|
|
||
|
Navigation User login Who's online There are currently 8 users and 56 guests online.
Online users
Support OlyBlog OlyBlog is run by volunteers who care about Olympia. If you like what we're doing, make a donation: Who's new
Upcoming events
Favorite Olympia Blogs Bread and Roses of Olympia The Canaanite's Call Clubside Breakfast Time decorabilia Dark Woods Casino Party E. Side Neighborhood Assoc. Flummel, Flummer, Flummo In the Course of Events John G Bell's Blog Jon's Random Acts of Geekery judimendoza Last Word Blog Nafblog No Talking Heads Olympia Dumpster Divers Olympia Time One Pissed-Off Veteran Papa November Peregrinate Pirate Papa Plan B Olympia The Raccoon Arts Collective The Rambling Taoist Trees and Water Word on the Street What This Town Needs Yelley's Photo Blog Oly Public Bloglines |
Submitted by emmettoconnell on Thu, 05/08/2008 - 9:01am.
From Janine Gates via email:
Submitted by emmettoconnell on Wed, 05/07/2008 - 8:06pm.
Press release via email:
God speed Coasties.
Submitted by emmettoconnell on Thu, 05/01/2008 - 9:07am.
The Kitsap BlueJackets and the Olympia Athletics will play a two game series down here in early June. This will be the first "home game" ever for the Olympia Athletics, which despite their name, are a travelling farm team for the BlueJackets. This series will also be a preview for South Sounders of the level of baseball when the real-deal WCCBL franchise is expected to start playing at the Lacey Athletic Center in 2009. The baseball field that the new team will occupy is currently under construction. I couldn't find the actual story that talks about the new team on the Olympian's website, but here's a place that points to it. Saturday 07 Jun Sunday 08 Jun
Submitted by emmettoconnell on Wed, 04/30/2008 - 10:40am.
Just a few thoughts about this: 1. I know Debra Vinsel, Joe Hyer and Jeff Kingsbury (Kingsbury less so), but I was embarrassed by this video. It smacks of propaganda and boosterism. At certain points it was trying to be cute, but I was turned off by the "lets mention one more good thing" about downtown feel to it. 2. It would have been better to spend a few hours just talking to people about downtown, unscripted. Even if this video wasn't scripted, it sure felt like it. The blooper reel at the end reminded me that they had practiced their lines. 3. I know I harp about this alot, but the benefit of blogging and engaging in comment threads is that you avoid this kind of shmaltzy-staged stuff. Just talking on a blog (not this blog probably) in a direct way is more meaningful that this video.
Submitted by emmettoconnell on Tue, 04/29/2008 - 9:10am.
Lacey's recent decision to put into place a restrictive homeless encampment rule will likely land the city in court. Tent city ordinances in Western Washington are popular fodder for the federal and state court system, usually pitting local governments against churches on the grounds of the free expression of religion. "The whole idea of reaching out to the poor and needy is part of our Jewish tradition," said James Mirel, senior rabbi at the Temple B'nai Torah to the Seattle Times in 2005. One of the most interesting details in the run up to the city council's vote on the ordinance was the closed door session a few months back between the city attorney and the council. What advice did Ken Ahlf give his clients? Probably, be careful guys, you might get sued. Ahlf had similar advice in the public back last August when a council subcommittee first took up the topic:
Submitted by emmettoconnell on Mon, 04/28/2008 - 9:42pm.
I went to the Thurston County Democrats meeting earlier tonight, and Sandra Romero was nominated by the precinct committee officers in commission district two, beating out former Lacey City Councilmember John Halvorson 77 to 63. This "nomination" business is fall out from the Top Two primary decision. I've been complaining about it all week: What's likely going to happen tonight (Thurston County Dems nominating mess/sham) What we should have done (sham nominating conventions) "Nominating conventions" are baloney, B.S., horse puckey Comments closed here, go over here to talk.
Submitted by emmettoconnell on Sat, 04/26/2008 - 9:53pm.
Hannah over at Greener Living reports:
While Joshua over at For all the people writes:
Give your reports below, but don't forget to show Hannah and Joshua some comment love as well.
Submitted by emmettoconnell on Fri, 04/25/2008 - 2:06pm.
My Favorite Cut-Outs by tricyrtis hirta. Other local blogging: Olympia Salvage Blog: Arts Walk This Weekend! Earball Visions: Oly, here I come! Oly-Rafa: Arts Walk Celebration - Tile Painting and Performance for Olympia Rafah Mural Project
Submitted by emmettoconnell on Fri, 04/25/2008 - 10:16am.
While not technically an "antiquated plat," like I wrote about before (look at my earlier post for background), I found something very interesting in the maps prepared by TRPC for the city in their discussion of the old, planned neighborhoods. At one point, the city had laid out block in what is now Capitol Lake. Here it is overlaid in Google Earth:
Submitted by emmettoconnell on Fri, 04/25/2008 - 6:33am.
Probably the most interesting reading I've come across in the city council packets has been a discussion on antiquated plats and what to do about them. Basically, there are planned neighborhoods across Olympia that have never been developed. Some of these neighborhoods were planned well before modern standards were in place, so there is a risk of some of these plats being developed with none of our modern standards enforced. We're not talking about plans that were laid out in the 1980s, this is more like the 1890s. The city is going through the process now of finding these "antiquated plats" and scrubbing them from the books. Pete Swenson from Thurston Regional Planning Council wrote a facinating memo on the topic. The entire piece is available here, but here's a bit: |
OlyBlog.net OlyBlog is devoted to hyperlocal news and discussion specifically about Olympia, Washington. Contributors to OlyBlog are citizen journalists who care about their community and are tired of corporate media. If you'd like to contribute, please register for an account. Here is a list of local news beats that need to be covered. You can post your news as a personal blog entry, and it will be reviewed (and possibly edited) for promotion to the front page. You can also send news via email. All members of OlyBlog agree to abide by our Social Contract. You should also look at our comment and fair use policies. If you are frustrated about something said in a comment thread, go here. Olyblogger of the Month: Docents are fellow citizen journalists who volunteer to be at your service in order to help with any blog-related issues. They are: Rob RichardsInterests: community building; participatory art, democracy and economics; local politics; citizen journalism. emmettoconnell Interests: City Council, developing a local issues forum. enpen Interests: OlyBlog calendar, Oly street art, local artist interviews, his family, poetry and stuff. Robert Whitlock Interests: peace, justice, nature, nonviolence, media, environment Rick Interests: citizen journalism, hyperlocal media, the knowledge commons. Docent email list Books & Collections ›Blog Local |