Reporter ISSAQUAH | SAMMAMISH
Friday, June 6, 2014
www.issaquahreporter.com
D-Day not to be forgotten
Following Tent City 4’s stay at Mary Queen of Peace Church in Sammamish, the city decided they needed to create specific coding to address homeless encampment’s in the city. Pictured right is Tent City 4 at Mary Queen of Peace, which was set-up on Oct. 19, 2013. After 60-days, Tent City 4 received a 30-day extension allowing them to stay through the holiday season.
Vets to remember D-Day with P-51 Mustang flyover BY LINDA BALL ISSAQUAH/SAMMAMISH REPORTER
KELLY MONTGOMERY, Issaquah/Sammamish Reporter.
HOMELESS DEBATE Opinions voiced over homeless encampment in Sammamish
BY KELLY MONTGOMERY ISSAQUAH/SAMMAMISH REPORTER
Sammamish citizens voiced their opinions regarding homeless encampments in the city at the council’s public hearing on Tuesday night, with many supporting the encampments and others discouraging them altogether. Rev. Kevin Duggan of Mary Queen of Peace Church, Tent City 4’s previous host, said that the ordinances as they’re currently drafted would place a substantial hinderance on hosting Tent City. He asked the council to consider recommendations that would adjust the ordinance, enabling hosts such as Mary Queen of Peace to carry out what “they strongly believe is both their moral obligation and their spiritual calling.” Bruce Boyd, a 15-year resident of Sammamish, said he has a 9-year-old son and wants to see the children in the community protected. He said that there is a lack of funding for shelters and he recognizes the goodwill by the churches to do something to help, but “putting other people in danger is not the solution and it’s not the way.” Boyd suggested building facilities and offering homeless people
“We’re not animals that need to be relocated or tagged.” – Gabriella Duncan job training instead of allowing homeless encampments to affect Sammamish citizen’s civil liberties. Seth Eliot, a Sammamish resident since 2005, said he would like to see a stricter code than what is currently proposed. He said the real issue is not homelessness, but homeless encampment organizers who are “bullying the community to make a statement.” He urged council members to listen to the community on the issue. “The community should be the North Star,” Eliot said. Multiple community members brought up the issue of child safety, asking who would be
SEE D-DAY, 2
SEE HOMELESS, 2
Fourth on the Plateau CALL 425-391-0363 TODAY TO RESERVE YOUR AD SPACE! 2014
Media Sponsor
responsible if something were to happen to a Sammamish citizen. Others said that those in homeless encampments have mental illnesses or disorders and they don’t want unstable people near their homes and schools. Jan Bennett, a longtime Issaquah School District employee and Tent City advocate, said that idea is absurd. “These people are sisters, they’re brothers, they’re mothers, they’re fathers,” she said. Bennett said that many encampment members are trying to get permanent housing, but in the meantime they need somewhere they can be safe and their belongings can be safe, explaining that they’re real people with real needs. Members of Tent City 4 addressed the council and community, saying that no child has ever been harmed by Tent City 4. They said that they think misinformation has led the city to propose restrictive ordinances that are not actually necessary. They asked that sites be extended to include more than simply religious organizations. “Homelessness is a public problem,” they
David Waggoner has been a resident of Issaquah since 1945, with the exception of the years he spent serving his country, including active duty in the Vietnam War. His father, one of the greatest generation, served in World War II. June 6 marks the 70th anniversary of D-Day, when 150,000 allied troops stormed the beach at Normandy, France, surprising and overwhelming the German forces. It was a tipping point in the war, and the largest seaborne invasion in history. Waggoner, the commander of the Issaquah VFW Post 3436, has arranged for four flyable P-51 Mustangs to fly over Issaquah’s Memorial Field at approximately 12:55 p.m. today. The time for the flyover could fluctuate due to weather and air traffic control. The planes belong to the Heritage Flight Museum, owned by Paul Allen, and have been completely restored. One of them flew four sorties in WWII.