Shelton Blog

Seattle Biomass Developer Threatens to Sue Biomass Opponent

2012-03-12T18:11:00.003-07:00

Seattle Biomass Developer Threatens to Sue Biomass Opponent

Cross-Posted from THE BIOMASS MONITOR

- by Josh Schlossberg
An attorney for the Seattle Steam Company sent a letter to biomass opponent Duff Badgley of Seattle, Wash. forbidding him from making certain public statements—including use of the term “incinerator”—in reference to air pollution threats from the company’s existing downtown biomass incinerator and another proposed natural gas facility.

“The language you have used publicly is a commercial disparagement of Seattle Steam’s legitimate business and will cause it harm,” reads the letter from Edward W. Pettigrew of Graham and Dunn law firm to Badgley, coordinator for No Biomass Burn and a member of Occupy Seattle. The letter warns that “having advised you of the falsity of your statements, your continued use of them will render you liable for defamation and commercial disparagement.”
“This is a national story about toxic incinerators and freedom of speech and the right to protest—anywhere,” wrote Badgley via email.

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, to “incinerate” is to “cause to burn to ashes.” “Incinerator” is defined as “a furnace or a container for incinerating waste materials.”
“Approximately 10 to 12 truckloads of clean urban waste wood will be delivered to the site daily. Seattle Steam will use approximately 250 tons per day,” reads a “Frequently Asked Questions” link on Seattle Steam’s official website under the heading “Where does Seattle Steam get the wood it burns and how much will it use?”

Seattle Steam’s letter also takes issue with a statement allegedly made by Badgley that the existing biomass incinerator emitted particulate matter at levels so “lethal it can kill ‘on the very day’ of exposure.” An American Lung Association report State of the Air: 2008 claims “First and foremost, short-term exposure to particle pollution can kill. Deaths can occur on the very day that particle levels are high…”

Particulate Matter can cause decreased lung function, aggravated asthma, chronic bronchitis, irregular heartbeat, nonfatal heart attacks, and premature death in people with heart or lung disease, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Air pollution control permits have documented that significantly higher levels of particulate matter are emitted from biomass incinerators than from even facilities that burn coal, the dirtiest of fossil fuels.

In response to the letter, Occupy Seattle is asking Seattle residents to file a complaint with the Washington State Bar Association against Seattle Steam’s attorney, Edward Pettigrew. The complaint reads that the letter sent to Badgley “contains knowingly false statements of facts, violates the constitutional rights of free speech of Mr. Badgley and Occupy Seattle, maliciously seeks to curb lawful protest by Mr. Badgley and Occupy Seattle, and constitutes harassment of both Mr. Badgley and Occupy Seattle.”

Seattle Steam did not respond to a phone call asking for comment.

Air Pollution, Lichens and Mosses

2012-03-11T16:12:00.001-07:00

Air Pollution, Lichens and Mossesby Kevin J. Lyman
http://www.mpm.edu/collections/pubs/botany/moss/

EDITOR'S NOTE: This article is reprinted from LORE magazine, a benefit of museum membership. ©1996 Milwaukee Public Museum, Inc.

One can readily tell what the air quality is in their own backyard, park or woodlot just by looking at what is growing on the bark of older trees. (maybe this is why the city loves to chop down older trees?) Take some time and look at the bark of some older trees. Hopefully, a few scattered patches of gray or orange lichens can be seen growing on the bark. Farther away from a city, there is an obvious change in what is growing on tree trunks. A good place to see this is in the northern part of Wisconsin where the number of lichens and mosses growing on the trunks and branches of trees will be a lot higher. Yet there are still areas where air pollution levels are too high for lichens and mosses to grow. These areas are termed "lichen deserts" or "moss deserts." As the air quality in these lichen and moss deserts improve, both lichens and mosses will begin to reappear in a slow process of recovery.

As early as the mid 1800's, botanists became aware that lichens and mosses were becoming uncommon in areas within and surrounding large towns and cities. They began to recognize that air pollution emitted from these urban areas was affecting the colonization and growth of these organisms.

In 1866, William Nylander, a Finnish naturalist, was the first to link the disappearance of lichens and air pollution. He noticed that some lichen species present within Luxembourg Gardens, Paris, were missing in other parts of the city. He attributed these differences to air quality. Over the next thirty years, fumes from coal-burning industrial furnaces gradually led to the eradication of the lichen population within the park.

Along with lichens, mosses too have been disappearing from large cities since the late 1800's. Even though some species of mosses and lichens can be found in the harshest environments (Antarctic, Arctic and deserts), most species are very sensitive to air pollution. There are, however, a few species that can survive in areas where the pollution levels are relatively high and there are several other species that can tolerate moderate levels of air pollution. By knowing which of these species are most sensitive to air pollution and documenting their presence or absence, it is easy to determine how "clean" or "dirty" the air is.

Sulfur dioxide (SO2) does the most widespread damage to lower plants, even though it is only one of several air pollution components in the atmosphere. Sulfur dioxide pollution is the result of industrial and urban emissions. More at http://www.mpm.edu/collections/pubs/botany/moss/

Shelton, you really suck!

2012-03-11T14:36:00.000-07:00

The Economy of the Oly Pen and Impacts of the Draft Watershed Proposal

2012-03-11T12:16:00.006-07:00

The Economy of the Olympic Peninsula

and Potential Impacts of the Draft
Congressional Watershed

Executive Summary

March 2012

This report describes the changing demographics and economics of the four counties on the Olympic

Peninsula, explores details on timber-related industries as well as travel and tourism industries and the

broader amenity economy on the Peninsula, and examines the potential impacts of the draft congressional watershed conservation proposal issued by Congressman Norm Dicks and Senator Patty Murray in November 2011. Report findings are summarized below.

Olympic Peninsula

The economy on the Olympic Peninsula experienced strong growth during the last four decades—at rates faster than the non-metro portion of Washington State and the nation as a whole. The region also has gone through several significant downturns associated with business cycles and in particular with declines in timber-related sectors in the 1980s. After each of these timber-related contractions, the overall Peninsula economy grew again, fueled by the expansion of a range of services sectors.

This fundamental shift indicates that the broader economy of the Peninsula no longer relies on goods

producing sectors to grow. In effect, the regional economy has decoupled from historic sectors and is now trading on a new competitive position and set of industries. These include the full range of services sectors—such as health care, tourism, and professional and business services—and the growing importance of non-labor sources of income. This shift also resulted in lower average earnings per job and in higher per capita income for the region.

Not all places on the Peninsula are faring the same economically. Some counties, like Jefferson County, are successfully competing in today’s modern economy, while others, like Grays Harbor, have struggled to absorb timber-related losses and to develop new competitive strengths.

Timber-Related Industries

Timber-related industries—growing and harvesting, sawmills and paper mills, and wood products

manufacturing—pay higher than average annual wages on the Peninsula. However, timber employment shrank by 2,321 jobs during the last decade and the timber-related share of total private wage and salary employment fell from 14.2 percent to 8.8 percent.

During the same time period, non-timber private wage and salary employment on the Peninsula grew by 5,043 jobs, showing that the region’s broader economy has decoupled from timber-related sectors. Wages on the Peninsula also have stabilized, reflecting the relative size of today’s timber-related employment and the growth of higher paying services industries such as professional and business services.

The transformation of the timber industry has been caused by the interplay of many variables over time, including supply but also a number of other equally important factors such as demand, distance to market, 2 productivity, capitalization, public policy, and international competition. New and more efficient milling and manufacturing technologies, for example, have led to a decline in both mills and employment. During the last decade, the long-term pattern of timber employment decline did not respond to federal timber supply changes. Even when Olympic National Forest harvest increased in the early 2000s, industry employment trends continued downward.

Travel and Tourism Industries and the Amenity Economy

Travel and tourism sectors play a substantial role in the regional economy. In 2009 on the Peninsula there were approximately 9,330 private wage and salary jobs related to travel and tourism, or roughly 19 percent of total private wage and salary employment in the region.

The Olympic National Forest had 707,000 total visits in 2010. The Forest Service estimates that each

person visiting the Forest on a day trip spent $51 per day while overnight visitors spent $167 on average per day—and that an average visitor spent $92 per day. At Olympic National Park, there were 2,961,302 visitors in 2011, a 4.1 percent increase over 2010. For 2010, the 2.84 million visitors that year spent more than $106 million, supporting nearly 1,400 jobs.

While travel and tourism activities are important in their own right, research increasingly shows that these activities are only one part of a larger amenity economy that is an important driver of economic growth in both the rural West and on the Olympic Peninsula. More than one third of population growth on the Peninsula in the last decade came from net in-migration.

And today the economy is primarily a service-providing economy. The largest services sectors on the

Peninsula in 2009 were: trade, transportation and utilities constituted 17 percent, education and health
services 11 percent, and leisure and hospitality services 10 percent of total private wage and salary

employment.

The powerful attraction of natural amenities—such as dramatic mountains, clean water, free-flowing

rivers with vital fisheries, and old growth rainforests—has helped to draw new people to the region and transform the structure of the economy. This shift in competitive strength also has contributed to above average rates of economic growth and rising per capita income.

While the region as a whole is benefiting from travel and tourism business and trading on natural assets as business assets, not all communities are competing as successfully in this newer economy. Grays Harbor County in particular has struggled to redefine its economy as the broader economy has shifted from goods production to service provision.

Potential Impacts of the Draft Congressional Watershed Conservation Proposal

The draft watershed conservation proposal issued by Congressman Norm Dicks and Senator Patty Murray in November 2011 has three main components: Wilderness designation of a portion of the Olympic National Forest, Wild and Scenic River designation along major rivers, and a willing buyer-willing seller provision that would authorize landowners to sell select areas to Olympic National Park along its boundaries.

The Wilderness component could affect approximately 4,292 proposal acres, or 2.2 percent of the total

timber base on the Olympic National Forest potentially available for ground base and cable logging. If the underlying economics supported more expensive helicopter logging, this figure could expand to 8,411 acres, or 3.7 percent of the total timber base on the Forest. Because the Olympic National Forest has averaged approximately 1,500 acres of commercial thinning per year (or less than 1% of the available 3 timber base annually) since the adoption of the Northwest Forest Plan, it is unlikely the draft Wilderness proposal would affect the current timber volume coming off the forest.

The Wild and Scenic River component would add portions of 19 rivers that are surrounded by federal and state land totaling approximately 464 river miles on the Olympic Peninsula under the terms of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. Because the management of forest resources on Olympic National Forest lands within the Wild and Scenic River corridor would for all practical purposes remain the same, this

designation should have no material impact on timbering. The same holds for Washington Department of Natural Resources lands where the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act has no regulatory authority, and
Washington State through its Forest Practices Habitat Conservation Plan already recognizes and has a
management plan to protect the outstanding values for candidate rivers that is consistent with its trust
fiduciary responsibility.

The willing seller-willing buyer component would allow property owners in three areas—Lake Crescent, Lake Ozette, and Queets Corridor—to sell as much as 20,026 acres to Olympic National Park at their discretion. Because of the contingencies of whether landowners would sell their land and whether there would be funds to acquire lands, it is impossible to determine with any certainty whether land sales would take place, on what scale they would occur, over what time frame they might take place, and if they would hamper or bolster the economy on the Peninsula. One or more of the draft proposal components could have a fiscal impact on local county governments.

Total federal land and timber–related revenue from all sources for Peninsula counties in FY 2010 was $8 million, or 5.4 percent of total county government revenue. The potential fiscal impact of proposed

Wilderness would be very small (less than $10,000 annually), while the Wild and Scenic River provision would be revenue neutral. The National Park additions component is more difficult to calculate but would likely have a small negative impact on net revenue.

Much more important than the draft watershed conservation proposal for Peninsula county governments is the future authorization and funding levels for Secure Rural Schools and Payment in Lieu of Taxes programs. The good news is that even if Congress does not reauthorize SRS, PILT would rise in response to lower Forest Service payments, increasing to $3 million (a tripling of the current PILT payment of $1 million) and offsetting the difference between SRS and the 25% payment directed to county governments. However, as with SRS, PILT faces its own contingencies. If Congress does not fully fund PILT after FY 2012, federal land revenues would decrease significantly.

Conclusion

A productive approach to economic development would focus less on the potential loss of a small number of future timber jobs and more on how the draft watershed conservation proposal could build on natural amenities—through benefits such as increased recreation, quality of life, or water quality—that attract people and business to the region and further strengthen services sectors that already are growing and represent a current competitive strength. It also would pay close attention to community qualities, transportation connectivity, and workforce skills that are more likely to attract and retain higher-paying services sectors.

Contact:Ben Alexander,
ben@headwaterseconomics.org, 406-599-7423

Dayton Peak

2012-03-11T11:51:00.001-07:00

More pictures of the destruction are at: http://www.willhiteweb.com/olympic_mountains/dayton_peak_lookout/washington_fire_331.htm

Job offered at the Port

2012-03-11T11:27:00.002-07:00

Office / Finance Manager

Port of Shelton

Job Snapshot

Location : Shelton, WA 98584

Employee Type :Full-Time

Industry : Government - Civil Service

Manages Others : No

Job Type : Finance

Education : 4 Year Degree

Experience : At least 5 year(s)

Relocation Covered : No

Post Date : 3/9/2012

Contact Information

Phone : 3604261151

Fax : 3604270231

Description The Port of Shelton is seeking an energetic and diverse individual with experience in Finance, Government Accounting (BARS), Human Resources, and Systems Management. This position performs and coordinates all of the Port of Shelton's accounting, finance and human resource requirements. The select candidate, among multiple duties, will detail the Port's assets, liabilities, and capital, and prepare the balance sheet, P&L statement, and "Cash Flow Analysis Report" to summarize and interpret current and projected conditions.

Working with the Executive Director the select candidate will prepare budgets, perform statistical and ratio analysis, audit contracts, leases, purchase orders, and vouchers, and prepare reports to substantiate individual transactions prior to settlement.

The Port of Shelton, a municipal corporation governed by a three member elected Commission, is established to enhance the economic vitality and quality of life for the citizens of Shelton and Mason County by effectively managing and promoting the development of its aviation, industrial, and waterfront properties. The ideal candidate will have a degree in accounting and or business with significant expertise in the public and private sector. Real Estate management a plus.

Also must be willing to look the other way.

Link: www.portofshelton.com

Dayton Peak

2012-03-10T20:53:00.002-08:00

Sad to hear the Dayton Peak is being ravaged again. There is quite a trail system going up it, so I think the neighbors like to walk and ride up there. They also seem to enjoy doing installation art work at the top. There is a geocache at the top of the peak. There is not much of a view from the top but I guess that's about to change. The only good thing I have to say about logging is that it opens up views. I can live without the views though. There used to be a fire look out on Dayton Peak, that means the view must have been good after they logged it the first time.

Some pictures from Dayton Peak

Art on Dayton Peak

Route to the top

Interesting "art" hung from the trees up there
(are they really cuttting these pecker poles??)

The view from the top blocked up by horrible moss draped trees

More noise and filth from Simpson

2012-03-07T20:15:00.004-08:00

I went out to take a picture of Venus and Jupiter. The smell in the air was terrible and the noise from the Simpson property was even worse than usual. But you can buy a house near the mill for just $29,000 according to the sign.

View it on youtube if the other post on this page is making too much noise.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=j9J3n36vYog

Trains started up at 6am the next morning..

Wow I guess Simpson really liked this post, they visited 3 times today.

Cozy Home for Sale Near the Sawmill

2012-03-07T14:20:00.010-08:00

Another slumlord bites the dust

On Bicycles and capitalism

2012-03-07T14:17:00.000-08:00

Is this yours?

2012-03-02T13:39:00.001-08:00

Someone threw this into my yard about a month ago. If it's from your vehicle contact shelton blog to claim it. I showed it to the police after my camera was stolen and yet another prowler in camo was spotted on our walkway. But the cop was not much interested in this item, so I still have it.

Stolen Scoutgaurd Game Camera In Shelton

2012-03-02T13:18:00.004-08:00

On Tuesday or Wednesday of this week, this camera and its lock box were stolen. The camera is worthless without the remote control. (Shelton has the most idiotic thieves!). If you find it contact the Shelton Police Department or this Blog. I really want my "AA" batteries back and like I said, the camera is worthless without the remote.

The bored sounding cop said I should hide my cameras better. But I put the cameras up to deter theft, I want potential criminals to to see me cameras and then go away. I don't want to catch criminals in the act. I'll be getting more cameras and better locks now.

We have constant issues with car break ins, bicycle theft and other petty crimes downtown. I don't know how many crimes have been deterred by my cameras. But the guy pictured below was sent back home to serve out his warrant in Alabama after my camera caught him trying to steal my bicycle. He tried to cut the same cable lock that was cut to steal my camera this week. He was unable to cut the cable. At the time the cop told me that those cables are very hard to cut. So either the cop was wrong or this weeks camera thief had some big tools.

Also if someone broke into your car about a month ago and stole the console that holds the stereo contact this blog since the console was thrown into my yard. That console being thrown into my yard and my car being broken into, is what prompted me to put my little camera in a more vulnerable position a few weeks ago.

Lichens as biomonitors

2012-03-02T13:07:00.003-08:00

Truth is lichens are better indicator species than owls but they are not quite as cute so the owl was chosen instead. If you really want to save a logger, eat a lichen!

Do you know this guy?

2012-03-01T23:26:00.000-08:00

Does anyone recognize this guy and what he is holding in his hand?

That won't help the environment! Fire rages at RWE's UK biomass power plant

2012-02-27T08:30:00.003-08:00

That won't help the environment! 100 firefighters tackle huge blaze at Europe's biggest 'green' power station in Essex: Dramatic pictures of black smoke here:

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2107082/Tilbury-Fire-100-firefighters-tackle-huge-blaze-Europes-biggest-biomass-power-station.html#ixzz1nbJp9MIh

Fire rages at RWE's UK biomass power plant
Reuters
LONDON (Reuters) - RWE npower said on Monday that a fire had broken out in
a fuel storage area at its wood-pellet-fired Tilbury power station, which
is located to the east of London and is Britain's largest dedicated biomass
plant.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/27/us-britain-fire-idUSTRE81Q0ZO20120227

Jay Hupp is famous in Florida?

2012-02-22T20:08:00.001-08:00

Two governments, two different lies?

2012-02-21T19:15:00.002-08:00

What does Simpson burn?

2012-02-21T16:49:00.000-08:00

In the past week I have talked to two people who have personally witnessed what kind of crap goes into the Simpson incinertor in Shelton. It's more than just wood chips...

Do you like poetry?

2012-02-21T16:36:00.001-08:00

Do you like poetry? F Yeah you like poetry!

Not that boring Chaucer stuff*, not some limpid toned sop sighing over a
birdfeeder. You want wild, bohemian, hilarious, SCARY stuff that breaks up
these grey winter blues!

FUTURE VOICES: SPOKEN YOUTH HAS YOUR SOLUTION!
you can come hear some THIS SUNDAY THE 26TH at Traditions, 6 pm.
The event is called *Words: We Use Them*. Come ride the rails with us
between joy and pain, earnestness and mockery, and other fake conflicts.

Here's the facebook event so you can invite friends!
http://www.facebook.com/events/108994355895081/

WHAT ELSE DO YOU HAVE TO DO SUNDAY NIGHT? THERE IS NOTHING TO DO ON A
SUNDAY NIGHT! So come laugh, cry, and be totally creeped out by our
original works!

- *Trigger Warnings: Drugs, Feelings, Grotesque Violence, Poop,
Self-Harm, Sexuality.*

*Apologies to Chaucer Fans. Truth spoken, I find his work beautiful :) BUT
MINE SOUNDS NOTHING LIKE IT I PROMISE!
--
Sincerely,
Lance Alexander Worth
He Of Many Hats

Pollution concerns in Port Townsend trigger request for second air monitor

2012-02-21T09:22:00.000-08:00

PORT TOWNSEND — The Jefferson County Board of Health will ask the Olympic Regional Clean Air Agency and the Port Townsend Paper Corp. mill to add a second air monitoring unit in town to increase surveillance of emissions from the plant.

The seven members of the Board of Health unanimously passed a motion to send letters to both the agency and the mill with this request at a meeting last week.

The motion was made after public comments that followed a presentation from the state Department of Ecology on nanoparticles, which are extremely fine particles that are produced during the high-temperature burning — such as that of biomass waste — that can lodge in lungs and cause heart and lung illness.

“We had a lot of concerned citizens,” said Jefferson County Commissioner Phil Johnson, chairman of the county Board of Health, who also serves on the clean air agency board.

About a third of the approximately 30 people who attended the Thursday meeting spoke against a biomass boiler upgrade at the Port Townsend Paper mill.

The company, which does not allow interviews with the media, says on its website that the $55 million upgrade is expected to be finished this year.

Johnson also said he plans to phone the executive director of Olympic Regional Clean Air Agency, Fran McNair, today to (more)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20120221/news/302219994/pollution-concerns-in-port-townsend-trigger-request-for-second-air

2012-02-17T08:08:00.001-08:00

Shelton Hills Rezone Approved -
submitted by Tom Davis

On February 9, 2012

The Thurston County Superior Court ruled in favor of the City of Shelton and Shelton Hills Investors LLC and upheld the City’s decision to rezone 160 acres of the Shelton Hills property to residential. This overturns two previous decisions by the Western Washington Growth Management Hearing Board against the City and Shelton Hills Investors. The Superior Court ruled that there is substantial evidence in the record to support the City’s decision to rezone, and that the City had taken all necessary steps to comply with the law and the required consultation with the WSDOT Aviation Division. With this decision, the rezone is effective and the Shelton Hills project can move forward as planned. Mark Hall, President of Hall Equities Group, developer of the Shelton Hills project, stated;

“We are pleased with this decision and we believe this should bring to a close, once and for all, the controversy surrounding our carefully prepared and studied application. We look forward to a positive working relationship with the Port of Shelton, and we hope the Port will join us in a constructive manner going forward to create an environment where jobs, retail services, and quality housing can coexist harmoniously with Sanderson Field operations.”

Shelton Hills is one of the largest private projects ever undertaken in Mason County. The Shelton Hills project is expected to consist of a major regional retail center and hotel totaling some 500,000 square feet on more than 45 acres, a 50 acre professionally designed Business Park offering build-to-suit and “For Sale” commercial office buildings for area businesses, over 350 acres of new Public Parks, trails, and wetland reserves, and over 1,000 new residential units of varying types and sizes. The Project is expected to cover some 800 acres in total west of Highway 101 near the Wallace Kneeland Interchange. Hall Equities Group has spent over five years working with the City of Shelton, The State Department of Transportation, The State Department of Ecology, and other interested stakeholders to secure approvals for the design and re-construction of the Wallace Kneeland Interchange at Highway 101, and various environmental remediation’s to impacted wetlands in the area of Goose Lake, as necessary preliminary groundwork needed for the project to proceed.

The project has been effectively stalled for the last two and a half years by the legal challenge brought by the Port of Shelton against the project. Resolution of this conflict now allows this project to move forward.

Shelton blog note: I hope they contact the native plant salvage project before they start building. Also will Goose lake be cleaned up, and all the toxins removed? That lake is the former dumping ground for Rayonier's Shelton pulp mill. Children living in the new neighborhood will want to play in goose lake and there will be no way to keep them out. And one other thing, what of all the homeless people who currently live at Goose Lake. Where will they be moved to? Will they be given a relocation allowance?

Give a woman a bank..

2012-02-11T09:57:00.001-08:00

Suit filed to block hatchery salmon in Elwha River

2012-02-11T09:30:00.001-08:00

Suit filed to block hatchery salmon in Elwha River
KOMO News
Four environmental groups filed suit Thursday against Olympic National
Park, two federal agencies and the Lower Elwha Klallam tribe, seeking to
block restocking the Elwha River west of Port Angeles with hatchery-raised
salmon as part of the Elwha ...
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Suit-filed-to-block-hatchery-salmon-in-Elwha-River-139100129.html

Leith ruled out for Forth Energy biomass plant

2012-02-09T08:30:00.001-08:00

Leith ruled out for Forth Energy biomass plantBBC News
A company behind proposals to create biomass plants at four Scottish ports
has withdrawn its plans for a facility at Leith. Forth Energy said it was
re-assessing the situation after proposals were unveiled to develop the
Port of Leith as a hub for ...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-16965119

Stun guns could be great teaching tool

2012-02-07T08:09:00.000-08:00

A great editorial piece by Sebury Blair Jr. in the Kitsap Sun:

Maybe you read about the park ranger who used a stun gun on a guy who was walking his two small dogs in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, south of San Francisco.

The ranger, whose name was withheld, shot Gary Hesterberg in the back with her stun gun as he was walking away from her.

Read more: http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2012/feb/06/seabury-blair-jr-stun-guns-could-be-great-tool/#ixzz1liGRSPWV

The VAGINA MONOLOGUES 2012!

2012-02-05T18:13:00.000-08:00

The VAGINA MONOLOGUES 2012!

V-Day is a global activist movement to end violence against women and girls. V-Day is a catalyst that promotes creative events to increase awareness, raise money, and revitalize the spirit of existing anti-violence organizations. V-Day generates broader attention for the fight to stop violence against women and girls, including rape, battery, incest, female genital mutilation (FGM), and sex slavery.

Through V-Day campaigns, local volunteers and college students (like those at Evergreen) produce annual benefit performances of The Vagina Monologues to raise awareness and funds for anti-violence groups. Each performance will be followed by a 45-minute community discussion. We invite you to join us this February 10, 11, and 12 at 7pm for the 10th annual production of The Vagina Monologues at Evergreen!

NOTE: Several of the monologues contain potentially triggering subject matter. An advocate will be on-site for anyone interested in safe, private dialogue.

Dates/Times: February 10, 11, and 12 at 7:00 pm
Location: Lecture Hall 1 on the Evergreen Campus
Directors: Cari Pendergrass and Sam Cori

For more information, visit their facebook event page:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/events/223699134381805/

Check out my new bumpersticker!

2012-02-04T20:26:00.000-08:00

Wild Olympics Campaign

2012-02-03T18:16:00.000-08:00

Wild Olympics Campaign
Please forward this e-mail and ask your friends to Sign the petition for the Wild Olympics Now!

Dear Wild Olympics Supporter,
Thank you for taking time to sign the petition to protect the Wild Olympics. You have joined more than 5000 other local residents calling for permanent protection of the Olympic Peninsula's scenic wild forest and river watersheds. Now please take one more quick and easy step to help protect these priceless natural treasures:

PLEASE FORWARD THIS E-MAIL to your friends, neighbors and family members and ask them to join you by signing the online petition for the Wild Olympics and then forwarding this e-mail to their friends and family as well.
As you know, the Wild Olympics Campaign is a coalition working to protect wild forest and river watersheds on the Olympic Peninsula. We are spreading the word about the official Wild Olympics Campaign website.

BACKGROUND:
The Olympic Peninsula's forest and river watersheds provide clean water and unmatched recreational opportunities that, together, help sustain an outstanding way of life. They are vital to the health of Hood Canal and Puget Sound and are critical habitat for wildlife, steelhead and salmon. The Wild Olympics Campaign is working with other local citizens and community leaders to establish new wilderness, Wild and Scenic River and willing-seller National Park designations for these natural treasures.

Over the past two years, the Wild Olympics coalition has been working with other Peninsula residents and local stakeholders to build support, listen to concerns and receive feedback on our draft proposal. With the launch of the website, we are inviting everyone to join the discussion. Now we need you to help us spread the word and continue to grow the great support for this exciting campaign.

So please forward this e-mail and ask your family and friends to Act Now and Sign The Petition for the Wild Olympics .

Thank you so much for your continued support!
Connie Gallant
Chair, Wild Olympics Campaign
Quilcene, WA
www.wildolympics.org

P.S. Don't forget to "like us" on Facebook

Politician pledges- No More Biomass!

2012-02-02T18:06:00.000-08:00

Biomass plan has been stopped, leader sayss
shropshirestar.com
No other companies will be approached to build a biomass plant in Bishop's
Castle, it was revealed today. Leader of Shropshire Council Keith Barrow
made the pledge last night at a meeting of Bishop's Castle Town Council.
Controversial plans for the £5 ...
http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2012/02/02/biomass-plan-has-been-stopped-leader-says/

Bring the YMCA to Mason County

2012-01-30T21:12:00.000-08:00

Submitted by Tom and Amy Davis:

As you may know, some of your friends and neighbors have been engaged in bringing a YMCA to Mason County. The effort is being led by Bob Bottman and Sue Sheldon (no, not that Sheldon) of SOCK (Save Our County Kids). Bob and Sue have recently launched a website to promote the “Y” project, which can be accessed from SOCK’s Facebook page. Please show your support and “Like” the “Y” page, leave a comment, and link it to your friends.

Of all the environmental issues facing our community, a YMCA is an opportunity to improve one of the most important: the environment in which our kids grow up. Please join Amy and me in supporting a Mason County YMCA, and “LIKE” the “Y”.

Tom & Amy Davis

Rain Cleans the Air

2012-01-30T21:04:00.001-08:00

Biomass projects burned by low natural gas prices

2012-01-29T08:43:00.000-08:00

Biomass projects burned by low natural gas prices
Minneapolis Star Tribune
Stacy Cook, the Vice President of Operations at Koda Energy LLC, monitored
a delivery from a truck carrying biomass, Tuesday, January 24, 2012 in
Shakopee, MN. Biomass is wood or agricultural residues. Rock-bottom natural
gas prices are undercutting ...
http://www.startribune.com/business/138204894.html

Simpson's Sacrificial Lambs

2012-01-27T08:51:00.000-08:00

More pictures of vandalism at TESC one with a response

2012-01-23T18:16:00.001-08:00

Vandals take advantage of snow storm at Evergreen State College

2012-01-22T17:58:00.000-08:00

storm damage

Wow, campus was a mess this morning. Trees down all over Evergreen park way, vandalism all over SEM II, trees down over stairways, and filthy hairy greeners trashing the CAB building with pets and dirt and indoor snow ball fights. I wonder if the kids in the CAB ever thought about who's gonna have to clean up after their mess? Who thought it would be a good idea to bring a filthy hairy dog into the food service area? Click on images to enlarge:

Storm damage

storm damage

Random weather related photos

2012-01-20T19:34:00.000-08:00

Evergreen Elementary

Cypress

sure they are..

stray dog

Snow shoe and choo choo tracks

Who dun it?

2012-01-20T19:24:00.000-08:00

He's a lumberjack and he's gone banannas!

Ice storm

2012-01-19T14:35:00.000-08:00

Got Milk?

2012-01-18T08:06:00.001-08:00

Snowmaggeden!

2012-01-18T07:48:00.000-08:00

Simpson Blocking the highway

Send us your snow pictures!

2012-01-15T09:50:00.003-08:00

sheltonprogressive@gmail.com

Air

2012-01-14T15:24:00.000-08:00

Jeep Season!

2012-01-14T15:15:00.000-08:00

Yes! Jeep season has finally started in Shelton!

Pacific Northwest currently has the lowest "biomass" prices

2012-01-14T09:56:00.000-08:00

US Woody Biomass Prices Have Dropped the Past Three Years
PR.com (press release)
Relatively low fossil fuel prices have reduced the demand and prices of
woody biomass throughout the US the past three years, reports the North
American Wood Fiber Review. The Pacific Northwest currently has the lowest
biomass prices, slightly lower ...
http://www.pr.com/press-release/383532

Salmon Smoking time again

2012-01-12T20:34:00.001-08:00

Occupy Shelton "General Assembly"

2012-01-12T20:31:00.000-08:00

Join Occupy Shelton for the first ever Occupy Shelton WA General Assembly. It will take place on Friday, January 20th at 5:30pm at the Mason County PUD 3 meeting room at 307 W. Cota Street. Potluck food contributions welcome but not required.

Thank you Simpson Investment Company for another beautiful sunrise

2012-01-11T08:03:00.000-08:00

Is that God pointing an angry finger at Simpson?

Gary Cronce, please don't fix my street

2012-01-10T17:58:00.000-08:00

Where to buy groceries in Shelton

2012-01-08T12:16:00.000-08:00

Where to buy groceries in Shelton and beyond:

Wal-mart: Parking nightmares and everyday high prices combined with a PTSD triggering environment make this grocery store worth avoiding, even if you don’t care about labor issues. Trying to get in and out of the parking lot on a bicycle, without getting run over is a hair raising experience every time. Breathing in exhaust fumes while waiting for the light on Wallace Kneeland road is an added benefit of commuting to Wal-mart on a bicycle.

The meat is very expensive, but milk is priced OK. They demand your driver’s license and punch your birthday into their machines if you try to by beer there. I find this invasive and won’t buy beer at Wal-mart because of this. But at least they don’t have a privacy invading “member card” . Sometimes you can get good deals on bread back in the dairy section. For me Wal-mart is just a place to pop over and buy some milk, bread and eggs when I’m done shopping in the non-grocery sections. I try to avoid Wall-mart as much as possible.

They do have a nice bicycle rack at Wall-mart but unfortunately many people use is as a smoking area so breathing in second had smoke is part of the package.

Safeway meat clearance section

Bicycle parking at Safeway

Safeway: Super high prices, and a privacy robbing “Club Card” but within walking distance for many city residents. Safeway's parking lot is fairly safe for bicycles to get in and out of and there is a nice large bike rack at both entrances. Safeway is the cheapest place to buy meat when it is on sale. Pop into the very back left corner of the store and check out the meat deals. They used to have some great deals on meat but now best deals are mostly gone. I wonder what happened? The meat wrapper is a really friendly woman who does her best to try to help me figure out the complexities of buying meat. The only things I buy at Safeway are meat on sale and sometimes eggs, sugar, tea and milk. It's way too expensive to do my regular shopping at Safeway. They will take your phone number rather than a member’s card so you can give them a different phone number every time, if you want some privacy protection. I give them my deceased grandparent’s phone number instead of my own, in an attempt to protect some of my privacy. I like seeing my Grandpa’s name on my receipt and I get a kick out of watching the clerks try to pronounce it. I won’t be exhorted for my personal information with the promise of saving a few cents on something that is already massively overpriced

Let me out of here!

Fred Meyer: More expensive than Wal-mart, cheaper than Safeway, Union labor. If you go in through the credit union parking lot getting in and out of Fred Meyer on a bicycle is not too scary. I really wish that Fred Meyer had a bicycle rack! I like the bulk food section at Fred Meyer for good deals on oatmeal, falafel, tabuli and sometimes hummus. But it’s much cheaper to make hummus at home. I like the environment inside of Fred Meyer; I can actually stand to shop there. Unlike Wal-mart or Safeway I can usually get all of my shopping done at Fred Meyer without stressing out to the point that I think they are talking about me on the store intercoms. Some good deals can be had from time to time in the back left corner where food and toiletries are put on sale. Fred Meyer is where I do most of my grocery shopping simply because shopping there does not drive me up the walls and they use union labor. I won't buy meat other than bacon there though, it's too expensive. Fred Meyer has a privacy invading club card. You have to give them your real name and address so they can send you a “rewards” check after you have spent enough money. It’s costing me money, but I won’t sign up for it.

Red Apple Market: Run down, small selection high prices. There is a nice neighborhood feeling to this store and I really want to like this store, but the lack of selection and high prices turn me off. I like the cheap cups of self-serve drip coffee near the front door. I don’t know if they use union labor. I don’t know if they have a privacy invading “member’s card” I don't remember if they have a bike rack but the store parking lot feels safe for cyclists to ride in and out of.

Shop and Hop: No privacy stealing members cards here. This is a grocery liquidator on Front Street. I used to be able to get some great deals there. I was the star at potlucks when I could get Brie there at three for a dollar! Cases of normal yogurt used to cost $2.50. But sadly the Brie is all gone and most of the yogurt is now weird stuff with fiber in it. I don’t buy meat at this store after getting bad bacon there. I also don’t buy nuts or chips there after finding some of them to be rancid. I have to check all the sell by dates very closely. Most of the stuff in the store is past its sell by date. For some food that is OK, but for nuts and meats and oils it’s not OK. They freeze the meat right before its sell by date, but I don’t care, one taste of rotten bacon was enough to make me stop buying meat there forever. It’s a shame though, the staff is really friendly and I enjoy shopping in this store, but between the old food and my MSG sensitivity, there is just not much there that I feel safe eating.

They don't have a bike lock but they do have a covered back porch with sturdy posts that are good for locking bikes to.

Healthy Benefits Market: Located on 8^th and Franklin, this store seems to be in the wrong neighborhood. No member’s cards and lots of really tasty and healthy looking stuff that I will never be able to afford in this life-time. They have a bulk food section now though, so I intend to make this a regular stop on my grocery days. I might start buying all of my oatmeal and peppermint here. I kind of got told off for using the bulk food scoop the wrong way the last time I was in there. If that sort of thing happens again I won’t go back. I am the customer and I will vote with my feet if I am not treated like a rock star. No bike rack here and no nearby place to lock up a bike, but they do have a bicycle ramp. They did not complain when I brought my bike into the store.

The Tortilla Factory: This is the cheapest place to buy tortillas, don’t over look it. No member card, friendly staff who speak very little English, and you get to watch tortillas being made. Bring your bike inside the store there are plenty of places to park a bike inside. Outside you can lock your bike to a street sign.

The Mexican Grocery store next to what used to be the bowling alley. I like this little store, the prices can be a bit high but the fruit is nice. It’s the best place in town to buy a papaya that is reasonably ripe. They also have a nice selection of baked goods. The restaurant is good too but I would like it better if they turned up the heat and turned down the television. No member cards. No place to park a bike, dangerous scary place to get to get out of in a car if you are headed back to town.

AM/PM

I don't buy a lot of beer but I think they have some of the best beer prices in town at AM/PM. I don't recall seeing a bicycle rack there.

Outside of Shelton

My favorite grocery store is The New Angkor Market in White center, too bad it’s so far from home. (9660 16th Ave SW between Roxbury St & S Delridge Way Seattle, WA 98106) I still pop in there from time to time if I happen to already be in Seattle. It is a Cambodian market with some very good prices. When I lived in rat city I did most of my grocery shopping there.

My next favorite out of town grocery store is the East Asia Market (602 S 38th St Tacoma, WA 98418) I have been known to make special runs to Tacoma just to buy a Durian there. When I am in the area I like to have a “French sandwich” and a bubble tea in the little Cambodian or Vietnamese deli that is nearby.

There is one Asian food store in Oly that I know of and I don’t know the name of it but, it’s next to the Taco truck on Harrison. The selection is small and they don’t have fresh durian. But sometimes it is better to settle for a durian flavored cookie in Olympia than it is to drive all the way to Tacoma to get a fresh durian.

The Olympia Gross Out: Some times you can get good deals at the Grocery Outlet on Harrison Ave in Oly. But the environment is a highly stressful place to shop and some of the stuff costs more than you would pay for in a regular store. I miss the Gross out on Callow Street in Bremerton; they had some good deals in there.

Trader Joes: Located at maybe the worst intersection in Olympia, it's the closest place to Shelton get cheap tempeh. The prices are pretty good considering the high quality of the food. It’s a high end market with some good deals. I’ve only been there three times because getting in and out of that place in a car is a nightmare and the store feels like an alien environment with strange foods and customs that I don’t understand. It has also been quite crowded and noisy every time I have gone there.

Old railroad line UNDER Lake Cushman?

2012-01-06T16:34:00.000-08:00

I don't know if this area was razed by Simpson or by the City of Tacoma, or both of them working together. The area was logged right before Tacoma installed a dam on the North Fork Skokomish River that would inundate the forested valley. The Mount Rose Lodge would have been flooded out too, so it was burned down before the dam was build.

The Skokomish tribe has recently won a lawsuit against the city of Tacoma and now they have to let more water over the dam, this is good for the alsmon and this makes the lake level lower. The old stumps under the lake are being revealed like never before. Moss and grass is also starting to grow back in this valley and boat docks are left high and dry.

These stumps have been here since the 1920's but stumps don't rot very fast when they are under water (most wood rotting fungi can not survive under water) and some interesting things can be seen here now, such as stumps growing out of their nurse logs and stumps that had platforms built all the way around them before they were cut. Also, I seem to have discovered an old logging road or rail road line under Lake Cushman.

Some of these stumps are massive. I was surprised to find that quite a few of the stumps still had enough bark left on them to be identified as Douglas-fir.

BTW if you own a cabin up there and want to lend me a key to the gate let me know!

It looks like a platform was built all the way around this tree before it was turned into a stump

Stump and its nurse log

Is this an old logging road?

Not all mass bird die-offs are a mystery

2012-01-06T08:15:00.000-08:00

USDA admits to poisoning millions of birds according to this article:
http://www.earth-issues.com/2011/12/mystery-bye-bye-blackbird-solved-usda-has-admitted-to-poisoning-millions-of-animals/

Random crap because I can't come up with anything better

2012-01-03T15:53:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year - Let's Foul the Air!

2012-01-01T01:29:00.000-08:00

No better way to celebrate the New Year than to foul the air! Oh yeah all that smoke from all those fire works and car crashes added up.. See the midnight spike:

Lacey did an even better job of fouling the air at Midnight, Lacey went into the red!!

Drive Safe Tonight - Rollover accident on 5th and railroad

2011-12-31T19:14:00.000-08:00

Luckily there were only minor injuries here. Please drive safe tonight!

(I'm willing to provide larger copies of these images for parties who were involved)

6th and railroad at about 6pm 12-31-2011

Man crawls in and then out after getting some stuff out of the truck

Happy Calendar New Year!

2011-12-31T17:19:00.000-08:00

My Calender ends today.. will it be the end of the world? Have a good one.

1980 something Kiss

(1967) Rolling Stones

Simpson Investment / Paper Company Wuz Here

2011-12-29T18:55:00.001-08:00

Thinning for "forest health" incresases carbon output

2011-12-28T20:35:00.000-08:00

Forest thinning to help prevent or reduce severe wildfire will release more carbon to the atmosphere than any amount saved by successful fire prevention, a new study concludes:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111220133913.htm

Shelton NEON Project before and after pictures- Pine Tree

2011-12-27T19:05:00.000-08:00

Pine Tree Inn Before

Pine Tree Inn After

Shelton Neon Project before and after pictures - Stewart Realty

2011-12-26T19:05:00.000-08:00

Santa burnt out his two lead reindeer today...

2011-12-25T22:14:00.000-08:00

Grandma Got Indefinitely Detained (A Very TSA Christmas)

2011-12-25T06:00:00.000-08:00

Santa's reindeer spotted on highway 101 near Brinnon this morning

2011-12-24T17:45:00.000-08:00

These can't be elk, elk don't wear collars!

The one on the left has a NORAD tracking collar!

One of three that I almost hit, is that an "elk crossing" sign in the background?

Reindeer with broken antler

I yust go nuts at Christmas

2011-12-23T19:06:00.000-08:00

My spouse will be shopping tomorrow. But I bought myself a new carpet sweeper last week.

The 12 pains of Christmas

2011-12-23T10:37:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year!

2011-12-21T12:34:00.000-08:00

Who's ready for another wild ride around the sun? Ready or not, dead or alive, I predict it's gonna happen. Northern Winter Solstice is at 5:30 am on December 22, 2011 CE.

Then a few days later on January 5, 2012 CE, Earth will reach perihelion and Earth will slingshot around the sun one more time, if we are all lucky.

Pepper spray Pike wishes you a Happy New Year!

Monkey boy Hupp makes one last gaffe in honor of Jack Miles

2011-12-20T19:36:00.000-08:00

monkey boy Hupp made one last gaffe in honor of Jack Miles today

Ok, I probably should not post to Shelton Blog when I'm full of holiday cheer, but I don't see anyone else stepping up to the plate, so I'll just have to knock the ball right over the fence. Today was Jack Mile's last POS meeting. I bet he's glad to be free of that place. With Jack gone, POS meetings will probably be about as exciting as watching Jay Hupp's belly grow. Where does Jay special order his XXL mobster suits anyway? I guess I'll still pop in from time to time just to take compartive photos of Jays ever growing belly. I know they are always glad to see me there at the good old POS!

I keep meaning to photoshop scrooge into Huff's seat but I can't find a good picture of scrooge to do it with. Poor Jay, I wonder if he is still all wound up about phantoms sitting in his chair? I've half a mind to get in line to sue the Port. Wendy, by printing my pictures every week you are breaking the law and I know the port has deep pockets; they rob me and everyone else who owns a home in the port district at least twice a year. I want my money back! Should I take a ticket and wait in line to sue the POS?

It seems that Dick Taylor had a bit more sense than Jay Hupp today and he opted out of being sworn in while Jack Miles was still on duty. Jay Hupp had wanted to swear Dick Taylor in at the start of the meeting while Jack Miles sat and watched as commissoner for the POS. Here is Hupp explaining why being petty and mean is just business and usual at the port. I guess Dick Tayler did not want to start his port career as a petty asshole. Sorry puppet master Jay, you did not get the pull Dick's strings this time. I'm sure you'll get another chance though.

No one will be able to fill this seat quite like Jack did!

Citizens thank Jack for standing up for the 99%

In other POS news today:

Moneybags Matt explained why the new race track will not make any money in 2012

A picture of Matt's money losing clear-cut forest, uh I mean race track.
Someone please explain to the port that money is GREEN, not brown!
OH yeah I can smell the exhaust fumes right now...

Camp Govey Trail System

2011-12-20T10:23:00.000-08:00

A few years back a bunch of money was awarded to someone to put in at trail system at Simpson's Camp Govey. The trails were never built and we want to know what exactly happened to that money? Do any of my dear readers know what happened to that $50,000 and why no trails were built?

http://www.co.mason.wa.us/ac/parks/minutes/2007/11122007.pdf
http://www.co.mason.wa.us/news_releases/2007/parks_grant.pdf

Ancient forests and Spotted Owls on the Olympic Peninsula

2011-12-19T08:32:00.000-08:00

Hmmm, whatever happened with those ancient forests and Spotted Owls on the Olympic Peninsula? From current press coverage, or the lack thereof, one might assume all’s been well resolved, but one would be mistaken.

The small fraction—less than 10 percent—of the Olympic peninsula’s original old growth forest, still standing in all its irreplaceable splendor, continues to face threats, and is still worth protecting, just like the endangered species that are tied to the forests’ health, like the struggling Spotted Owl. A group called OFCO (Olympic Forest Coalition) is on the job.

Rewind 20 years. Western Washington Federal District Court Judge William Dwyer had just shut down old growth timber sales on national forest lands throughout the Pacific Northwest pending implementation of an acceptable management plan for the Northern Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis caurina). The owl had recently been listed as “threatened” under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. The media talked daily of the “War in the Woods,” the favorite script being timber families out of work and hungry, all because of a little bird that urban environmentalists wanted to protect. Many rural homes had yellow signs in their windows: “We Support the Timber Industry.”

In fact, it was the shift from human to mechanized labor and decades of boom-and-bust logging, driven by capricious market forces—not owls, which had wrought such distress on the timber towns. But never mind; owls vs. jobs made a better story.

It was never just about the birds themselves; the Northern Spotted Owl had been identified as an indicator species for forest health, living on the voles that live on and disperse mycorrhizal fungi. These fungi grow on, and sustain, the roots of the old growth trees, and so on. If the owl lives, so does the forest.

The owls throughout their range in the Pacific Northwest had been seriously declining for decades as logging ate into ancient forest tracts. The Olympic Peninsula’s remoteness kept its forests largely unscathed (except by periodic forest fires) until about 1900. However, massive logging on corporate lands and the quickening pace of timber extraction on public lands following World War II has resulted in serious fragmentation of old growth habitat. (The peninsula’s major forest land owners are the federal government, with the 1400 square mile—slightly smaller than Rhode Island—Olympic National Park, no logging allowed, surrounded by the heavily logged Olympic National Forest; Washington State; tribal governments; and private, mainly corporate, landholders.)

By the late 1970s, it was clear that the pace of logging was unsustainable. The dawn of the Reagan administration in the early ’80s brought on, instead, a redoubled, deliberate assault on remaining old growth stands, seen by reigning bureaucrats as decadent and worthless. The stated goal was to replace them as fast as possible with vigorous, young stands—that is, tree farms.

Environmentalists went to court, and the Dwyer injunction on old growth logging temporarily silenced the chainsaws. In 1994, the Clinton Forest Plan, resolving years of litigation, set logging limits on the Olympic at 15—20 million board feet per year, about 5 percent of the peak output a few decades earlier.

Relief was at hand, but not exactly; some will recall the agony of the “Salvage Rider,” a short-term timber gambit that promoted more old growth logging in the name of “forest health.” Major efforts, however, had turned to the Herculean task of restoring devastated watersheds. OFCO was the catalyst for forming the 15-member Washington Watershed Restoration Initiative Coalition; Congressman Norm Dicks, then Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, whose district includes most of the Olympic Peninsula, found the necessary funding.

OFCO’s roots date back to 1989, when its progenitor, the Quilcene Ancient Forest Coalition, founded by Audubon member Alex Bradley and Sierra Club member Bob Crowley, began work to protect the ONF’s northeastern edge. In 2002, Alex and a small group of friends proposed a new organization (OFCO) that would cover the entire national forest. A few years later the organization began its state program, particularly focusing on the Olympic Experimental State Forest (OESF), about 270,000 acres managed by the Department of Natural Resources on the northwest corner of the Peninsula. The 1992 legislation establishing the OESF called for scientific management to integrate protection of Spotted Owls and other wildlife with generation of timber revenues for schools and other state trust land beneficiaries. OFCO has worked tirelessly to make sure the ecological values in the equation are honored.

OFCO then and now brings together concerned citizens who have always been in the forefront of forest protection. Contrary to today’s relative calm, these forests still need advocates, and the onset of global climate change means that protecting them is more critical than ever.

The arguments over logging levels—in state and national forests alike—have never really been resolved, and probably never will be. Timber-oriented interests within government agencies still use the restoration mission—the “good for the forest” rationale—to justify increased logging. There is continued effort to increase board foot production from the Olympic National Forest. Today, an unfriendly congressional majority favors legislation to greatly expand resource extraction; there is even talk of privatizing our national forests.

The latest threat, especially significant on the Olympic Peninsula, is the use of slash from logging operations, as well as live trees, as biomass fuel for energy production. Promoted as an alternative to burning after-logging slash piles on the hillsides, this technology once sounded “green” and sensible, but proposed facilities would create renewed logging pressure while putting public health at risk. The American Lung Association, for example, opposes development of this technology. The issue has brought OFCO together with local human health advocacy groups.

OFCO’s work, nearly all by volunteers, includes monitoring, public education, advocacy, negotiation and—when all else fails—litigation. Your support and participation is hugely welcome. Please visit http://www.olympicforest.org./

One that Simpson missed

2011-12-17T23:01:00.000-08:00

This is how big trees would get, if left alone

Occupy Olympia eviction has started

2011-12-16T09:09:00.001-08:00

Police have arrived in riot gear at Occupy Olympia and have started going through the tents.

Occupy Olympia has been served an eviction notice

2011-12-15T14:58:00.000-08:00

Submitted by Peter Bohmer:

December 15th, 2011

At about 8:30 A.M, this morning, Thursday, December 15th, the Washington State Patrol and Department of Enterprise Services delivered a "Notice to Cease and Desist Camping" effective 12:01 A.M., December 16th., midnight tonight. The notice stated they will come in and seize all property at Occupy Olympia. In addition, they will not allow any future camping equipment at Heritage Park. They reduced what is going on to an encampment although it is much more than that, a site of protest and resistance, a movement for economic equality and more.

A rally is being planned for today, Thursday, December 15th, beginning at 10 P.M. at Heritage Park. There will be music and workshops. We invite you to participate!

People will also be at Media Island, today, 816 Adams, today, making signs and cooking food. Help if you can. We are asking people to show solidarity and support for those who have been
staying at Occupy Olympia by coming down to Heritage Park tonight and staying for the night if you can. Bring signs, food, clothing, health supplies! We are asking for the solidarity and resistance to be non-violent.

Let us thank everyone who has been occupying and staying overnight at Heritage Park! The Washington State and/or Olympia police may come at midnight, tonight, as they have threatened and written, but it is also possible they will wait until dawn, Friday or later before they make their raid. Raids are likely to be ongoing.

Legal and medical support and medical supplies are urgently needed. So are
photographers to document police behavior.

There will also be a rally and march, Friday, December 16th at 4 P.M., beginning at Heritage Park. Join us, invite others! We hope that you can show up to support Occupy Olympia. Tell your friends. Occupy Olympia is just beginning. We are part of a movement that is spreading throughout the world!

Housing is still a need for the homeless in case Occupy is shut down. We also need places where people can store their tents. You might want to store your tents away from where the police are likely to raid and
confiscate your stuff.

Occupy
Olympia!

my web-page: http://blogs.evergreen.edu/bohmerp

Shelton has the worst air by far

2011-12-15T14:49:00.000-08:00

Of all the ORCAA monitoring stations, the Shelton station reads the dirtiest air most of the time. Here are three for comparision: But don't just take my word for it go compare them yourself HERE

Burn ban does not seem to be helping our air quality

2011-12-14T21:57:00.001-08:00

Why was this left this HERE?

2011-12-13T20:10:00.000-08:00

Why was this left here ? I love to eat elk, I'm not complaining about that; I just wonder why the left overs were left in the road? This is near the High Steel Bridge that goes over the Skokomish River. I've never seen an elk in this area before. Was this shot somewhere else, butchered somewhere else and then the left overs dumped here? There were poles near-by that could have been used for butchering, but there was no sign of blood or guts under the poles or on the trees and I would think that this animal was too big to hang. One last question, why are the hooves cut off? Elk hoof rattles? This is all a mystery to me. Maybe it's a horse?

All I know for sure it that it will be a while before I take my kids back here to roast marshmallows. I'm sorry if these pictures make you sick.

That's the neck on the far right

Dog added for scale, this is much larger than a deer carcass

butchering poles?

Stage 1 Burn Ban called for Mason County

2011-12-13T18:18:00.000-08:00

A Stage One Burn Ban is being called for Mason County effective 5 p.m. today and continuing at least through the end of the week.

Under a Stage 1 Ban, no burning is allowed in fireplaces or uncertified wood stoves, and all outdoor burning is prohibited, even in areas where outdoor burning is not permanently banned. Additionally, no visible smoke is allowed from any wood stove or fireplace, certified or not, beyond a 20-minute start-up period.

A system of stable, high pressure over Western Washington, coupled with cold overnight temperatures has resulted in air pollution levels climbing enough to raise concerns about the air quality and its impacts on health. A change in weather will be needed to restore cleaner air quality, yet that’s not forecast to occur this week.

While pollution levels in Thurston and Mason Counties warrant the Stage One Ban, other counties within the jurisdiction of the Olympic Region Clean Air Agency (ORCAA) haven’t reached that level. To avoid bans in their areas, the residents of Pacific, Grays Harbor, Clallam, and Jefferson Counties are asked to voluntarily refrain from all outdoor burning, and to use safe alternatives to wood heat if possible.

Of particular concern are fine particles released by smoke from wood stoves and fireplaces. The Washington State Department of Health recommends that people who are sensitive to air pollution limit time spent outdoors, especially when exercising. Air pollution can trigger asthma attacks, cause difficulty breathing, and make lung and heart problems worse. Air pollution is especially harmful to people with lung and heart problems, people with diabetes, children, and older adults (over age 65). People with emphysema should avoid going outside to smoke.

Olympic Region Clean Air Agency staff (the nose pros) will continue to monitor the situation to determine when the burn ban can be lifted. In the meantime, here are some other things people can do to help protect the air we breathe:

■If you have a certified wood stove or fireplace insert, make sure you are using it properly so you don’t produce excess chimney smoke. Excess smoke is always illegal. To learn more about clean burning techniques or upgrading to a certified, pellet, natural gas or propane stove, visit http://www.epa.gov/burnwise/
■To determine if your stove is certified, visit www.orcaa.org.
■Limit your driving as much as possible, since vehicles are a big source of air pollution year round. Check air-quality forecasts and current conditions at http://www.orcaa.org/

For more information about Burn Ban regulations, you may refer to Chapter 173-433 of the Washington Administrative Code.

Simpson incinerator smoke blocks sunrise and Mount Rainier

2011-12-13T08:20:00.001-08:00

Dec 13th 8AM

Simpson smoke hangs low over Evergreen Elementary School

2011-12-12T09:35:00.000-08:00

So much for the voluntary burn ban

Simpson and the Industrial Workers of the World -The history they don't want us to know

2011-12-12T09:16:00.000-08:00

Smog hangs low at the base of the Cascade Mountains

Workers don't want to sign an unfair contract? No problem, just threaten to throw them off a train..
Those who spoke out against the 4Ls, could be found hanging from nearby trees...
To provoke the timber barons could result in loss of life...

http://academic.evergreen.edu/curricular/ageofirony/aoizine/cindyro.html

Barons of Decision
by Cindy Roaf
The better element of our citizenship should realize the dangers that confront every community and organize to combat them. The disturbing element should be treated with a firm hand; other communities will send them on their way and less protected places will suffer. If allowed to go on without any restraint we shall soon find our working people and business will suffer in what should be the most prosperous year of our history.

The disturbing element the Mason County Journal is referring to were the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), a radical union condemned by other unions for their insurmountable wall of prejudice they created between capital and labor. To appreciate the impact the IWW had on the lumber industry, one must understand the demographics of their recruits and the antagonistic style this union used to organize. The members of the IWW were mainly migrant workers from lower socio-economic levels. Using tactics such as work stoppages and violent attacks on nonmembers, this radical union spread their message of revolution against the capitalist society and promoted the “dictatorship of the proletariat”.

The Industrial Workers of the World brought trouble to the Mason County area as a lawless element into this small logging community unprepared for such agitators. As World War I loomed on the horizon, the IWW increased its presence while the US Government intervened with its own program which eventually would be the catalyst that helped change the face of the lumber industry in the Pacific Northwest.

The timber industry in the Olympic Peninsula during the early 20th century was rugged and violent. Loggers from the east migrated to the Northwest because the timber harvest was so abundant. Often faced with dangerous conditions, the men, known as timber workers and loggers, endured long hours, less than suitable living conditions and were isolated from civilization for long periods of time. Because the Northwest had an abundance of trees, land and men in the forest, the logging companies, like Simpson Timber Company earned immense profits but passed little on to the loggers. Many of the lumber workers did not have any particular ties to one place or area and frequently moved on whenever it suited them. The isolation and transient lifestyle of timber workers made union organizing extremely difficult.

Prior to the entrance into World War I, there was a surplus of labor due the increased number of new residents arriving in the Mason County. Those who were fortunate enough to have a job, would not protest against unfair wages and long hours giving the company the upper hand in the lumber industry. Union organizing in the timber industry was nearly nonexistent in the Olympic Peninsula prior to WWI. In the hostile environment created by the timber barons, many of the small unions were unable to last or make significant changes in wages and working conditions. Even unions such as the IWW tried to infiltrate the woods, sending in individuals to test the waters for organizing. This proved too be a very dangerous job, as seen here in a letter from the General Manager of Simpson Timber Co. 1911.

It is very difficult to eradicate this element entirely from our employees as they are certainly actively engaged in soliciting membership and stirring up discontent. For instance: Last week we had the misfortune to kill a man, and we had no idea until after he was dead that he was a member of this order, but found his membership card and by-laws among his effects.

The IWW was not welcome in the camps, and to provoke the timber barons could result in loss of life.

By 1917, the United States entered World War I. With the booming wartime economy, labor turned into a prime commodity. The IWW quickly focused its attention on the lumber industry when they saw the leverage the logger had on the timber barons due to the demands of war. For the overworked loggers, the IWW was a remedy to their fight against the poor working conditions and low wages. With its ability to bring together a union and organize a strike, the IWW created pro-labor propaganda in attempts to persuade the local communities to support their efforts. However, as a result of all the work stoppages precipitated by the IWW, many people including the local authorities and employers denounced the IWW for its un-American propaganda and radical behavior.

Due to the War, the US government needed warplanes and ships to fight in Europe but lacked the raw materials to build a strong air force. The Pacific Northwest was one of the few areas that produced the much-needed spruce lumber to build a powerful fleet of war planes and ships. With the government’s need for increased lumber production, labor troubles became complex. The draft and demands of wartime industries such as shipbuilding created a shortage of labor, which resulted in the recruitment of forest engineers and a number of experienced loggers and sawmill men to Mason County. This opened the door for the IWW to increase its organizing. They were able to take full advantage of the situation to create labor unrest in the Olympic Peninsula and throughout the Pacific Northwest.

The Simpson Timber Co., located in the small community of Shelton, Washington, had several logging camps in the old growth forest near the Olympic Mountains. Many of the residents in Shelton worked in the logging camps to support their families living in town. With the new demand of increased lumber production, the IWW increased its pressure on the workers to become members of this organization to build strength in numbers and to encourage loggers to strike for better wages and working conditions.

However, these soap-box agitators tried to force their influence upon an unsympathetic community during a time of extreme patriotism. The IWW’s fight created turmoil when the timber barons believed they were responsible for spiking saw logs at the mills, creating mysterious forest fires and stories of workers being beaten. This caused the timber barons to close the logging camps and sawmills, which put many men out of work. To the people of Shelton these unionist were anything but patriotic as recorded in the Mason County Journal July 27th, 1917,

The propaganda is appealing to men with no family ties and upon whom the duties of citizenship fall lightly, if at all: eight hours work for ten hours pay; then six hours; then no work, control of industry, and life without labor.

With the increased threats of violence and the impending strike from the IWW, all but one Simpson camp was closed down. The workers were relieved to be out of work during these tumultuous times. Though some loggers supported the IWW’s goals, others felt threatened by the organization’s tactics and left the camps on their own terms. The Mason County Journal, July 20th, 1917 reported,

"While less than half the men who have left the camps are members of the organization the others have been intimidated, or else have funds to prefer to take it easy until things quiet down or work is necessary again."

Unfortunately, the fight between the IWW and lumber barons would not come to an end so soon. When the lumber strike became inevitable in 1917, fear quickly spread across the community and the Olympic Peninsula. The IWW pushed for the lumber industry to give in to their demands for better working conditions, better pay and an eight hour work day.

The loggers who cut down trees were called fallers. Using their axes, they cut notches in the trunk for springboards. They then stood on the springboards and felled the tree with a crosscut saw. Cutting above ground level was easier because the trunk was narrower, and there was less pitch to gum up the saws. Even so, it might take two days of hard work to cut down a large tree. Photo Credit: Darius Kinsey.

A Solution to the Lumber Strike

As the need for war materials increased the U.S. government felt the pressure to seek a solution to the lumber strike. Col. Disque, who had a long history with the armed forces and a reputation as being good with labor relations was assigned to bring an end to the lumber strike and “bring the lumber supply up to standards for the army”. As the new lumber czar, Disque was convinced the lumber barons “were genuinely interested in reform and the IWW was what stood in the way of a better life for workers and increased output of spruce”. Under Disque’s leadership, the creation of the Army’s Spruce Production Division was born. The program was responsible for building sawmills, railroads, recruiting laborers, and filling open positions with army soldiers. These woods soldiers were to remain neutral, neither favoring the lumber owners nor the unions, at times overseeing sawmills against the threat or reality of industrial sabotage by the IWW.

The labor relations continued to be an intense battle between the timber barons and the workers. Col Disque saw this as an opportunity to solve the labor disputes. Although Disque held anti-union beliefs, he did sympathize with some of the loggers’ desires for better working conditions. However, he deeply believed that, “All sides were selfish and neither shows any patriotism”.

After studying the situation and conferences with industry men, Disque concluded that some of the IWW demands would have to be met to improve production. Working with Mark Reed, General Manager of the Simpson Timber Company and a trustee of the United States Spruce Production Corporation, they both became convinced that the eight hour day should be accepted. In 1918, a meeting was called with the Mason County loggers to offer the eight-hour work day and reforms in camp conditions. Although it looked to be a victory for just the loggers, Disque would benefit from these changes as well. With the timber barons’ support, Disque created a grassroots organization in opposition to the IWW.

As the lumber strike continued through the fall of 1917, Disque changed his direction from fighting the union, to creating this new organization that would allow employers and employees come together for the common good.

The Creation of the 4Ls

In the spirit of patriotism, The Loyal Legion of Loggers and Lumbermen (4Ls) was created. Local workers were put back to work, working side by side with the woods soldiers under a newly formed organization that would resemble a labor union. With the creation of the 4Ls, spruce production increased and the strength of the IWW all but disappeared. The tension and fear within the local communities had eased with the newly formed government union; unfortunately this would not last long.

The loggers who joined the 4Ls had to be anti-wobblies or they would not be hired. Col. Disque went even further and established a pro-American community to maintain American prosperity through nativism, patriotism and anti-communism. This was Disque’s solution for labor unrest and squashing the IWW. The anti-wobbly sentiment worked well in establishing the community by eliminating the radicals by persecuting anyone who held their beliefs. Ironically, the central focus of the 4L community was the ideals of democracy, equal rights, and patriotism.

This is a nice old WW1 Loyal Legion of Loggers and Lumbermen Badge. The badge features a forest, a ship, an airplane and a logger with Authorized by the Secretary of War. It symbolizes the need for spruce lumber for the war effort.

The 4Ls – saint or sinister?

Though most historical texts refer to Disque’s 4Ls union as a civilian organization that would outlast the war and bring industrial peace to the embattled Northwest, there were others who said that the 4Ls stood for “little loyalty and large loot”. Soldiers were placed in camps where lumber was not being produced which made it evident to the IWW that the real objective was to break the lumber strike. Army officers and woods soldiers were used to organize the newly formed union by increasing membership through terror tactics. All enrollees had to sign a loyalty oath and agree not to strike. Enrollees could be members of the IWW or AFL, but they had to promise not to organize workers into any union other than the legion. Anyone who would not join the 4Ls were accused of being a communist, a traitor and pro-German. These workers were immediately fired from their job and beaten by soldiers. Those who spoke out against the 4Ls, could be found hanging from nearby trees. Some would be threatened with a forceful airborne ejection from a speeding train they were riding if they declined to sign. Taking advantage of the state of public opinion during the war, Col Disque used the hatred of the IWW to continue his reign of terror under the disguise of military discipline. The local communities who feared the radical tactics of the IWW, now found themselves feeling uneasy with Col. Disque and his lumber dictatorship.

As the lumber production increased, Disque began to make enemies among the timber barons because of his power-hungry and selfish determination to be the victor in the labor dispute. He threatened to commandeer lands, mills or whatever else he deemed necessary for timber production. Despite the numerous accounts of terrorism and his power induced dictatorship of the woods, he was given credit for successfully urging the implementation of the eight-hour work day; medical facilities and food were made available to all timber workers.

These measures substantially increased spruce production in late 1917 and early 1918. However, after the war, timber executives tired of the Disque’s threats assumed leadership of the legion and turned it into a conservative, industry-wide company union.

In 1919, the United States Congress investigated charges of corruption, favoritism and that Disque and the legion had treated IWW and AFL (American Federation of Labor) members unfairly and spent too much money to accomplish limited results However, with the help of the United States Spruce Production Division Corporation, he was exonerated and awarded the Distinguished Service Medal.

Permanent Mark on Industrial Relations

To the extreme disappointment of the IWW, and the timber barons, Disque took credit for the improved working conditions in the timber industry. However, there were some discrepancies as to who should take credit for the change in working conditions and the new 8 hour work day. The 4Ls took credit because they felt positive changes were made in working relations with the timber barons. The I.W.W. believed they should have received the credit because of the timber strike and the timber barons said they gave in to their demands as a gesture of good will.

Although membership in the Loyal Legion of Loggers and Lumbermen declined after 1919, its constitution, by-laws, code of practice, and working methods continued as the controlling factor in the lumber industry in the Pacific Northwest until the Great Depression. Nearly fifteen years after the close of World War I, one writer observed,

The basis of operation which General Disque set up for emergency purposes developed into the classic agency of labor relations in the timber industry.

The long lasting effects of the lumber strike and the creation of the 4Ls had a huge impact on the lumber industry and lumber production. The residual efforts of the spruce army helped prepare companies such as Simpson Timber for large scale logging due to the hundreds of miles of permanent rail lines making spruce and evergreen accessible. Although because of the accessibility, after WWII timber became scarce. This eventually led to one of the biggest timber agreements in Washington State. In 1946, Simpson Timber Company signed an agreement with the United States Forest Service that placed the company’s lands and adjacent national forest lands under unified management. (Shelton Blog Note, this was the 100 year sustained "steal") This agreement gave Simpson Lumber all sales from the reserved area through 2046, transforming the logging industry in one small town and making a permanent mark on the Pacific Northwest.

Works Cited

“Agitator Closes Bordeaux’s Camp: I.W.W. Visits Camp Six and Calls out Loggers Tuesday.” Mason County Journal. 20 July 1917. Print.

Avery, Mary W. Washington, A History of the Evergreen State. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1965. Pg.231 – 241

Brice P. Disque photographs, PH159-[item number], Special Collections and University Archives, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403-1299

Canterbury, Chris. “A History of the International Union of Timberworkers: 1911-1923”, Seattle General Strike Project. Web. 1999.

Ficken, Robert E. and LeWarne, Charles P. Washington, A Centennial History. Seattle, University of Washington Press. 1988. (pgs.92-97)

“Give Trouble-makers No Rope.” Mason County Journal. 20 July 1917. Print.

Holbrook, Stewart Hall. Green commonwealth; a narrative of the past and a look at the future of one forest products community, Seattle: Printed by F. McCaffrey at his Dogwood Press, 1945. Print.

LeWarne, Charles P. Washington State, Seattle; University of Washington Press. 1986.

Mabel, Joe. Photo: 13 January 2006. The object itself would be circa 1917. Http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:LLLL_brass_button.jpg

Mickelson, Eric. “The Loyal Legion of Loggers and Lumberman: The origins of the world's largest company union and how it conducted business”, Seattle General Strike Project. Web. 1999.

Rowan, James. “Victory, but not the Final Victory”, Industrial Workers of the World; A Union for all Workers. Web.

Reed, Mark to Ames, Edwin. Edwin Ames Papers, accession 3820-1, Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries, Center for the Study of the Pacific Northwest. http://www.acadweb.wwu.edu/cpnws/.

Spector, Robert. Family trees: Simpson's centennial story. Bellevue, Wash.: Documentary Book Publishers Corp., 1990. Print.

Thomas, Berwyn B. Shelton, Washington: the first century, 1885-1985. Belfair, Wash.: Mason County Historical Society, 1985. Print.

“The Strike Situation.” Mason County Journal. 27 July 1917. Print.

United States Spruce Production Corporation. History of Spruce Production Division, United States Army and United States Spruce Production Corporation. Portland, Or.,192

Williams, Gerald. The Spruce Production Division. USDA Forest Service, Forest History Today, Spring 1999. www.oregonencyclopedia.org/entry/view/sitka_spruce

Wilma, David. Mason County Thumbnail History, HistoryLink.org Essay 7730. Web. 30, April 2006.

“Give Trouble-makers No Rope.” Mason County Journal. 20 July 1917. Print.

Holbrook, Stewart Hall. Green commonwealth; a narrative of the past and a look at the future of one forest products community, Seattle: Printed by F. McCaffrey at his Dogwood Press, 1945. Print.

LeWarne, Charles P. Washington State, Seattle; University of Washington Press. 1986.

Holbrook, Stewart Hall. Green commonwealth; a narrative of the past and a look at the future of one forest products community, Seattle: Printed by F. McCaffrey at his Dogwood Press, 1945. Print.

Reed, Mark to Ames, Edwin. Edwin Ames Papers, accession 3820-1, Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries, Center for the Study of the Pacific Northwest. http://www.acadweb.wwu.edu/cpnws/

Mickelson, Eric. “The Loyal Legion of Loggers and Lumberman: The origins of the world's largest company union and how it conducted business”, Seattle General Strike Project. Web. 1999.

Holbrook, Stewart Hall. Green commonwealth; a narrative of the past and a look at the future of one forest products community, Seattle: Printed by F. McCaffrey at his Dogwood Press, 1945. Print.

“The Strike Situation.” Mason County Journal. 27 July 1917. Print.

Agitator Closes Bordeaux’s Camp: I.W.W. Visits Camp Six and Calls out Loggers Tuesday.” Mason County Journal. 20 July 1917. Print.

Avery, Mary W. Washington, A History of the Evergreen State. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1965. Pg.231 – 241

Mabel, Joe. Photo: 13 January 2006. The object itself would be circa 1917. Http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:LLLL_brass_button.jpg

Mickelson, Eric. “The Loyal Legion of Loggers and Lumberman: The origins of the world's largest company union and how it conducted business”, Seattle General Strike Project. Web. 1999.

Ficken, Robert E. and LeWarne, Charles P. Washington, A Centennial History. Seattle, University of Washington Press. 1988. (pgs.92-97)

Williams, Gerald. The Spruce Production Division. USDA Forest Service, Forest History Today, Spring 1999. www.oregonencyclopedia.org/entry/view/sitka_spruce

Mickelson, Eric. “The Loyal Legion of Loggers and Lumberman: The origins of the world's largest company union and how it conducted business”, Seattle General Strike Project. Web. 1999.

Spector, Robert. Family trees: Simpson's centennial story. Bellevue, Wash.: Documentary Book Publishers Corp., 1990. Print.

Holbrook, Stewart Hall. Green commonwealth; a narrative of the past and a look at the future of one forest products community, Seattle: Printed by F. McCaffrey at his Dogwood Press, 1945. Print.

Thomas, Berwyn B. Shelton, Washington: the first century, 1885-1985. Belfair, Wash.: Mason County Historical Society, 1985. Print.

Brice P. Disque photographs, PH159-[item number], Special Collections and University Archives, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403-1299

United States Spruce Production Corporation. History of Spruce Production Division, United States Army and United States Spruce Production Corporation. Portland, Or.,192

Avery, Mary W. Washington, A History of the Evergreen State. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1965. Pg.231 – 241

Avery, Mary W. Washington, A History of the Evergreen State. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1965. Pg.231 – 241

Ficken, Robert E. and LeWarne, Charles P. Washington, A Centennial History. Seattle, University of Washington Press. 1988. (pgs.92-97)

Mickelson, Eric. “The Loyal Legion of Loggers and Lumberman: The origins of the world's largest company union and how it conducted business”, Seattle General Strike Project. Web. 1999.

Rowan, James. “Victory, but not the Final Victory”, Industrial Workers of the World; A Union for all Workers. Web.

Williams, Gerald. The Spruce Production Division. USDA Forest Service, Forest History Today, Spring 1999. www.oregonencyclopedia.org/entry/view/sitka_spruce
Wilma, David. Mason County Thumbnail History, HistoryLink.org Essay 7730. Web. 30, April 2006.

Shelton NEON Project - Ming Tree

2011-12-12T08:20:00.001-08:00

How to cold smoke salmon - Recipe

2011-12-10T19:20:00.000-08:00

1) Wait for a winter time inversion in Shelton, Washington
2) Cut your salmon into two fillets
3) Put on a NIOSH-Approved N95 particulate mask
4) Drive to Shelton,Washington and look for the metal lumber jack
5) Drape your two fillets over the lumber jack's shoulders
6) Wait about an hour

It has not been safe for children, elderly or people with heart and lung disease to breath in Shelton for the last 24 hours and it's getting worse. We might hit the red zone tonight.

FOX News Caught Using Fake Video Of Riots

2011-12-09T13:09:00.001-08:00

Los Angeles says corporations are not people

2011-12-06T18:46:00.000-08:00

At about 3:18 in this video the vote takes place. Notice how everyone stands up and cheers. If this were a Port of Shelton meeting, Jay Hupp would be whining about the clapping and claiming that the port is not a circus. But this is not a circus of Shelton meeting, this is the City of Los Angeles. They have more important things to do there than whine about people cheering.
http://lacity.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=130&clip_id=9874

ITEM NO. (17)

11-0002-S123

COMMUNICATION FROM CHAIR, INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE relative to the City’s position on Legislative actions ensuring corporations are not entitled to the protections or "rights" of human beings.

Recommendation for Council action, as initiated by Resolution (Garcetti - Rosendahl - Krekorian), SUBJECT TO THE CONCURRENCE OF THE MAYOR:

RESOLVE to include in the City’s 2011-12 Federal and State Legislative Programs, SUPPORT for a Constitutional Amendment and other legislative actions ensuring that only human beings, not corporations, are endowed with constitutional rights and that money is not speech, and therefore the expenditure of corporate money to influence the electoral process is no longer a form of constitutionally protected speech.

Fiscal Impact Statement: None submitted by the Chief Legislative Analyst. The City Administrative Officer has not completed a financial analysis of this report.

Community Impact Statement: None submitted.

Shelton sign project

2011-12-05T21:37:00.000-08:00

As luck would have it I started taking in interest in photographing old neon signs early this year. Later I learned that many of the neon signs in Shelton were going to be repaired. Now most of the repair work is done so I will start posting the before and after pictures of these signs.

What does the word "occupy" mean to you?

2011-12-05T17:19:00.000-08:00

Submitted by Tom Davis:

For some people the word “Occupy” suggests military action, such as recent events by U. S. forces in Iraq. But the current “Occupy” movement sweeping the country is something far different, more like occupying one’s own home.

If there is a negative occupation movement taking place in our country, it is being led by a minority of Americans who control the majority of wealth. And while it is futile to enter into discussions of how such economic inequality came about, it is entirely reasonable for those on the “losing end” of that condition to take action, because the battle is not so much about money as it is about political power, and history reminds us that the greater the economic disparity the greater the threat to our democratic process.

The “Occupy” action of Nov. 28, at our state capitol galvanized many concerns in a single exhibition of democracy at work. Having participated in that action, my wife and I were encouraged by chants of “This is what Democracy looks like” and “Whose State? Our State” rising from the crowd.

Positive social change involves sacrifice and dedication, both of which were in abundance. Participants were well organized and peacefully determined. Perhaps more importantly, all age groups were well represented. A particularly poignant moment came when hundreds of educators joined the demonstration, marching, raising banners and chanting “No more cuts to education!”

Citizens from Shelton carried professionally printed signs that read “We are the 99%” on one side and “Occupy Shelton” on the other. We chanted and “Occupied” the Capitol – our Capitol - though always mindful and respectful of others.

This month marks the 220th anniversary of the Bill of Rights, and I can think of no better time to stand up for principles of equality and freedom on which our country was founded. And while the day was aimed at a better tomorrow, the undercurrent tribute was to yesterday, and to all those who fought and died to protect the very rights being exercised.

photographer Dorothea Lange

Somebody really needs to get a life!

2011-12-04T10:39:00.000-08:00

What a sad bitter old man...

Christmas Parade and Air Quality, Compared to Forest Parade Air Quality

2011-12-04T09:42:00.000-08:00

Last 24 hours not safe for children

The Christmas Parade sent pollution levels back up to levels that are unsafe for children to breath. Ironic huh? But these results are not nearly as cut and dry at the effects of the forest festival. We have so much pollution right now that The Christmas Parade seemed to mostly blend in with the rest of the pollution. As you can see though, the air quality went down into the yellow right before the parade started and had been trending downward. But once the parade started the pollution went right back into the orange and has been there ever since. It peaked at 123. It's hard to know if we would be in the orange or the yellow right now if not for the parade. The pollution from the parade will be hanging around for a while as we are having an inversion. Where with the forest festival the pollution went away quickly and the quick movement of the pollution out of the valley makes it very clear exactly when the forest festival took place.

Here is the graph of the 2011 Forest Festival, I don't need to circle the hours of the parade, its very clear that the parade was at 9-10AM and then most of the pollution had gone away within an hour of the parade ending.

More pictures from the Shelton Christmas Parade 2011

2011-12-03T20:26:00.000-08:00

The Christmas Parade sent pollution levels back up to levels that are unsafe for children to breath. Ironic huh?

The highlight of living in Shelton

2011-12-03T18:52:00.000-08:00

This is it folks.. this is at good as it gets. The highlight of living in Shelton is watching Paul Bunyan do the limbo during the Christmas Parade.

I think this is Babe's first parade

Terrible air to start the Christmas Parade

2011-12-03T13:59:00.000-08:00

The Christmas Parade is tonight, the air is already bad. I expect that the parade will make the air worse. The Shelton air quality monitor was moved downtown early this year. This year's Forest Festival caused the monitor to record an obvious spike in air pollution. I expect the same will happen with the Christmas Parade, the difference is we are going are already in the danger zone for children, elderly and ill people BEFORE the parade even starts. How high will the pollution go when the parade starts? The monitor is on top of the fire department building on Franklin street. Here is what are air quality looks now at 2:45, the parade starts at 5pm. I expect the air quality to be at it's worst between 5 and 6PM if it goes the same way the Forest Festival did.

ORCAA is asking for a voluntary burn ban.. is the Simpson property obliging right now? No, it is not.

UM halts plans for woody biomass heating plant

2011-12-03T08:36:00.000-08:00

Great News!

UM halts plans for woody biomass heating plant
The Missoulian
The University of Montana announced Friday that it will suspend
indefinitely plans to build a woody biomass heating plant on campus and
publicly apologized for a top university administrator's derogatory comment
about critics of the project. ...
http://missoulian.com/news/local/um-halts-plans-for-woody-biomass-heating-plant/article_8862e060-1d29-11e1-b5f9-0019bb2963f4.html

What creature can be used as medicine, dye and for edible culinary delights?

2011-12-02T08:03:00.000-08:00

Platismatia glauca, Lobaria pulmonaria, Hypogymnia spp.

Fungi!

Hygrocybe conica

When: Thursday, December 8, 2011.

Time: 11:00am until 2:00pm..

Where: Library Hallway on the Evergreen State College Campus

Description We will be showcasing a variety of interesting projects related to fungal kingdom.

What kind of creature can be used as medicine, dye for yarn, for edible culinary delights, can break down plastics, grows year round in alpine areas, can be used as biomonitors for airpollution, and more? Fungi of course!

Helvella lacunosa

The students of The Evergreen State College's 2011 Fungal Kingdom class are bringing these shining star roles of fungi to the community on December 8, at the TESC campus. It will be located in the lobby adjacent to the library.

The 2011 Fungal Expo will feature culinary delights, info on how to cultivate edible and medicinal mushrooms, a fungi cookbook, fungal bioremediation of plastics, fungi-orchid symbiosis, lichen that are used as biomonitors, a mushroom dye workshop, and much more!

Invite your friends! Make the journey! It's free and you will be sure to learn a lot!

(P.S. If you have been "trespassed" from TESC by Larry Savage and have been told by a judge to leave me the hell alone, don't even think about coming.)

Laetiporus conifericola

Judge Orders Wa. State to Regulate Climate Change Pollution from Big Oil

2011-12-01T11:53:00.000-08:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 2, 2011

Contact: Janette Brimmer, Earthjustice, (206) 343-7340 ext. 1029
Joshua Osborne-Klein, Ziontz, Chestnut, Varnell,
Berley & Slonim, (206) 448-1230
Aaron Robins, Sierra Club Washington State Chapter,
(425) 442-6726
Becky Kelley, Washington Environmental Council,
(206) 631-2602

Judge Orders State and Regional Air Agencies to Regulate
Climate Change Pollution from Big Oil

Challenge to reduce dangerous greenhouse gas emissions from WA oil
refineries advances

Seattle, WA-A federal judge today ruled that the Washington
Department of Ecology, Northwest Clean Air Agency, and Puget Sound
Clean Air Agency have unlawfully failed to regulate climate change
pollution from the five oil refineries operating in Washington State.

Washington Environmental Council and Sierra Club initiated the
lawsuit in March of this year. The lawsuit claimed that state
agencies have the duty to regulate climate change pollution from oil
refineries because this pollution fits within the definition of "air
contaminants" in Washington's State Implementation Plan, which was
approved by the Environmental Protection Agency and is enforceable
under the federal Clean Air Act.

All five oil refineries in Washington are owned by big oil
companies-BP, ConocoPhillips, Shell Oil, Tesoro and U.S. Oil.
Collectively, these oil refineries are responsible for six to eight
percent of total state-wide greenhouse gas emissions, primarily in
the form of nitrous oxide, methane, and carbon dioxide. The oil
refineries were represented in the lawsuit by the Western States
Petroleum Association, which intervened in the litigation.

The conservation groups praised the decision by U.S. District Chief
Judge Marsha J. Pechman, who ordered the state agencies to begin the
regulatory process to begin controlling climate change pollution
from the refineries.

"We are heartened by this major step to address the serious air
pollution and climate challenges our state faces now and in the near
future. Oil refineries are the second-largest stationary source of
dangerous climate change pollutants, and it is critical that they do
everything they can to preserve the health and well-being of
Washington communities." said Becky Kelley of Washington
Environmental Council.

"We view this decision as a win for both the environment and the
economy," said Aaron Robins of Sierra Club. "There are numerous
options for reducing climate change pollution from oil refineries
that can help protect our environment while making refining
operations more efficient and creating new jobs."

The lawsuit claimed that the state agencies had violated their
obligation under Washington's State Implementation Plan to determine
and impose "reasonably available control technologies" on refineries
to control climate change pollution. The Court agreed, holding that
"Washington's [State Implementation Plan] requires the Agencies to
regulate GHGs."

"The Court affirmed that Washington has the authority and the
obligation to address impacts from climate change pollution," said
Janette Brimmer, an attorney with Earthjustice. "Our state can no
longer afford to have our regulators sit on their hands and wait for
the federal government deal with the issue-it is time for our state
regulators to follow the law and implement long-overdue measures to
protect our climate."

Earthjustice and the law firm of Ziontz, Chestnut, Varnell, Berley &
Slonim represented Sierra Club and Washington Environmental Council
in the lawsuit.

The decision from Judge Pechman is available at:
http://wecprotects.org/issues-campaigns/climate-change/judges-order-in-oil-refineries-litigation/at_download/filehttp://wecprotects.org/issues-campaigns/climate-change/judges-order-in-oil-refineries-litigation/at_download/file

Mr. 1% do you really need all that pay?

2011-11-30T17:28:00.000-08:00

Finally an occupy protest song:

UK's Durham Crematorium May Sell Body Heat To Great Britain's National Grid

2011-11-29T18:03:00.000-08:00

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/28/durham-crematorium-turbine-energy_n_1116660.html

Bringing new meaning to the term "body heat," a UK crematorium is hoping to make some extra cash by selling energy produced during the cremation process.

If all goes as planned, the Durham Crematorium will install turbines in two of its burners and sell the excess energy to Great Britain's National Grid, The Telegraph reports.

A third burner will continue to warm the site's chapel and offices.

Engineers estimate that each turbine can generate 250 kilowatt-hours, enough electricity to power 1,500 televisions, according to The Daily Mail.

Occupy the Capitol Tomorrow

2011-11-27T19:57:00.000-08:00

OCCUPY ACTIVISTS in Washington state are gearing up for the next stage in our struggle: Occupy the Capitol to oppose another round of budget cuts.
http://socialistworker.org/2011/11/23/time-to-occupy-the-capitol

This is the way to $pend Black Friday

2011-11-26T15:17:00.000-08:00

Only the 1% who own Simpson get to take old growth trees..

2011-11-26T09:22:00.000-08:00

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/fieldnotes/2016853641_indicted_fortree_theft_yes_tree_theftwith_a_250000_fine.html
One man steals a few old growth trees and goes to jail, as he should, if he really did it.

But how many trees did simpson take?

Simpson practically stole these old growth Douglas-fir, the 1% does as it pleases...

A reminder from Les Purce -This Thanksgiving grease your pie plate!

2011-11-24T13:55:00.000-08:00

Les Purce is the president of the The Evergreen State College

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone who celebrates this American Holiday.

Schneider Electric dismisses biomass lawsuit against Vancouver

2011-11-23T08:35:00.000-08:00

Schneider Electric dismisses biomass lawsuit against Vancouver
November 23, 2011, 12:21 AM
http://www.oregonlive.com/clark-county/index.ssf/2011/11/schneider_electric_dismisses_b.html

Following Schneider Electric's decision to terminate partnership with Clark County in the proposed biomass plant project, the Seattle-based company is dismissing the lawsuit filed against the city of Vancouver, Steve Horenstein, the company's attorney said.

The main driver of the lawsuit is a six-month moratorium on the development of the downtown zone, where the biomass plant was supposed to be built. The moratorium, which the Vancouver City Council members unanimously approved in mid-October, essentially halted the biomass project and prevented Schneider Electric from availing an $8 million grant that expires at the end of the year.

Pepper Spray Pike working his way through art history

2011-11-22T21:39:00.000-08:00

"migrant worker" by Dorthea Lang

Ella Watson by Gordon Parks

Dust Bowl

sharcroppers child