George Le Masurier, Publisher
Jerre Redecker, Senior Editor
John Dodge, Columnist
Mary Gentry, Community Representative
Doug Mah, Community Representative
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Calling Thurston County armchair critics of local government: It’s time to prove you aren’t all talk.
YAY: PUBLIC EMPLOYEES
Anna Jarvis, one of two women credited with establishing Mother’s Day in the United States, filed a lawsuit in the early part of the last century to stop the over-commercialization of the holiday. She lost that suit, but Jarvis’ fight for a day of quiet reflection and appreciation for the role that mothers play in everyone’s life should live on.
After a two-week break to refresh and hear from constituents, state lawmakers will return to the Capitol Campus on Monday to finish the work they couldn’t accomplish in 105 days: passing a budget. We hope legislators used this time to step back from party politics and return next week with a single-minded focus to do what is best for all people in the state of Washington.
The use of public surveillance cameras to catch the Boston bombing suspects has prompted a nationwide conversation over how to balance privacy concerns with public safety. It’s an issue of interest for cities such as Olympia and Seattle, where identifying lawbreakers during May Day marches has proved troublesome.
One can only marvel at the chutzpah of politicians who exploit fears of “big government” while submersing themselves neck-deep in the pork barrel. For example, Sen. Don Benton and his cronies on the Clark County Commission.
Record-breaking temperatures and a 60-acre fire burning in the heart of Capitol State Forest provided a necessary early warning to take extra precautions in the backcountry. If campfires become wildfires, tragic consequences can result.
When the Olympia City Council updated an ordinance allowing residents to engage in more backyard farming, the capital city joined other Thurston County jurisdictions in a growing trend. More people — urban and rural — are growing or raising some of their own food.
Tuition at community colleges might be rising faster than a tide in full flood, but students at Washington state’s 34 public institutions have saved more than $5 million in textbook expenses since the Open Course Library launched in the fall of 2011.
YAY: NEW CITY PARK