PRESS RELEASE

Olympia, July 21, 2008

In response to widespread public interest in finding an alternative to the proposed increase in height limits on Olympia’s downtown isthmus between Capital Lake and Budd Inlet, a new group has formed to investigate the feasibility of acquiring the area of the proposed re-zone AND the Capital Tower Building for eventual incorporation into Heritage Park.

The new group called the “Steering Committee for Public Acquisition” is comprised, in part, of former Olympia Planning Commissioners who believe that the current height limit on the isthmus of 35 feet should not be increased to 90 feet as recently proposed.

The group also believes that as part of the current discussion of the future of the isthmus that the City Council and the State needs also to carefully consider the option of public ownership, with just compensation to present owners, for the area from the twin bridges to Water Street, between 4th and 5th Avenues. This option would not change the status of Bay View Market, the Olympia Yacht Club or the Oyster House.

If sufficient community interest exists, the Steering Committee plans to create a non-profit association for the purpose of thoroughly investigating the ways and means to bring about the de-development and preservation of the isthmus as a great public space for the benefit of all. Their goal is to develop a public-private partnership to bring this about.

The Steering Committee will host a public meeting on August 4 from 7 to 9 pm in Room 2004 at the Olympia Community Center (222 Columbia St. NW) to link up with others who are supportive of this concept.

For additional information contact Jerry Reilly at jerryreilly@msn.com (360 561 4212) or Jeff Jaksich at eastbay4@comcast.com (360 352 2735).

Monthly meetings are first Thursdays of the month 5pm at Media Island (816 Adams St. SE)

KOWA-LP’s mission is to give voice to individuals, organizations and movements working for social justice, economic democracy, ecological sustainability and peace. KOWA also plays music. KOWA is looking for local djs and community participation in building the station. For more info contact KOWA at 352-1646 or kowa@riseup.net

[ganked from the comments by Rick]

...As of 11:00 am all that is left is a pile of gravel.

This morning a rather rude individual representing our fine city came to my office to let me know I was responsible for a code violation. RUTH SNYDER I have found your spine. His name is CHRIS GRABOWSKI. Mr. Grabowski is very proud of the badge he earned when becoming a code enforcement officer for the city of Olympia. He showed it to me when he handed me his business car.

Mr. Grabowski entered my building stating that he was my "prize" for having violated the sidewalk ordinance. He stated that the " sarcophagus" on the sidewalk was in violation of code. Even though his co-worker approved it and measured it twice.

He presented the facts. The one sided facts as presented to him by--------? I informed that facts are only facts when both sides have been addressed as this is the logic behind fact.

Mr. Grabowski, this is your prize. Know everyone knows who you are! I bet that code enforcement badge is just glowing under your coat. You should be proud.

Here is the best part. KAREN MESSMER was your council person that INSISTED that this be removed. Ok Karen, thats cool. Be ready to be very busy moving a whole bunch of items from sidewalks all over your fair town.

The reason things take forever and get lost in process are due to individuals like this council member that make little things like Meta Hogan planter a personal issue. Why don't you do something with substance and back, like say the Griswolds building, or the Cunnigham's Jewelery building. Easy targets are well, easy. Please show the citizens of this community what you can really dowhat you can really do.

Just read Rick's post about ending the docent model:

"After more than a year of working with a group of docents who have helped to run the blog, I've decided to end the experiment. The docent model was not entirely successful, in no small part due to an overall lack of organization and commitment, but lately due to some specific personality conflicts. I'm not sure what will take its place, but I'm hopeful that we can develop some sort of community-governed system. Stay tuned."

...and it appears it has happened.  Sounds like something the Olyblog comunity might what to talk about.  So here's a place to do it.  Please keep it constructive and civil so it doesn't get pulled.

After more than a year of working with a group of docents who have helped to run the blog, I've decided to end the experiment. The docent model was not entirely successful, in no small part due to an overall lack of organization and commitment, but lately due to some specific personality conflicts. I'm not sure what will take its place, but I'm hopeful that we can develop some sort of community-governed system. Stay tuned.

Last Friday representatives from six different organizations with a stake in downtown met to take a full inventory of all of the other organizations associated with downtown and to discuss how all of these organizations might work together for the common good of our city’s core. The general impetus for the meeting was a recent surge in the number of organizations sprouting up in our community – each one to stake claim to their individual downtown-related causes.

Read the rest of the entry.

mathias

einmaleins

At OlyBlog, we've spent a lot of time and energy showing that an online community that honors respectful communication can exist, in stark contrast to the comments over at the Olympian website. It was nice to see that thought echoed in a piece on Gawker this morning (thanks Rob!):

Comments are thought to be an added value to a newspaper's site—providing another reason to read. You come for the article, and stay for the interesting discussion. The only problem is, there is no interesting discussion. Almost never. Not even from the mythical supersmart New York Times readers.

The reason that there is no interesting discussion on Newspaper's websites is that there is no sense of community or accountability there. In fact, there is a glaring conflict of interest present: newspapers, as profit-seeking enterprises, want to drive up traffic to their site as much as possible. Just like looking at the aftermath of an automobile accident as you drive by, watching the uncontrolled bickering and sniping that occurs in those comment threads is difficult for many to resist. Hence, with this gory attraction to keep eyeballs glued to their sites, papers have little incentive to clean up their act and create a safe, welcoming space for civic discussion. Will they learn a new way before they all go extinct?

O.K. for the hyperlocal content, this is from my tax return for last year when I resided in Oly.

Now on to the story.Today.........

I went to a fedral bldg. to get a 10w40 form so I could get a rebate this year the econimic stimulis package.

I new I would be subject to search and all going to the office to get the form, so I did a triage on my person so I could pass the metal test. I took off my laundry pin off my key chain cuz I was not allowed this in the courthouse last month as I might stab some one in the heart and kill someone. I use my own silver wear and as I just came from lunch I had my silverwear set with me which I did not realize might be a problem.

o.k. long sory short the guards were very rude and we got into a a thing about my butter knife wihch they said I could not bring in. So I tried to leave in a planter outside the office outside the building. They started to yell about 5 years in jail and a big fine.So I moved it to my bike across the street.

Now the law is guns and dangerous weapons repete dangerous weapons. A butter knife does not fit this critera.

They let me bring in my fork which in my view would hurt way more than a butter knife but they gave me much shit for the butter knife, and in total reality this does not fit there rules and they let me in with a fork which if i was a person bent for destruction would hurt more than a butter knife.

As allways you Oly blogers will ream me for being illerierate but try to go beyond this and see the stupidity of this. In reality I should of been allowed in with my butter knife as it is not a "dangerous weapon" per there rules but I was treated like shit cuz I had my eating utencles in my pocket.

We a all live in in a fu..cked up world please come together and really change stuff. You all are so into infighting that the real fight is going to the dogs..

Come to Olympia Salvage this weekend and help build Oly's first-ever cob COUCH!! Cob is a natural building material comprised of sand, clay and straw. It's great fun for the whole family. Friday we kick it all off at noon and go until 4 or so. Saturday 10 am to 3 pm. Sunday 10 am to 4 pm. Make history. Dance in mud. There will be a little food and some drink. Friday there will be music thanks to our friends Southern Skies. Hope to see you there!