Quick Bits

Retiring North Thurston Public School’s superintendent Dr. Jim Koval will be honored and recognized for his 40 years of service at a retirement party on Thursday, June 11 at the Lacey Community Center beginning at 3:30 p.m.

Supporters of a new Catholic high school, Pope John Paul II, are currently negotiating for leased space with the owners of the old Lacey Fire District headquarters building on Pacific Avenue.  School supporters say they will use the building for the  school for 3-5 years while a new facility is being built.  The old fire station currently houses a fruit and produce stand.

Hawks Prairie Rotary will soon have a new meeting facility.  The Rotary club has negotiated new space at its current location at the Hawks Prairie Golf Course.  The club will spend up to $20,000 remodeling the facility to house up to 80 members at a club meeting.

The recent full page ad in The Olympian was bought and paid for by JZ Knight who is challenging the City of Yelm’s determination that a 5000 home housing development didn’t need a full Environmental Impact Statement completed.  The City of Yelm had given the development a Mitigated Determination of Non-Significance.

Thurston County had a total market value of  taxable property in 2007 of just over $32 billion dollars.   The average property tax levy in 2008 was $9.77 down from $13.80 in 2004.   The decline in the rate is due to the voter approved cap, another of  Tim Eyman’s efforts.

Total Sales Tax revenue for the Public Facility District was $1.3 million in 2008 of which the City of Lacey received $973,000 for the Regional Athletic Complex and the City of Olympia received $382,000 for its Hands On Children’s Museum soon to be underway on Port of Olympia property.