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Here I am in May, writing in the hopes that my and your October is a little calmer and happier. Despite being monikered Shantober (it’s my birthday month) ...
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By Shannon Sankstone
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5/19/25
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In 1990, Olympia’s Yashiro Japanese Garden opened to the public, but because it’s tucked away behind walls along a five-lane street with fast-moving traffic ...
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These tiny insect-eating warblers are perhaps the most amazing of all our Thurston County breeding birds. They weigh less than one-half ounce yet manage to migrate hundreds and sometimes thousands of …
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What I cherish about the arts scene in Thurston County is the sense of originality that electrifies its core.
This week’s column celebrates the originality displayed in Olympia Little …
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By Rachel Benton
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5/14/25
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Almost all of us have heard it (yes, pun intended), the famous philosophical quote that — “If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” …
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Hope springs eternal … and readers, it is SPRING! SPRING should always be in all caps, in my opinion. And you know what is really giving me hope lately?
I’m seeing more and …
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By Shannon Sankstone
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5/9/25
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This week I found myself humming a tune from a song in the musical "Camelot." These are its opening lines:
“Tra la! It's May! The lusty month of May! That lovely …
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Growing up as a choir person, I will never forget the words to the song “Part of that World” from Disney’s “The Little Mermaid.” I remember countless moments when we …
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By Rachel Benton
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5/8/25
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Recently I received a message from a regular reader and was immediately reminded of my first-ever bird identification.
On a sunny morning in May 1977, I was living in an apartment along ...
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You can learn a lot about this area from bulletin boards and telephone poles.
Because the greater Olympia area is home to a disproportionate number of over-educated creative types, many of …
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Kathleen Anderson died on March 27, 2025, at age 81.
She was a great-great-grandmother, an entrepreneur, a social service professional, and a print and television journalist. Prior to her …
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Ah Arts Walk. This was just the breath of fresh air our community needed! The weekend was vibrant, the atmosphere warm, and the surroundings colorful and full of cheer. I engaged in many of the …
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By Rachel Benton
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5/1/25
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Last fall, I wrote about a new tool called BirdCast that ornithologists use to track the patterns and timing of bird migrations. As this screenshot shows, this tool …
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The main difference between reptiles and mammals is how they breathe.
Mammals, such as humans, cats, dogs, etc. have the instinct to breathe. Our instinct to take a breath is caused by the …
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Last week I vacationed in Skagit and Whatcom counties. I was fortunate to visit the blooming tulip gardens and fields of Mount Vernon for the first time. The visual beauty and delicate fragrances of …
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By Shannon Beigert
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4/28/25
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A Thurston county mom of a fifth grader and I recently reviewed a draft of her daughter’s Individualized Education Program (IEP). The mother, Stacie Billings (not her real name), understood ...
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By Shannon Sankstone
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4/25/25
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People on my street were without water for eight hours earlier this week. In the 30 years I’ve lived here, my house and my hose have never been without ...
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Last week, I had two entirely unique experiences in the arts scene of Thurston County. On Saturday, I had the opportunity to watch a rehearsal for Studio West Dance Theatre’s production of the …
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By Rachel Benton
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4/24/25
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This past weekend many children participated in a traditional spring ritual — receiving baskets lined with green artificial grass and gathering “eggs” of various sorts to fill those …
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By George Walter
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4/24/25
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True story: I was recently searching for a photo of a messy backpack or locker. None compared to what I saw in my teaching career. My next attempt ...
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