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December 2011
The winter holidays are here and it’s time to spread love and Kiwanis cheer! Give an Olympia Kiwanis Poinsettia to someone you hold dear, or make a new friend with a lovely red, pink, or white poinsettia gift.
Thanks to our may Kiwanis volunteers and the community for their support of our gardens. We’ve
reached a new record with over 36,000 pounds of fresh vegetables donated to the Thurston County Food Bank this year. While this was certainly a group and community effort, special thanks are due to our two garden leaders, Don Leaf and Derek Valley. Without their leadership and oversight this wouldn’t be possible. Steve and Kathleen Drew also are due for recognition for their work in starting the Capital Campus garden site.
We can now look forward to Bell Ringing for the Salvation Army’s annual red kettle fund raiser. I know our members always enjoy this activity and the opportunity it gives them to meet and greet the public while also working with our Key Club members.
Remember to mark your calendars for the 4th annual Kiwanis Casino Nite—Saturday, March 3, 2012 from 7 to 10 pm at the Tumwater Comfort Inn. We need to sell tickets and find sponsor for this event to help fund our community activities.
Best wishes for happy holidays to all our members, their family and friends. Thank you all for you efforts to make this a great community!
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Thurston County Prosecutor
12/12/11Thurston County Prosecutor John Tunheim was the speaker at the December 12, 2011 meeting of the Olympia Kiwanis Club. Mr. Tunheim spoke about the changing role of the prosecuting attorney.
While historically (in the United States), the prosecuting attorney is an elected position and a part of the executive branch of government, the role hasn't changed much from the 1704 royal proclamation advertising for a "...sober, discrete, religious, attorney to prosecute criminals, supress vice and immorality...".
However, now the prosecuting attorney has criminal and civil responsibilities to prosecute all felonies and misdemeanors in unincorporated areas of the county, together with all juvenile offenses.[More]
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| Safeplace
12/05/11Mary Pontarolo, Executive Director of Safeplace was the guest speaker at the December 5, 2011, meeting of the Olympia Kiwanis Club. Serving Thurston County since 1991, Safeplace offers a refuge for victims of domestic and sexual violence. It also serves Lewis, Mason and Grays Harbor Counties.
The 28 bed shelter normally houses 15 children and 15 women at all times. And, Safeplace advocates for victims respond to about 8 rape exams a month at St.[More]
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| Providence-St. Peter's Medical Foundation Christmas Forest
11/30/11The Olympia Kiwanis Club joined with the Olympia Rotary Club on Monday, November 30th, at the Red Lion Inn for a special program. We were all able to support the Providence-St. Peter's Medical Foundation by having lunch surrounded by their Christmas Forest! The Annual Christmas Forest raises funds for those folks who cannot pay their medical costs. Meanwhile, we were also delighted to hear music from the Olympia High School jazz band and choir.[More]
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| Washington's Secretary of State Sam Reed
11/14/11Washington's Secretary of State Sam Reed (and Olympia Kiwanian), spoke at the November 14, 2011, meeting of the Olympia Kiwanis Club about his 34 Years of Public Service.
Starting out listening to his grandfather's political stories as a child, Sam majored in political science at Washington State University, where he became the president of the "Young Republicans" club. Throughout his years in state and local government, Sam has reinforced three consistent themes in all his efforts:
1. Civic Duty and Volunteerism
2. Civility in Government
3.[More]
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| Department of Veteran's Affairs
11/07/11John Lee, Director of the Department of Veteran's Affairs spoke at the November 7, 2011, meeting of the Olympia Kiwanis Club.
Director Lee reminded us that there are 670,000 veterans living in Washington State (240,000 are veterans of the Vietnam conflict, 63,000 are veterans from the current two wars). Our state is unique, in that our veteran populations increases 4-5% each year. We are 11th out of the 50 states in the size and number of our veteran residents.
The Department of Veteran's Affairs has launched a program to end homelessness for vets in Washington State.[More]
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| Thurston County Public Utility District
10/24/11Alan Corwin, a commissioner for Thurston County Public Utility District (PUD) #1 - and Olympia Kiwanian - spoke at the October 24, 2011, meeting of the Olympia Kiwanis Club.
Our PUD manages water resources for the public at a lower rate private utility providers. In fact, our rate increase is less than the current rate of inflation!
PUD's were created by Initiative Measure #1 in 1930. PUD’s combine the strongest elements of a private corporation, a municipal utility system, and cooperatives into one organization.[More]
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| Thurston County Assessor
10/17/11Steve Drew, Thurston County Assessor (and Olympia Kiwanian), presented the program for the October 24, 2011, meeting of the Olympia Kiwanis Club.
Steve has been our Assessor for just under 10 months now. During that time he and his staff have eliminated the backlog for the Board of Equalization on appeals to property assessments. They have also rescheduled employees to allow for greater access to the taxpayers, keeping the office open from 0800 to 1700 (8 am to 5 pm) Monday through Friday. Yes, they are even open during the traditional lunch hour of 12 to 1 pm.[More]
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| Washington Office of Financial Management
9/26/11Marty Brown, the Director of the Office of Financial Management spoke at the September 26, 2011, meeting of the Olympia Kiwanis Club. Director Brown reminded us that 88% of the Washington State Budget is used to 1) educate, 2) incarcarate and 3) to medicate. We are now at the point where we have to stop doing some of the services we do, in order to survive the current recession/depression. It is unfortunate, but when our revenues are down, our request for services are up.
Since 2007, there are 5,000 less state employess - 2,000 from Thurston County.[More]
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| South Sound Estuary Association
9/19/11Melanie Kincade, from the South Sound Estuary Association (SSEA), spoke at the September 19, 2011, meeting of the Olympia Kiwanis Club. The South Sound Estuary Association was founded in 2007 to promote an aquarium-type center in Olympia to provide education about south sound waters.
While most folks thing of an estuary, as a point where fresh water mixes with salt water, this is a "pocket estuary" - of which we have many. Puget Sound itself, is a fjord estuary, with over 2,000 miles of shoreline.
The South Sound Estuary Association hopes to eventually build or lease about a 12,000 sq ft facility that will have permanent and rotating exhibits.[More]
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| Business-to-Business Trade Mission to China
9/12/11Olympia Mayor, and Olympia Kiwanian, DOUG MAH, spoke at the September 12, 2011, meeting of the Olympia Kiwanis Club about his recent Business to Business trade mission to China. Doug said this was the trip of a lifetime, especially for a Chinese-American Mayor. The trip's purpose was to promote tourism, encourage trade and shipping and investments.
China has both incredibly wealthy and incredibly poor people. But, "sometimes I felt like I was in downtown Bellevue" said, Doug, because of the diversity of the people on the street. Don't go to China if you don't like crowds - it is very crowded most of the time. There is an annual influx in Shanghai of 3 million people a year to the city (from the country).
We are very fortunate to have a strong relationship between St. Martin's University (in Lacey) and the Shanghai Maritime University. Remember, this is still a communist country. There is a strong military presence (but, don't take photos of them). Be respectful, and remember there are cameras everywhere!
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| Area High School Football Forecast
8/29/11Dick Nichols, former Thurston County Commissioner and the voice of high school sports in our county for over 30 years, gave us a preview of what to expect with high school sports and the new school year begins, at the August 29, 2011, meeting of the Olympia Kiwanis Club.
Enrollment counts this year will determine the league the high schools are in for the next 2 years. Right now, Olympia High School is in a 4A league. Capital High School, Timberline High School and Yelm High School are in the 3A league. Tumwater, North Thurston, River Ridge, Black Hills, Centralia and Aberdeen high schools are in the 2A league.
All these high schools have great students coming up that play exciting foot ball games. Be sure to support these students as they learn discipline and teamwork through their local sports.
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| Kiwanis Law Enforcement Youth Camp
Olympia Kiwanis is the organizing Kiwanis Club that organizes the annual Kiwanis Law Enforcement Youth Camp each year.
The 2012 camp is set for July 8-14, 2012. If you know of a high school junior or senior who thinks they are interested in a career in law enforcement, now is the time to download the application form, complete it and submit it for the 2012 camp. The form is available at: www.wsp.wa.gov in the Community Outreach section.[More]
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| Happy Holidays
As 2011 comes to a close, the members of the Olympia Kiwanis Club wish everyone a happy and safe holiday season! Best wishes to all!
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Joanie Ward and Autumn, wrapping presents together
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Olympia Kiwanis' Waterfront Satellite Christmas Shopping Spree
On December 10th the members and friends of Waterfront Satellite Kiwanis gathered at the Lacey, Washington, Fred Meyer Store for their 23rd annual Christmas Shopping Spree.
All summer long the members, along with friends, volunteers and family members, sell hot dogs at various venues in order to garner enough money for the annual spree. Then, a week or two before Christmas, they meet their young charges for a blowout. The children were selected this year by the Tumwater/Rochester Boys’ and Girls’ Club, and most of them were in third grade.[More]
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| OK Foundation Aids Combined Fund Drive
Terry Kirkpatrick (retired DNR), Derek Valley (retired State Capitol Museum), and Steve Drew (Thurston County Assessor) greet state employees on the Capitol Campus for the Combined Fund Drive Fair. The Olympia Kiwanis Foundation (a 501c3) is part of the Combined Fund Drive charities - # 0319591. As part of the charity fair displays, we offered a basket of vegetables to the state employee who could guess the number of pounds of vegetables harvested through September 7th of this year! We also brought onions grown at the Capitol Campus gardens as a free "gift" for people who stopped to talk about our Food Bank Gardens project and Kiwanis.[More]
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| Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Awards
The 2011 Pat Sutherland Memorial Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Awards were presented at a joint meeting of the Olympia Kiwanis Club and the West Olympia Rotary on July 5, 2011, at Tugboat Annies Restaurant. The local chiefs of police, sheriff and WSP Lieutentant explained briefly why their officers won the award this year.
This annual award is named in memory of former Thurston County Prosecutor Patrick Sutherland, who served as the county prosecutor from 1974-1994, and began the awards. The award winners themselves are determined based on a vote by their peers at their respective agencies.[More]
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| Olympia HS Scholarship Winners
Students from Olympia High School were present at the June 20, 2011, meeting of the Olympia Kiwanis Club, to receive their scholarship awards. OHS Principal (and Olympia Kiwanian) Matt Grant introduced the students and gave a brief summary of their high school accomplishments.
Pictured left to right: Alicia Jackson (President of the OHS Key Club), received the George Yantis $1,000 scholarship and will be attending Central Washington University; Kathryn Culhane received the Pat Sutherland $1,000 scholarship and will be attending Yale; Dylon Danforth received the Cortland Skinner $1,000 scholarship and will be attending Centralia Community College. Not pictured, Ellen Phillips received the Max Milsap $1,000 scholarship and will be attending Concordia University.[More]
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| Capital HS Scholarship Winners
Pictured Left to Right, Jacob Williams (CHS Key Club President), T.J. Griggs, Cameron Seib, and Natalie Christopher, from Capital High School.
Student from Capital High School attended the June 6, 2011, meeting of the Olympia Kiwanis Club to thank the club for the $1,000 (each) scholarship they received. Each scholarships is named after distinguished past members, as a way to honor their years of contributions.[More]
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| Achieving By Believing
Lauren Bergatsi from Olympia High School was recognized at the May 9th, 2011, meeting of the Olympia Kiwanis Club for Achieving by Believing. Lauren has shown resilience andperservance in keeping active in school while working and living independently. She loves learning and statistics, and is a self directed learner. She has recently directed a school play, and has earned 3 scholarships to the Evergreen State College.[More]
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| 2011 Thurston County Citizen of the Year
BARBARA LANTZ was named as the 2010 Volunteer Thurston County Citizen of the Year at an awards ceremony hosted by the Olympia Kiwanis Club on April 11, 2011.
Barbara Lantz, nominated by Matt Hornyak, chairs the Social Justice Ministry Team for The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd. Barb and her volunteer team sponsor a variety of ministries that address hunger, homelessness, creation care and related concerns. For five years she worked with Good Shepherd to host the Interfaith Works Overflow Women’s Shelter four weeks a year.[More]
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| Achieving by Believing
While he admits his grades weren't the best when he started high school, Cameron Landry, from Olympia High School says he is looking forward to finishing high school. Cameron was recognized by the Olympia Kiwanis Club at their January 31, 2011, weekly meeting for Achieving by Believing. OHS Principal Matthew Grant said Cameron is the first person to volunteer for anything. And, he is so good with technology, he provides computer workshops for the OHS teaching staff. Cameron goes above and beyond in his efforts to benefits others, and is interested in a possible career in law enforcement.[More]
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