Mira Billotte (WHITE MAGIC)

As I Went Out One Morning – Mira Billotte from manoel caraballo on Vimeo.

With Kaetlin Kennedy (LOST LOCKETS)

L O V E N O T F E A R from Kaetlin Kennedy on Vimeo.

And Takhoma (CARSON CHURCHILL)
http://afraidofwhatsnext.bandcamp.com/track/winters-time-parts-1-2

Jodie Mack is an independent moving-image practitioner, curator, and historian-in-training who received her MFA in film, video, and new media from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2007 and currently teaches animation at Dartmouth College. Combining the formal techniques and structures of abstract/absolute animation with those of cinematic genres, her handmade films use collage to explore the relationship between graphic cinema and storytelling, the tension between form and meaning. Mack’s 16mm films have screened at a variety of venues including the Anthology Film Archives, Images Festival, Los Angeles Filmforum, Onion City Film Festival, Ann Arbor Film Festival, Black Maria Film Festival, and the Robert Flaherty Film Seminar.
http://www.jodiemack.com/

Showing:

Blanket Statement #1: Home is Where the Heart is (2012, 16mm, 3m, color, sound)
discordant dysfunction down to the nitty griddy

Dusty Stacks of Mom (2013, 40m, 16mm>video, color, live sound)
Interweaving the forms of personal filmmaking, abstract animation, and the rock opera, this animated musical documentary examines the rise and fall of a nearly-defunct poster and postcard wholesale business; the changing role of physical objects and virtual data in commerce; and the division (or lack of) between abstraction in fine art and psychedelic kitsch. Using alternate lyrics as voice over narration, the piece adopts the form of a popular rock album reinterpreted as a cine-performance.

Devon Damonte’s Stalking The Wild Washi Machine, (2013, 15 min, 16mm & slide projections)

Do you identify as female, gender queer, or trans? Are you interested in audio and music technology?

My mission is to provide an entry level understanding of live sound, music technology, and recording through hands on training. These workshops can be taken as a full series or as standalone workshops. These workshops are FREE! In order to foster a safe space for learning, you must identify as female, gender queer, or trans to attend these workshops. The field of audio engineering and music technology have historically been very male dominated. My hope is to advocate for those who are interested in learning about these subjects, but may feel uncomfortable learning in a male dominated environment.

A bit about me, my name is Chloe and I am currently the Music Technology Intern at The Evergreen State College. I interned as the Live Sound and Recording Intern at Northern in 2011, and have been working with Northern on and off for the past two years. I am a cisgendered female who is very excited about audio and music technology! I love sharing the knowledge that I have accumulated with others and facilitating empowerment through media and technology comprehension. I have been guest lecturing and teaching workshops relating to audio and media technology for the past two years to people of all ages, as well as providing audio and music technology consulting on a one on one basis. If you would like more information about me and what I do, feel free to visit my personal website!

Make your voice heard!

Learn to run live sound and set up and tear down a basic audio reinforcement system.
Learn advanced live sound and mixing techniques and how to utilize outboard mixing equipment!
Learn about signal flow, microphone types, and how microphones work!
Learn how to create DIY home recordings and live recordings!

Apr. 20: Intro to Live Sound 4-5PM
May 4: Advanced Live Sound 4-5PM
May 25: Intro to Recording 4-5PM

Visit the blogspot for this at lqtaudio.blogspot.com

If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to email me at northernlqt@gmail.com

It's been way too long since a backroads post. Now, as then, my route is anything but a back road to the locals, and I apologize for any offense they might take (and remind them that I am avoiding telling the general public about the really good backroads). It covers a fair stretch of Route 2, only a backroad compared to I-90, but to get right down to it, 90 probably does have 100 cars to every 1 on 2.

But let me back up a sec. Route 2 was the third leg of this trip. The joints of these legs: curving grades making their -scents (de- or a-) as the westward course confronted coulees and a river. Between the joints, longbones straight and narrow; straighter than the crow flies, lies the engineer's centerline. The surveyor runs due south, mile after mile, and Route 17 is born; turning 90 degrees west, he draws Route 2 to Waterville. Up north, Route 174 does bend a bit more, flexing to the landscape and paths discovered by creatures and the people that hunted them ever since the end of the Ice Age. 



Taking off out of Grand Coulee on 174 begins with a climb, and you cross under one of the primary electric umbilicals of the Power Grid. The towers march off on their line, and174 takes off through some pretty country, especially late on a warm Spring day.

Coulee climb #1: Outta Grand Coulee (or is that Coulee City?) The 174 - 17 junction is a fork no matter how you approach it, and there are yield signs, but the only vehicles I've encountered there are truckers pulled over for a rest. I usually do the same for a few minutes to rearrange the growing midden in my truck and stretch my legs with a walk through the empty intersection.



There's the mildest switchback ever ascending to the next plateau, and then straightest of  shots beyond. The road only makes sense if your concept of land is a grid. Until the last century, everyone traveled up and down the coulee (you know, where there's food and water), and you can still do it on RT 155, but once the land is cut into sections and quarters, and you need to get grain to market, a road straight through the fields makes sense. It's modern agriculture's umbilicus to markets for petrochemicals in and food out, laid down on the Cartesian Grid.

Tanks (for fuel? fertilizer?) and Elevators (for output) on Route 2.After miles of wheat and linearity, 17 descends back into the coulee, not near the Grand Coulee the city, but the city of Coulee City, all of which may just be towns when it comes down to it. There are more power lines, although this is the lower end of Banks Lake, which is an irrigation reservoir than a hydroelectric project; they both depend on Grand Coulee the dam. Banks Lake and the canals flowing from it are the umbilical waters flowing onto the farms partitioned along the Township Grid.

Monotonously straight as much of this route may be, there are a few breaks that take my breath away. Like entering Moses Coulee.


Looking across the sage at golden cliff walls with cocoa talus skirts, I am in love with this place every time I see it. Luckily (and with some attention to timing), I have been through here many times in the fading afternoon, and every time, it is a blessing.

This last trip, on that big coulee-climb up from Moses, I shot out onto the top and into a straightaway pointing right into the setting sun. Beautiful, too, but also difficult driving. Glare in the face, windshield lit with dozens of bugsplats, each a tiny firework of captured sun in my eyes, scratch refractions, a haze of dust alight across it all, shiny tarlines on the road reflecting even more sun from the ground up.

Luckily, there was nearly no traffic, and what little there is is visible from miles away. Because I guess even Route 2, mightiest of the 174-->17-->2 run, is a backroad in the interstate age. Lonely straightaways where driving is as simple as it gets and you can take in the country, which is flat and clear enough that it passes at a stately pace, not much in the foreground to whip by in a blur. I'm pretty sure I was out of cell range for most of the trip, which also felt good, getting off the Communications Grid (even if I was confined to the road engineer's east-west north-south orientation).

ThurstonTalk

 

For more photos from the Washington State track meet, click here.

Greys (Toronto, ON)
Fast and fierce
https://www.facebook.com/GreysRock
http://greys.bandcamp.com/

Shahman (Ottowa, ON)
Heavy and angular
http://shahman.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shahman/283091575041364

Wet (Olympia)
https://soundcloud.com/tanar-stalker/

Doors at 8, show at 8:30 SHARP.

ThurstonTalk

 

Photo highlights include:

• Capital High School sophomore Ryan Chase jumping in the preliminaries of the 2A long jump.  Chase finished ninth in State and was one of three Thurston County athletes participating in the event.
• Black Hills High School sophomore Danielle Won makes a move during the 2A girls 1600-meter finals at Mt. Tahoma High School in Tacoma.  Won, one of three Thurston County athletes competing in the face, finished 16th with a time of 5:41.59.
• Capital sophomore, Lauren Pierson, fends off her competition during the 2A girls 1600-meter final.  Pierson was the top Thurston County finisher with a time of 5:17.72.
• Ashli, Ayers, River Ridge High School freshman, competed in the 2A girls 1600-meter final, finishing ninth with a time of 5:21.29.  She was one of only two freshman in the event.
• 0.75 feet is all that separated Lane Russell from a state championship in the 2A boys long jump.  Russell, a junior at Tumwater High School, posted a jump of 22-00.25 while Terrynce Duke of West Valley-Spokane notched a jump of 22-01.00 to take home the state title.
• Sofia Kane, the talented junior distance runner form Olympia High School, finished fifth in the 4A girls 1600-meter race.
• Capital’s Andy Miller wins the 2A shot put contest.

Photos by Tom Rohrer and intern Eliza Ramsey

ThurstonTalk

 

Submitted by Washington State Auto Dealer Association

Ed McCarroll, Capitol City Honda and South Tacoma Honda, received the “Robert P. Mallon Dealer of the Year” award on May 11 at the Washington State Auto Dealers Association (WSADA) annual convention.  Selected by a committee of his peers, the award recognizes Ed’s contributions to the auto industry, quality dealership operations and outstanding community service.

Ed was born in Canada and served in the Royal Navy during World War II at the age of 17.  Upon discharge from the Navy in 1945, Ed moved to the United States with his parents, where his first job was as a lot attendant at a Spokane dealership.  His family later settled in Riverside, California, where Ed worked for a Chevrolet dealership.  He became a United States citizen in 1953.

Ed partnered in several California dealerships before moving in 1962 to Seattle to become General Manager of a Chevrolet dealership.  Ed relocated again in 1965 to Olympia, where he purchased Capitol Chevrolet.  Over the years, he owned various dealerships in Washington and Nevada representing Nissan, Chrysler, Honda, Toyota, Mercedes Benz, and Acura.  In the mid 1980s, Ed became involved with the development of the Olympia Auto Mall, building four separate dealerships.   In May of 2012, Ed received a 40 year award from American Honda.

Currently, Ed is the principal of Capitol City Honda in Olympia, and South Tacoma Honda and enjoys his involvement with the dealerships, together with partners Ron Loper in Tacoma, and daughter Kelly in Olympia, and son-in-law Chris as General Manager in Olympia; and most importantly with his wife Patti of 41 years.

One of Ed’s employees who has worked for him since the mid-1970s, recalls, “I remember these great words from Ed:  ‘If there is one thing you want to do in life; pick that one thing.  Be absolutely the best at it, and the rest will take care of itself.’”

Like most car dealers, Ed and Patti are very active in their community and believe in giving back.  Among the many organizations they support are:  Hands On Children’s Museum; Boys and Girls Club of Thurston County; South Sound YMCA; Junior League of Olympia; University of Washington – Presidents Donor Club; and Children’s Hospital in Seattle.  In recognition of Ed’s receipt of the Association’s most prestigious award, WSADA made a contribution in his name to Olympia’s Hands On Children’s Museum.

The award is named for former Tacoma dealer Robert P. Mallon who was WSADA President in 1966/67, is a past President of the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA), served 30 years as Washington State’s NADA Director, and is founder and Chairman of the National Automobile Dealers Charitable Foundation.

Founded in 1920, the Association’s 300 dealer members serve 75 communities in Washington and are responsible for annual sales volume totaling over $10 billion.  Together, they employ over 18,000 people with a combined payroll of more than $921 million.  Their dealership sales total 10.1% of the state’s retail sales, generating hundreds of millions of dollars of tax revenue for state and local governments through sales, corporate, and payroll tax revenue.

Event:  Fri, 06/21/2013 - 7:00pm - 10:00pm

This event is a gracious gift by Jamie McHugh and is a Benefit for Waves Studio & 350.org (dedicated to DOING SOMETHING about climate change)

 “We dance not just for ourselves – we dance for the life of the community.” – Zuni people

 “If you can walk, you can dance. And if you can talk, you can sing.” – Pygmy people

The Planetary Dance is a dance with purpose: to make peace between people and the planet. Created by dance visionary Anna Halprin, the Planetary Dance is a moving mandala formed by people running or walking in a series of concentric circles, or standing in the four directions. People of all ages and abilities around the world have joined together in this universal form over the past 30 years. As we each move with our individual intentions to the unifying heartbeat of the drum, we become one collective body - each step upon the Earth a prayer for healing. 

Facilitator: Jamie McHugh is a dancer, somatic movement educator and visual artist recently arrived in Olympia from the northern California coast. He has been an associate of Anna Halprin and a teacher at her Tamalpa Institute for the past 27 years. Besides collaborating on the Planetary Dance for many years, Jamie is the only other trainer besides Halprin of Planetary Dance facilitators around the world. He is the creator of Somatic Expression® - Body Wisdom for Modern Minds, an ecological approach to somatic education and the expressive arts. Jamie is currently completing his first book, “Restoring Original Grace – Movement as Medicine.”

 $15 Suggested Donation No one will be turned away for lack of funds

www.planetarydance.org     www.somaticexpression.comwww.naturebeingart.org

 

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Event:  Sat, 06/22/2013 - 5:00pm - 9:00pm

Shamanic Celtic Yoga Fusion: Honoring Natural Cycles 

Cultures that live in harmony with the natural world have relationship with the four directions, which serve as guides in their travels, maps for their homes and gardens, and energetic structure for their ceremonies. This Summer Solstice fusion of Celtic culture and Indian culture will enable you to make a deep connection with the four directions and create a personalized soul map to guide you in your spiritual unfoldment.  

 North / South / East / West 

• Simple yoga asanas will align your body with each direction preparing you for quiet reflection. 
• Deep listening in each direction is followed by journaling to capture the wisdom. 
• A guided shamanic journey as savasana will enable you to integrate and embody the wisdom and healing of your experience.

Times: 5-pm to 9pm
Cost: $39
Joanne Lee has been a professionally certified coach for 15 years in Olympia, WA. She offers business and life coaching, training, and organizational development to individuals and organizations. She also trains entrepreneurs through Enterprise for Equity, a local non-profit micro-development organization.  Joanne is an artist, certified yoga teacher, student of the shamanic arts, a gardener, dancer and communitarian. More information is available at her website:www.naturalcoach.com and www.waves-studio.com

 

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I’m headed down to Portland (that other West Coast culinary Mecca) this weekend to visit some friends and to take a pilgrimage to the holiest of Holies – Powell’s Book.  I was browsing their website when I came across this. Resistance was futile. Tequila Mockingbird: Cocktails with a Literary Twist A clever tribute to literature, Tequila […]

The Weekly Volcano, May 23, 2013Plaster and pastel sculpture by Caitlin McDonaldOf course there are a few clunkers in the 8th Annual Student Art Exhibit at South Puget Sound Community College, but there are plenty of impressive works as well. Most impressive of all may be a large cardboard forest against the back wall of the gallery. It’s a collaborative work by students in the 3-D Design class.
Also impressive is a small figure drawing in sharpie and vine charcoal by Colin Johnstone. It’s a reclining nude with a nice blend of expressive and lyrical contour drawing and flat shaded areas. The drawing and the position of the figure suggest exhausted collapse. It reminds me a lot of drawings by Rodin.
And then there is a group of three plaster sculptures by students Melyssa Wilder, Ashley Gunderson and Caitlin McDonald. With realistic heads and rough arms and hands, these figures hang on the wall and each is doing something thoroughly contemporary: talking on a cell phone, playing a Nintendo, napping with head on the keyboard of a netbook — good work both individually and collectively.
Hauntingly mysterious and atmospheric is a black and white digital photograph by Jennifer Watts of a group of figures that appear to be chess pieces, kings and knights and bishops, brought to life to wander zombie-like in a fog-shrouded world. The atmospheric mood is created by the artist’s use of selective focus.
Like some kind of iconic monolith, a cigarette butt stands upright in Brandon A. Cartwright’s digital photograph “Tree Cig.” It takes a strong imagination and artistic vision to create such a monumental image from a piece of trash.
One of the nicest works in the show is Winona So’s ceramic mug called “Graiff Mug.” I don’t know if the odd spelling was intentional or not, but I do know that the excellent graphic image of a giraffe with his neck as the mug handle is clever and enjoyable to look at. Another piece that’s definitely worth mentioning is Patricia McLain’s “Boy With Antlers, Experiments in Relief Printing.” It is a handmade artist book fanned out for display with on each page the same picture of a boy with antlers on his head, each printed in a different color. It’s an attractive piece.  You may not go to a student show with high expectations, but this one is certainly worth a trip across town to SPSCC.
[South Puget Sound Community College, Kenneth J Minnaert Center for the Arts Gallery, Monday-Thursday, noon-4 p.m., through June 6, and by appointment, 2011 Mottman Rd. SW. Olympia, 360.596.5527.]

For another student art show visit the gallery at Tacoma Community College and watch for my review of that show to be published in the Volcano May 30th.

ThurstonTalk

 

 

For a complete article about the 2013 Day of Champions in Tumwater, click here.

 

ThurstonTalk

 

By Laurie O’Brien

Rainy skies and cool temperatures couldn’t dampen the smiles and enthusiasm of hundreds of special education students from all over Thurston County.   They converged on the football field at Tumwater High School for the 7th annual Day of Champions Track and Field Event on Thursday, May 23, 2013.  (For even more photos, click here.)

Accompanied by teachers, parents, and student volunteers, kindergartners through high school aged students with special needs were greeted as they came off the buses by cheerleaders from Tumwater and Black Hills High Schools as well as a group of soldiers from Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

Student volunteers Mackenzie Cunningham and Clare Wirzbicki pose with Julius and Trinity at the 2013 Day of Champions.

Prior to individual events starting, everyone took part in the parade of champions, a march around the track to “The Bugler’s Dream,” better known as the Olympic March.  The look of anticipation on the participants’ faces was telling.  Many of the older kids have been coming to the Day of Champions since they were in elementary school, and it is a highlight of their school year.  Tumwater High School leadership students and other volunteers surrounded the track and high-fived all the athletes as they made the quarter mile trek, many of them being pushed in wheelchairs.

After taking a moment for the Star Spangled Banner, the games began and the stadium filled with music designed to get everyone pumped up.

This year’s events included the 50 meter dash, a distance those in chairs and on foot could complete as many times as they liked.  Some ran; some floored it in motorized wheelchairs; still others grabbed the hand of an attendant and walked the distance taking carefully measured steps.  It wasn’t a race against the clock or an opponent; it was a test to see if you were willing to go the distance.

The discus, shot put, and javelin were all adapted to fit the needs of the students in attendance.  The discus was a Frisbee aimed at a net.  The shot put was actually a Nerf ball, light and pliable enough so even those with severe muscular issues could get it moving through the air.  The javelin was one of the more popular events.  Pool noodles were launched through the air with various degrees of success, but everyone had fun trying to make them soar.

Because many special education students have difficulty with verbal communication, navigating their way in the general school population can sometimes be a challenge, even if a student has a one-on-one attendant.  Peer involvement is key to bridging that gap.  Many schools brought student volunteers who have reached out to the special needs students throughout the year to the Day of Champions.

Evergreen Elementary student volunteers Mackenzie Cunningham and Clare Wirzbicki were excited to be at the event with their special education friends.  “Clare and I always read with these kids every day,” said Mackenzie.  “It’s a gift that we get to spend time with them.”

Chelsea Lamoreaux and Lena Moreno pose with their friend Osiris Gilkey during the Day of Champions sporting event.

Juniors Chelsea Lamoreaux and Lena Moreno serve as mentors in the Success Oriented Physical Education Program at Capital High School.  “We mentor kids with special needs,” explained Lamoreaux.  Developing a relationship in a P.E. class often leads to better peer interaction throughout the day.   Having someone to sit with in a crowded lunch room is a relief for many students with special needs. And for the other students, the experience is one in personal growth and acceptance.  Said Moreno, “I’ve learned how to be patient, and it’s really, really, humbling.”

Parents know that the bonds forged by these sorts of programs can be life altering.  Kathy Muelheisen’s 16 year old son, Mikey, is autistic, but last year he developed a special bond with some of the students who worked with him.  “It means the world when he can fit in,” said Muelheisen.  She continued on to say that in the past, some of the telltale  signs of autism, like rocking and hand flapping, have disappeared when Mikey’s peers have given him unconditional acceptance.  “He loves being with kids who accept him for who he is and don’t treat him any differently.”

There were at least 100 student volunteers at this year’s Day of Champions.  They were there, helping kids with special needs move through the obstacle course and push the big ball through a twisty alley.  They were there to help grab the burgers in the chow line and carry them back up under the bleachers to stay out of the rain.  They were there to lend their support to their special friends, to celebrate, and to have fun.

Participants in the Day of Champions came from:  Tumwater, Olympia, Tenino, Rainier, Yelm, North Thurston, Griffin, and Rochester School Districts.

Sponsor funding made the event free for all participants.  All athletes were awarded a medal for their participation, and all athletes and student volunteers got a free t-shirt and a free barbeque lunch.  See all the event photos here.

Sponsors included:

Stephen B. Kern, D.M.D, Family Dentistry

Northwest Endodontics

Olympia Credit Union

O Bee Credit Union

Pro Active Sports Medicine

Costco Wholesale

Color Graphics/Deer Creek Awards

ABC Pediatrics

Tenino Family Dental Center

Canine Hydrotherapy and Massage

Bobby Rocha

ThurstonTalk

 

By Kate Scriven

I live in Boston Harbor.  However, I could just as easily be living in Doffelmeyer Point, Harriman City, or Port Olympic as these are all names that Boston Harbor held prior to the current one.  Whatever the name, I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.

The Boston Harbor area can be loosely defined as the point extending north of downtown Olympia between Budd and Henderson Inlets.  Our southern border, for our elementary school at least, is 36th Avenue NE.  With rural roots intact, the area still includes many farms and homes are typically set on no less than one acre and typically more (with the exception of the Marina proper).  Despite our rural feel and large lots, we live less than 10 minutes from downtown Olympia, a feature that has kept the area desirable even through the tough real-estate market.  But more than the land features, I love the community that I have become a part of in my 11 years as a Boston Harbor resident.  With several hubs of activity – the school, the “Merc”, the Marina – relationships are built and families stay generation after generation.

The Dofflemyer Point Lighthouse still serves to mark the entrance to Budd Inlet.

A Historical Hot Commodity

Since the 1860’s, Boston Harbor has been loved.  Pioneers first staked claims to “The Point” when Isaac Dofflemyer made a 320-acre donation land claim from the point, renamed Dofflemyer Point, southward to the current site of Burfoot Park.  Dofflemyer erected a “lighthouse” in 1887, marking the entrance to Budd Inlet.  The original was simply a Kerosene lantern on a tall pole, which Isaac and his wife Susan operated and cleaned.  It was later upgraded to a lens-lantern and was cared for by Dofflemyer’s son, Cyrus and his wife Minnie.  After many years, the wooden structure burned and was replaced by the new 30-foot pyramidal concrete lighthouse.   First lit in 1934, the lighthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.  Visitors are still welcome at the Lighthouse today.

Despite the idyllic story of the Lighthouse, the early 1900s were a very volatile time in the area. Several shady promoters attempted to create “booming metropolises” on the point.  The first of these was P.P. Carroll in 1904.  A newspaperman and lawyer, Carroll dreamed of a seaport with long wharfs to supply sawmills and brick and tile factories.  The new port was to be named Harriman City in honor of the president of the Southern Pacific and Union Pacific railways who had promised to bring the terminus of the rail lines to the area.  “Port Olympic” began being platted, however, savvy South Sound citizens saw through the shady financing and knew that the “port” was mostly mudflats at low tide and the scheme failed.

The Gull Harbor Mercantile, a Boston Harbor fixture, is shown here in it’s early years when it housed cold lockers for local residents without refrigeration.

In 1907 a second, more experienced (and even shadier) promoter came on the scene.  C.D. Hillman, notorious still in the area, promised people a prosperous and tranquil city at the point and, modeling his plans after the eastern city, named it Boston Harbor.  A media blitz from Seattle to Olympia ensued and boats were chartered to bring wealthy prospective buyers for “a big clam bake and barbecue on the beautiful grounds of Boston Harbor.  Two fruit orchards of ripe fruit thrown open to the public.  A band will furnish music.”

More than 2,000 people arrived that October day and in the frenzy, the platted lots in the Harbor (now the Marina neighborhood) all sold.  C.D. Hillman’s salesmen lured buyers with “easy terms” and single lots were sold to multiple buyers.  However only the first to arrive at the main office and record the contract got the land, resulting in a lot of cash being pocketed by Hillman.

Over the following months, grand plans and enormous sums of investment capital were publicized throughout the area.  But, in 1911 Hillman was arrested and brought to trial on 13 counts of fraud in connection to the fantastical claims made in his brochures for Boston Harbor.  He was convicted and served two and a half years in jail.  The promotion failed and the community continued on as the rural enclave it had been since the 1860s.

Over the years, the area saw several other attempts at development, but it remained largely rural.  In the 1920s the Marina was built and the area saw growth with summer cabins and small resort areas.   More residents located onto inland acreage in the 1960s and 70s, but it wasn’t until the mid-1980s that growth picked up in the Marina area.  Working with Thurston County, the residents were finally able to install water and sewer infrastructure, allowing for more construction.  Many small cabins were torn down and today’s permanent homes were built.

Boston Harbor Marina is a gathering place for locals and tourists.

Boston Harbor’s Community Hubs

Today, Boston Harbor retains its quiet, rural feel.  Yet, with modern transportation and expanding suburbs, we are now rather “close” to downtown when compared with other areas.  Most residents love the neighborhood for the tranquility and the closeness bred, surprisingly, from our isolation from one another on large parcels.  There are no sidewalks or cul‘d sacs to gather and chat.  As a result, we rely on the hubs of our community to build our relationships.

Chief among those are the Boston Harbor Marina, the Gull Harbor Mercantile (or “The Merc”) and Boston Harbor Elementary School.  These serve as neighborhood gathering spots as well as hubs of information about the goings-on in the area.

If there is something happening, chances are, they know about it at The Merc.  The Gull Harbor Mercantile is a country general store in every sense.  With gas, quality groceries, movies, mailing services, espresso and – yes – hardware, chances are strong that if you need it, you’ll find it there.  On a recent trip, my husband purchased a replacement gasket for an outdoor hose faucet, organic milk, gluten-free beer, and a card for his mother.  Purchased in 1957 by Edwin and Beryl Kuhr, the store has remained in the family, being run by daughter Terri Kistler and her husband Dick until July of 2012 when their son Ted took over day to day operations.  Throughout the years, there remains a constant truth at The Merc – friends gather, neighbors meet, goods are bought, and community is built.

The Boston Harbor Marina, in similar fashion, serves as a gathering place for residents and visitors alike.  As the only gas dock in the area, many boaters have discovered the charms of our little Marina.  The store offers wine and beer, ice cream and snacks.  A well-stocked seafood counter has fresh shellfish and salmon for most of the year and all can be enjoyed on the welcoming deck’s chairs or picnic tables.  The public boat launch is directly adjacent and kayaks are available for rental as well.  The Boston Harbor Association sponsors a “3rd of July” Fireworks show in the Marina, echoing a tradition started in 1922 with Walt Drehmel’s  Firecracker Dance, held at his Boston Harbor dance hall.  Drehmel’s descendants still live in the marina area and have championed the celebration of Independence Day for over nearly 100 years.

The “3rd of July” Fireworks show sponsored by the Boston Harbor Association is a tradition reaching back to the early days of the community.

The third important hub in the area is Boston Harbor School.  Since the late 1800s, there has been a school in some form in the area.  In 1938, the larger school was established at the current site on Zangle Road.  The small schoolhouse was added to over the years including a large brick building in the 1960s.  In 1990, the current school was built and the small “white building,” which was the original 1938 school house, was sold for $1 to Mike Grady and moved to its current location on 72nd avenue.   It is still used to host yoga classes and community gatherings and its old chalkboards and coat closets remain intact.  The current school is characterized by strong parent support, a close-knit staff including many Boston Harbor residents, and a continuation of the community feel that is so prevalent throughout the area.

With a rich and long-standing history, Boston Harbor is a neighborhood steeped in traditions and multi-generational residents.  Forty year local and historian Pam Trautman, who helped me extensively with information on the area’s history, sums it up well.  “Part of the reason that this history is still celebrated is that there has always been a sense of community, even when it was just small little cabins out here.  I think that has filtered down through the years.  We know our neighbors and we care for each other and that makes a community.”

Join the fun in Boston Harbor this summer by visiting Burfoot County Park, attending the 3rd of July Fireworks show, the Boston Harbor Garden Tours and Plant Sale on June 23rd, or sipping a brew on the Marina docks. While we might be a tight-knit group, we love nothing more than sharing our love of Boston Harbor with others.

ThurstonTalk

 

The forecast isn’t looking too promising for Memorial Day weekend BBQ’s.  As we approach “summer,” we’re all missing that unseasonably sunny and warm weather that we enjoyed a few weeks ago.  It might be a weekend where you need to check our events calendar for indoor activities.   Regardless of your weekend plans, turn to ThurstonTalk for ideas.

• Grab your shovel for the last razor clam dig of the season.  Tide information can be found here.
• Move your pawn at Friday game night at Wind Up Here.
• Take a birding class at the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge on Saturday.  Learn about the junior refuge manager program here.
• Eat dinner at the Olympia Farmers Market on Saturday night.
• Play indoors at the Hands On Children’s Museum.   Military families receive free admission all weekend.
• Go bowling at Aztec Lanes.
• Embrace the rain and learn about water – both storm water and water traveling through sewer and septic systems – at LOTT’s WET Science Center.
• Commemorate Memorial Day at Mills & Mills Memorial Park on Monday at 2pm.
• Spend some family time at the South Sound YMCA.
• Finish planning your kid’s summer camps.

Submit an event for our calendar here.

ThurstonTalk aims to be your source for positive information and events happening in Olympia.  If you have a suggestion for a post, send us a note at submit@thurstontalk.com.  For more events and to learn what’s happening in Olympia and the surrounding area, click here.

Do this once.
Beans are simple, and so is the metric system. Put them together, and eat simply, cheaply, low on the food chain and carbon emission spectrum.

I've written about it before, but that was a while ago, and for new readers, here's the logic: cook a big mess o' beans in the crockpot, and you've invested minimal effort in return for several meals' worth of protein.  

Do this twice.
In case the photos are not obvious enough, here's the recipe:

1000 cc beans (cc= cubic centimeters, because volume's the quickest measure to make)
2000 cc water
Put all this in a crockpot with a metric toss o salt. Turn it on. Wait til the beans are soft before you eat them. 

That's it. 

Danger Room comics in downtown Olympia hosted a special signing event on Wednesday, May 15. Guests Nathan Edmondson and Matthew Southworth were there to greet fans and answer questions. Both are members of the comic book community: Edmondson has written several award winning series for Image Comics and has worked for Marvel and DC, and Southworth is an artist, writer, and musician who's works include the critically acclaimed Stumptown.

The event started at around 4 P.M., with customers coming to get comics and graphic novels signed by the two. They, along with owners Frank Hussey and Casey Bruce, shared stories and banter with customers as they made purchases and got signatures. A question and answer session with the creators followed at 6 P.M. It started off with the owners asking them a few questions the shop had come up with for them. The mood was light and fun, with the audience, owners, and creators making jokes, ribbing other writers, and dispensing advice. “Seriously, the next person who asks a question has to take a cookie,” Edmondson said at one point, threatening the assemblage with a box of shortbread. The guests also answered more serious queries, such as the state of the industry now that digital publishing is a major force, and the place of sites like Kickstarter in the creation of new work. This whole time the shop still continued to do business (an important note, as Wednesday is the weekly release date for new comics), encouraging customers to stay and chat.

Danger Room has been a downtown Olympia mainstay for years. It was closed for a time, but a few years ago reopened under Hussey and Bruce's management. The shop itself is rather small and cozy, with big windows on the exterior walls to entice customers. Located on the corner of 4th and Columbia, and with easy bus access, the store has become a favorite of Evergreen State College comic book fans. This is perhaps not just due to the friendly staff and good location. Danger Room has a proud history of community involvement as well. Aside from events like Wednesday's signing, Danger Room is involved in the yearly Olympia Comics Festival and Arts Walk, among other things. They have a whole shelf dedicated to the local comics community, and an entire separate shelf for alternative, indie titles.

Danger Room will be involved in this years Olympia Comics Festival Saturday, June 8th. Nathan Edmondson just had his most recent series, The Dream Merchant, released through Image Comics. Matthew Southworth's current projects include Day for Night, the story of a child thief in 1930s Pittsburgh, and The Loudermilk Brothers.

Thomas Petrie

ThurstonTalk

 

Submitted by the Port of Olympia

The Olympia Regional Airport, a Port of Olympia operation, is receiving questions about an increase in low flying aircraft and helicopters in the area. The Airport is in direct contact with Joint Base Lewis McChord (JBLM) and is discussing ways to allow the military to accomplish their training needs while mitigating some of the impacts to surrounding communities. For more information and for telephone contacts, please see the Frequently Asked Questions below or on the Port website, Airport section.

1.  Who can I complain to about low flying aircraft or helicopters?

The following numbers are for available for citizen contacts.

• For aircraft operating directly into and out of the Olympia Airport: Olympia Airport Office 360.528.8079.
• For flights not directly operating at the Airport: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Flight Standard District Office, Renton, 425.227.2813.
• For military aircraft: Joint Base Lewis McChord (JBLM), 253.982.5637.
• For military helicopters: Fort Lewis, 253.967.0604.

2.  Do pilots have to file a flight plan with the Airport?

Aircraft flights and flight plans are regulated by the FAA Air Traffic Control Procedures Branch. Pilots do not have to file a flight plan with the Airport or the FAA. Aircraft can and do arrive or depart to and from the Airport with no prior notice. The Airport is open 24 hours daily.

3.  Why do the military aircraft fly over Olympia at night and why do they fly so low?  

Military aircraft have published training areas and training routes throughout the region. Often, military flights just seem lower because aircraft are larger and/or louder, and studies have shown that people react more strongly to noise at nighttime. For more information citizens can call the Fort Lewis information line, 253.967.0604.

4.  There seem to be a lot more military helicopter flights in the Olympia area lately.  Is there a reason for that?

Yes.  In the last year or so, JBLM has seen an increase in the number of helicopters based at the facility by about 25%. The units train both day and night. In addition to training at the regional airports, they train on routes and in areas not associated with a specific airport.  Additionally, the number of local area training flights has also increased with their inability to go to Yakima, for reasons associated with the congressional sequester and funding. The Fort Lewis information line is 253.967.0604.

5.  Does the Airport have to allow the military helicopter flights at the Olympia Regional Airport?

Yes, the Airport cannot restrict the military from training here. The Port of Olympia is required to operate the Airport in accordance with the deed obligations that accompany the transfer of federal surplus property (the Airport) and the Grant Assurances that accompany the acceptance of federal Airport Improvement Program funds.

 

ThurstonTalk

 

Submitted by Olympia Area Rowing

Congratulations to the junior members of Olympia Area Rowing who traveled to Vancouver Lake, Washington to row in the NW Junior Regional Regatta on May 17-19. OAR sent 39 rowers, 5 coxswains, and 6 coaches to the three day event. Countless family and friends were also in attendance to show their continued support.

More than half the of the team came home with medals — a tribute to the depth of the team and the continued improvement as our teams grow stronger each year. OAR crews rowed in the finals in 17 events (see attached sheet) and they medaled in 9 of those events! The Boys Novice Quad (Lian Eytinge (cox), Stuart Doty, Matthew Moen, Carsten Beckwith-Strike, and Paul Smith) came home with a first place trophy, racing in the new OAR boat, the “Gretchen Thunderstruck Van Dusen.” Thanks to all the contributors who helped make this possible.

Two of the rowers, seniors Corban Nemeth and Walker Capra-Smith, advanced to Nationals for the second year in a row by placing second in the Men’s Pair. Two other varsity team members, Stuart Doty and Matthew Moen, rowed the Men’s Lightweight Double to a very close fourth place finish; we are waiting to hear if they, too, will be heading to Nationals.

This season’s finale at regionals was an exciting time for all involved. The many great performances are an inspiration and will provide motivation to us all moving forward into the summer and fall seasons.

Thank you ALL for your support of Olympia Area Rowing and the OAR junior program.