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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 3, 2018)
30 Wednesday, January 3, 2018 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon N U G G E T F L AS H BAC K HOMELESS: Problem is growing across western states Continued from page 22 period. ... You’ve got to serve the food in a place where mental health is being provided.” But Marbut insists that camping bans or crackdowns don’t work. And in fact, the encampment at the riverbed began when police in a host of cities refused to let the homeless sleep in parks or on bus benches. They headed to the trail along the flood chan- nel, which is county prop- erty and cuts through several cities. In recent years, the num- ber of tents on the trail along the dried out riverbed has soared. Tents and tarps are surrounded by cardboard boxes and litter. Some of the people who live there travel up and down the trail on bikes, toting blankets or cans for recycling. People say they ended up there for different reasons. For some, it was drug addic- tion. Others lost their jobs and couldn’t make rent. Aly, the homeless advo- cate, said for those living there basic sanitation is key. His latest plan is to station a trailer he fitted with portable toilets and shower stalls on a street near the encampment but Anaheim city officials have raised health and safety concerns. Many neighbors want help moved off the trail entirely. They said nearby neighbor- hoods have suffered as the encampment has grown. Hypodermic needles have been found among pine needles in a park next to an elementary school. Shopping carts rattle as they’re pushed down otherwise quiet streets. Some homeowners said their neighbors’ mail has gone missing, and potted plants from outside their homes. Some moved to Anaheim years ago when the city was smaller and more suburban to escape the bustle and traf- fic of Los Angeles. Now, they find themselves grappling with some of the same big- city problems. City officials said they want to move people off the riverbed and that any aid should be part of a broader effort to help people find a way out: “The goal shouldn’t be to make it slightly more comfortable there to live that way but rather, how can we get those folks to a better place?” said city spokesman Mike Lyster. Unfortunately, those bet- ter places are limited. Orange County has shelter beds but they largely fill up. And many homeless said they don’t like the shelter’s curfew or rules barring pets and prefer their privacy, even outdoors. From 2015 to earlier this year, the number of people staying in Orange County shelters went down slightly, but the number living on the streets jumped by 17 percent, federal data shows. County authorities say they want to clear the riv- erbed and are trying to con- nect the men and women liv- ing there with the assistance they need to get back on their feet. Last summer, the county started providing showers along with case management services, hoping they can help those who want to find a way out. Larry Ford, a 53-year-old U.S. Army veteran, said he is grateful for any help. But like those at the beach in Dana Point, he insists food and showers don’t tether him to the tents surrounded by plastic bottles and toppled furniture. “Look at this,” he said, pointing to heaps of garbage by his feet. “What is this enabling here? “This is devastation.” IT’S NOT TOO EARLY TO THINK ABOUT LISTING YOUR HOME...LET US HELP YOU WITH THE PUNCH LIST. Bundy mistrial draws Sessions probe, calls for broad review Who was playing in the snow in 1993? By Ken Ritter Associated Press LAS VEGAS (AP) — A mistrial in the federal prosecution of a family of ranchers who led an armed standoff against government agents has prompted Attorney General Jeff Sessions to launch an investigation into the case. It’s also renewing calls from defense lawyers for a broad review of U.S. attor- neys in Las Vegas. Big cases have collapsed in the last 15 years over federal prosecu- tors’ failure to share evidence with defendants. A Justice Department spokesman declined Friday to go beyond Thursday’s announcement. It said Sessions “takes this issue very seriously and has per- sonally directed” a review of the case against Cliven Bundy and others. Bundy backers say they’ve asked for months for Sessions to get involved. A judge declared a mis- trial this week in the case, saying prosecutors willfully failed to share evidence that could’ve helped defense attorneys. PHOTO BY TERRI CONNER Icicle hangs from the eves to the earth. Circa 1993. HOWELLS REALTY GROUP Phil Arends 541-420-9997 phil@blackbutte.com PEAK PROPERTIES PARTNERSHIP Dick Howells 541-408-6818 Black Butte Ranch, Sisters Area, rahowells@blackbutte.com and Central Oregon Let our 40+ years of combined experience work for you. Whether you are buying or selling, call us for a no-obligation consultation. www.realestateinsisters.com | 220 S. Ash St., Sisters Attention MUSIC TEACHERS! Piano? Drums? Fiddle? Ukelele? Clarinet? Flute? Guitar? Saxophone? Let the Sisters community know about the lessons you offer! Place a classifi ed ad in the Nugget’s CLASSES & TRAINING category. Just $2 per line the fi rst week, $1.50 per line on repeat weeks. And it goes online at no extra charge! Placement deadline is Monday before noon at 541-549-9941 or nuggetnews.com. Ali Mayea Sisters HomeLand Realty Principal Broker/Owner 541-480-9658 401 E. Main Ave., Sisters A Partnership Beyond Your Expectations Stop by and visit with Tiana Van Landuyt & Shelley Marsh. 220 S. Pine St., Ste. 102 | 541-548-9180
