Evergreen is the problem, uh huh.

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Evergreen is the problem, uh huh.

Submitted by Anonymously Larry on Tue, 07/24/2007 - 6:27am.

I note that one of today's readers in The Daily comments that the problem with Downtown Olympia is "Evergreen". As we all know, there is a three part story about the revitalizations of Bellingham, Vancouver and Bremerton's downtown areas, comparing to Olympia.

Just a note for everyone. I attended Western Washington (Bellingham) and Olympic (Bremerton) and we were the problem in both of those cities also. I've known several folks that attended Central in Ellensburg and the locals there complain about the college students also.

I do notice that no one turns down the money that college students spend. I remember how the off campus rents sky rocketed from September to June in both the cities where I attended.

I'm trying to figure out how a bunch of college students can make a difference in how a city is run.

I'll look forward to the responses.

Anonymously Larry's blog
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Evergreen bashing...

Submitted by Rick on Tue, 07/24/2007 - 6:48am.

...was a bit more intense than those other towns, I'm guessing. It's true that Evergreen was plopped down all-of-a-sudden in the middle of a tumultuous time in our history (read Evergroove Trivia for more on that). I think that fueled even more town-gown antipathy than one typically sees in a small college town. Olympia didn't get to grow up with Evergreen, and sort of viewed it as an alien ship landing on the outskirts of town. I believe that we're finally through the "alien" stage now, and it is acknowledged as a permanent part of the community. I think the majority even see it as a positive force for the city.

When you think of the long and gloomy history of man, you will find more hideous crimes have been committed in the name of obedience than have ever been committed in the name of rebellion. -C.P. Snow

Evergreen is a ten minute

Submitted by Merwyn Haskett on Tue, 07/24/2007 - 7:03am.

Evergreen is a ten minute drive from downtown, or do the complainers forget that? Do they forget that it was a Republican who was the figurehead founder?

You make an excellent point about them accepting the student's money. Let's see if these people can walk the walk: Don't rent to students, don't hire them. Don't patronise any business that hires them, or that they shop at. Don't patronise businesses that donate to Evergreen (this includes Stormans!)

Don't do business with anything remotely associated with Evergreen...including any and all Departments of the State of Washington.

Let's see how far they get.

Sleep, William Blake/All is well/There's a marriage up in heaven tonight/There's a fire in hell
Daniel Amos

The best places to live...

Submitted by Rick on Tue, 07/24/2007 - 9:12am.

...according to MONEY Magazine, have an average of 29 colleges and universities within 30 miles.

I don't think anything about

Submitted by oldtimeydave on Tue, 07/24/2007 - 11:21am.

I don't think anything about Downtown can be blamed on Greeners either. If anything Evergreen is such a bubble that I don't think we see the kind of numbers of students that some businesses would like visit downtown. I know when I lived on and around campus I hardly ever made the 10 minute drive. Which leads me to another point. Many students (not all) including myself are ex-Greeners turned contributing community members. I could personally think of a huge list of folks, past and present, that this could be said for too.

Complainers can move to Lacey as far as I am concerned.

exactly Dave,

Submitted by Rob Richards on Tue, 07/24/2007 - 12:07pm.

(by the way, we met at Bryce's a few months back)

It's hard to be in a group of people who are local business owners, politicians or other community figures and not be with Greeners. I was helping Meta out at the Demoburger stand during Lakefair and out of about 10 people working, everyone but myself and Joe Hyer were TESC grads (and one was a current student). I think Evergreen gives back to this community by producing alumnus that give back and care deeply about the community in which they settle, and many settle here. If they didn't care, they wouldn't be vocal.

Maybe folks are just defensive

Submitted by micah on Sat, 07/28/2007 - 8:18am.

I think a lot of people are just defensive. I worked at an agency that was maybe 40% (I'm pulling that number out of a hat) Evergreen alumni. The others often felt just a little bit like they were sort of "left out" of the club. And sometimes people get a little hostile when they feel left out.

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