Features

County Commission Commits Cash to Campers

28

Oct

1 Comment

County Commission Commits Cash to Campers

The City of Olympia has identified its firing range parking lot at Carpenter Road and Martin Way as a possible short-term, safe parking location for people currently living in their vehicles. The effort got a boost Tuesday when Thurston County Commissioners, in a 2-1 vote, approved $530,000 in one-time funding to help set up the safe parking site. The money comes from state fees people pay when recording documents with the county; a state emergency housing grant; and federal CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act money. The city requested the funding from the county late last week. Primarily,…

City Conducts Pre-Dawn Soft Raid On Ensign Road RV Community; Won’t Evict, Will Ticket Residents Who Remain

27

Oct

By Mindy Chambers

2 Comments

City of Olympia, Contributors, Features, Mindy Chambers

City Conducts Pre-Dawn Soft Raid On Ensign Road RV Community; Won’t Evict, Will Ticket Residents Who Remain

Before dawn this morning, City of Olympia Public Works employees and their vehicles, including two bulldozers, and multiple Olympia Police Department officers rolled onto Ensign Road south of St. Peter Hospital, lights flashing, and barricaded it from Martin Way to the hospital entrance. City employees then went door-to-door to tell the residents of vehicles parked along the roadway that while they didn’t have to move today, if they didn’t, they would be ticketed. “This is just pure intimidation,” said Tyler Gundel, of Just Housing, which advocates alongside the residents of vehicles parked along Ensign Road. “They are very clearly trying…

BREAKING: City Calls Off Sweep after Attorney General Weighs In

26

Oct

By Mindy Chambers

6 Comments

City of Olympia, Contributors, Features, Mindy Chambers

BREAKING: City Calls Off Sweep after Attorney General Weighs In

Ty Gundel and Micky Nelson, a resident, discuss the pending move. The move is off.After receiving a letter from the state Attorney General’s Office Monday saying the city’s plan to evict residents living in vehicles along Ensign Road is a likely violation of the state’s eviction moratorium, the city changed its mind.Residents will not have to relocate or have their vehicles towed.“We will continue to work towards a voluntary cleanup along Ensign, but will not be compelling any of the campers to move tomorrow,” Assistant City Manager Keith Stahley said in an email to council members obtained by The Tribune…

26

Oct

By Mindy Chambers

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City of Olympia, Contributors, Features, Mindy Chambers

City Won’t Budge on RV Community Sweep

Note: This story is developing and will be updated as events warrant. Ty Gundel and Micky Nelson, a resident, discuss the pending move. With less than a day to go before their city of Olympia-imposed deadline to move, residents of vehicles parked along Ensign Road and those who advocate with them still don't know where they will go. "We are still in limbo," said Deborah, a resident of the area for the past few months. "It is so stressful," she said as she welled up in tears on Saturday.Neither the residents nor those who advocate with them know what to…

25

Oct

By Rob Richards

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Contributors, Features, Rob Richards

‘This Is Definitely Historic’

Record-Setting Voter Totals in Thurston County If you're one of the many volunteers who have been working hard on Get-Out-The-Vote efforts this election cycle, you can take a minute to pat yourself on the back. As of this morning (10/25), 199,611 people - 83% of eligible voters - have registered to vote in Thurston County, and that number is expected to top 200k on Monday. Nearly half of them have voted already. "We are at almost 50% nine days prior to the election," said Thurston County Auditor Mary Hall. "This is unprecedented. Plus we have 25,000 more voters than we…

20

Oct

By Tracey Carlos

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Contributors, Features, Tracey Carlos

Know Your [Voting] Rights

Recently I went out to the Ensign Road RV community to make sure everyone is registered to vote who wants to be and make sure they have no trouble voting before the sweep scheduled for October 27. I was reminded that many people are not aware of their rights. Twice yesterday, once on Ensign once while sign-waving, I had a man tell me he had lost his right to vote because he was an ex-felon. They did not know that they had gotten that right back once they were no longer under state-supervised parole of probation. It makes me wonder…

Olympia Moves Ahead With Ensign Road RV Sweep

20

Oct

By Mindy Chambers

2 Comments

City of Olympia, Contributors, Features, Mindy Chambers

Olympia Moves Ahead With Ensign Road RV Sweep

"If you're going to make us move, could you give us just a few more days?" That's what residents of recreational vehicles parked along Ensign Road near St. Peter Hospital hoped the City of Olympia would do. Many receive federal disability benefits, which come on the first of the month. The question is why the City can't wait to make them move until November 1 or a few days later. This would allow them to purchase gasoline and other things they need to leave the space they have called home for several months. Ty Gundel and Micky Nelson, a resident,…

Olympia YWCA Announces 2020 Womxn Of Achievement Honorees

19

Oct

By Rob Richards

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Contributors, Features, Rob Richards

Olympia YWCA Announces 2020 Womxn Of Achievement Honorees

In a release emailed out this morning, the Olympia YWCA announced this year's Womxn of Achievement Honorees to be highlighted at their virtual event on November 6, 2020. The event will feature special guest Patrice Cullors. According to their website, "Artist, activist, educator, public speaker, and Los Angeles-native Patrisse Cullors is the Co-Founder of the Black Lives Matter Global Network and Founder of the Los Angeles-based grassroots organization Dignity and Power Now." The honorees include: Community organizer Talauna Reed, known for her work with Justice for Yvonne, Olympia Showing Up for Racial Justice, and Black Leaders in Solidarity and Action…

18

Oct

By Rob Richards

0 Comments

Features, Rob Richards

But Did You Vote Though?

If you only spend five minutes online per day, you're probably seeing at least one article, ad, or social media post telling you to get out and vote. That's because it's REALLY important that you do. There are very important races up and down the ballot - I'm not exaggerating when I say that this election will define how our county government responds to the housing and environmental crises, how we educate our children across the state, and the direction of our federal government for the next generation. Did you get your ballot? If you live in Thurston County, it…

City to Sweep Car Campers From Ensign Road

16

Oct

By Mindy Chambers

4 Comments

City of Olympia, Contributors, Features, Mindy Chambers

City to Sweep Car Campers From Ensign Road

UPDATE: 10.16.20 6:23PM The city of Olympia is telling residents of vehicles parked along Ensign Road near St. Peter Hospital that they must move those vehicles by October 27.The city plans to begin its official notification of the residents on October 20, Kellie Braseth, the city’s strategic communications director, said Friday.Information obtained by The Tribune states the city is moving the residents because “the daily activities of the roughly 60 people parked on Ensign Road has been impeding and slowing emergency vehicles bound for St. Peter Hospital Emergency Room” and that the Olympia Fire Department has “issued guidance to first…