Olympia: are you tired of witnessing Olympia City Manager Steve Hall's never ending, weird, right-wing American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) bullshit?

where is the Olympia City Manager and Olympia City Council is getting its right-wing, extremist, intolerant, anti-poor, and corporatist hack agenda from?

your not going to like the answer (hint, it has something to do with Richard Nixon of all people, see below..)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POF2IcahYo0

http://billmoyers.com/content/the-powell-memo-a-call-to-arms-for-corporations/

http://reclaimdemocracy.org/powell_memo_lewis/

 

The Olympian has a story about the City doing soil testing for contamination under the pavement around City Hall.

What is the purpose and priority of remediating the soil under the pavement around City Hall?

Would a better expenditure be for the City to invest in local food production, and other sustainable long-term economic activity?

Members of a carpenter's union have been protesting for months now. They are at Percival Landing from 10 to 2pm five days a week. They are protesting against the labor practices of a company (Quigg) that was awarded the contract for phase one construction of Percival Landing.

The reason they give for protesting is that Quigg is paying sub-standard wages.

I hope that the City will consider the carpenter's union's concerns when they deliberate awarding a contract for phase 2 of the Percival Landing construction project.

Rotting Board at Percival Landing

Last week I wrote about the Harbor House at Percival Landing. I want to write some more because I didn't want to give the impression that I am disappointed. I just think that there is room for improvement. Especially in regard to the Harbor House, and honoring the stories of the area indigenous, and people with indigenous ancestry.

But overall, I am impressed with the new park. Seems very solid, and the concrete was comfortable to walk on barefoot.

But then again, I like the old part still. Except for the rotting board that is capable of swallowing a small child's leg, and a few other parts.

One of my favorite parts of the new part of the park is one of the new trees planted on the walkway, just North of State Street. I enjoyed imagining it as a mature tree.

Of course, there is Joe Tougas' renewed Orca whale, which is pretty awesome.

So there's a lot to like, along with the room for improvement. But that could be said about a lot of places, and people too.

I also hope that there will be more of a conversation about the Carpenter's Union strike against Quigg Brothers—especially if Quigg is chosen to build the next phase. Next phase, oh yeah, I wonder what is up with that.

Berd

[UPDATE: video from the event posted here: olyblog.net/global-water-dances-olympia]

Leaves at Yashiro City of Olympia Japanese Garden

June 2011
Yashiro Garden was the site of the Olympia performance of Global Water Dances, yesterday, Saturday the 25th of June.

There was a great turn-out of I would estimate about 40 people or so. We gathered at Moxlie Basin in Watershed Park, then hiked to a parking lot where Indian Creek emerges from an underground culvert, then to Yashiro Garden for the Global Dance, and then to Eastbay, where Moxlie Creek (combined with Indian Creek) join the Salish Sea.

Global Water Dances website: www.globalwaterdances.org/

Thanks to all who made this happen, and to all who participated!

Forest view at Moxlie Springs Basin in Watershed Park

So there`s a geiser of water just bursting away at roosevelt elementary and i wonder if they have a swimming pool to fill, home bums to keep awake, or are simply watering east side olympia?

On my way to washington the first time, I stopped in California to sleep, arcada actually I slept in a park and found that its a regular habit of city property holders to water their lawns at night...

-Grey area

Can anyone confirm or provide more information on a reader submitted post in the Olympian today; the article said that the City of Olympia is providing $9 million dollars to the Hands on Children's Museum, a privately owned company, for purchasing a space downtown. I am not complaining, simply wanting to know more information.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Olympia, Washington - The Olympia City Council and Executive Staff presided over a public hearing regarding the Isthmus interim rezone. About 35 people made comments. I would estimate there were about 80 people in attendance. The meeting was held at The Washington Center for the Performing Arts.

At the City Council's first meeting back in the beginning of January, the Council took assertive and decisive action to revert zoning regulation on the Isthmus back to a 35 foot height limit. Last year, after a lengthy and divisive process, certain parcels on the Isthmus had been rezoned to 90 feet in order to allow development of a luxury condominium. This year's January vote in favor of reverting to the earlier 35 foot building height zoning regulation was unanimous, 7-0.

Tonight will be the second in a series of six City sponsored neighborhood meetings. The purpose of the meetings is to generate input for the City's comprehensive planning process. At the last meeting there was a great conversation about the obstacles and challenges that face Olympia, as well as the great potential. There was a lot of genius in the room that night, and there was a lot of good sharing and listening.

The details for tonight's meeting are:

Thursday, February 4, at 6:30 p.m. (that's tonight)
Hansen School, 1919 Road 65 N.W. (google map)

The Olympian has an article with more information: It's time for you to shape Olympia's destiny

I went to last the neighborhood community comp plan visioning meeting last night. I was impressed with the respectfulness of the participants and the event, the inclusiveness, the good listening, and the thoughtful and smart comments that many people made. It was an interesting, and even exciting, conversation about people's visions for Olympia.

For more information, including a list of future meetings, Janine Gates has an article about the event at Little Hollywood: Imagine Olympia: It's a Conversation About the Community (and oh yeah, the Comprehensive Plan)