NIckelsville's Open House This Coming Friday 11/26

[Ibu Oni]

Dear Friends, Allies and Supporters.

Greetings from the men and women of Nickelsville.

You are cordially invited to our open house at our new location the
old Fire Station 39, 12705 39th Ave NE this coming Friday 11/26/2010
(the day after Thanksgiving) between 1pm and 5pm.

We hope that many of our friends and new neighbors will show up for
this event and start the Holiday season with us in a spirit of
fellowship. We will be giving tours, answering questions and just
having a good time. There will be music and refreshments.

We were very comforted to be welcomed by our neighbors. The Fire
Captain and his men from the new fire station next door have extended
a friendly hand to our community. So has the SHAG Apartment House,
congregants of the Mennonite Church, King Arthurs Court Apartments,
and Washington Oregon Claim Services – who is buying many of the
treats for the Open House! Some who had reservations about our
presence in Lake City took the time to come and meet us and are now
not only comfortable with our camp but also became friends. We do hope
that others who are not familiar with Nickelsville will come to our
open house and get to know us.

The day after our Open House SHARE/WHEEL’s Tent City3 will be coming
to Maple Leaf Lutheran Church. This is just 27 blocks to the south of
our location.

We are shocked at the difference between the welcomes each
neighborhood has offered Nickelsville and Tent City3. After a day of
surprise at getting little advance notice, the Lake City neighborhood
has been incredibly supportive. They have brought supplies for our
Open House, invited us to Apartment Meetings, dropped off donations,
and shared resources.

Meanwhile, Maple Leaf Lutheran Church – which told their neighborhood
months ago that Tent City3 was coming – has been picketed on quite a
few Sundays. They have been vilified in print, and a neighbor is
actually installing a video camera – pointed inside the camp – to spy
on the campers.

This just goes to show how a small group can either inspire fear or
respect, and how important it is for everyone to take a stand.

We would also like to take this opportunity to thank our friends (old
and new) for their generosity. Nickelsville now has a microwave
oven! Someone else is planning to bring us a refrigerator.

The old Firehouse we are in is quite cozy for 100 people. For this
reason, please call (450-9136) before bringing anything unusual. Then
we can let you know whether we do or do not need a refrigerator (for
example.)

One thing we cannot accept are mats and furniture – including chairs,
couches and sofas – that have permeable surfaces. Anything with a
permeable surface is too hard to keep free of bed bugs, mites, lice
and a number of other critters we would rather keep away.

Whenever you visit, we invite you to consider taking something away if
you can – a bag of trash! Because it is going to take us a week or so
to straighten out an old disputed billing, our garbage service is not
yet up and running.

Thank you, once again, for your continuing friendship and support.