I thought it would be helpful if I blog on this, that it is raining, since not everyone may be aware of this fact. I know Rick appreciates learning that it is raining.

Suspicious yellow stuff in the sky was noted earlier, lasted less than five minutes, fortunately that has cleared away and we are back to our proper raincast.

We can be assured of sogginess through at least Friday.

[via Ceder Tree email]

Just a quick note to let you know I will be holding a town hall meeting in Olympia on Wednesday. I hope you are able to attend - town hall meetings are a great way to share your thoughts on issues and legislation, or to hear how government can serve you better.

The town hall meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 11 th at 7:00 p.m. in the Olympia General Administration Building , which is located at 210 11 th Avenue Southwest (at the corner of 11 th Ave and Columbia Street ).

If you would like additional information about the meeting or any other matter of interest or concern to you, please contact my Olympia district office at (360) 352-9768.

Thank you very much for your time. I hope to see you there.

Brian Baird

How about: "for environmental impact review"? From the Olympian:

OLYMPIA — Three Olympia residents filed written challenges this week to plans for dredging the Port of Olympia harbor and Budd Inlet turning basin for ships.

Residents Walt Jorgensen, Jerry Lee Dierker and Arthur West essentially accused the port of doing little or no environmental review of the effects of dredging.

The port hopes to gain permits to start the $2.4 million job in October. It would take four months to complete, according to Jim Amador, the port’s marine terminal director. The port and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers believe the dredging, the first in more than 30 years, is necessary to remove silt that someday could impede ships from entering or using the port.

The appellants believe the port is in violation of the state Environmental Policy Act and needs to do an environmental impact review before dredging. They further have linked the dredging to a port plan to recruit a Weyerhaeuser log export business to Olympia this year from Tacoma. Port officials deny any connection between the need to dredge and their plans to bring the Federal Way-based business to Olympia.

[snip]

Commissioner Steve Pottle termed all of the appellants “anti-port