Navigation

User login

Who's online

There are currently 4 users and 58 guests online.

Online users

  • JT
  • agathafrye
  • einmaleins
  • Rob Richards

Support OlyBlog

OlyBlog is run by volunteers who care about Olympia. If you like what we're doing, make a donation:

OlyBlog is powered by:

Who's new

  • systematist
  • itsthewater
  • tsunamizombie
  • Brooks
  • Teresa Marie Staal

Upcoming events

Poster Calendar

July

Favorite Olympia Blogs

    Creative Commons License
 
Archives
Date
Downtown
Submitted by Rick on Sun, 08/14/2005 - 11:39pm.
There is an article up at The Olympian website about a survey that was done last fall (why so long to publish, by the way?). The survey asked a series of questions about how people felt about downtown Olympia. Note the following passage:
Street people

When asked what they liked least about downtown, the largest number of those responding, 44 percent, cited the homeless, panhandling, and antisocial behavior by teens and young adults. That far exceeded the second biggest concern -- parking -- which was cited by 19 percent.

Even so, 62 percent of the people responding said they felt safe downtown, although some avoid areas where street people and the homeless hang out.

Nearly a quarter of those responding said they almost never go downtown.

Of those, 60 percent said they don't visit because of panhandlers and homeless people, rude behavior and people who sprawl on the sidewalks and prevent others from passing.

Now, to my ear, the implication is that homelessness is a problem-- but mostly a problem for people other than the homeless themselves. Read it and let me know if you get the same sense.
»

OlyBlog.net

OlyBlog is devoted to hyperlocal news and discussion specifically about Olympia, Washington. Contributors to OlyBlog are citizen journalists who care about their community and are tired of corporate media.

If you'd like to contribute, please register for an account. Here is a list of local news beats that need to be covered. You can post your news as a personal blog entry, and it will be reviewed (and possibly edited) for promotion to the front page. You can also send news via email. All members of OlyBlog agree to abide by our Social Contract. You should also look at our comment and fair use policies. If you are frustrated about something said in a comment thread, go here.

Olyblogger of the Month:

decorabilia

Sponsored by:

Docents are fellow citizen journalists who volunteer to be at your service in order to help with any blog-related issues. They are:

Rob Richards
Interests: community building; participatory art, democracy and economics; local politics; citizen journalism.

emmettoconnell
Interests: City Council, developing a local issues forum.

enpen
Interests: OlyBlog poster calendar, Olympia public art, local artist interviews, his family, poetry and stuff.

Robert Whitlock
Interests: peace, justice, nature, nonviolence, media, environment

Rick
Interests: citizen journalism, hyperlocal media, the knowledge commons.

Docent email list

Latest Classified Ads

Books & Collections

Get Firefox!

OlyBlog is a site for news and discussion about Olympia, Washington.
free hit counter