|
Out for a stroll on a gorgeous evening, as I walked past LP Brown Elementary School on Olympia’s west side, I was sad to see that our school district hasn’t learned something that every school …
more
|
|
Back in the day, calling someone a pansy was an insult. It meant weak and wimpy. For boys or men, it meant effeminate. Today there are many newer and more pungent insults to choose from. But pansies ...
more
|
|
We have two members of the goldfinch branch of the large finch family here in Thurston County — the American goldfinch and the lesser goldfinch. All finches are seed-eating birds with a conical bill ...
more
|
|
Imagine you're competing in a spelling bee and the judge gives you the word, “Art.” Reading it right now, the task seems easy, but nerves take over and you need to ask ...
more
By Rachel Benton
|
5/21/25
|
|
It’s right there in the headline: The Journal of Olympia, Lacey & Tumwater has been producing original local news stories for five years as of today.
Some would say we’ve …
more
|
|
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) ...
more
By Shannon Sankstone
|
5/19/25
|
|
|
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 ...
more
|
|
|
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 …
more
|
|
|
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 …
more
By Rachel Benton
|
5/14/25
|
|
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?” …
more
|
|
|
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 …
more
By Shannon Sankstone
|
5/9/25
|
|
|
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 …
more
|
|
|
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 …
more
By Rachel Benton
|
5/8/25
|
|
|
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 ...
more
|
|
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 …
more
|
|
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 …
more
|
|
|
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 …
more
By Rachel Benton
|
5/1/25
|
|
|
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 …
more
|
|
|
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 …
more
|
|
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 …
more
By Shannon Beigert
|
4/28/25
|