflower and Flower Seed Mix consisting of

• English Daisy
• Baby Blue Eyes
• Strawberry Clover

 

I have only ever fallen in real, deep, true love with men who can recommend a good book to me. James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (2 February 1882 – 13 January 1941) was an Irish expatriate writer, widely considered to be one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. He is best known for […]

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William Tuning is a wealth of knowledge.  People find him by referral.  Their friends or a family member recommend William Tuning for a mortgage loan and after a conversation, they quickly learn that he knows his stuff.  He talks eloquently about different loan options suitable for their situation and provides helpful advice that other mortgage bankers may have overlooked.

But, what’s more important is his passion for helping people achieve home ownership.  He mentions this goal often and shares stories of how couples started as customers but became friends through the process.

As a mortgage banker for 18 years, Tuning has purposefully chosen this path as his career.  “When I was a kid, I only wanted to be a farmer or a banker.  My grandfather was a partner in a little bank in a small town.  When I was older I used to visit the bank and watch the employees make deals and shake hands with their customers with their word being golden.  I apply that same approach to my business dealings,” describes Tuning.

Tuning’s career began in mortgage lending as a mortgage banker serving primarily credit union clients.  He then spearhead an effort to create a local credit union mortgage program and later joined a community bank as VP of Mortgage Operations. He was surprised at the difference in lending decisions between not-for-profit organizations (credit unions) and for-profit banking institutions.

His mortgage banking career has progressed through the years, starting as a loan officer, a supervisor within one year of starting his career, and eventually moving up to the Vice President of Mortgage Lending role.  “Even as I rose through management and became a VP, I still had customers wanting me to do their loans,” he says with a smile.

“After being in a management role for a number of years, I realized that I wasn’t actively interacting with customers.  That’s where my love is – taking an active role in helping people achieve home ownership,” reflects Tuning.

In 2005, he stepped out of the corporate banking role and returned to direct lending, primarily serving credit unions and the community bank marketplace.  “My true passion is helping people face-to-face to achieve the dream of home ownership,” he says.

Tuning is now an active member of CU Mortgage Division which is a branch of Network Funding LP, NMLS #2297.  Last year, Network Funding LP funded nearly $3 billion in home loans.

Through Network Funding LP, Tuning is able to offer a personalized service but has the latitude to run his business in the manner that he wishes.  Through the larger institution, he has access to programs and capital that he may not otherwise be able to reach in a smaller organization.

Tuning’s loans are processed locally out of his business office in West Olympia.  Customers appreciate the timely service.  “Turnaround times (on a mortgage loan decision) are significantly shorter than at big banks or a huge credit union that serves 100’s of thousands of members,” notes Tuning.

It’s the small town service and accessibility that Tuning provides to his mortgage loan customers.  He welcomes customers to email or text him with questions.  “Loan officers at many banks and many of the huge credit unions go home at 5:30 pm.  Who will answer your question over the weekend?  I carry my phone and communicate with customers so that you don’t have to wait until Monday morning.  I know that a quick response can make a difference in a couple’s life over the weekend,” describes Tuning.

“In the middle of a transaction, you want to be able to talk to someone.  I call people back within 2 hours and quickly respond to emails,” says Tuning when describing his relationship with his customers.  He doesn’t want his customers worrying about the details and wants to be accessible so that he can promptly answer questions or respond to concerns.

Tuning’s mission to get families into a home is coupled with a conservative approach.  While reviewing a couple’s financial standing, Tuning also advises customers beyond simply the monthly mortgage payment.

“As a lender, I look at debt ratios related to credit cards, student loans, and car loans.  But, then I go further and educate customers on the true cost of home ownership,” explains Tuning.

For example, a couple may be able to qualify for a $250,000 mortgage, but then what happens when the heater breaks or the hot water tank needs to be replaced.  “I try to make sure that customers are ready for the unexpected expenses associated with home ownership,” he says.

“I frequently hear comments like ‘thank you for preparing us so that we had a little extra money in the savings account,’” Tuning adds.  “Some lenders don’t take the time to tell the customer these things, especially when dealing with young people.  These are individuals that are going to be my customers for life, if they are prepared correctly.”

Tuning’s caring nature, coupled with his firm understanding of mortgage loans, makes him an ideal match for Thurston County families looking for a home loan.  He continually focuses on helping families make solid decisions so that they achieve their dream home.

“That’s why you get into the business – for the relationships,” Tuning summarizes.

You can reach William Tuning directly at 360.539.4687 or via email at wm@williamatuning.com.

ThurstonTalk

 

By Tom Rohrer

During our time, we each have the ability to live a full, active life, while still being environmentally mindful of our impact on the planet.

Olympia has always celebrated this essential balance for health, and thanks to a host of community events, area citizens have the opportunity for a positive personal and global impact.

There could be no event more appropriate for expressing this goal than the Earth Day Market Ride coordinated by Intercity Transit.  It’s the seventh consecutive year of the ride, which serves as the perfect segue for the annual Intercity Transit’s Thurston County Bicycle Commuter Contest (BCC).  Bicycle commuters use the Earth Day Market Ride (held on April 21) to kick-off the contest.  Mother Nature has also helped facilitate a great start to the bicycle commuter contest with unseasonably warm, sunny days.

“It’s been fun to see (the Earth Day Ride) grow and there really isn’t a better day for (such an event),” said Linda Weaver, who generated the idea for the Earth Day Ride in 2007.  “We’ve seen an increase in participation every year, and you see it in the Bicycle Commuter Contest as well.”

Individuals and large groups alike participated in the ride, and were able to use the miles they peddled toward the contest total.  Riders in some cases were led by event volunteers from their neighborhoods to the meeting spot at Heritage Fountain.  This created a perfect opportunity for those not experienced in riding in traffic to learn the ways of the road.  Following the meeting at the fountain, the group rode together through downtown to the Olympia Farmers Market.

“Standing around the fountain, seeing everyone come in with different groups, that’s fun, and it’s an event that will likely keep growing,” Weaver said.

While cycling obviously requires physical exertion, the challenge of riding in traffics can often appear daunting, a misconception area cyclist are trying to dispel.

“I think that’s what people are most hesitant about when starting out,” said Scott Edwards, who is the captain of the Washington State Department of Enterprise Services team in the BCC.  “I received advice from a (Washington State Patrol) friend.  He advised that when I’m on my bike, I’m like a vehicle.   I take the whole lane like a vehicle, when I go down Fourth Avenue and Capitol Way on my commute. I have plenty of room, it’s safe and I don’t get boxed in on the right like I used to.”

The volunteer leaders during the Earth Day Ride did a great job of clearing up misconceptions.

“I heard from many people how the ride was much easier, much less of a challenge than they thought it would be,” said Weaver, who is the team captain for the Social Cyclists in the BCC.  “To squash those (misconceptions), that’s a big step towards more cycling awareness.  You still have to be mindful and fully attentive while riding, especially in an area like downtown Olympia, but it’s not as hard of a transition as people think.”

Edwards, who does not use an automobile, estimates he rides around 400 miles a month, which includes travel time for both business and pleasure.  After living in Arkansas, Edwards relocated to the Pacific Northwest in 2004.  He has been on his bicycle ever since his car was totaled in 2009.   Luckily for him, Olympia is an area where cycling is not only accepted, but encouraged.

“You won’t find a contest like this in many other places in the country,” Edwards said. “There definitely is that culture of acceptance for bicycling, and what is really amazing is that it could still expand to reach other people.  I don’t think everyone realizes how quickly you can get to areas around here on your bicycle.  That’s what I try to tell people – the pros of cycling to work away the cons.  It can change your life in so many ways.”

Weaver, who began commuting by bike when she first participated in the BCC eleven years ago, still encourages others to take the cycling plunge.

“My children, who are now young adults, are bicycle commuters,” Weaver said. “Just being in the cycling community, you can see it catching on more, and a lot of that is because of things like the Earth Day Ride and the Bicycle Commuter Contest.  At the same time, there is a lot of positive word of mouth going around.  People who commute on bikes save money and are in better shape.  Those positive aspects have a way of spreading quickly.”

Awareness can spread even quicker at gatherings like the Earth Day Ride.

“That was the perfect example, because you have people with a common interest getting together in a social setting while being friendly,” Weaver said. “I think to an extent it represented everything that is right with the cycling community in this area, and just how great of an activity it is.”

For more information on Intercity Transit’s Thurston County Bicycle Commuter Contest, visit http://thurstonbcc.blogspot.com/.

 

Doan's Cafe, Olympia, WA 1906 (UW Digital Collections)From a longer piece I'm working on about E.N. Steele, Olympia lawyer, civic leader, oyster booster and treaty rights activist:

Earl Newell was born outside of Des Moines, Iowa in 1881. After graduating from State University of Iowa, he made a short tour of the west. Once in Olympia, he sat down for a dinner of oysters. That meal sealed Olympia for Newell.

Steele tells the story in his unpublished manuscript, "Letters to Grandpa" about a chance meeting with an old friend and an oyster lunch kept Steele in Olympia:
I again met people from Seattle who strongly advised me to locate in Seattle. Two of my classmates in college had located. But again some thing told me “No, see Olympia first.” So I listened, but I had to change at Centralia to get to Olympia. And that proved to be the most fortunate decision of all. We arrived there about noon. Not knowing where I was going I started toward what appeared to be the business district. I had not gone more than a couple of blocks till I met a young man. We took a good look at each other.

Then he stopped facing each other and he almost shouted at me “Pete Steele, where did you come from?” “Roy MacRenalds, where did you come from?” I then recognized him, for he said “Pete”, and I had not heard that since I left school in Perry, Iowa, We had been friends in school. We had both lost track of the other. After a little chatter he said he was on his way to lunch and asked me to go with him. We went to Doan's Oyster House. He ordered Doan’s oyster pan roast. As they served it he said, “Pete, after you eat this you will never want to leave Olympia.” He had spoken more than he knew. I had never eaten any thing I enjoyed so much.So Steele stayed. He started out as a teacher in Tenino, but eventually entered the law practice in Olympia in 1903.

Steele’s love for Olympia is obvious in his writing. He was either a great salesman for Olympia or the rest of his Iowa-based family (four brothers, sister and mom and dad) had tenuous ties to Iowa. Within months of Earl settling in Puget Sound, all seven of them made the trek west to Washington State.

Event:  Thu, 06/06/2013 - 6:30pm - 9:00pm

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Negative stereotypes of low-income folks are perpetuated by lopsided media investigations, which feed into the narrative of conservative lawmakers intent on destroying the social safety net. Yet most voters think that poor children deserve to eat, live indoors and go to a doctor when they are sick. Monica Peabody, POWER (Parents Organizing for Welfare and Economic Rights) Board member

Last February, Congress passed legislation that bans the use of TANF funds at casinos, strip clubs, and liquor stores. TANF, or Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, is a federal block grant program that provides cash assistance to low-income families with children. This cash assistance is made accessible to recipients through the use of Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards. The bill sponsor, Louisiana Republican Representative, Charles Boustany, claims that illicit use of TANF funds is a nationally rampant problem. For proof he probably looked to sources like an early 2011 fraud investigation done by Seattle’s King 5 television, which revealed that 13,000 TANF recipients made 20,465 separate withdrawals in state casinos.

This was reminiscent of a scandal in California, where the Los Angeles Times reported that EBT card users pulled $4.8 million out of casino ATM’s between the beginning of 2007 and middle of 2010. What these reports failed to take into account is how often casino’s are located in rural areas with limited ATM availability. Half the transactions in California took place in rural areas, and based on the locations of Washington’s casinos it’s reasonable to assume these statistics are comparable.

Troy Huston, deputy director of DSHS (Department of Social and Health Services), was asked by King 5 News if he thought the money being withdrawn in Washington casinos was being used for gambling. Mr. Huston acknowledged that, “I don’t know if someone who is withdrawing money at a casino is actually using it to gamble . . . I don’t have enough information to make that determination.”

Despite this lack of information, the “forbidden” businesses mentioned above are now required to alter their ATM’s and point of sale machines so they cannot accept EBT cards, an expense they are covering out of pocket. Washington’s Office of Fraud and Accountability has utilized US Postal Service data to create a tracking system for matching TANF recipient’s cards to transaction records they are accessing from ATMs at “forbidden locations”.

The Office of Fraud and Accountability has thirty employees; six new full-time positions were created in March 2011 to reduce fraud and misuse of benefits through EBT cards. A figure has not been released for the cost of this investigation, but it’s safe to assume it surpasses the $6,600 TANF recipients withdrew from ATM’s at ‘adult entertainment venues’ and casinos last year.

In 2012 Washington State had an average of 54,427 people receiving TANF benefits per month. Over a seven-month period last year 63 Washingtonians used their EBT cards at ATM’s located in casinos, liquor stores, tattoo parlors, and strip clubs. That is less than .002% of Washington State EBT card users. Of these 63, seven are “repeat offenders.” How is this news?

Tracking EBT card use has also become a pastime for the conservative media. In January Rupert Murdoch’s New York Post revealed that welfare recipients made dozens of ATM withdrawals at a handful of porn and liquor stores across New York City during an 18-month span. Kansaswatchdog.org tracked Kansas TANF recipients’ spending habits over a 3-month period last year by accessing ATM records at casinos, strip clubs and the like. They found that Kansas welfare recipients withdrew $43,000 at ‘questionable locations’, the largest two being “smoke shops and cigarette retailers”, a common ATM location where $19,302.42 was accessed. Cash advance and payday loan places, which are a debt trap that specifically targets low-income folks, came in second with $8,578.10. Not to be outdone, Florida’s NBC2, with the help of Virginia-based software firm FMS, Inc., recently sorted through 1.3 million EBT ATM transactions, totaling $201.8 million dollars, to find that between 2009 and 2011 $190,733 had been spent in bars, liquor stores, strip clubs, casinos, and bowling alleys. That is less than one percent of the total money they monitored and almost certainly less than the cost of the investigation.

The sentiment behind these investigations was perfectly summarized, albeit unintentionally, by Michael Tanner of the Cano Institute. When interviewed about EBT use at sex shops in the New York Post Article he stated, “I have nothing against strip clubs, but that’s not what benefits are for. I don’t blame [recipients]. If you are poor, it’s a crummy life and you want to have a drink or see a naked woman. I blame the people who are in charge of this.” Mr. Tanner’s statement paints low-income folks as drunks with crummy lives who want to party on the taxpayer dime. They don’t know any better, so it’s up to those in power to put a stop to their debauchery. The entire purpose of reports like these seems to be advocating for the prejudices of Mr. Tanner’s lot. This narrative is the latest line of attack in a smear campaign that stretches back even further than the phrase ‘welfare queen’. Once these stereotypes are planted in the public consciousness it becomes that much easier for conservative lawmakers to swoop in with discriminatory legislation.

For a case study in this phenomenon we need look no further than Florida’s mandatory drug testing of welfare recipients. Despite costing Florida a deficit of $45,780 and proving the percentage of welfare recipients using illegal substances was lower than the general population, Kansas decided just last month to begin a similar drug testing policy for its welfare applicants. In these instances, stereotypes speak louder than statistics. Similarly, tracking TANF recipients ATM habits is absurdly wasteful, proving nothing except how little money is being withdrawn at locations that offend conservative sensibilities. Media reports have been playing down the truth and playing up shock value, which perpetuates pre-established negative stereotypes, attracting viewers like moths to a light. As these negative stereotypes become further engrained, logic falls by the wayside. The public is too busy buying into an absurd fantasy about welfare recipients being a bunch of drunken degenerates gambling away other people’s money to care about how their tax dollar is being wasted in pursuit of this fantasy. This portrayal pacifies the masses as conservative lawmakers smash the social safety net to smithereens. Since 1996, due to TANF time limits and onerous requirements, the number of people receiving cash assistance has fallen by two thirds, though poverty has increased. In 2009 TANF assisted 28 families for every 100 in poverty, compared to 75 out of 100 in 1996. All this has occurred during the worst economic crisis in a generation, when the need for social services is greater than it has been in decades. In order to address this growing economic inequality we must first debunk the stereotypes about low-income individuals that are fueling this atrocity.

Jordan Beaudry has a pen in his pocket and a passion for social justice.

 

Jordan Beaudry

Yep. My birthday this year happens to coincide with International Clitoris Awareness Week.  As Nadine Gary pointed out to the Huffington Post: “Most American holidays have a drink associated with them,” she laughed. “Maybe someone can come up with one.” Well, there IS this: The Screaming Orgasm 1 oz vodka 1 1/2 oz Bailey’s® Irish cream 1/2 oz […]

Restore America’s Estuaries (RAE), the American Sportfishing Association (ASA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released a report yesterday that connects habitat restoration with fisheries. As the title of the report says, essentially, “More habitat means more fish.”

From the announcement:

“Investing in coastal and estuarine habitat restoration is essential not only for the long-term future of our fisheries but also because it helps support economies and communities through the recreational and commercial fishing industries,” said Jeff Benoit, President and CEO of Restore America’s Estuaries. “In order to have fish, we have to have healthy habitat. If we want more fish, we need more healthy habitat.”

You can read the entire report here.

ThurstonTalk

 

By Jake Luplow

During the course of a lifetime, everyone should do the following at least once: (1) read Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five, (2) rescue a puppy from a burning building, and (3) attend a movie at a drive-in theatre.

Oscar Wilde once said: “Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months.”  Those who know me know I subscribe to this truism on the three month plan, both inwardly and outwardly. But beneath layers of Chanel and Estee Lauder plastered upon my soul, there is a decrepit old man nostalgic for the archaic facets of our culture–be it the old safety razors or the old drive-in movie theatres.

When I received this assignment, I headed to the Mason County Museum Historical Society, and I devoured their historical archives with much enthrallment. For a split second, I was Benjamin Franklin. I was Thomas Paine. I was Johnny Cash. And that is what history gives us, a chance to live vicariously through those who came before. The Skyline Drive-In, located in Shelton, Washington, is no different: It is a monumental part of our community, and it allows for the “old” to be renewed within each and every one of us.

The Skyline Drive-In Theater first opened in 1964 and its opening night features included Walt Disney’s Lady and The Tramp and Billy Budd. The theater was started by Fred Thibodeau and Fred Hendry, both of whom worked in the Bremerton Navy Shipyard by day, and operated theaters by night.

Built on a 16-acre tract the theater had the capacity for 354 cars, and it was open seven days per week.

Now, just shy of its 50th year anniversary, the theater still holds the same sentiments of the past, but with some fresh, new energy– a lively crew who lives and plays in the area. The Drive-In, however, is facing a possible, fatal death that would leave history buried and probably a building project in its place. The Skyline Drive-In must switch to digital projection, or else …

According to Drive-In operator Christopher Mayes, his family purchased the theater from the original owner after having booked the Drive-In for years. He said, “We promised to keep ‘his baby’ going. Since purchasing in 2005, his family has maintained the Drive-In, updating and preserving it.

The theater is unique because it caters to all. Christopher explained that the older generations have nostalgic views of drive-ins and are able to fill this void with their “classics,” and for families who have young children, it is a great opportunity to watch the latest Hollywood movies in the comfort of your own cars.

John Heater, owner of Elma Paintball, confirmed, “I grew up going to the Drive-In as something we did as a family, and, when I became a dad, it is something I shared with my kids and hope they will be able to share with their kids. Watching a movie under the stars with the family, enjoying a burger that can only be rivaled by a ‘fair burger,’ and taking in all the smells and sounds of summer is an experience that only the drive-in can offer.”

In addition to Skyline’s regular showings, they offer many special events. On May 16th they will be showing the movie Alien (super awesome! I know, right?), and on August 24th they will be showing the Rocky Horror Picture Show–a 10 year-old Skyline tradition.

To the community and to the people in the surrounding area, the theater is about much more than just watching a movie; it is about the experience elicited only from a piece of history. Jaclyn, Drive-In manager, explained, “My favorite part is that we show a lot of classic films. It is so cool when we show an old movie and people actually show up, dressed the part. We showed Greece once, and a ton of people showed up dressed from the fifties. They even fired up their old classic cars and drove them in.”

Aside from the digital conversion, the future of the Drive-In looks bright.

Christopher explained that they’d also like to “revamp” the neon sign out front, build a small stage in front of the screen for live acts and local bands, and they would like to develop eight acres of unused land to provide for more entertainment options for families.

The Drive-In will see none of this, though, unless they are able to raise the remaining $40,000 to switch to digital.

We are conditioned to believe that everything perishes. We see our grandparent pass, and then our parents, and then we pass. But history remains forever. Quite simply, the Skyline Drive-In Theater allows for magic: It allows for communities to come together and share in the past.

If you would like to support the current fundraiser to support the Sklyline Drive-In, or if you would like more information including show times and admission prices, please visit their website.

Shelton’s Skyline Drive-In Theater is located 182 SE Brewer Rd in Shelton.  Gates open at 7:00 pm Friday through Sunday.  For Skyline Drive-In showtimes, click here.

LucidGallery Installation by Barbara De PirroMay 23 - June 30, 2013
Special Artist's Presentation - Friday, May 24, 4pm
Followed by the Artist's Reception 4:30 to 6pmDe Pirro's atmospheric installation creates interplay between light and shadow: ever changing patterns with the shifting of light, swaying gently with the delicate flow of air. Take a deep breath and allow your imagination to wander within this ethereal space.

"I am fascinated by the brilliance and resilience of nature while, at the same time, its fragility & vulnerability. I surround myself with its many forms, surfaces and textures. Nature is as much a part of my life as it is the impetus for all my recent work."

Port Angeles Fine Art Center
1203 E. Lauridsen Blvd.
Port Angeles, WA
(360)457-3532
PAFAC WEBSITE

DE PIRRO WEBSITE
BIOMIMICRY BLOG

In mythology master’s come in many guises.  Some are stoic, some are fearsome,  and some look like idiots who are drunk off their asses. Before there was Jamie Oliver, before there was Anthony Bourdain or Andrew Zimmern, there was Keith Floyd - Keith Floyd was born at an early age and educated at Wellington School in Somerset. In […]

I need some help. I’m in a rut. I know as a food blogger I’m supposed to be a wealth of culinary ideas and inspiration, but lately I can’t figure out what to cook for dinner. Maybe I need a new cookbook, something new to muse over and gain ideas. Maybe I need to find […]

ThurstonTalk

 

Some Moms want breakfast in bed followed by an awesome round of slots.  Other moms want a quiet, relaxing day at the spa.  Still other moms prefer a date night with hubby with great food, lively music, and big payouts in the casino.

Whatever your Mom has at the top of her list, Quinault Beach Resort and Casino is ready to provide it during Mother’s Day weekend.

Take Mom to play her favorite table game.  On Friday and Sunday, play the promotions for a chance to win up to $10,000.  Just last month, Quinault Beach Resort and Casino awarded a lucky player $80,000.  Wouldn’t that rock Mom’s special day?

For the spa-loving Moms, luxuriate in a gorgeous hotel room.  Then spend time at the nurturing day spa.  Professional massage therapists provide relaxing treatments.  Treat Mom to a marine hydration spa special for two hours of bliss.

Enjoy a delightful meal in the casino’s award winning restaurants.  After a tasty meal, play in the casino.  According to Quinault Beach Resort and Casino, their slots pay out higher than any other area casino.

On Friday, Saturday and Sunday night, the fun-loving Mom will enjoy the Silver Sizzles Revue.  A cast all over the age of 50 is sure to entertain and delight the crowds in a Vegas-style revue.  Think glamour, glitz and feathers.  The performers costumes, exciting dance productions, great songs and hilarious comedy will get the entire audience involved.

Kim Archer is performing on Friday and Saturday night during Mother’s Day weekend.  The band describes its music as “old school soul, funk and classic rock with sultry blue and original ballads.”  Enjoy live music by Kim Archer in the Ocean Lounge.

Whatever way you choose to treat Mom, Quinault Beach Resort & Casino is the place to be.  It’s still fine to gather photos from the customer/organization – this is just another option if you wanted to snap your own shots.

Quinault Beach Resort & Casino

78 State Route 115

Ocean Shores, WA 98569

888.461.2214

ThurstonTalk

 

Submitted by Ballet Northwest

Olympia, WA – Ballet Northwest will present Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s classic ballet The Sleeping Beauty this Mother’s Day Weekend at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts.

Tchaikovsky’s beloved ballet features a cursed princess, faeries, the royal court, and a prince who awakens a sleeping kingdom. The ballet concludes with Princess Aurora’s wedding with special guests Red Riding Hood, Puss N’ Boots, Rapunzel, Cinderella, and Hansel and Gretel!

Ballet Northwest’s production includes professional sets, lavish costumes, 75 local dancers (from Thurston, Lewis, Mason, and Pierce counties), and guest artist Iyun Harrison. Mr. Harrison danced professionally with Dance Theater of Harlem and Ailey II, both in New York City. Currently he is on faculty at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, and locally at Johansen Olympia Dance Center. He is also the Artistic Director of Ashani Dances, a contemporary dance company based in Seattle.

“We’re excited this year to have such a strong cast of local dancers, as well as such an experienced professional dancer like Iyun Harrison who worked professionally in New York.”, stated Co-Artistic Director Josie Johnson.

Ballet Northwest continues its rich tradition of outreach into the community with its Dance Literacy program, in conjunction with The Sleeping Beauty.

Co-Artistic Director Ken Johnson explained, “Our dancers are thrilled to visit local elementary schools to introduce kids to dance, then the school children will be bused (at no charge to the schools) to a free student matinee at the Washington Center. For most kids, this will be their first exposure to ballet.”

The Sleeping Beauty is presented with the support of Nisqually Indian Tribe, Dr. Andrew Kapust, DDS, Olympia Federal Savings, and KUOW 94.9.

The Sleeping Beauty will be performed at The Washington Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Olympia May 10 through 12, Mother’s Day Weekend 2012. Curtain time is 7:30pm on Friday and Saturday and 2pm on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets range from $14 to $30, with discounts available to students, seniors, and youth. Student Rush tickets are available one hour before curtain. Tickets are available through the Washington Center Box Office at 512 Washington Street SE in Olympia or by calling 360-753-8566. Visit www.balletnorthwest.org for more information or buy tickets online at www.olytix.org.

Biographies:

Iyun Harrison

Mr.Harrison earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Juilliard School and Masters of Fine Arts degree from Hollins University/American Dance Festival. He danced with Dance Theatre of Harlem, Ballet Hispanico of New York, National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica, and Ailey II. Mr. Harrison has taught/choreographed for the Juilliard Dance Ensemble, Ailey School, American Dance Festival, Jamaica School of Dance, University of the West Indies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, American College Dance Festival and Webster University. He is currently on faculty at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle.

Josie Johnson, Co-Artistic Director

Josie and her husband Ken are the Directors of Johansen Olympia Dance Center. She trained at Orange County Ballet Theatre, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, and The Hartt School at the University of Hartford, where she received a B.F.A. in Dance Pedagogy. Josie danced professionally with Dance Connecticut/Hartford Ballet, Connecticut Opera, Roxey Ballet, and ARC Dance Productions. Guest credits include Eliot Feld’s Mr. XYZ with Mikhail Baryshnikov and Kirk Peterson’s The Nutcracker with the American Ballet Theatre Studio Company. Josie has taught and choreographed extensively throughout New Jersey, Connecticut, and Washington.

Ken Johnson, Co-Artistic Director

Ken and his wife Josie are the Directors of Johansen Olympia Dance Center. He trained at Johansen School of Ballet, Evergreen City Ballet, and the School of Hartford Ballet. He attended summer programs at American Ballet Theatre, Houston Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, and Pacific Northwest Ballet on scholarship. Ken danced professionally with Hartford Ballet, Dance Connecticut, and Connecticut Opera, as well as at the prestigious Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. Ken received a bachelor’s from The Hartt School at the University of Hartford. Ken has worked at American Repertory Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Dance Connecticut, ACT Theatre, and Tacoma Art Museum.

Since 1970, Ballet Northwest has been a community-based group dedicated to promoting, teaching, and preserving the art of dance in Southwestern Washington. The company offers educational opportunities for local dancers as well as outreach throughout the community.

ThurstonTalk

 

Submitted by Saint Martin’s University

LACEY, Wash. –  A shimmering water fountain, budding trees and a verdant lawn provided a fitting setting for the blessing and dedication of a new courtyard shared by Saint Martin’s Abbey and Saint Martin’s University.

About 75 guests gathered April 22 in the courtyard’s European-style plaza for the dedication made in honor of the Very Reverend Alfred. J. Hulscher, O.S.B., prior of the Abbey. Hulscher is credited with garnering the support needed to transform the courtyard from a virtual parking lot to a pedestrian-friendly space that, in addition to the fountain and spring foliage, showcases other aesthetic details such as Gothic arches, indirect lighting, gardens and a wall which partially shields the monastery standing behind it. A stone pedestal mounted just inside the plaza bears a plaque with the inscription, “Father Prior Alfred J. Hulscher, O.S.B. Courtyard.”

At the dedication celebration, Hulscher was recognized for his longstanding commitment to Saint Martin’s. A graduate of Saint Martin’s High School  and Saint Martin’s College, Hulscher has been a member of the Abbey’s monastic community for 60 years. Over the course of those six decades, he has held a variety of roles — chaplain, principal and teacher of bookkeeping, Latin and German at the high school, which closed in 1974, and assistant librarian, registrar and bursar for the college, which was renamed Saint Martin’s University in 2005. Hulscher served as chair of the Saint Martin’s College Board of Trustees for four years. Currently, he serves on the University’s Board of Trustees as its corporate secretary.

“Father Alfred was the pivotal person to develop the idea – and to persuade everyone to buy into the idea – of renovating the courtyard,” said Alan Tyler, director of facilities and capital project management for the University. “His leadership allowed us to pick the right people to develop the entire project.”

Very Reverend Alfred. J. Hulscher, O.S.B.

The SCJ Alliance civil engineering firm, landscape architects at Glander and Associates, and Tsuki Nursery collaborated to develop a courtyard that would be more accessible to pedestrians while resolving drainage issues that once threatened the monastery and Old Main buildings, both of which border the courtyard and are located on the University and Abbey hilltop.

The project grew out of Hulscher’s discovery in early 2010 of the drainage issues, as well as problems with the previous hilltop pavement and infrastructure. “Something much larger than a simple repaving was in order,” said Andrew Moyer, associate treasurer and real estate director for the Abbey. “The Abbey committed itself to funding the planning and construction of any improvements to the courtyard, and began working with the University to explore a bolder option that would not only end the drainage issues but also completely change the look of the courtyard, to make it a place of arrival for both students and visitors to the University and the monastery.”

During the course of the $1.9 million project, which began in May 2012, more than 3,000 cubic yards of dirt were removed from the hilltop and replaced with 1,260 cubic yards of concrete that was stamped with three different patterns. Trench drains and underground collection galleries were put in place to direct water to a storm water pond located to the north of Abbey Way, according to Moyer. “Drains, electrical cables, plumbing, irrigation, a 328-foot brick wall, elevation conflicts and a host of the usual construction issues had to be coordinated and/or resolved as we moved forward,” Moyer recalled.

The courtyard project was the subject of a feature article, “Bidding, Pouring and Finishing at a Northwest University,” in the February/March 2013 issue of Concrete Décor magazine.

“We are sincerely grateful to the Abbey for making this beautiful space a reality,” said Saint Martin’s President Roy Heynderickx, Ph.D., who attended the dedication. “The courtyard is a great way to be able to bring people together in this new part of our campus.”

Prior to the renovations, no significant upgrades or changes had been made to the courtyard for 41 years. Formerly dominated by a large lawn and overgrown trees, the courtyard was used primarily as extra parking space and it was not easily accessible for students, faculty, staff or visitors to the University.

“What we have now is a place that pedestrians can move through comfortably and where people can go out and relax and enjoy the whole area,” said Abbot Neal Roth, O.S.B, major superior of Saint Martin’s Abbey. “The entire courtyard now has a friendly, peaceful atmosphere, and the new wall helps to clearly define the abbey and provides a little bit of privacy space between it and the larger part of the courtyard.”

Saint Martin’s University is an independent four-year, coeducational university located on a wooded campus of more than 300 acres in Lacey, Washington. Established in 1895 by the Catholic Order of Saint Benedict, the University is one of 14 Benedictine colleges and universities in the United States and Canada, and the only one west of the Rocky Mountains. Saint Martin’s University prepares students for successful lives through its 23 majors and seven graduate programs spanning the liberal arts, business, education, nursing and engineering. Saint Martin’s welcomes more than 1,100 undergraduate students and 400 graduate students from many ethnic and religious backgrounds to its Lacey campus, and 300 more undergraduate students to its extension campuses located at Joint Base Lewis-McChord and Centralia College. Visit the Saint Martin’s University website at www.stmartin.edu.

 

ThurstonTalk

 

Submitted by Saint Martin’s University

LACEY, Wash. – Archbishop of Seattle J. Peter Sartain, D.D., S.T.L, will deliver the 2013 commencement address at Saint Martin’s University on Saturday, May 11, at Marcus Pavilion on the Lacey campus, 5000 Abbey Way S.E. The archbishop, who is celebrating 35 years in the priesthood this year, will also receive an honorary degree in humane letters from the University.

Sartain, whose education includes degrees from two Benedictine institutions, was appointed archbishop of Seattle on Sept. 16, 2010 and was installed on Dec. 1, 2010. Sartain has been recognized for his ability to listen carefully and respectfully to the views of others – an ability that reflects the opening line of the Rule of Benedict, “Listen…with the ear of your heart.”

“Archbishop Sartain has dedicated his life to upholding the values of the Catholic faith and serving his community,” says Saint Martin’s President Roy F. Heynderickx, Ph.D. “It is an honor to have him join us for our commencement ceremony, which is, at its essence, a celebration of Benedictine wisdom and the Catholic intellectual tradition — both of which are reflected in Archbishop Sartain’s leadership. As we formally send our graduates into the world, the Archbishop will provide an inspirational voice that reaffirms the values of a Saint Martin’s education.”

Sartain serves as a member of the Subcommittee on Hispanic Affairs and the Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. He was recently elected secretary of the conference, and his three-year term began in November 2012.

A native of Memphis, Tenn., Sartain was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Memphis on July 15, 1978. He attended Memphis State University from 1970 to 1971 before earning his bachelor’s degree in English from Saint Meinrad College, a Benedictine seminary and school of theology in Indiana, in 1974.

Sartain graduated with a bachelor’s degree in sacred theology from the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas in Rome in 1977. Two years later, he earned a licentiate of sacred theology with specialization in sacramental theology from the Pontifical Athenaeum San Anselmo, a Benedictine institution in Rome.

From 1979 to 1981, Sartain served as associate pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Memphis and, from 1992 to 2000, as pastor of St. Louis Church. He held numerous positions in the Diocese of Memphis over the course of nearly 20 years, including director of vocations, chancellor, moderator of the curia, vicar for clergy and vicar general. He was the diocesan administrator for the Diocese of Memphis from Sept. 9, 1992 to May 5, 1993, while the See of Memphis was vacant.

Pope John Paul II appointed Sartain bishop of Little Rock, Ark., on January 4, 2000. He was ordained March 6, 2000 and took as his episcopal motto, “Of You My Heart Has Spoken” (Psalm 27:8). He was appointed bishop of Joliet, Ill., by Pope Benedict XVI on May 16, 2006, and was installed on June 27.

The Saint Martin’s University 2012 Commencement Exercises will begin at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 11, at Marcus Pavilion on the University’s Lacey campus, 5000 Abbey Way S.E. Tickets are required for attendance.

For more information, visit www.stmartin.edu/commencement2013.

Saint Martin’s University is an independent four-year, coeducational university located on a wooded campus of more than 300 acres in Lacey, Washington. Established in 1895 by the Catholic Order of Saint Benedict, the University is one of 14 Benedictine colleges and universities in the United States and Canada, and the only one west of the Rocky Mountains. Saint Martin’s University prepares students for successful lives through its 23 majors and seven graduate programs spanning the liberal arts, business, education, nursing and engineering. Saint Martin’s welcomes more than 1,100 undergraduate students and 400 graduate students from many ethnic and religious backgrounds to its Lacey campus, and 300 more undergraduate students to its extension campuses located at Joint Base Lewis-McChord and Centralia College. Visit the Saint Martin’s University website at www.stmartin.edu.

My favorite historian (once Aunt Leila died), recently ran a series of posts about the recent spate of archaeological sites in British carparks: knights and ladies, no less than the bones of King Richard the Freaking Third, and what have you.

Historians are a bit less cynical than archaeologists. Probably a lot less, for we terrain-walkers and dirt-diggers know that the written record is biased, often composed and edited, and paid for by the winners; we demand physical evidence. Garbage, from the first dung-heap to yesterday's stratum at the municipal landfill, does not lie like the printed word. Individuals may destroy something or throw it away where they think nobody will know, but at a societal level, we can in fact know what they ate and made by looking at what they shat and broke. We can piece together what they did when the climate changed or disaster struck. We can see how much wealth inequality they could stand before it all collapsed into famine or rebellion.

Archaeologists may demand physical evidence as proof, especially for conclusions we can't cur (opposite of 'concur,' and another creative linguistic nugget invented not by me), but we also love to speculate. Although nobody is serving me a beer as I do so, let me speculate on why archaeology should keep turning up in the carparks of the British Isles:

1. Regulatory - Speculatory, this reason, but I cannot help but think that Britain has a historic preservation review process that causes archaeologists to take a look before some new development. So you want to take that carpark and build something that requires a deep and perhaps ruinous foundation? Do some archaeology first before you destroy heritage. [Also, I like to do fake accents, and utter words like "Reh-gyoo-LATE-ree."]
2. The Development Cycle - I may be making up this phrase, but it refers to something real. Carparks often turn out to be an interim phase between the old building that was razed and the new one yet to be built, a way for the landowner to make a few bucks while awaiting a better economic climate for construction. Or, they are part of an old farm or other "open space" being brought into the urban sphere, although again this tends to be a temporary phase, prior to a new commercial structure. In either case, enter Regulation before the new edifice arises.
3. Stratigraphy/Taphonomy - Leveling the rubble of the old building or laying down  gravel and bitumen on a field are both additive processes, stratigraphically speaking. "Taphonomy" is just a bit of gibberish invented by archaeologists to mystify the public and protect our jobs, and it boils down to the things that happen to a site after the artifacts are originally deposited. Until very recently, in most urban settings, people cart away the valuables and the good building materials, and then either flatten out the ruins or deposit more stuff to make it level. Mostly, this causes the ground level to rise, which is how tells are formed. So it only stands to reason that a nice level carpark might have goodies (archaeologically speaking) beneath. Even in Leicester.
4. Archaeologists are not all Adventurers - Generally, the majority of archaeologists would rather dig in their neighborhood than brave malarial swamps (or any swamp, honestly) or apply for a visa. [Disclosure: I am lucky enough to have found a swamp in biking distance from home, and have been digging there lately.] Consulting archaeologists recognize that digging a hole in a carpark is feasible, compared with tearing down the neighboring building and digging under its foundation. Professors tend to look for projects that can be accomplished near libraries and pubs, preferably with handy parking.
5. Density - Writing from the Pacific Northwest (or as Asia would see it, the Pacific Northeast), where the oldest "historic" site is some moldering lumber from the 1850's, it is easy to forget that the British Isles, including some of their best carparks, have been overrun by building-building peoples for a relatively long time. Many cities there have past residents including East and West Indians, Victorians, Normans, Angles and Saxons, Vikings, Romans, and so on. So you dig a hole in London or York or any town that did not just spring up at a freeway interchange (or whatever those are called in Brittania), and you're going to intrude on the past residents. Again, things pile up.

So, there you have it. My not-quite-drunken list of reasons why carparchaeology is a promising field for any young archaeologist in regions urbanized for more than a semi-millennium. 

May 16, 2013 - 6:00pm to 9:00pm

PSE has proposed increasing the rates it would charge.

Hearings will take place in the morning, and in the evening with public comment.

For more information:

www.olywip.org/content/stop-pse-fom-raising-rates-without-public-opinion

and www.utc.wa.gov/docs/Pages/calendarHearings.aspx

photo courtesy of Sierra Club Beyond Coal Campaign: content.sierraclub.org/coal/

Evergreen grad pokes a giant hole in austerity

 

An interview with Thomas Herndon, author of the “economic term paper heard ‘round the world” 

Matson Boyd/Peter Bohmer

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On Tuesday, March 12, 2013, during the course of six-and-a-half hours, I was transformed three times.  The first metamorphosis occurred the moment I stepped out onto the road at 7:30 that morning.  My attire was not unusual for a cool, rainy morning on the far end of winter:  all in black with turtle neck pulled up, cap on and hood over the top.

Michael Di Marzo

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GMOs (genetically modified organisms) are a political hot topic. With a GMO labeling initiative on Washington’s voter ballot in November, we will hear a lot about it.

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Each year, as organizers, we are faced with this singular question:  Does any of this color and pageantry truly make a difference on behalf of the natural world?

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Last February, Congress passed legislation that bans the use of TANF funds at casinos, strip clubs, and liquor stores. TANF, or Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, is a federal block grant program that provides cash assistance to low-income families with children.

Jordan Beaudry

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Scott’s latest nupdate (no news is no news) Malheureusement, once again we find ourselves with nearly no newsy new news to report regarding the increasingly strange and sinister case the State of Washington has brought against  friend (and fellow WIPworker), Scott Yoos! You may recall that nearly two-years ago (on the night of June the 1st, 2011), the accused (Yoos) was brutally-arrested by a whole posse of four officers from the Olympia Police Department. His “crime”? Scott had been seen making a brief stop at a (wide-open) City dumpster, during his lengthy bike-ride home from downtown Olympia.  

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The cozy interior of Traditions Cafe is almost full. The noises of people conversing fills the air as the stage and microphones are prepared. As seven o'clock rolls around, the lights are dimmed and someone gets onstage to introduce the night's performer, Reem Kelani.

Thomas Petrie

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For the past 18 years at the Olympia Procession of the Species, we animals have been silent witness to the joyful exuberance of our human counterparts.  So very many of you—of all ages—have come together in playful abundance, animating the Community Studios, up to your elbows in multi-colored batik dyes, glue-gooey paper mache, chicken wire and rice paper, paints and glitter, creating us so that you can BE us.

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The Cuban Missile Crisis revisited—This time in Korea

 

The current threat of a major war in Korea is akin to the Cuban missile crisis of 1962, when the US and the USSR nearly waged nuclear war. Peaceful coexistence was assured only after an agreement was reached for Russia to withdraw its missiles from Cuba and for the US to pull its own out of Turkey. 

  George Katsiaficas

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PSE pushing for 6% increase on gas and electric rates without public comment

Did you know that PSE is currently trying to slam a 6% rate increase through the UTC without public or professional input/comment?

Give your opinion at the open meeting on Thursday, May 16th, 6:00 pm in the Richard Hemstad Building (1300 S Evergreen Park Dr SW, Olympia).

PSE proceedings before the WUTC

Before the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (WUTC), there are three different PSE cases, composed of five different “dockets” that have been consolidated into one proceeding.

John Pearce et al

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WUTC Hearing for PSE Proposed Rate Increase Submitted by Works In Progress on Mon, 2013-05-06 20:38 May 16, 2013 - 6:00pm to 9:00pm

PSE has proposed increasing the rates it would charge.

Hearings will take place in the morning, and in the evening with public comment.

For more information:

www.olywip.org/content/stop-pse-fom-raising-rates-without-public-opinion

and www.utc.wa.gov/docs/Pages/calendarHearings.aspx

photo courtesy of Sierra Club Beyond Coal Campaign: content.sierraclub.org/coal/

• Read more about