Opinion | The JOLT News Organization, A 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organization

Saving the planet, one clover seed at a time

I am perennially perplexed about my lawn. The more I read about lawn, the more I have thought that getting rid of it might be the environmentally responsible thing to do. But I like it a lot, … more

By Jill Severn | 5/28/21

On Memorial Day the flag should be flown at half-staff from sunrise until noon only, then raised briskly to the top of the staff until sunset, in honor of the nation’s battle heroes.

Memorial Day Memories…

For many Americans Memorial Day is a three-day weekend with family gatherings, bar-b-ques and camping trips to local lakes and oceans. For many seniors it is a time to remember… Thoughts … more

By Kathleen Anderson | 5/26/21

Petition requests NTPS Board members to resign

Hello. We are the NT Fairness Alliance. We are parents, teachers, and community members within North Thurston Public Schools. 10 days ago we launched a petition, requesting the NTPS Board … more

5/25/21

Danny Stusser is publisher of JOLT - The Journal of Olympia, Lacey & Tumwater

What have we learned in a year

As many say lately, it's been a year. In the case of The JOLT, it's been our first year. What have we learned? People around here care about trees, crime, whom to … more

By Danny Stusser | 5/21/21 | 1 comment

Shirley poppies are one of several annual flowers that reseed themselves; they grow well in Thurston County and come up in a variety of colors.

Easy flowers to grow from seed

Once I was sent to the hardware store to buy nails. I knew nothing about construction. When the clerk said “box or common?” I just felt ignorant and incompetent – which, of course, … more

By Jill Severn | 5/21/21

Jay Banks, executive director of Pizza Klatch

Commenting on the situation in Cortez, Colorado

Situations like what’s happening in Cortez, Colorado really break my heart. Young people coming together in search of community and understanding are being met with ignorance and attempts to … more

By Jay Banks, Executive Director, Pizza Klatch | 5/20/21

It all began with pizza (in Cortez, Colorado)

In the mid-1960s, my dad served on the school board in Cortez, in rural southern Colorado. He recalled that at one meeting he said something a little too liberal because a fellow board member … more

By Laura Roberts McHenry | 5/20/21

Even in 2021, this flag is much more likely to be safely displayed in Lacey, Olympia or Tumwater than it would be in Cortez, Colorado.

LGBTQ+ students are safer in Thurston County than in other places

When you read what's happening in Cortez, Colorado and then brush up on your knowledge of Olympia's Pizza Klatch, you'll see a contrast in culture and politics. And whatever you think of … more

5/19/21

Happy New Year!

Well, folks, the end is in sight. A little over a year in lockdown is about to end. We can choose to go maskless in public. We can dine out, attend a movie and shop in stores instead of having our … more

By Kathleen Anderson | 5/19/21

"Seek first to understand, then to be understood"

I just don’t understand the reason for the level of suspicion and nastiness I see on social media when talking about political issues. We’ve all watched how social discourse has … more

By Pat Cole | 5/18/21 | 2 comments

The challenging Law of Attraction

Dear Lexis, I’ve never really believed in the whole Law of Attraction thing, but it seems to be a belief that you recommend. I wondered why that is and how you can justify holding such a … more

By Alexis Rae Baker | 5/17/21

Whom can you trust?

I once had a neighbor who earned a Master Gardener title by attending a series of classes. She had never grown a single broccoli plant, but she was quite free with gardening advice. After one … more

By Jill Severn | 5/14/21

Read any good books lately?

Here’s a little fun history… Did you know that, in December 1896, the Women’s Club of Olympia established a library service with “reading matter” donated by … more

By Kathleen Anderson | 5/12/21

Shame that this innocent bear was killed

On Monday morning, May 10, when I heard that a large black bear up a tree in a suburban neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri, was respectfully tranquilized and taken a way to be released after being … more

5/12/21 | 1 comment

On meditation

Dear Lexis, I’ve been trying to set up a meditation practice like you suggest but I don’t know that I’m doing it right. Nothing really seems to happen and I don’t know what … more

By Alexis Rae Baker | 5/10/21

Housing prices in the West are over the moon

One hundred thirty thousand dollars. That’s what it takes for a down payment to buy an average-priced home in Bozeman, Montana. Then an aspiring homeowner must fork out another $3,000 each … more

By Jonathan Thompson | 5/10/21 | 1 comment

Plant seeds!

It saddens me to see people spending money on little vegetable plants in unrecyclable plastic containers -- because most vegetables are so easy to grow from seeds. Yet the trend away from seeds and … more

By Jill Severn | 5/7/21 | 1 comment

Saying goodbye …

A lot has been reported about COVID-related deaths in the past year. The numbers are horrific and few have been untouched by this pandemic. Other causes of death have taken a back seat during this … more

By Kathleen Anderson | 5/5/21

Gifting $250,000 to Walker John

Dear Mayor Selby and Council Members, There is an item on your consent calendar that is not "routine" and should be the subject of a public discussion and vote. Resolution #21-0431 authorizes … more

By Dan Leahy | 5/4/21 | 2 comments

We need more immediate action on the homeless camps

It seems to me that there are two parts to getting anything done. One, deciding what to do and two, doing it. And deciding what to do is sometimes the harder part. Do I go … more

By Pat Cole | 5/4/21