[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!

Are you in a registered domestic partnership in Thurston County? Would you be willing to speak to the press? If so, please contact David Walega at david@equalrightswashington.org.

Here is the original request via the PFLAG email list:

I have been contacted by numerous media sources looking for registered domestic partners that would be willing to speak to the press. That would be great if they were wiling to speak - the reporter specifically asked for Thurston County residents because it is for the Olympian.

Thanks so much for your help.

David

-- David Walega ERW Field Manager

(o) 206-324-2570 (c) 206-713-1750

While Ruby Re-Usable remains the diva of the Olympia Dumpster Divers, there are some truly talented trashettes showing off their stuff, and we finally got some pics to show you what Olympia High School students Lily Smith and Teasha Feldman have on display at the Capitol Theater in the space where Ruby had her art installation (I love the fact that they reused my wire to hang their plastic bag clothes!).

Go check out Trashion Fashion at OFS and elsewhere for the full story. Comments are enabled there. 

As if tagging of the murals over the weekend wasn't enough, today Meta stopped by. Not that seeing Meta is a bad thing, I actually like her allot ;-)

It was the news she brought that was discouraging and ....and well, mind blowing is the only thing I can come up with.

On Cherry Street, we have had a little project going to filter our rain water prior to in entering into the storm drains. We were going to do this by way of a planter.

The planter idea was presented by Faye and Meta to Ruth Snyder, who is the City of Olympia Code enforcement person. Ruth approved the planter and once the forms were in place, she measured the location. One day a week and a half ago, Ruth arrived to measure the planter after we poured concrete. She did not make contact with me at the time, so I called her. She assured me that the planter was fine.

Last week Faye and Meta filled the planter with gravel, and guess what? Today Ruth informed Meta that the planter is to close to the parking meter (five feet)and does not fit as per the sidewalk sitting code.

So, can we move it a foot? Let's see, when it was just a plywood box, yes, we could have moved it a foot. Even when it was poured full of concrete we *may* have been able to move it a foot. Now it is full of gravel, so no way can it be moved a foot.

Now here is is the best part. She tells Meta that a council person has complained about it. Now first let me stop you, as it wasn't Jeff Kingsbury, who has shown approval of the planter and has even suggested that we do more. So who are you council person, and what is your problem with the planter?