Olympia Dispute over Marijuana Operation Raises Questions

Above: Medical Marijuana

By Janine Unsoeld

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

Questions are being raised in a community issue involving medical marijuana, code and law enforcement, he-said-she-said neighbor disputes, and three utility line fires that involve Puget Sound Energy. Throw in a breakdown in communication and you have a messy situation.

Little Hollywood has learned that the Thurston County Narcotics Task Force did what is called a “knock and talk” at a marijuana operation in an Olympia northeast neighborhood on July 7. 

The unannounced visit to the home was in response to a neighbor complaint by Melinda Spencer, who alleges that her neighbor is operating a commercial marijuana grow operation.

In a telephone interview on Wednesday with narcotics task force captain Dave Johnson and the detective who actually visited the home, both said that the tenants were cooperative and invited law enforcement inside. The tenants showed the proper paperwork for a collective grow. Captain Johnson said that the residents gave the detectives a tour of the entire property and it was found to be in compliance with current medical marijuana law.

Captain Johnson said that in the last three years since the passage of state legislation, they have dealt with a lot of complaints about grow operations.

“The law is going to change next July, and it’s going to get cleaned up a little bit, but until then, it’s a Catch-22 law, and not easy to deal with,” said Johnson.

Collective grows are not required to register with the state or local authorities, so police have no idea how many are in operation, and neighbors and concerned neighbors wonder where to turn to for information and assistance.

Utility Line Fires and Communication Timeline

The information about the narcotic task force’s “knock and talk” was never provided to Melinda Spencer, who complained about her neighbor’s operation at Tuesday night’s Olympia city council meeting in public testimony.

City manager Steve Hall mentioned it during council comments and regretted the lack of communication with Spencer.

Spencer said that she believes that three recent utility line fires, one occurring as recently as July 30 near her home, were caused by the grow operation in her northeast neighborhood. She says that her neighbor in question has repeatedly and openly referred to his operation as a wholesale grow for sale to medical dispensaries.

Spencer began communicating her concerns with the city and other authorities in the third week of June, before the fires.

In a June 29 email, the date of the first utility line fire, Chris Grabowski, lead city code enforcement officer, told Spencer and her husband that their concern had been forwarded to the Thurston County Narcotics Task Force, saying this was not a city zoning or code enforcement issue, but a law enforcement issue.

That same day, a sergeant at the Olympia Police Department said that the task force will make contact with the residents when time permits and determine if there are any law violations. Spencer responded to Grabowski, and thanked him for getting her concern pointed in the right direction. 

Another utility line fire occurred in early July.

Spencer continued to do research and contacted Puget Sound Energy. She also wrote the city attorney on July 8, specifically detailing her concerns and to ask if the operation has the proper permits. Spencer says she never got a response from the city attorney.

A third utility line fire occurred July 30.

Spencer and several other neighbors co-wrote a letter on August 1 to the property owner informing him that they have authorized their insurance agents to pursue damages against him if any activities occurring at his property harm persons or property in the vicinity. She sent copies to several city officials, including the fire chief, the police chief, and city attorney.

Spencer wrote an email to Olympia city council on August 13. She says she did not receive a response from any councilmembers. That same day, she contacted Puget Sound Energy to provide details about the grow operation so it could better evaluate if those activities contributed to the service line fires.

On Tuesday, August 18, Spencer felt compelled to speak publicly about the situation.

Communication from Code Enforcement

On Wednesday, the day after she spoke at city council, Chris Grabowski, the city’s lead code enforcement officer, sent Spencer an email providing details about the Thurston County Narcotics Task Force visit, but did not provide her the date. That information was provided to her by Little Hollywood.

Grabowski said in the email that detectives counted 50 plants on site.

 

“At the time of the inspection, that was slightly above the maximum 45 allowed, but under the new laws now in effect, the amount has gone up to 60 plants.  (The detective) told me that the grow was a legal one, and that (the task force) had no plans to go back and re-inspect as there was no indication of any illegal activity,” wrote Grabowski.

In an interview, Spencer says she appreciated the email, but it came a little too late.

“No one ever closed the loop with us,” Spencer said.

“This really is such a gray area and I feel pretty whipped and overexposed by this whole situation. I did get some staff to focus on this issue and follow up with me -- with prodding. I asked a lot of questions that were never definitively answered…but what makes me bitter is the big lapse by whoever should have let us know that the task force had done its job and made its conclusions. My emails after the inspection on July 7 should have reminded someone at city hall that crucial information had never been sent to me....” said Spencer to Little Hollywood late this week.

Spencer says she would have preferred to not have spoken publicly, nor ask for media attention, but felt she had no choice. Spencer still has concerns regarding the electrical safety of her home, and other homes on her street.

The Other Side of the Story

Little Hollywood has spoken several times with the resident at the address in question to get his side of this story.

The resident, who does not want to be named, says he is a medical marijuana user. He says he is a retired engineer on Social Security and disability. He says he has had brain surgery and uses the medicine to prevent seizures. He says he has been very up front with his neighbors about his collective garden, and gets along well with many of them. He is upset with his neighbor, Melinda Spencer, who he feels has been harassing him. He says the Thurston County Narcotics Task Force has come to his home twice and he has showed them the proper paperwork.  He admits he put about 50 plants outside during a recent heatwave. The air conditioning runs fulltime because he says marijuana is a fickle plant and needs to stay at a cool temperature. He says his crop is grown organically and he does not use chemicals. He did some work on the home for the owners late last year and says they are aware of his collective garden. He says the house used to be the worst looking one on the block.

“.…I’ve only been doing this since November. This is an expensive thing to do if you’re going to do it right. I’ve got nothing to hide. There’s no 100 plants. This hurts…it’s life changing stuff….” he said.

He currently has an option to buy the home, but now feels like he needs to break his contract and leave the neighborhood. He says he has retained an attorney.

The tenant says he knows of at least seven grow operations within four blocks of his house.

Collective and Cooperative Marijuana Garden Law

A collective grow is not a business, since the intent of the marijuana grow, under current Washington State law, is for the members of the collective to pool their resources to grow medicinal plants for their own consumption. 

According to the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB), a “collective garden” means qualifying patients share the responsibility for acquiring and supplying the resources required to produce and process cannabis for medical use such as, for example, a location for a collective garden; equipment, supplies, and labor necessary to plant, grow, and harvest cannabis; cannabis plants, seeds, and cuttings; and equipment, supplies, and labor necessary for proper construction, plumbing, wiring, and ventilation of a garden of cannabis plants.

Starting on July 1, 2016, collective gardens will be eliminated, but will allow for the creation of medical marijuana “cooperatives” that may be formed by up to four qualifying patients or designated providers.

Washington State Governor Jay Inslee signed new legislation in July that will make marijuana laws more restrictive. The new law repeals RCW 69.51A.140, which granted cities and counties the authority to adopt and enforce requirements related to medical marijuana, including zoning.

Rules regarding marijuana cooperatives state that they cannot be located within one mile of marijuana retailers; the location must be registered with the WSLCB; they must be located in a domicile of one of the participants; are limited to one cooperative per tax parcel; and may grow up to the total number of plants authorized for each patient, a maximum of 60 plants. Qualifying patients or designated providers may only participate in one cooperative, and are subject to inspection by the WSLCB and law enforcement. The WSLCB may adopt rules relating to security and traceability requirements for cooperatives.

Above: The northeast Olympia neighborhood rocked tonight at the Love our Local Fest on Bethel and San Francisco Avenue. DBST played funkadelic rock.

For more information about this case, go to Little Hollywood, www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com and type key words into the search engine.

Tanasse Ends Olympia Mixed Use Project

Above: Citing cash constraints, John and Tiffany Tanasse have ended their effort to build their mixed use building on State Street near downtown Olympia. 

By Janine Unsoeld

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

After years of planning and personal sacrifice, John and Tiffany Tanasse have ended their effort to build their mixed use building near downtown Olympia. 

Citing financial constraints, local chiropractor John Tanasse warns others in a similar situation to be prepared to bring a whole lot of cash to the table.

The project involved designers, architects, construction companies, city planning officials, and banking representatives. The Tanasse’s also surmounted the objections of the nearby historic Bigelow neighborhood association last October by prevailing in a hearing examiner case, which allowed the couple to build their modern design, urban living combination of home and business.

Bigelow neighborhood residents were upset with the building’s proposed design on the long vacant lot at 924 State Avenue, saying it was not in keeping with standards or the historic nature of the area.

State Street, however, is not part of the historic Bigelow neighborhood boundary. It is considered to be a high density corridor by both the City of Olympia and the Thurston Regional Planning Council.

On Saturday, the couple issued an open letter, reprinted below:

Hello Friends, Neighbors, and Community Members,

We are writing to let others know that we have decided not to build the Tanasse Mixed Use Building at 924 State Ave. 

We arrived at this decision with great difficulty given all of the challenges that we had previously overcome and all of the community support we have received. Ultimately, we embarked on this journey to simplify our lives and make a difference along the way. We have come to a point where the cost of the project makes simplifying very complex. Unfortunately, with all of the delays, we entered the perfect storm of a hot commercial construction market that has moved our project beyond our comfort zone, which was a moderate stretch from the outset.

We apologize that we were unable to finish what we started but hope we have sparked and added to the ongoing interest and conversation regarding a new way forward in Olympia.

We want to personally thank Gretchen Van Dusen, for her friendship and splendid design, Mike Swarthout of Kaufman Construction for his professionalism, Garner Miller of MSGS architects, Paul Strawn of Riley Jackson Real Estate, Catherine McCoy and entire team at the City of Olympia, Karen Messmer for her tireless quest to make Olympia a livable city for all, Duane Edwards, landscape architect, Kevin Ekar of Heritage Bank, Chuck Hoeschen of South Sound Bank, Nick Benzschawel of Washington Business Bank, and for all community members, for and against, who engaged in vigorous debate over this and city direction.

The road ahead has a positive plan B that will allow us to continue to thrive and provide excellent expanded chiropractic services in a new location, as we have long since outgrown our current location.

Thank you for understanding.

Sincerely,

John and Tiffany Tanasse

In an interview with Little Hollywood, John Tanasse described the frustrating experience and their final breaking point.

“Of course, we started the process with many conversations with our bank to explore our readiness as a business and as a borrower. We got the go ahead and commenced on a long journey of check boxes, some easy, and others quite difficult.

“Part of the puzzle included selling our personal residence, then selling a condo we had acquired for our parents, and then, finally, the sale of our office. And while the appeal delayed us a building season, to be fair, so did the sale of our office that did not sell until this past June.

“Meanwhile the building clock was ticking with the final details of the project and financial package coming together as expected, except for a moving budget target related to an increasingly tight commercial building market that saw enormous increases in materials and labor costs regionally.

“This squeezed us into a corner for a commitment that was ultimately beyond our break point. We were positioned to handle the increase, but it changed all available financing formulas for an odd ball building in terms of finding comparison sales to reasonably meet appraisal value, as no matches existed from here to Seattle.

“In other words, our building, having both owner occupied residential and business, failed to conform to the typical loan products available, leaving us in a position of needing to cash roll a much larger portion than we were prepared or willing to, compared to when we started….”

Tanasse said it was this need for cash that ultimately led them to reluctantly shut the project down. A bulldozer has been seen in recent weeks leveling the site, work which was dependent upon the dry season.

“….We were unable to see this coming. This should serve as a heads up to others interested in this…and for the city that has to incorporate more mixed use projects as a part of its comprehensive plan….There are severely limited bank products available to assist with this type of project,” said Tanasse.

Former Olympia city councilmember Karen Messmer, who stays active with city land use issues, is mentioned as a supporter in Tanasse’s letter.

“This project had the right elements for new development - housing above a business, on a transit corridor, close to downtown.  And, this is a well-respected locally owned business and a wonderful family. I am sad that the circumstances did not work out for this project to move forward,” said Messmer.

For more information about the Tanasse’s project, go to Little Hollywood, www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com, and type key words into the search engine.

Above: The Tanasse property at 924 State Street today.

Code Enforcement Leaves Olympia Resident Frustrated

Above: Melinda Spencer arrived early at tonight's Olympia city council meeting to give public comment about an alleged commercial marijuana grow operation in her northeast neighborhood. Spencer believes that three recent utility line fires near her home were caused by the operation. 

By Janine Unsoeld

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

Code enforcement for residents of the City of Olympia is an issue fraught with emotions. Law abiding citizens turn to the City of Olympia for help and information regarding sidewalks blocked with vegetation, abandoned or dilapidated houses used by the homeless, abandoned vehicles, busy drug houses operating in established neighborhoods, and nuisance dogs.

Commercial businesses like the Grande Terrace on Capitol Lake, a wedding and event venue on Deschutes Parkway, also test neighbor's nerves, when they are blatantly allowed to skirt the law, operating in a residential neighborhood and violating the terms of temporary use permits, as well as known federal and state law and city ordinances.

With the help of a concerned group of neighborhood volunteers between 2010 and 2014, the city did pass a repeat violator ordinance and developed an action plan to improve code enforcement but a functional online system that would allow citizens to track the status of code enforcement complaints has yet to be implemented.

Not surprisingly, a 2014 opinion survey of Olympia’s city government services by Elway Research published last November indicates that code enforcement is lagging.

Out of thousands contacted, the poll surveyed 952 residents drawn from a list of residential utility customers provided by the city.  Survey respondents were asked about the quality of life in Olympia and their assessment of city government programs and services.

Performance lagged behind expectations for six services: neighborhood planning, permits and code enforcement, sidewalks, land use, street maintenance and police patrols.

Neighbor Concerned About Alleged Marijuana Grow Operation

Tonight, northeast neighborhood resident Melinda Spencer addressed the Olympia city council about an alleged unpermitted, commercial marijuana growing operation. The home is 200 feet from Roosevelt Elementary School.

Earlier this month, Spencer reached out to Little Hollywood for assistance and granted an interview to explain her plight.

Spencer said that she believes this operation has caused three fires on the power line outside her home since June 29, causing a transformer fire, lit the lawn on fire, and closed the street. She is concerned about the electrical safety of her home, and other homes in her neighborhood, as well as other issues.

In her comments to city council tonight, Spencer said, “Because this business continues to operate unchecked, we are bracing for the next power surge and fire. The city better hope that the melted service line doesn't fall on a school bus, Intercity Transit bus, U.S. Postal Service mail carrier, or anyone else who lives or travels on our street. We need city staff to investigate this situation and take the appropriate actions. And I shouldn't have to lobby City Council to get our staff to do their job.” 

Spencer mentioned that a group of volunteers worked for four years with city staff from 2010 until 2014 to develop workable solutions, but which city managers have largely ignored.

“You should be very concerned about the lack of accountability that has been allowed to take root among our city staff. Volunteers work for years to cultivate strong neighborhoods, but city staff demolish those gains when they ignore clear code violations and allow unsafe and illegal commercial operations to flourish in our communities,” said Spencer. 

 

“I’m sure the individual code enforcement officers took their positions with the city with every intention of doing a good job for the citizens of Olympia. But something is broken at top levels of city management, and this breakdown has cultivated a culture of inaction among key city staff. Olympia will never grow into its potential if residents' efforts to build strong neighborhoods are obliterated by the lack of accountability among management at City Hall,” she said.

Little Progress and the Run-Around

In her interview with Little Hollywood, Melinda Spencer said she works fulltime and researching city codes has been exhausting.

“This is not what I do for living, and I might have missed something, but I want to know what universe I am in that it takes all this work to get city staff to help us with this situation. I’ve lived here 18 years and I’ve never needed code enforcement. Now that I do, I need them to help me,” said Spencer.

Spencer brought her concern to the attention of the city code enforcement staff in June. She also informed Puget Sound Energy (PSE). As her research increased, so did her email communications to the city. Most recently, on August 13, she informed the city council of her concerns, and received no reply. 

In an email to Spencer on August 7, the city's code enforcement manager, Todd Cunningham, said that the service line from the pole to the home is regulated by PSE – the city has no jurisdiction over this part of the electrical system. He referred the situation to Chris Grabowski, the city’s lead code enforcement officer in charge of complaints for the Eastside.

On August 11, Grabowski referred Spencer to Jeff Payne at PSE, who informed Grabowski that PSE was looking into the line failure but they had not made a determination yet on the cause of the fire. According to Spencer, PSE has had to repair the service line to the property three times since late June.

Grabowski also told Spencer that her issue was not a code enforcement issue, but a law enforcement issue. Grabowski forwarded her concern to the Olympia police, who then forwarded it to the Thurston County Narcotics Task Force.

The business is not listed as licensed on a list of marijuana license applicants by the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB). The WSLCB does not issue licenses for locations that are personal residences.

The residence is a small home on a 0.17 acre residential lot owned by Michael Saulino of Ocean Shores, according to Thurston County Assessor’s Office information.

Attempts by neighbors to reach Saulino in early August were unsuccessful. The homeowners sent Saulino a certified letter, but have seen no changes at the home.

“The pot-growing operation continues as usual and it does not look like the tenants are being evicted. We continue to be concerned about fires resulting from these activities,” said Spencer.

Spencer showed Little Hollywood two photos that show how the service line to that property was taped and clamped after the most recent power surge and line fire on July 30.

According to Spencer, a PSE employee who was at her home to determine if her power supply has been affected by the surges said that the fixes to the melted service wire may not appear to be safe, especially if the pot-growing equipment continues to draw extraordinary amounts of energy.

Spencer’s husband, Keith, and PSE staff were given tours by the tenants of the marijuana operation inside the home as well as two attached and detached garages, and confirmed that air conditioners have been running around the clock since they moved into the rental home in January.

In response to Little Hollywood's question about odors, Spencer said, “Yes, there are uncontrolled odors, and the pesticide and fertilizer use goes down into our water system, but the pot operation isn’t even the issue for me. It’s an unpermitted commercial operation that is exceeding the capacity of the system in a residential area….The city is on the hook for this,” said Spencer, as she concluded our interview.

City Response 

As is customary at city council meetings, council members listen to all speakers at public comment time and at their discretion, choose to respond to specific speakers and issues.

In response to Spencer’s comments, Olympia city manager Steve Hall said that city staff has been very responsive to Spencer’s concerns, and detailed the city communications with PSE and staff, information that was already known to Spencer. Hall said PSE has assured the city that the power lines are safe.

Hall also said that he just received information that he had not shared with Spencer.

Hall said that city staff contacted the Thurston County Narcotics Task Force, who investigated and determined that the location is a collective garden operation, which would be allowed under state law, and as such, would not be regulated by the city, nor is a business license required. 

Councilmember Nathaniel Jones commented that he remains concerned about the city’s role in the situation and was concerned about the three recent fires within a short period of time.

“It seems to me we have some responsibility to follow up with PSE in our role….to ensure there are no remaining concerns about fire risk or electrical failure.” He thanked staff for what has been done but said the report did not give him confidence on continuing risk.

Councilmember Jeannine Roe also thanked Spencer for coming, and said she sensed that the city needed the improve communications with constituents.

As the council turned to other business, speakers left the council chambers en masse. Hall quickly gave Spencer his business card as she left.

Outside city hall, Spencer was incensed with Hall’s comments.

“….I was last in contact with the city on Thursday and I never heard anything else after that…. He could have had the courtesy to call or email me…To undercut what I said in public! That’s mean! I’ve waited the last three business days for communication from the city because I’ve been giving them the benefit of the doubt. All along I’ve been thinking, ‘prove me wrong!’ You just don’t do that!”

Spencer complimented the councilmembers who expressed concern about the issue.

“It is not a collective grow operation. They have several hundred plants in there. The city is trying to tie it up in a tiny little bow because code enforcement minimized the problem,” said Spencer.

Above: City of Olympia's Strategic Communications Director Kellie Purce Braseth, who began her new position with the city on July 13, checks the public comment sign-in sheets at 6:50 p.m. City council meetings usually start at 7:00 p.m. At the beginning of the meeting, Braseth takes the sheets to the mayor, who usually calls speakers up to the podium in the order in which they signed up.

Tonight, ten speakers spoke on issues related to code enforcement, public support for the city's possible purchase of 75 acres off Kaiser Road as open park space, support for a $15 minimum wage, support for the the city's possible purchase of LBA Woods, and Black nationalism.

Getting Back to Basics: Event Features Community Reskilling Workshops

Above: A reskilling event in Olympia in 2012 gathered over 150 very engaged community members to watch demonstrations on beekeeping, cheesemaking, basketmaking, candlemaking, building rocket stoves, and creating pop or beer can solar collectors.

By Janine Unsoeld

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

A hands-on, community event featuring reskilling demonstrations and workshops will be held on Saturday, September 12, 12:00 noon to 3:00 p.m. at West Central Park on Olympia’s west side. The park is located on the corner of Harrison and Division. The local bluegrass band, The Pine Hearts, will also perform. The event is free and open to the public.

The event will have short demonstrations and activities related to old-fashioned, common sense skills such as pedal-powered grain grinding, knot-tying, making and cooking on rocket stoves, seed saving, managing waste with waterless toilets, and more.

Seeing a community need for such an event, an organization called Transition Olympia founded the popular festival several years ago. Pulling together skilled, local artisans to coordinate about 15 workshops, organizer Gita Moulton says that climate disruption is one of the most, if not the most, critical issue facing our planet and our community.

“….I don't see any indication that most folks are aware of just how uncertain our future is,” says Moulton. Moulton, 83, possesses extensive knowledge of carpentry and urban farming skills including chicken raising, abundant year round food production, and effective weatherization of old homes. She is eager to share her knowledge.

“I would love to see the skills concept not only continue but expand, because I think the need for young people, especially, to learn to use their hands for something besides texting is going to be really important for their future,” says Moulton.

There are many books that review reskilling and community survival concepts, but Moulton recommends starting with The Transition Handbook: From Oil Dependency to Local Resilience by Rob Hopkins.

“….As for skills, Back to Basics: How to Learn and Enjoy Traditional American Skills is a good place to start. My copy was originally published in 1981 and was updated in 2008. It has a lot of good information on specific skills,” suggests Moulton.

Transition Olympia was based on implementing the concepts in the Transition Handbook, but is presently inactive. 

“We chose to use the funds left in its account to sponsor the reskilling event. We are not charging for event participation, so there won't be anything coming in to replace the money for future events,” says Moulton.

Moulton hopes individuals and organizations will step up to help organize future events.

Above: Sara Vautaux will demonstrate her back to basics skills with a pedal-powered grain grinding workshop at the reskilling event on September 12. Vautaux also grows her own chamomile flowers to make into tea. The chamomile can be fresh or dried, and contains relaxing properties that can calm one's nerves.

Back-to-Basics Workshops

PEDAL-POWERED GRAIN GRINDING: The hand mill using two flat stones to grind grain into flour is one of the most primitive utensils in the world. The hand crank grain mill was certainly a great improvement, but grinding grain is much easier if you are using your feet rather than your arms. Try taking turns pedaling a bike which is hooked up to a grain grinder which turns whole wheat into flour. (Sarah Vautaux)

KNOT TYING: Knowledge of knots has been useful for hundreds of years, not only for boating and fishing but for many outdoor activities. It’s also useful for emergencies. Try your hand at some of the basic knots and pick up a diagram to take home so you can practice. (Mark Bock)

COOKING ON A ROCKET STOVE: Rocket stoves are low tech, ultra-efficient, clean burning, low cost, and easy to build. The technology, which was originally designed for third world countries running out of fuel, can also be applied to heating space or heating water. Find out how to make your own simple rocket cook stove with discarded tin cans.  (Gita Moulton)

Above: Tim Thetford demonstrates the efficiency of his homemade rocket stove at a reskilling event in Olympia in 2012.

FERMENTATION: Aside from the health benefits of the probiotics in fermented foods, interest in fermentation, one of the oldest forms of food preservation, is growing today as a way to prolong the life of food and preserve its quality without refrigerating or adding chemicals. Making sauerkraut and kimchee will be demonstrated. Maybe there will be samples! (Joanne Lee)

NATURAL BUILDING: There is a movement away from conventional resource intensive building with wood to straw bale and cob construction using local renewable resources. Joseph Becker has been experimenting and will bring his Rumpelstiltskin machine to make some "insulating earth" or "light clay straw." It’s fun to watch! (Joseph Becker)

MAKING FIRE: Knowing how to start a fire without matches is an essential survival skill. You never know when you’ll find yourself in a situation where you’ll need a fire, but you don’t have matches. And whether or not you ever need to call upon this skill, it’s just really cool to know you can do it. Watch a quick and simple demonstration on how easy it is to do using just a piece of flint or quartz and a piece of carbon steel. Try it for yourself!  (Glen Buschmann and Janet Partlow)

CANDLE MAKING: How many of us are prepared with candles for light when there is a power outage from windstorms or other emergencies? Having a supply is easy if you have old crayons or candle stubs on hand. And even if you don’t, it’s easy to make your own with local beeswax. Here’s your chance to see how it’s done and give it a try.  (Scott Bishop)

PINCH POTS: A pinch pot is a simple form of hand-made pottery produced from ancient times to the present. Simple clay vessels such as bowls and cups can be formed and shaped by hand using thumb and forefinger, a basic pot making method that’s good for beginners. Try making one! She might even fire it for you if you ask. (Jen Olson)

TOOL SHARPENING: Tool sharpening can be an intimidating skill to master but it’s also an important one to learn. You simply can't do many jobs with a dull tool, and you can perform any cutting task much better and more easily with a sharp one. Watching Rama can give you an idea of how to start with maybe a kitchen knife before tackling the pruners or a hatchet. (Rama Lash)

WEAVING ON A FRAME LOOM: Weaving is one of the oldest surviving crafts. Long before looms were invented to make cloth or rugs, the concept of interlacing fibers was applied to using branches to create fences for protection or twigs to make baskets. Working on a simple frame loom, which you can easily make yourself, is a good way to explore the concept of weaving or maybe make a handbag or placemat. (Barb Scavezze)

WATERLESS TOILETS: There are many good reasons to think about waterless toilets, especially now as we continue with our drought, but primarily, they conserve water. They also manage waste on site or they can convert the waste into fertilizer. Many models, like the one Pat will show you, are available commercially, but you can also build your own. (Pat Holm)

BIKE REPAIR: Economic instability, ever-increasing climate change and the environmental risks associated with oil extraction are three of the many reasons why riding a bike is an excellent reliable alternative to driving. But it won’t be reliable unless your bike is in good working order. If you bring your flat tires or other minor adjustments or problems, Tim and Michael will help you fix them and give you good tips on tune up and maintenance. (Tim Russell and Michael Loski) 

         

SPINNING WITH A DROP SPINDLE: There is evidence that drop spindles were used to spin fiber as far back as 5,000 BCE. They were the primary spinning tool used to spin all the threads for Egyptian mummy wrappings and even the ropes for ships for almost 9,000 years! It’s a little trickier to learn to use, but a $6 drop spindle will give you yarn just as good as you can get with a spinning wheel. Try your hand at it and maybe pick up a spindle for further practice at home. (Shannon Rae Pritchard)

SEED SAVING: All domestic crops were once from wild seed which Stone Age farmers saved to protect their food supply from unfavorable climate conditions or invading tribes.  Learn how to protect the seeds that perform best on your own land with your own unique growing conditions, and protect them from corporate control. It’s not difficult. (Tanner Milliren)

For more information about the event, contact Gita Moulton, (360) 352-9351 or gitamoulton@earthlink.net.

 Above: A cheesemaking workshop with Kim Gridley at the reskilling event in 2012 was very popular.

For past stories and photos at Little Hollywood about community resiliency and reskilling events, go to www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com and type key words into the search engine.

86th Annual Pet Parade

Above: Yelm Prairie Elementary students won the Best Group award today at the Pet Parade in downtown Olympia.

By Janine Unsoeld

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

The weather cooperated for the 86th annual Pet Parade, which got underway this morning with music performed by the American Legion Band in downtown Olympia. 

Costumed chickens, dogs, cats, turtles, and horses walked, were carried, or rode on decorated floats related to this year’s theme of “Under the Sea.” 

It’s all about having fun, appreciating our pets, and receiving a little bit of local recognition that can last a long time in a person’s memory. A woman sitting near me on the corner of 5^th Avenue and Washington Street with her grandson recalled that she won the Pet Parade’s award for having the Smartest Cat in 1961.

After the parade, everyone went to Sylvester Park for free ice cream, pet-related goodie bags and awards in special categories. The Best Group entry was won by Yelm Prairie Elementary schoolchildren. They received a $250 gift certificate from Mud Bay Granary.

Angie Patton said she and her family, including her daughter, Ashleyn Colten, have been participating in the Pet Parade for over 20 years.

Today, they won the Judges Choice award in the Wheels Category with their float called Finding Nemo. Their toy poodles, Lexi, 3, and Sophie, 5, were Dori and Nemo, respectively, while Lola, their three year old mastiff, was Bruce the Shark. Colten said they worked about two weeks on their float and were up until 3 a.m. this morning finishing it.

As for Lexi and Sophie, the special dye used to color their fur will last for about two or three months, so if you see them out and about in the community, be sure to congratulate them on their award!

The annual event is sponsored by The Olympian newspaper, the Olympia Downtown Association, and many local businesses.

Above: Ashleyn Colten, left, with Lola, a mastiff, and Colten's mother, Angie Patton, with toy poodles Lexi and Sophie in Sylvester Park after the Pet Parade today.

National Move To Amend Speaker in Olympia

I-735 Update: Volunteers Needed 

By Janine Unsoeld

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

David Cobb, 2004 Green Party presidential nominee and spokesperson for Move To Amend, will be speaking on behalf of Initiative 735 on Wednesday, August 12, at 7:00 p.m. at Traditions Cafe, 300 5th Ave SW in downtown Olympia.

The event is sponsored by local organizers of the Washington Coalition to Amend the Constitution (WAmend), who seek to make Washington the 17^th state to ask that Congress pass a 28^th Amendment to overrule  the US Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v Federal Election Commission.

Issues to be discussed include ending corporate personhood and the corporate control of our government and the implications of the campaign to overturn the court decision.

“Getting enough signatures for I-735 on the ballot is not yet assured…we are close to where we want to be…but, still, just a little behind schedule,” said local WAmend campaign organizer Michael Savoca.

More than 100 active signature gatherers throughout the state have brought in 100,000 signatures to date. The campaign does not have any paid signature gatherers.

“Sadly, as hard as these volunteers have worked, they need to substantially increase their efforts in the remaining months for us to make it over the finish line in time. We need more volunteers, especially people who would be willing to take even just one or two petitions and leisurely let friends and family sign, over the next month or two,” said Savoca.

The campaign is required to submit 250,000 valid signatures by December 30th 2015.  To ensure 250,000 valid signatures are submitted, the group must gather over 300,000 signatures.

While that deadline seems far away, seasoned organizers know that, realistically, volunteers do not want to gather signatures in the rain and will be distracted by Thanksgiving and the rest of the holiday season. 

“We need help so that I-735 can succeed, and thus we can end corporate rule, and have “government of the people... by the people…. and for the people,” said Savoca.

For more information about the event and local I-735 campaign efforts, and to obtain initiative petitions, contact Michael Savoca at masavoca@fairpoint.net or (360) 951-6518.

For past stories about getting big money out of politics, see articles at Little Hollywood, www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com. An article on February 7, 2015 explains the difference between an initiative to the Legislature and an initiative to the people.