Thursday, October 1, 2026
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This week, I witnessed our town sing and dance, embrace our talented teenagers, welcome dancers from Ukraine, and continue to bring flavor to each other’s ...
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By Rachel Benton
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10/23/25
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Birders of the Puget Sound area are calling this the unofficial "year of the shearwater." Small flocks of short-tailed shearwaters, with a few sooty ...
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When I discovered I had double-booked myself on the afternoon of Oct. 19, Miranda agreed to go to the Olympia Symphony Orchestra (OSO) ...
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By Rachel Benton
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10/22/25
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Earlier this month, my wife Wendy and I visited Loch Ness in Scotland. No, we did not see “Nessie,” the world’s best known “cryptid” (creature), but we here in the …
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Ira Wesley Kitmacher
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10/17/25
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A recent commentary has accused the Port of Olympia of “financial mismanagement,” suggesting that local taxpayers would be better served if the port were ...
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Philip Stielstra has three degrees — one in history, a second in engineering, and a Masters in Business Administration. He never used them in his career at ...
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Why would a King County Political Action Committee spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on an initiative campaign to impose new mandates ...
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Differences in language can either confuse us or intrigue us. Regardless of the attitude you choose, there is an opportunity to connect with a human ...
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By Rachel Benton
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10/16/25
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Madeline L’Engle, author of “A Wrinkle in Time,” once wrote, “We can't take any credit for our talents. It's how we use them that ...
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By Rachel Benton
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10/15/25
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Before getting into the column, we want to remind everyone about the 19th annual Concern for Animals “Toast for Tails” ...
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By Trish Lynn and Thom Donitz
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10/14/25
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The Port of Olympia owns approximately $500 million in property, according to data received from the Thurston County Assessor. But, unlike a ...
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Comedy is the art form that reaches the most people (especially on social media), and is unique in that it exists as its own entity, within other art forms ...
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By Rachel Benton
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10/10/25
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It surprised me the first time it happened: Pulling up broccoli plants at the end of the growing season caused a sudden stab of sadness. For months, these plants ...
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By Jill Severn
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10/10/25
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I have an old neighbor with a lot of junk piled up in his yard. His name is Tumwater. I love this guy. We've been friends for over 30 years. I may not understand ...
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Pelagic birds are residents of the open ocean. They spend most of their lives flying the “Seven Seas” to visit seasonal seafood ...
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Thurston County, I am so amazed by your talent, dedication and passion that glowed throughout Arts Walk ...
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By Rachel Benton
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10/8/25
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Last week, on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, our community lost Gerald “Jerry” Fay, MD. Dr. Fay was my physician when I moved to Olympia 13 years ...
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There are many reasons why people believe unidentified flying objects (UFOs) are real and reflect an otherworldly ...
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I’m angry. I’m not mad at aphids or powdery mildew though; I’m riled up because last Saturday Donald Trump announced that he told Pete Hegseth ...
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At the Nisqually Watershed Festival, I told one of the regular readers of Thurston’s Birds a migration story about a bar-tailed godwit flying ...
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