Works in Progress Volume 28, No. 3 Serving the Olympia community and the cause of social justice since 1990. July 2017 Clean up East Bay eters. States are required to study all non-compliant watersheds and come up with a plan to get them compli- ant. Many have been done, but the Let Moxlie Creek breathe hardest cases can drag on in a snail’s By Harry Branch the federal paced search for non-point pollution. Clean Water LOTT, the Olympia waste water treat- Here in Olympia there is a problem Act due to ex- ment plant near the Farmer’s Market, in East Bay off of Budd Inlet. The prob- cess nitrogen. is likely to face restrictions if Budd lem is water quality. It does not meet According to Inlet water quality doesn’t show im- federal clean water standards. Part the EPA, ni- provement. TMDL discussions sur- of the problem is that Moxlie Creek, trates travel rounding numerous concerns pertain- which flows into East Bay, is encased eighteen ing to Budd Inlet and Capitol Lake, the in a half-mile-long, underground, con- times farther possibility of ensuing EIS (Environ- crete pipe. This affects the creek’s in a buried mental Impact statement), and other ability to assimilate necessary levels pipe than in factors are in a state of flux. One of of oxygen from both the atmosphere one that sees the Department of Ecology’s main and the workings of phytoplankton. daylight. Es- enforcement tools is the issuance Moxlie Creek needs to be “daylighted.” pecially given of stormwater permits. Ecology en- Daylighting the creek would entail that there is a forces these rules for the Feds. Could taking it out of the pipe and allowing lot of outside the stormwater permit provide lever- it to flow above ground. While Olym- funding avail- age to block or modify the Walker pia public officials tend to view creek Moxllie Creek is the large inlet in the foreground of this bird’s eye view able for near- John development on Parcels 2&3? of the city of Olympia, East Olympia and Tumwater in 1879 when daylighting and restoration as an all- shore, estua- A few years ago the Olympia Plan- or-nothing proposition, in actuality, Washington was still a territory. The photo is in the Library of Congress ning Commission proposed that the collection; contributed by Eli Glover, 1844-1920. rine cleanup allowing any section of the creek to city’s Comprehensive Plan designate “breathe” would likely improve wa- tail space and eighty- some portions of ter quality. If only the mouth of the five rental units. The Port of Olympia owns a vacant parcel the Olympia wa- creek, the estuary, were opened, the This site should be terfront as Urban exchange between salt and fresh water restored, not devel- of land that is the only portion of the Moxlie Conservancy. Des- would happen more as it should. Call oped. The Walker ignations like this it Ecosystem Based Management. John real estate de- Creek estuary available for restoration. are supposed to be Cities up and down the West Coast velopment would But a plan is moving forward to build a large, based on the goals have restored or are in the process of be on the north side and aspirations of daylighting streams and restoring es- of State Avenue as mixed-use building on the site complete with the community. tuaries. Some cities, such as Edmonds, one passes East Bay retail space and eighty-five rental units. The Department of have chosen to challenge Washington Drive near the Hands Ecology paid a visit State’s minimal setbacks and other On Children’s Mu- to the City Council lacking rules and have been victorious seum. This should be and restoration, East Bay water is informing them that Oceanographically, ecologically, the site of a beautiful, rich estuary. out of compliance with several Total this would place unacceptable limits and in every other sense, estuaries East Bay is out of compliance with Managed Daily Load (TMDL) param- 4MOXLIE CREEK continued on page 4 are critical to marine environments. Fresh water, being lighter, flows out on the surface drawing salt water in underneath. These and other per- sistent mixing patterns help phyto- Equity and its discontents: plankton proliferate which improves water quality and jump-starts the food web. Stream estuaries in South Puget students’ education and Sound impact a much broader length of shoreline than river estuaries. They provide important habitat not only for The Evergreen State College the salmon that spawn in the streams but for salmon that migrate past. By Emily Lardner student Jacqueline Middleton ex- plains that “that coverage hit our cam- the negative coverage of the protest- Attached is a bird’s eye view of the Readers of Works in Progress will like- ers was a shocking and bitter twist. It city of Olympia in 1879. The large pus like a hailstorm. It may not have ly know that The Evergreen State Col- been his intention, but Mr. Weinstein’s is not lost on us that students of color inlet in the foreground is the Mox- lege closed at the end of May because are the ones who have been dispropor- lie Creek estuary. Often there is a many interviews effectively became a of an anonymous caller to Thurston call to arms for internet trolls and the tionately targeted.” stream associated with a river estuary: County Communications who said, I agree with Middleton’s statement Hylebos Creek for the Puyallup Riv- alt-right. Online vigilantes from 4chan, “I’m on my way to Evergreen Univer- Reddit and other forums swarmed to that Weinstein’s story about the col- er, Medicine Creek for the Nisqually sity now with a .44 Magnum. I am lege fit right-wing constructions of River, and so on. These stream estu- unearth Evergreen students’ contact gonna execute as many people on that information. They have harassed us the so-called “new left.” Additionally, I aries increase the area of tide flats campus as I can get a hold of.” The would argue, at the heart of Weinstein’s and provide a place where water with hundreds of phone calls, anony- caller, and others like him, were re- mous texts and terrifyingly specific move to vilify Evergreen students who from the river is re-mixed by the in- sponding to Evergreen professor Bret demonstrated and the faculty and staff coming tide. Moxlie Creek was the threats of violence that show they Weinstein’s claims that the college know where we live and work.” Mid- who support them, particularly the Deschutes River’s companion stream. “had descended into madness” by re- faculty and staff of color, is his rejec- The estuary of the stream can only dleton continues: quiring all white people to leave cam- “Mr. Weinstein’s story about Ever- tion of the principles outlined in Ever- exist where it is. It can’t be moved. pus for a day. Weinstein first brought green’s new Equity Strategic Plan. The Port of Olympia currently owns green’s regressive campus culture his claims to national attention by ap- fit neatly into many misconceptions Evergreen’s new equity plan, an a vacant parcel of land that is the only pearing on Tucker Carlson’s Fox News object of scorn in the right-wing me- portion of the historic estuary avail- about the “new left,” so it seemed to show segment, “Campus Craziness.” go unquestioned. However, for many dia thanks to Weinstein’s tweet and able for restoration. But a plan is mov- In her June 17 New York Times edi- talks, was presented to the campus ing forward to build a large, mixed-use students, staff and faculty at Ever- torial entitled The Media Brought the green, the harassment that came after 4 building on the site complete with re- Alt-Right to My Campus, Evergreen EQUITY continued on page 6 PageWorks 2 In Progress Works In Progress July 2017 established in 1990 by the Thurston County Rainbow Coalition Special events Works In Progress is a free, all volunteer- Remaking the operated progressive community pub- Fellowship of Reconcilia- lication based in Olympia, Washington. tion (FOR) Annual Regional Opinions expressed do not necessarily Port of Olympia for Conference reflect those of Works In Progress and are Saturday to Tuesday, July 1-4, solely those of the authors. 2017 • Held at Seabeck in Kitsap st County, WA Submissions the 21 Century “Building Powerful Communities: Shat- Please send text as Word attachments. tering Oppressive Systems with Love” Artwork and photos can be sent elec- By Helen Wheatley come the focal point of the local econ- Congressional Recess tronically or we can scan them for you omy. In January of 2017, the Washing- as camera-ready/black & white. Monday—Thursday, July 3-7 “A Port is something Olympia doesn’t ton Public Ports Association (WPPA) Federal legislators potentially back in Works In Progress is committed to sto- know she has,” the Chamber of Com- their districts. Go lobby them. ries misrepresented or ignored by the published a draft of its periodic Marine mainstream media. We value local, well- merce told Thurston County voters Cargo Forecast. The report shows that Tumwater Independence researched news stories, accounts of per- nearly a century ago. When the peo- the shipping industry is now utterly Day Parade sonal experience and reflections by local ple of Thurston County created the dependent on the rise and fall of Asia, Tuesday, July 4, 11 AM Starts authors. Opinion pieces, also valued, are public Port of Olympia in 1922, the which accounts for over 90% of Wash- at Capitol Blvd and Lee St, often best supported by facts, examples, area was riding high on the great west- ington’s container imports and ex- Tumwater and sources, and we encourage writers ern timber boom.