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Submitted by decorabilia on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 10:11pm.
May 6 2008 - 6:30pm May 6 2008 - 9:00pm Come join your fellow citizens, bloggers, and other concerned parties at the Olympia School District's Knox Center for a community forum to discuss the ongoing budget crunch. Be heard! (More info here.)
Submitted by decorabilia on Wed, 04/30/2008 - 7:31pm.
The Olympia School District recently publicized a list of potential cuts (with a few additions) for the next fiscal year, and it's set off a firestorm of controversy, mostly because folks aren't sure what's really on the chopping block. The Board wants direction from you, concerned citizen. Here's where I can help. Using the initial document [pdf] offered by the Olympia School District, I've created a spreadsheet where you can try to save dollars and programs in your own attempt to balance the Olympia School District budget for 2008-2009 by cutting roughly $2.5 million. Want to keep the Drill Team intact? Better delete it from the "potential savings" column. But what will you cut instead? More options will be added as they become available. This morning, District and school reps met to discuss other potential cuts and additions, so I'm sure I'll have to update this soon.
Submitted by Robert Whitlock on Thu, 04/24/2008 - 4:38pm.
 Earlier today I participated in the Olympia Council MoveOn.org Operation Democracy Press Conference. The conference was held on the front steps of the Capitol Building in Olympia Washington. A report on the connection between the Iraq war and the failing economy was released to Washington State Senators Maria Cantwell, and Patty Murray, as well as to various members of the local news media.
Here are some videos from the day's event:
Here's a copy of the Report [linked]. I also copied the report and uploaded to my flickr account, so if you'd prefer, see below:
Submitted by Robert Whitlock on Mon, 04/21/2008 - 1:17pm.
Last Saturday's Democratic Convention and Caucus seemed to be a success. Preliminary estimates announced after Saturday morning's registration period were that around 1,400 delegates and alternates were in attendance for the day's deliberations. There was debate and dissent, passion and play. Thurston County Democrats Caucus Information Thurston County will be sending 88 Obama Delegates and Alternates, and 36 Clinton Delegates and Alternates to Congressional District Caucuses. Here's the TCD platform video presentation: photos on the flipside
Submitted by Robert Whitlock on Sun, 04/20/2008 - 11:10pm.
The Puget Sound is in serious danger. Pollution has wreaked horrible consequences on this majestic waterway. For example, 92% of wild salmon runs are no more, and several stocks of other species are collapsing as well. Why is the Puget Sound in danger? Ask an expert. Take it from William Dietrich. He published an article in the Seattle Times yesterday. It's about this very subject. It's very well written and it's titled: "Puget Sound: One man's indictment, love poem and call to arms", here's a link: seattletimes.nwsource.com/ Read more...
Submitted by Robert Whitlock on Fri, 04/18/2008 - 12:57pm.
 Colonel (ret.) Ann Wright visited Olympia yesterday for a series of presentations on Iraq, on official wrongdoing within government, and on her new book, which is published by Koa Books. Dissent, Voices of Conscience: Government Insiders Speak Out Against the War in Iraq is co-authored by Ms. Wright and Susan Dixon. It chronicles the stories of about 25 government and military whistle-blowers who have come forward to expose corruption and wrongdoing in their respective professional settings.
Colonel Wright was a career diplomat with the US State Department. When the US Government, under the dictate of the Bush Administration, launched an invasion in Iraq she resigned her post (along with two other US diplomats.) I saw and listened to Ms. Wright give a presentation (on her experience vís a vís her professional career and Iraq) at South Puget Sound Community College. Her visit was sponsored by Washington Peace Action and BRICK (the SPSCC student group Building Revolution by Increasing Community Knowledge).
Submitted by Robert Whitlock on Fri, 04/11/2008 - 12:28pm.
New rules passed in the U.S. Congress allow for state Governors to order lowering the U.S. flag to half-staff in the event of the death of a state official (or former state official). Included are military service personnel from the state in question, who die while serving on active duty.
» Governor Gregoire ordered the lowering of U.S. flags in Washington state for two days earlier this week (April 9th and April 10th) due to the active-duty military related deaths of "U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Dustin Lee Canham of Lake Stevens, who died in Djibouti, on March 23," and "U.S. Marine Corps Maj. William Gregory Hall of Seattle who was killed in action in Fallujah, Iraq, on March 30" [quoted material from the Tri-City Herald]. This is the Washington State National Guard Armory 2nd Battalion, 146 Field Artillery Headquarters on Eastside Street in Olympia, Washington: 
Submitted by Robert Whitlock on Wed, 03/19/2008 - 8:22pm.
 Today is the fifth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq by the US Government and I had the opportunity to participate in a weekly peace vigil at Sylvester Park (sponsored by the Olympia FOR). The weather was good and so was the turnout. I had some great conversations, including with a couple of conservatives, one of whom was very reasonable! A young gentleman from Spokane, who was toting a suitcase, approached me and we had a lengthy conversation about the difference between the response by the left to Clinton Administration foreign policy Aggression when compared with the response by the left to Bush Administration Aggression. It is too bad that the left was not more vocal in opposition to Clinton's Aggression, but the left was not silent. There was opposition. The reasons that a more vocal opposition to the aggressive foreign policy of the Clinton Administration didn't arise are multiple but for one, he [Clinton] acted within the auspices of the UN Security Council and for two, his behavior was not as flagrant, or belligerent, relative to the machinations and blatant aggression as evinced by members of the Bush Administration. The traveler from Spokane and I fully agreed on one thing, which is the problem of the Military Industrial Congressional Complex. It was a good conversation; we both gained in understanding.
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Submitted by Robert Whitlock on Mon, 03/10/2008 - 12:12pm.
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Submitted by Robert Whitlock on Mon, 03/10/2008 - 12:35am.
 "Don't shed blood for oil"
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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 Latest Classified Ads Books & Collections ›Blog Local 
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