Author Archives: brucesmith49

Cedar Creek Treehouse – a gem in the Ashford woods

  Peering out from the canopy of Douglas firs thickly splayed across the Nisqually River valley near Ashford perches the Cedar Creek Treehouse, a unique one-room hotel that soars fifty feet above the forest floor. The handiwork of Bill Compher … Continue reading

Posted in Culture, Eatonville News, Environment, Mount Rainier, Remarkable men and women, Self Reliance | 4 Comments

Bethel seeks county code changes for electronic signs in Frederickson

  The Bethel School District launched its latest effort to win approval for electronic readerboards at last Monday’s Frederickson Land Use Advisory Commission meeting (F-LUAC).

Posted in Bethel News, Cops and courts, Culture, Frederickson, Graham News, Politics, Spanaway | Leave a comment

Antigravity: The Holy Grail of the 21st Century

  Nobel Laureate and UW biology professor Edmond Fischer recently asked me for a copy of the following article, “Antigravity:  The Holy Grail of the 21st Century,” so I thought I’d share it here with Mountain News readers as well.

Posted in Science and Technology | 11 Comments

Bethel holds forum on bullying

  Before a lightly attended, but often impassioned audience, the Bethel School District held an evening forum on bullying, harassment and intimidation May 3.  Held at Bethel High School, site of pronounced racial strife a few years ago, the forum … Continue reading

Posted in Bethel News, Culture | Leave a comment

Harriott Balmer honored for scholarship work in Bethel

  Kapowsin resident, Harriott Balmer, was honored this week by the Northwest Regional Chapter of Dollars for Scholars for her three decades of effort raising scholarship monies for college-bound students from the Bethel School District.

Posted in Bethel News, Business, Culture, People Profiles, Remarkable men and women | 5 Comments

Mother’s Day Tea and Jewelry, Feathers and Cats

by Judy Spiers Mother’s Day came a day early this year – Saturday – for those who attended Karen Lucas’ annual Mother’s Day Tea at the Gallery on the Hill, in Graham.

Posted in Culture, Events, Graham News, People Profiles, Remarkable men and women | Leave a comment

Reflections on Mother’s Day – “Connections”

by Paula Morris   Connections I have been reflecting lately on how it came to be that “relationships” have been supplanted in our psyche by “things.”

Posted in Culture, Spirituality | 11 Comments

Feds, state and locals conduct disaster training in Frederickson

  A combination of federal, state and county officials, along with a mix of local fire fighters and volunteer search and rescue organizations, encamped at the Randles Sand and Gravel plant in Frederickson last Saturday for a round of disaster … Continue reading

Posted in Cops and courts, Events, Frederickson, Nature, Self Reliance | Leave a comment

Report from a tornado zone

  The following is a fascinating account of the mega-tornados that hit Alabama and much of the south recently.  This report comes to the Mountain News via NASA’s public information service: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/ Although tornados only appear infrequently in the Pacific Northwest, … Continue reading

Posted in Nature, Self Reliance | Leave a comment

Celebrating Mother’s Day with a story – The Ghost of Frenchtown Creek

 Editor’s Note:  Of all the stories I have told, my mom says this is her favorite.  So, as a kind of tribute to her, Olveria Frances Smith, I’d like to share The Ghost of Frenchtown Creek with Mountain News readers. The … Continue reading

Posted in Culture, Folk tales and stories, Nature, Uncategorized | 4 Comments