Special to the Mountain News-WA , from the GKCC.
The Graham – Kapowsin Community Council (G-KCC) is excited to announce that the long- awaited Golden Age exercise classes will begin on Thursday, June 8th!
There will be six (6) classes this summer. The dates are: June 8 and 22, July 6 and 20, August 10 and 24. All classes will be held on Thursdays starting @ 10:15 a.m. at the Graham Public Library, located at 9202 224th St. E. Graham. Continue reading
Special to the Mountain News, from the Nisqually Land Trust:
May 23, 2017 Susan Callender
The Land Trust recently added two more highly prized properties to its acquisitions along the Whitewater Reach of the Nisqually River, near Yelm, which is rated the highest priority for protection in both the Nisqually Chinook Salmon Recovery Plan and the Nisqually Steelhead Recovery Plan.
The properties total twenty acres and just over one-third mile of shoreline, and they provide spawning and rearing habitat for all five Pacific salmonid species native to the Nisqually Watershed, including Chinook, coho, chum, and pink salmon and steelhead trout. Both Chinook and steelhead are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
In addition, the purchase of one of the properties completes the goal of securing land for the potential extension of the Yelm-Tenino Trail all the way to, and possibly across, the Nisqually River. The property and one purchased in 2016 bookend railroad tracks, owned by the city of Yelm, that cross the river and run to Roy, in Pierce County. The track and its trestle could be converted to a pedestrian and bike crossing, which would be the first on the Nisqually River.
“It’s a bold vision,” said Land Trust Outreach Coordinator Cris Peck, who will work with Yelm on planning for the potential project, “but it’s an inspiring one. The Yelm-Tenino Trail already connects with the Chehalis Western-Woodard Bay Trail in Thurston County. If we can extend it across the river to Roy, and connect the Thurston County network with the planned Pierce County trail network, we’ll have a regional jewel.”
The two new property acquisitions, and a third completed in 2016 are part of a combined project funded by Thurston County Conservation Futures and the Washington Salmon Recovery Funding Board. Total cost for the three properties was $490,000.
The two new properties are undeveloped, with largely intact shoreline, forest, and wetland habitat. “Acquiring high-quality habitat while it’s still healthy – before it has to be restored – is unquestionably the most cost-efficient strategy for salmon recovery,” said Land Trust Executive Director Joe Kane.
All three properties will be managed as part of the Land Trust’s Yelm Shoreline Protected Area, expanding it to 227 acres and 2.79 shoreline miles.
From a new series: What I would do if I were President
By Bruce A. Smith
After attending a retreat at Ramtha’s School of Enlightenment (RSE) in April 2003, I became very ill for several months with recurring fevers and sweats, bronchial congestion, and unrelenting fatigue. Except for lots of Twilight meditation in bed, I was unable to do any of my normal meditative disciplines, such as a morning power-breath exercise called “C&E.” Rather than focusing on mind-over-matter issues like healing myself, I played endless rounds of solitaire while listening to jazz on the radio, and eating gallons of Breyer’s peach ice cream. Continue reading
Special Report to the Mountain News-WA – Supplied by Kevin Bacher, Mount Rainier National Park:
Rangers at Mount Rainier National Park today completed the rescue of a climber who fell into a crevasse while descending yesterday from the summit of Mount Rainier. The climber was retrieved from 12,300 feet elevation on the Emmons Glacier, on the mountain’s east side, by the park’s exclusive-use A-Star B3 helicopter. Continue reading
Second in a series on Azure Farms and organic wheat
By Bruce A. Smith
As the Azure Farms’ dispute with Sherman County, Oregon enters its second week, a respite has developed regarding the control of noxious weeds in its wheat fields. Azure, the worlds’ largest supplier of organic wheat, has submitted a more detailed, substantive plan to control weeds on its Moro, Oregon properties. In turn, Sherman County has shared publicly the specifics of the complaints against Azure. All parties are pledging cooperation, good faith, and hope in a successful resolution that can avoid the application of toxic chemical herbicides like Roundup or Milestone on Azure’s organic farmlands.
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