Equal Rights Washington and Lambda Legal are planning Vow to Take a Stand, an event for coalition building, education, advocacy, and getting people excited about the upcoming Equality Day in Olympia (Feb. 26). Learn how you can move equality forward in your area.

12 p.m. - Mix & Mingle. Master of Ceremonies: Anna Schlecht, Thurston Marriage Equality
 
12:15 p.m. - Welcome & Introduction: Jerry Hebert , commissioner – Washington State Human Rights Commission
 
Legislative Agenda Overview: Josh Friedes, Equal Rights Washington advocacy director
 
12:35 p.m. Question & Answer Session: Your Opportunity for Input  
 
12:45 p.m. Call To Action/Testimony: Jeff Kingsbury, Olympia city councilman & Castle case plantiff  

For more information about Vow to Take a Stand, and to register for Equality Day on Feb. 26, 2007 in Olympia, visit ERW’s Web site at www.equalrightswashington.org or call 206.324.2570. 

Co-sponsored by the ACLU of Washington.

Mid-Winter Celebration

We invite you to join us for all or part of this four day celebration in the depths of winter, as the breadth of our souls yearns for the nourishment that comes of gathering with friends and family

Bring musical instruments, singing voices, drums, games, juggling balls/pins, stories to share, candles to bless, gifts to share with anyone you wish, sleeping pads/bags, and food. We have plenty of places to rest your bodies at night, and all the cooking and eating materials, you’re also welcome to bring your own.

Read more...

While sorting through some old books, an undated newspaper clipping slipped out of one. It is from a newspaper that used to be called The Daily Olympian and by my guess from references in the article and surrounding bits, it dates from 1971-1974. I corrected some typos and added my own comments. OlyBloggers might enjoy this one:

What's In a Name?

Streets Remember Early Olympians

By Fred Olson

Olympia street names ...

As the old timers about them and the names conjure up nostalgic yarns of pioneering, sternwheelers and the off-beat, unrecorded development of a capital city.

They're taken by granted by many. But street names like Bigelow, Sylvester, Cushing or Rogers can be traced back to the early pioneers who filed donation land claims which helped settle Puget Sound country.

While long-time Thurston County residents and historians George Elder and Hollis Fultz don't exactly date back to the days of the first pioneers, they have studied Capital City history and have spent a lot of time watching Olympia grow.

Ask Elder and Fultz about the motorway monikers and time whirls back to days long ago ...

To a warm summer morning in the early 1900s, for instance, when a young George Elder is out hawking Washington Recorders. Elder, who came to Olympia from Kansas in 1906, needs 75-cents for a sternwheeler ticket.

"Sternwheelers, like the Multnomah, Sol G. Simpson and Greyhound, used to put into Olympia daily for runs to Seattle, Tacoma and Shelton," Elder recalls.

"They hauled everything from beer wagons to cattle and pigs," Elder says that for 50-cents you could get a one-way ticket to Tacoma and for 75-cents a round trip. "And for an extra two bits, you could get a sandwich."

A strong ridge of high pressure offshore is creating stagnant conditions over the Puget Sound area. These conditions are expected to persist through Wednesday.

Of particular concern are fine particles released by smoke from uncertified wood stoves and fireplaces. The Washington State Department of Health recommends that people who are sensitive to air pollution limit time spent outdoors. Air pollution can trigger asthma attacks, cause difficulty breathing, and make lung and heart problems worse. Air pollution is especially harmful to children, people with heart and lung problems, and adults over age 65.