The City of Yelm hosted the latest South Thurston Economic Development Initiative (STEDI) meeting on Friday, November 15.
Community and strategic partners met in person at the Yelm Community Center and virtually over Zoom. The team meets on the third Friday of each month and shuffles the locations among the South County Communities.
STEDI connects South Thurston County communities with the resources of stakeholders to identify and implement efforts that will meet South Thurston County’s economic and community development goals.
According to the Thurston Economic Development Council (EDC), STEDI is a consortium focused on long-range economic and community development in the rural areas of Thurston County.
STEDI’s participating communities are Bucoda, Grand Mound, Rainier, Rochester, Tenino, and Yelm.
The initiative’s strategic partners are the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation, the Nisqually Indian Tribe, Washington State Department of Commerce, Washington State University's Thurston County Extension Office, Thurston County Government, Thurston Conservation District, Port of Olympia, Thurston Regional Planning Council, Timberland Regional Library, Experience Olympia & Beyond, South Puget Sound Habitat for Humanity and Thurston EDC’s Center for Business & Innovation.
STEDI links the collective strengths and resources of participating South Thurston communities with the strategic community partners for the identification and implementation of efforts that aligned with South Thurston’s economic and community development goals.
“2024 is [a] pretty big year for us in terms of project construction,” said Yelm Director of Public Works Cody Colt.
Line Roy, Yelm Communications & Recreation Coordinator, mentioned that the city is “turning prairie dreams into prairie-alities,” as she and Colt shared the major projects that were completed or started in 2024.
The city’s projects of the year include the 507/Bald Hill Roundabouts, SE Reservoir, Prairie Line Trail, Water Reclamation Facility Upgrades, Centennial Celebration, Activated Alley, Dog Park, Yelm Centennial Stage, Beautification Program, Yelm Community Center Solar Project, Museum, and Mosaic Mural.
Colt shared that Yelm also looks forward to future projects such as the planned Veterans Memorial, the second phase of Yelm Loop (see related story) and some road and sidewalk upgrades.
City of Yelm mayor Joe DePinto welcomed the meeting attendees and mentioned that Yelm would be celebrating 100 years of its incorporation.
“Thank you all for being here in our great city. There's a lot of cool things coming up…[the] biggest thing we're doing this year is our 100-year celebration,” said DePinto. “We've got a lot of cool projects.”
Some events for Yelm’s centennial celebration include Yelm’s first drone show, a new concert stage, a parade, and a nearly sold-out documentary premiere.
The Yelm Centennial Documentary Premiere will be held at Yelm Cinemas on December 9, and will let residents “witness the rich history of the beloved town unfold on the big screen.”
Dubbed as a “city built by fire,” Yelm was incorporated almost 100 years ago on December 8, 1924, after the now-city suffered three consecutive fires in 1908, 1913, and 1924.
DePinto announced on Friday that a press release will be released regarding the Masters of Merriment for Yelm’s Christmas in the Park.
In a social media post on Monday, the city formally announced Thurston County District 2 Commissioner Gary Edwards and his wife Debbie are this year’s Masters of Merriment.
“Gary and Debbie, lifelong advocates for our community, embody the holiday spirit year-round. Gary’s service as a longtime public servant in Thurston County, paired with Debbie’s tireless dedication to local causes, has touched countless lives and made a lasting impact on the Yelm community,” the post stated.
Masters of Merriment lead the official Christmas tree lighting, spearhead the cheer at community events, and serve as grand marshals in the Christmas parade.
The 2024 Christmas in the Park activities will be opened on Friday, December 6, at 5 p.m. as Gary and Debbie Edwards “flip the switch” for the Christmas Tree Lighting at Yelm City Park.
Festivities continue on December 7 for the Christmas tree parade, family-friendly holiday activities, and live entertainment for all ages.
Yelm’s Cocoa Fun Run will be on December 15, followed by the Winter Solstice Walk on December 18 from 5-6 p.m. at Cochrane Park, and the Hanukkah Celebration on December 30.
Thurston County District 3 Commissioner Tye Menser shared a brief county update, focusing on the Public Safety Sales Tax (PSST).
“There's so many components to it, from how we're going to account for the funds to how we're going to deploy some of the resources,” said Menser.
Menser said part of what is being done is acquiring a new building because the voters wanted more law enforcement on the street.
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