Nickelsville

Some of you who don't live in the Seattle area have wondered what this "Nickelsville" is that I've spoken about. Missi and I have been developing relationships with some of our friends who live in a tent city in the U District of Seattle affectionately called "Nickelsville" after Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels. There are some incredible people who live there, and I find myself trying to find more and more opportunities to go over there to see my friends. Here are a few photos (I can't take credit for these photos - someone else posted them on Facebook).




It has been tough for the Nickelodeons with the burn ban in place because of poor air quality. The burn barrel is often the only source of heat for the residents.



This is my friend Richard. He looks quite different in this picture because he is almost always wearing a hat and sunglasses. The first time I went to Nickelsville, Richard was asking me to sue Mayor Nickels and President Bush on terrorism and racketeering charges!! He's a great guy and full of personality.


This is my good friend Gus. Gus had been a resident of Nickelsville since the beginning, but I recently had to help Gus move to a new location because he was barred from Nickelsville because of some petty disagreement. Nickelsville has a team of 3 arbitrators, and if they vote to bar you then you have to leave the camp. 2 of the 3 arbitrators held some type of grudge against Gus so he had to leave. Gus now has a job at UPS and is hoping to find permanent housing in the next month or so.