Free Republic

While bird watchers and joggers passed by, the Arcata Police Department and homeless advocates were locked in a showdown adjacent to the Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary on South I Street last week. Activists made their stand at "Camp Aerial" - a plot of City property west of the Little Lakes Industry development site. Events were punctuated by the delivery and removal of a B & B porta-potty, and culminated in the arrest of homeless advocate and self-described "Free" Tad Robinson on Friday afternoon. Monday, the activists set up a formal, if illegal, camping site with tents, an information table...

The Eugene Homeless Initiative's seven-week-old protest in downtown Eugene has reignited debate over how to deal with the city's homeless population. Tuesday morning, Melissa Mona, a member of the city's Human Rights Commission, crawled under a chain-link fence to send food, water, coffee and cigarettes up to "Traveler," who lodged himself in a cedar tree in the Lane County Park Blocks on Oct. 12. The city erected the fence last Friday to prevent pedestrians from getting hit on the head by items falling from Traveler's perch. His supporters say the city wants to starve him out of the tree by...

Disabled men in Michigan face Sunday, April 07, 2002 By Federico Martinez CHRONICLE STAFF WRITER Jobless and disabled, Muskegon resident Dario Leija has been left homeless and trapped by a welfare system that one official said won't help him because he's "too poor and destitute." It's a predicament many disabled West Michigan residents are in because of a weakened economy and a welfare system that's not designed to meet their needs, West Michigan social service advocates say. Physically unable to work, many disabled people run out of money while waiting for the long process of applying for disability benefits. And,...