According to Alumni President Charlie Kirry, without the permit from ORCA, the City of Olympia won’t grant a permit.

Each year, at the beginning of school, the Olympia High School Alumni Association sponsors a homecoming bonfire, for the purpose of encouraging school spirit and for the tradition associated with the event.

Kirry said it appears that ORCA has no criteria for granting permits.  The cities of Lacey, Olympia and Tumwater are in a permanent burn ban, and ORCA just doesn’t want to permit any fires without some criteria for getting around the ban, according to Kirry.  “Without criteria, they’re just rejecting any permit applications,” he said.

“What has our world come to when we cannot enjoy the warmth of a fire,” he said.   ” Does anyone else wonder if government has grown too big a part of everybody’s business?”

Mike Wessells, the librarian for Yelm, will take over the reins of the Lacey Library on September 1.  Former Lacey librarian Selenina Gomes-Beloz will take over at the Centralia library.  Wessells had been at Yelm for a year and that position is open.

Wessells’ appointment is on an interim basis.  Applications for the job will be accepted through next Friday.

Wessells has been with the Timberland Regional Library System for 28 years, serving as community relations director and regional library manager before moving into the librarian ranks.

The Lacey library has the largest circulation of any library in the five-county Timberland Regional Library System.

“It takes a special candidate for a lifelong Democrat to support a Republican,” Hunt said.   “Tom Nelson is that person.”

Hunt said that Nelson can bring a fresh perspective and new leadership during a time of troubled government.  “He has the vision and ability to build on the cost effective operations of the office while creating an even better business model for service delivery,” Hunt said.

Nelson is running against Democrat  Shawn Myers, who was appointed to fill the seat left vacant when Hunt resigned.   In the primary, Nelson received 40 percent of the vote while Myers garnered 32 percent.

Before retirement, last year,  Beehler was the director of continuing education for the Hawks Prairie branch of South Puget Sound Community College.

Entitled “Women’s Equality Day” the event featured the film “Iron Jawed Angels” starring Hillary Swank and Angelica Houston.  The movie traced some of the events that transpired on the way to passage of the 19th Amendment.

Following the film, speakers included Senator Karen Fraser,former Chief Justice of the Washington State Supreme Court Gerry Alexander, President of NOW Linda Malanchuk-Finnan and women’s history czar Shanna Stevenson.

It’s not too late to join in the festivities.  Events will continue at the State Capitol Museum on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with displays, demonstrations and speeches.

Coordinator of the evening’s event was Dawn Gibbs.

children’s museum - Ground-breaking and construction of the first phase of the Hands On Children’s  Museum is set for mid-October, according to museum director Patty Belmonte.  The $3 million first phase, construction of the building, is out for bids.  When they’re opened, the actual ground-breaking can take place.  In order to get Public Facility District monies, actual construction must start this year.  Belmonte said she has a legal opinion that construction has already started once the ground preparation began.   The Port of Olympia is cleaning up pollution on the site.

red light camera - While the City of Lacey currently has only one red light camera on Pacific Avenue at Sleater Kinney, the city is looking for new sites for additional cameras.  It ruled out the Marvin Road and Martin Way intersection when a 12-hour test at that intersection found only six violations - - not enough to justify the expense of an additional camera.  The city is still looking at other locations but hasn’t made a determination if another camera is needed.

state income tax - A new poll, recently released, has support for a state income tax slipping.  Initiative 1098 would establish a state income tax on everyone, with the first $200,000 of income exempt.  Early polls showed the initiative with a slight lead.  The newest poll indicates a 41-41 split with 18 percent still undecided.

train depot - To celebrate the City of Lacey’s 50th birthday in 2016, the city has undertaken a birthday gift.   It plans to recreate the historic Lacey Train Depot, which once sat on Pacific Avenue across from the old Lacey Fire Department headquarters.  The building will be used to house a new city museum.  A $50,000 budget gives supporter money to promote the $2.9 million project.  Grants and donations are expected to make up most of the cost of the new facility.

get-em walking - Thurston Regional Planning Council has received a state grant to encourage school children, who live a half mile from school, to walk or ride their bikes.  Local jurisdictions will include such a proposal into their respective comprehensive plans.   They will also determine how to sustain and expand the program.

I didn’t like the previous picture of me.  While it looked like me at my current age of 68, it just didn’t fit with my philosophy.

I still see myself as the 34 year old Turk, raising hell and spoiling for adventure.

So, the new photo still reflects my current thinking while maybe not reflecting my current age.

Didier was the third place finisher in the US Senate race with about 12 percent of the vote.  It was expected that he would throw his support to Rossi, but said he couldn’t do so, because Rossi wasn’t a true conservative.

That’s good news for Rossi.

Many of those who have been unwilling to vote for the three-time candidate, have done so because they felt he was “too conservative.”

Didier’s decision is good news for Rossi supporters and for those who will now feel more comfortable voting for the Republican in this Democratic state.

All of the incumbent congress members seemed to come out of the Primary election with optimism ahead for the General election.

In the First Congressional District Jay Inslee had 57 percent of the vote.  In the Second Congressional District Rick Larsen only managed 42 percent of the vote, but came out ahead of his Republican opponent John Koster who had 40 percent.  If there is a problem district for incumbents then this is it. But Larsen has never had an easy race and has faced Koster before and prevailed.

In the Third Congressional District, with an open seat, the top two were Denny Heck and Jamie Herrera.  Democrat Heck had 32  percent while Herrera had  27 percent.  The total vote between Republicans and Democrats was almost equal.  This race will be decided on money not incumbency.

In the Fourth Congressional District incumbent Doc Hastings had 68 percent of the vote.  In the Fifth Congressional District incumbent Cathy McMorris Rodgers had 62 percent.   In the Sixth Congressional District incumbent  Norm Dicks had 58 percent.  In the Seventh  Congressional District incumbent Jim McDermott had 79 percent.

In the Eighth Congressional District incumbent Dave Reichert had 48 percent of the vote.  Reichert has never had an easy race and the Democrats always seem to have him in their sights.  But Reichert is well-liked and respected and always comes out on top.

In the Ninth Congressional District incumbent  Adam Smith had 52 percent.

If there was a big anti-incumbent mood among the voters, it didn’t show up in the Primary election.  Maybe in November, when it really counts, we’ll see an impact, but I doubt it.  I think the anti-incumbent concept is a media created event.