Olympia, WA

The annual National Solar & Green Building Tour is showcasing Olympia area homes, commercial buildings and building innovations. For anyone who's heart beats faster at the sound of terms such as "radiant floor heating", "passive solar design", "tank less water heaters" or "rainwater catchment systems", or for people who have always been curious as to what "building green" looks like in practice, this is the opportunity to see how it's done.

On Saturday, September 27th, from 10:00pm until 4:00pm, local buildings will be held open for visitors. Some of the locations will be hosted by guides who can point out and discuss the "green" features. The tour itself is self-guided and free of charge.

Up for viewing are some very interesting homes, such as Dee Williams's "little house", Dean Edenstrom's straw bale constructed cottage or the Blankenship's passive solar home.

For a list of locations, features and directions, visit http://www.solarwashington.org/tour/2008/OlympiaTour.htm

I'll be on tour and hope to see some familiar faces there.

Sandy Nelson
Olympia Realtor®, GRI, ASP, Built Green
360-789-7505
www.SandyNelsonRealEstate.com

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Sizing up Your Structure: You’ve been in your new home now for all four of the seasons; you may have learned about a leak in the basement during the winter or a sticky window during the spring, but what other issues might you have missed? New homes are often plagued with structural defects and flaws in construction – both minor and major – that slowly come to light during the first year of occupancy. A professional inspection of your new home while it is still under warranty can help you find and address many of these issues at a minimal cost to you. At Pillar To Post, we recommend you have an inspection done after eleven months to ensure you have enough time to bring any flaws or defects to your builder’s attention before your warranty expires. A Pillar To Post new home warranty inspection will cover up to 1,600 points on a typical home, and include a thorough investigation of its structural and material adequacy. Here are a few examples of the kinds of issues that a new home warranty inspection will address:

* Has the builder correctly installed attic framing components and proper insulation? If an attic has not been built with proper ventilation, there is potential for moisture buildup and rot. Proper air flow in your attic reduces humidity and heat, which are elements that can compromise the energy efficiency of your home and the life expectancy of your roof.

* Is the water heater installed per the manufacturer’s warranty requirements? Are there missing furnace vent caps? This could potentially allow water to enter the heat exchanger and cause premature rust and failure. * Are doors sagging and windows no longer easy to open or to lock? An out-of-square window can also be an indication of a greater structural problem.

* Are any of the roof tiles broken or cracked? It’s typical to discover problems in the flashing details, where the chimney meets the roof, or where the roof changes directions.

* Has water penetrated into the basement through foundation walls? If the ground of the backyard is graded so that it slopes toward the house, it is very likely that water is collecting and may find its way into your home.

* Are there any areas of the floor that are “soft”? Are any of the floor joists cut improperly? These could be indications of damaged or defective framing and may compromise the structural integrity of the floor.

 They also have the room wired so a person can be there, without really being there: If space is unavailable, there will be the option for up to 15 people to listen in through a conference call.  If you are interested in attending via conference call, please request the call-in number and code.  Again, to do that, Email Jerry above.

At this point in time, this is likely to be one of the lesser known acts I will be writing about in this series on Pacific Northwest music legends. On the other hand, they were big nationally, a #1 with a bullet act, in the pre-British invasion years.

Now, almost everyone who knows Seattle's history will think of the jazz clubs of the 1940's and 1950's, the birth of garage bands in the 1960's and, of course, Hendrix and more recently grunge. Most people probably do not know that an act from the Pacific Northwest was one of the first big doo-wop groups.

Doo-wop from the northwest? You betcha! The band was the Fleetwoods -- one guy (Gary Troxel) and two blond girls (Barbara Ellis and Gretchen Christopher). In that era, the pre-fix for telephone numbers in Olympia was "Fleetwood", hence the name. The kids met while attending high school in Olympia in the late 1950's. Their first big hit -- and it was a smash -- was released in 1959 on a Seattle record label, Dolphin. Pat O' Day at KJR had lots to do with the success of this initial release.

The song was called "Come Softly to Me." The Fleetwoods had a smooth sound and Come Softly to Me sold a million and went gold. They had another good-sized hit with Mr. Blue. They were the first group to ever have two #1 songs in the same year -- 1959. They had a few other releases, but none that hit like those first two.

The performers, for the most part, stayed here in the Pacific Northwest. Gary Troxel worked as a longshoreman in Anacortes. Gretchen Christopher seems to have stayed near Olympia. I always thought it must be strange to go from instant fame back to working a less glamorous job. How weird -- Imagine that you are sitting with friends in the lunch room and your former #1 smash comes on the oldies station, or maybe you are in the theater and your song is in a blockbuster like American Graffiti. Do you nudge everyone nearby and say "hey that is me" or do you smile inside, or do you wonder what circumstances might have led to greater fame and fortune?

Today, from what I have read, it seems that there is a dispute going on over who has the rights to the Fleetwood name. Gary Troxel has a Fleetwoods website, but Gretchen Christopher has one too. It looks like anyone, who was interested, could hire a group called the Fleetwoods to work parties and events. One group would feature Gary, the other would feature Gretchen.

There is no question about it, one of the biggest moments in the history of the original Fleetwoods was an appearance on American Bandstand and we are in luck.

Thanks to youtube, we will turn back the clock to the year 1959 -- I was seven years old.

Ladies and gentlemen, the Pacific Northwest's own #1 doo-wop act, the Fleetwoods from Olympia, Washington.

For more "Stories Behind the Music" click on the guitar

Steven L. Smith

Bellingham WA Home Inspections

then cast your vote to help bring a Trader Joe's store to Olympia.

Trader Joe's different from most common supermarkets, in that you won't find a lot of branded products. Instead, Trader Joe's carries many interesting and unconventional products at great prices. Shopping at Trader Joe's is always an adventure, as you'll discover new products from all over the world. I love their smooth authentic Greek yogurt with honey, Kerry Irish butter, French chocolate torte and their great selection of international wines at bargain prices.
The buyers for Trader Joe's taste every product before they decide to stock it and bring it to the local shoppers.

The shopping experience at Trader Joe's is as unusual as their inventory. The stores are much smaller than regular supermarkets, the interior is decorated with an exotic nautical flair, the staff wear colorful Hawaiian shirts and instead of a PA system, you'll hear a ship bell ringing.

The company is privately owned by the Aldi family of Germany. I've been driving to the nearest Trader Joe's at University Place since it opened. Before that I drove all the way to Federal Way. All this driving might soon come to an end, since Trader Joe's is considering opening a store in Olympia. I've been pestering them for years to move to our neck of the woods and like to think that had something to do with it. However, another option on the table is to open a store in Gig Harbor instead.

So here's your opportunity to weigh in on the matter: Vote for Olympia here:

http://www.traderjoes.com/location_requests_form.aspx

I believe a Trader Joe's store will be a great asset to the Olympia / Lacey community. I personally can't wait to have one here.

Sandy Nelson
Realtor for Olympia area real estate
www.sandynelsonrealestate.com