The first week in September is National Blood Donation Week, but employees at Bloodworks Northwest’s Olympia Donor Center won’t be celebrating. They’ll be demonstrating against unfair labor practices and management’s response to their recent vote to unionize. Workplace challenges Before the pandemic, when you went to a Bloodworks donor center…
Works in Progress
If you’ve ever tuned in to one of Bloodworks Northwest’s “Code Red” announcements, then you know first-hand how effective their messaging is. Potential donors are encouraged to schedule appointments online, and with one click they are greeted by a large banner across the homepage that reads, “Our local blood supply…
On August 26, Olympia residents got their first look at the Department of Ecology’s cleanup plan for the decades old solid and hazardous waste dump on Olympia’s Westside, also known as the Sundberg Gravel Pit and Cooper Point Log Yard, and the site for the proposed Green Cove Project, the…
There are major plans afoot for Budd Inlet. The Port plans to dredge East Bay to maintain Swantown Marina and build the Marine Center building and other structures along the waterfront. The City is moving ahead with plans to allow the construction of eight five story buildings along West Bay,…
I learned about a new creek in the last month…. With stunning potential! Percival Creek. A local treasure! I have driven past its mouth a thousand times: Driving along Capitol Lake, cross the bumpy train tracks at Marathon Park. Look southwest over the water to the forest. There, Percival Creek…
Concerned community members have launched a petition to end log shipping as soon as possible at the Port of Olympia’s Marine Terminal. The goal is to ensure that Port resources be used for the benefit of the public and that Commissioners are responsible environmental stewards and protect the health of…
In 2020 Lacey, Olympia, and Tumwater city councils, along with the Thurston County Board of County Commissioners, approved the Thurston Climate Mitigation Plan (TCMP). The plan lays out 72 action areas that support reducing county-wide greenhouse gas emissions 45% below 2015 levels by 2030, and 85% below by 2050. With…
Seattle—The League of Women Voters of Washington announces its opposition to three initiatives that will appear on the November ballot. “Our stance against these initiatives is a reflection of the League’s firm commitment to equitable education funding, climate resilience, and accessible long-term care,” said Mary Coltrane, president of the League of…
(Click on any of the below images to view these fact sheets in PDF form)
The Olympia Municipal Court is excited to announce its re-launch of the Community Court program. This new recreation is focused on evidence based best practices to ensure participants get the most effective experience they can. Community are invited to watch Community Court and ask questions of the Judge and the…
Pax Christi USA has joined with Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action to purchase five billboards that begin on August 19 for four weeks with a message from Pope Francis, declaring that the use and possession of nuclear weapons is immoral. The sign, designed by Pax Christi in the Pacific…
When Olympia Brewery at Tumwater Falls was running strong the famous slogan for its beer was “It’s the Water!” And there was truth in that. However, what few people realize is that a similar slogan, “It’s the Soil!,” applies equally to the nutritional quality and taste of food produced in…
This piece originally appeared in The JOLT News Loneliness and isolation are silent epidemics in our society, exacerbated by modern lifestyles and the pervasive influence of technology. This growing crisis calls for immediate action to foster individual well-being, social connection and stronger community. As leaders of key community organizations— Senior…
Choices Privilege and money bring choices of lifestyles and fashion and diets and 10 brands of craft beer. The hungry don’t choose gluten, organic or vegan, how far the food comes from, or how it is raised. The naked don’t choose between cotton or poly, Target or Gucci, or this…
Open Book Club: Offsite Event at The Brotherhood 119 Capitol Way N– September 3 & October 1- 7-8:30pm Come and talk about whatever you’ve been reading and hear about what others are reading in a casual bar environment (21+only) with other book appreciators. Meets every first Tuesday in the back…