Monthly Archives: June 2010

Thurston County Sheriff Warns of Phone Scam

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The Thurston County Sheriff’s office is warning area residents about receiving automated bank calls on cell phones.

Bank cardholders are being contacted by cell phone using various spoofed numbers, and are pre recorded messages stating that they are calling from your bank.

As of now, they have used Evergreen Direct Credit Union and Our Community Credit Union. The message states that “their debit card has been deactivated due to a billing error”. It then prompts the cardholders to enter their 16 digit debit card number and pin. After this information is entered it tells the cardholder that their account is now “activated”.

As a result, the cardholder’s account is accessed through ATM activity based in Spain. Banks do not call you on your cell phone numbers or your home number and ask for your account information. Even if you see a local phone number on the caller Id, it could be from any where in the world. Local numbers can be spoofed and some local numbers are being sold by phone companies to other persons around the world. There are web sites that also allow callers to show any number on a caller Id that they want.

For more information on scam prevention, visit the US Federal Trade Commission website.

Join Olympia Residents to Discuss Olympia’s Comprehensive Plan – June 17

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Griffin area residents are invited to join with Olympia residents at a Community Cafe event to discuss environmental implications of the City of Olympia’s Comprehensive Plan.

Date: Thursday, June 17, 2010
Time: 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Location: Olympia Center (Room B)
222 Columbia St. NW, Olympia

This is YOUR CHANCE to comment on the climate implications of Olympia’s comp plan. Following a brief update on the progress of the comp plan by Keith Stahley, attendees will break into separate groups to discuss one of the focus areas recommended by the Planning Commission and suggest measurable outcomes, and then report their conclusions to the whole group.

Focus Areas recommended by the City of Olympia Planning Commission:

  • Downtown (including Capitol Campus and Port of Olympia)
  • Neighborhoods
  • Shoreline/Waterfront/Critical Areas (Integrated with the Shoreline Master Program Update Process)
  • High Density Corridors (HDC)
  • Environmental Stewardship

 Refreshments served at 6:45 – please bring your own mug. The program will start promptly at 7:00 pm. This is a free public meeting.
 
Sponsors: Olympia Climate Action, Transition Olympia, and the City of Olympia.
 
I would personally like to invite you to the following event at the Olympia Center. Please feel free to call or e-mail me with any questions.

Barb Scavezze
Chair, Olympia Climate Action
360-754-6320

North Totten Inlet Floating Mussel Farm Topic of County’s June 22 Public Meeting

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The environmental impact of Taylor Shellfish Company’s proposal to build a new floating mussel farm along north Totten Inlet will be the topic of a public meeting on Tuesday, June 22. The meeting by the Thurston County Resource Stewardship Department will take place from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Griffin Middle School gymnasium, 6530 33rd Ave. N.W. in Olympia.

The meeting will focus on Thurston County’s Draft Environmental Impact statement, a document required by state law as part of the county’s decision-making process for reviewing a Shoreline Substantial Development Permit application.

The proposed project would be located adjacent to Taylor Shellfish Company’s existing Gallagher Cove mussel farm, about midway through the length of the company’s tideland ownership. The proposal would also require a new Aquatic Lands Lease from the Washington Department of Natural Resources.

Residents have until July 12, 2010 to submit comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, either by attending the meeting, or by mailing comments to Robert Smith, Senior Planner, Thurston County Resource Stewardship Department, Thurston County Courthouse, Building 1, 2000 Lakeridge Drive S.W., Olympia, WA 98502. Comments may also be e-mailed to smithr@co.thurston.wa.us.

Click here to view the Draft Environmental Impact Statement on the Thurston County website. Copies are also available for review at the Olympia Timberland Library on 8th Avenue and at the main station of the Griffin Fire District #13, 3707 Steamboat Loop N.W.

After receiving public comments, Thurston County will finalize the environmental impact statement and schedule a public hearing before the Thurston County Hearings Examiner for consideration of the underlying Shoreline Substantial Development Permit application.

UPDATE: John Dodge reported, in the June 16th edition of the Olympian, that the farm “would not have a significant environmental impact, according to a review of the project released by Thurston County this week.”

The project was proposed 15 years ago, but it ran into stiff opposition from shoreline residents who claim commercial shellfish growing operations are running roughshod over the South Sound inlet.

At full build-out, the new 11.25-acre farm, including 58 growing rafts covering 1.36 acres of tidelands, could produce nearly 878,000 pounds of mussels in a 16-month growing season.

Click here to read the entire article.

Griffin School District Now Registering for Summer Camp

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The Griffin School District is now taking registration for its new summer camp program.

June 28, 2010 to August 27, 2010
7:30 AM to 5:30 PM @ Griffin School

Summer Day Camp will be offered for students in grades K-S and a Summer Teen Camp will be offered for students in grade 6-8. All students are welcome even if you do not attend Griffin School District during the school year. Students in both camps will be onsite (at Griffin School) three days a week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) and will have the opportunity to attend a variety of field trips two days a week (Tuesday and Thursday). In addition to recreational activities, field trips, and fun, students will also have the opportunity to participate in academic classes (reading, writing, math and science) with a summer twist. There will be a weekly itinerary posted at camp to keep you informed about what’s going on and coming up. Parents are encouraged to stop by anytime.

Students in grades 6-8 will have the opportunities to conduct Community Service Projects, go Kayaking, and visit the Experience Music Project in Seattle!

Students in grades K-5 will get to attend field trips to Point Defiance Zoo, NW Trek, Long Lake for Swimming, and cheer on the Tacoma Rainiers at a Game!

There will also be a fun summer twist to reading, writing, math and science!

Full Program Cost is $1050.00 (8 weeks), payable in two payments of $525.00. The first payment is due at the time of registration and the second payment is due on August 2, 2010.

Partial Program Cost is $550.00 (4 weeks). Parents are encouraged to sign up for a minimum of four (4) weeks (the weeks do not have to be consecutive). Payment in full is due at the time of registration.

Parents can make weekly payments, if desired. Sign up for a minimum of four weeks (weeks do not have to be consecutive) or anywhere from four to eight weeks.

Click here to download registration materials.

Please call the District Office at 360-866-4918 for more information!

Feline Friends Close Out Plant Sale and Garage Sale – June 5

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Feline Friends will be having a huge Close Out Plant and Garage Sale this coming Saturday, June 5th at Griffin School.

Bring your umbrella and join them from 9am – 3pm on Saturday. There are many tomatoes, grasses, groundcovers, and shrubs as well as great cut flowers (the same you see in the summer bouquets at Island Market) ready to grace your garden. ALL PLANTS WILL BE SOLD 2 FOR THE PRICE OF 1!!

They have many books this year including a number of children’s educational items recently donated by a former teacher.

Help make this garage sale a success by donating your used items. Drop off your donations Friday, June 4, from 6-8pm at Feline Friends. They are located at 6515 Sexton Drive NW, Olympia, WA 98502. Tax receipts for your donations are available upon request.

Community Meeting on No Shooting Zones in Thurston County – June 17

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A Community Meeting on No Shooting Zones in Thurston County will be held Thursday, June 17th, 5:30pm to 7:30pm in the Thurston County Courthouse, building 1, room 152. 2000 Lakeridge Dr SW, Olympia, WA 98502.

NOTE THIS IS THE SECOND (AND WE HOPE THE LAST) ADDRESS CHANGE BY THURSTON COUNTY STAFF.

The Board of County Commissioners has received requests from Thurston County residents who live along or near Eld, Henderson, and Budd Inlets to prohibit the discharge of firearms in the vicinity of their homes. The Board seeks your input on this important issue.

For more information, contact Danielle Westbrook, assistant to Commissioner Karen Valenzuela, at (360) 786-5414.

Click here to read past posts on this blog, regarding the issue of shooting on Eld Inlet.

Science Café: “An Overview of the Science of Brewing Beer” June 8

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When: 7:00 pm, Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Where: Batdorf & Bronson Coffee House, 516 Capitol Way S. Olympia, WA, phone (360) 786-6717.
Batdorf & Bronson has three locations in Olympia. Science Café meets in the downtown coffee house on Capitol Way.

On-street parking is available on Legion, Capitol Way, Columbia Street, and Water Street. After 6 p.m., there is parking available at Heritage Bank on Columbia Street between 5th and Legion.

Our presentation this month is An Overview of the Science of Brewing Beer

Many people think of beer brewing as the point at which science and art intersect. Indeed, both biology and chemistry play perfectly crucial roles in beer brewing. However, it is the brewer’s understanding of these that allow him or her to manipulate the ingredients and brewing process in such a way that will create a unique product that still fits within the guidelines of a particular beer style. In an overview of the science of brewing, we will discuss each of the four crucial ingredients in beer (water, malt, yeast, and hops) and their role in the brewing process. This will include how and why they are used and their effect on the brewing process and finished beer.

Adam Orrick is the Brewmaster at the Grove Street Brewhouse in Shelton (South First Street and Grove Street). Adam received the “International Diploma in Brewing Technology” from the Siebel Institute in Chicago and the Doemen’s Academy in Munich.

Click here for more information about the Olympia Science Café.

Coming on Tuesday, July 13: The Unknown Sea: Flotsam Above, Snarks Below by Curtis Ebbesmeyer, Ph.D.

Internationally recognized oceanographer and author (along with Eric Scigliano) of the recent Smithsonian book Flotsametrics and the Floating World