Yakima council renames street for Medal of Honor recipient [then lawsuit threatened]

Yakima Herald ^ | Sept 4, 2013 | Dan Catchpole

[kevcol]

Pendleton died in 1944 in Bardenburg, Germany, sacrificing himself to help knock out enemy machine guns that had pinned down his unit.

The council first considered the petition — which was backed by two veterans groups — in August, but it hesitated when a resident objected, saying the city hadn’t fairly considered his group’s 2006 proposal to rename the street after civil rights and labor leader Cesar Chavez.

Having determined that the city duly considered the earlier petition, the City Council passed the current proposal.

But the resident who objected, Alonzo Marquez, accused the council of “race discrimination,” and threatened to pursue a lawsuit.

[kevcol]

I'm suprised there wasn't also someone there screaming to rename it MLK blvd.

[kevcol]

Army Staff Sgt. Jack James Pendleton

[SeaHawkFan]

You haven’t been to Yakima, have you?

[Jack Hammer]

Call it Lenin Lane and be done with it.

[TurboZamboni]

So name it after medal of honor winner RudyHernandez.

[DoodleDawg]

Name the street for Pendleton and the sewer for Chavez. Problem solved.

[BenLurkin]

Unbelievable.

[reg45]

Sgt. Pendleton was a native of Yakima

From the original article:

The last three letters are an acronym for Medal of Honor, the country’s highest military honor. Army Staff Sgt. Jack James Pendleton is the only Yakima native to earn the medal.

IIRC, Chavez was a native of Arizona. End of discussion!

[kevcol]

Are you asking if this surprises me? no

[CityCenter]

Born and raised in Yakima. A few years back the blacks there insisted they change Lincoln Blvd to MLK Blvd. That also failed, but it was hilarious nonetheless.

[skinkinthegrass]

and the sewer for Chavez. Problem solved.your idea has a great deal of merit..
Geo. Washington Rd...B. Arnold Sewer
John Adams St...A. Burr Sewer
etc..etc..

[skeeter]

Alonzo Marquez, kiss my arse.

[SeaHawkFan]

Yakima is about 1.7% black, so an MLK Blvd is probably not going to happen in the near future.

[SeaHawkFan]

I always got a chuckle when driving into Yakima and reading the sign, “Welcome to Yakima, the Palm Springs of Washington.”

[kevcol]

Yakima is about 1.7% black, so an MLK Blvd is probably not going to happen in the near future.

...and only 2% of the country is homosexual, but we've all seen what's happened. When has that ever stopped an agenda? That and a poster from yakima just said above someone tried to do just that: rename a street to MLK something or another.

[steve86]

I went to listen to a Yakima Gospel band (playing in a nearby town) just a couple days ago. Was hoping at least a couple of black southern gospel type musicians might be involved as they are the ones IMO who can best make the music. Nope, 9 or 10 band members, all white. I left early.

[PeteB570]

Maybe an MLK Block?

:)

[Milton Miteybad]

There’s gotta be one other street in Yakima they can name for Cesar Chavez if they feel so inclined.

[skeeter]

Of course. But I reckon simply having a street named ofter Chavez isn't the a-hole's point.

Representing a ideology that refuses to co-exist with others he needs his icon to replace something that we venerate.