For a closer view Mouse-click the individual posters. Sometimes there are mouseovers, so check...if you're into that sort of thing. If you're interested in movie or Theater times their posters are hyperlinked to their respective schedules.

If your event is not on here I apologize. I do not always see every flyer and sometimes the pictures fuzz up and are illegible.

Thursday:




Friday:




Saturday:

(Critter report: saw a lizard today, which I narrowly avoided rolling right over, and some squirrels. I can't believe I didn't include squirrels in yesterday's post!)

Yesterday I had a thing after work that involved biking out on Martin Way & then Carpenter Road. I had almost forgotten how squirrelly it can be riding on really busy highway-like roads. I love biking, but I'm not exactly what you'd call the most expert cyclist. (As chad360 can attest to.)

Yes, there is a bike lane on Martin Way; however, there's also quite the dip by Top Foods: a long downhill followed by a long uphill, and the traffic zips by at (I would guess) 45+ MPH. So I stuck to the right edge of the bike lane, more in the shoulder than the lane. Heading east, I got to a pretty nice clip myself on the downhill, which is fun if slightly unnerving.

From Janine Gates via email:

...I attended the Triway Enterprises "open house" last night at Tumwater Lodge, met Jeannette Hawkins and Mr. Tri Vo, the project developer, the project designer, and others. A Triway-hired limo driver enthusiastically insisted on taking me the short distance from the overflow parking lot up to the lodge. That about says who was really invited to this "open" house. I walked back to my car.

I asked Jeannette who was invited. She said the Chambers, the Olympia Downtown Association, the Westside Business Association, the 2012 group, etc." By only inviting such an elite sliver of the community, an opportunity for real dialogue was missed. I asked when she was going to invite the local environmental community to participate in the discussion and she laughed, saying that she had lots of time, "until September." Mostly likely, she had no intention of reaching out so I asked if she would be interested in coming to a forum that SPEECH would sponsor and she said yes, she would welcome the opportunity. So, SPEECH will be sponsoring a forum, date and time to be announced soon, stay tuned.

Do these people really want to work and play with us? I don't think so. I've lived here 25 years and I still don't personally don't know anyone who could afford to buy one of those condos, which they said would retail for $800,000 - $1 million each. They said there is a pent-up demand for view condos at that price. Build it and they will come seems to be their philosophy. But at what price are we wiling to sell the soul of our community - our views, our way of life, our sense of community spirit?

I look for common themes when I browse through posts by local bloggers. These two posts on lawn mowing caught my attention:

I mowed the lawn this morning with a mulching mower. So now the dog's running around with little green paws. It's so cute. :D

Wally's LiveJournal

A day in the life of Amanda! I'll tell ya! I got a little crafting in, and a little baking, and I RAN OVER A SNAKE WITH A LAWN MOWER!

More at Yellow Makes Me Happy

And in our own OlyBlog archives read stevenl's long entry written to avoid mowing his lawn: The Link-Crazy Freewriting News

Need to mow your lawn? Tomorrow, Friday, appears to be the day to do it.

Got mowing stories? Remember to give our local bloggers some attention too.

Please join us for the Thurston County Young Democrats' meeting next Friday, May 9th, at 8pm. This is our first meeting following a successful Thurston County Democrats Convention, and we are very excited to build on the fantastic turnout from young Democrats at our precinct caucuses and Convention!

We will be meeting at the Thurston County Democrats Headquarters, 2120 Pacific Ave. in Olympia, to elect our 2008-2009 officers and plan our activities through this summer and fall. If you're interested in volunteering with campaigns, registering new voters, or just getting to meet other young people who are passionate and engaged in Democratic politics, this is the place! And of course, we'll have plenty of pizza & beverages.

When:

Friday, May 9th at 8pm

Where:

Thurston County Democrats Headquarters
2120 Pacific Avenue SE
Olympia, WA
(between KRXY Radio & Capitol City Stove -- there is additional parking behind the building on State Ave.)

For more information, visit our website at www.tcyd.net, email Chair Hillary Hunt at hillary.hunt (AT) ydwa.org. Thanks & hope to see you there!

So, this past month I have had more than one incredibly negative encounter with the man, and from what I have heard, so have many other people in downtown. In fact, if you find yourself in a crowded area in downtown and even utter his name, a chorus of disdain, anger, and out-right hatred will echo you from anyone in your immediate vicinity. Try it! It's hilarious! It seems as though everybody has beef with Mr. Nutter.

Recently Michael Nutter called the police on me because I tied my (well behaved) dog to the lightpost outside of his shop while I bought a cup of coffee at B&B nextdoor. Apparently, it is illegal to leave animals unattended in public. I'm sure. I'm sure that warrants a 9-11 call and an emergency dispatcher's time, and a bunch of tax money. Wow.

I've spent the day going through myspace pages, starting with my oldest daughter's and checking each of her "friends" myspace pages for any current pictures or messages from her in hopes of finding out how and where she is.

In doing so, I came across one's page who had a video called Downtowners on it.

Downtowners is 47 minute documentary film that shares the voices of young people who are homeless in Olympia Washington, as they explore issues such as sexual violence, public space, gender roles, street culture, and community perceptions. These voices inspire a connection and understanding seldom experienced by those who lack direct experience with the streets. Often referred to as "at-risk", "marginalized", or "disadvantaged", these youth and young adults live on the fringes of society, and their struggles include uncertainty, instability, barriers to resources and lack of support in creating solutions. In an effort to raise awareness by deepening the dialogue about issues of youth homelessness and sexual violence, Downtowners introduces street life from the perspective of the young people who live it.

I know most of these kids personally, having met them through my oldest daughter. They are her family. I'm sure some of you have come in contact with them or may possibly even work to help them. I had no idea a video on their lives and lifestyles had been made.

I never did find anything out about my daughters well-being or whereabouts but found this video to be very profound and worth watching. To hear the dreams and goals of these kids broke my heart. I always heard how they liked their life, didn't want to ever go to another school again. To hear the child in them come out in the video is a side of them I never knew or saw. Now I know they have to act and be tough in order to survive but it really isn't the way they are.

Press release via email:

Coast Guard Air Station Port Angeles responded to a report of two people in the water in the vicinity of Steamboat Island ten miles north of Olympia, Wash., today.

A Good Samaritan called 911 and reported seeing two persons wearing life jackets and in need of assistance.

The report was then forwarded to Air Station Port Angeles, which launched an HH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew to respond. Before the helicopter crew arrived, a Good Samaritan brought the people to shore. 

Members of the Thurston County Fire Department reported that the two individuals were responsive but hypothermic.

The helicopter crew transported the individuals to St. Peter Hospital in Olympia.

It was reported that the two were aboard a work barge that sank.

There is no pollution reported and the cause of the sinking has not been determined.

 God speed Coasties.