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Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Yahoo
Who owns the ‘Jungle' homeless encampment in Olympia?
Days after The Olympian published a story about an elected official and others touring the homeless encampment known as the Jungle — a meeting that was spurred by concerns about recent violence at the camp — readers had more questions about the site between Martin Way and Pacific Avenue near Interstate 5. Chief among those questions: Who owns the land? The answer: Although the city of Olympia owns some of it, most is privately held by a business called JJP Group LLC, which also owns the Chevron station near the camp on its Pacific Avenue side. A representative of JJP Group LLC declined to comment. The Olympian, working with a Thurston County Assessor's Office representative, identified six parcels owned by JJP Group between Martin Way and Pacific Avenue that total 16.40 acres. The city owns two parcels that total 6.75 acres. Why does the city own those parcels and what arrangement do they have to access the site for camp residents? The city-owned property was purchased in June 2021, said Assistant City Manager Stacey Ray. 'The city purchased the property for multiple uses including, but not limited to, the future extension of Ensign Road and to allow the city more flexibility in managing several informal homeless encampments and providing other housing and homeless services to individuals living there,' she said. Accessing the private property, including a large chunk of land near Martin Way, is the result of a two-year option agreement to purchase land in the area that was agreed to between the city and JJP, Ray said. That option is still in place, she said, and it specifies that access will be allowed for trash cleanup, homeless outreach activities and for the installation and construction of fencing between the camp and neighboring businesses, she said. Neighbors weigh in The Olympian decided to ask a neighboring business owner about the experience of operating next door to the camp. THC of Olympia, a marijuana retailer, couldn't be closer. The business is situated steps away from the front entrance to the camp at 3200 Martin Way E. THC owner Ciaran Wilburn, who has been there for about nine years, said the camp has evolved from one he described as a group of 'old-timers looking to escape society' to what he called a 'large drug and mental health crisis.' Wilburn said he does not have many issues with the people who occupy the camp, but he scoffed at a city officials who say the city is doing a good job of balancing accountability with compassion at the Jungle. 'This is compassion?' said Wilburn as he stood outside his business and gestured at the camp. He rattled off a list things that would help: better defined camp spaces, more sanitation services, running water and security cameras that might prevent crime. 'Put the camera systems up you have in the grocery store parking lot, so at least there's the illusion of security,' he said. Wilburn wasn't done. 'This is the most accepting area I've ever visited, and this is how we're dealing with this? It's a joke,' he said. 'Nine years of watching this, the city's a joke.' What do camp residents say? The Olympian spent time at the front entrance to the camp to interview those coming and going. Those interviewed were uncomfortable with using their full names, but they did agree to first names and ages. Former long-term camp resident, Danielle, 35, pulled up in her car to pick up some people on the fringe of the camp. She recalled it was kind of cool to build her own shelter there, but although the camp was safe for the most part, it had an 'uncomfortable energy.' She said she was finally able to get housing with the assistance of the Family Support Center. She said there needs to be more shelters for women, so they don't have to wait as long in a camp like the Jungle for housing. 'It's not right, it's not fair,' she said. Does the camp govern itself? She said it is self-governing to a degree and that people hold each other accountable. When young people enter the camp because they are curious about it, they are told to leave, she said. 'It's not OK. The young should not be here.' Mark, 36, originally from California, said he has lived in the camp a long time. 'I like it here,' he said, adding that he has freedom in the camp and nobody bothers him. He described the camp as safe. C.J., 49, who was sitting in the backseat of Danielle's car, said she lived in the Jungle for five years before she secured housing. She said the camp has a hierarchy, but it's not too different from regular society in that there's an expectation that you'll pick up after yourself and not touch other people's stuff. There was a time when the camp had an 'aura of peace and calm' to it, but not in the last 18 months, she said. In that time, The Olympian has reported about a rape at the camp and the violent assault of a woman by a group of people. Wolf, 59, said he has lived at the camp for the last six to seven months. 'The goal is to get out of here,' he said. He, too, said the camp is 95% safe, although there are a few characters in the Jungle that account for that 5%. 'A lot of people help each other,' he said, adding that it feels like a 'big, loose, chaotic family.' Equal time When The Olympian wrote about the tour of the camp, one of those on hand was Olympia City Council candidate Wendy Carlson, who is challenging incumbent Clark Gilman. Gilman did not participate in that tour, so in the interest of equal time, The Olympian reached out to him after Tuesday night's council meeting to get his thoughts about the camp. Here's what he had to say: 'I agree that the living conditions are not appropriate for anybody at the Jungle, but I also recognize the reality that we don't have the resources to just end it,' he said. 'And so instead, we're in a position of managing it as best we can, and that's been through a combination of policing, of social work and mutual aid outreach, of having our crisis responders be in relationships with people there.' Gilman also said that without policy changes the problem continues. 'There's not a finite number of people who are very poor or who are not able to access health care services that they need,' he said. 'And as long as we keep minting more people who are very poor, and as long as we keep reducing what's available for health care, we're going to continue to have more individuals who are in this situation that we're trying to help as best we can and to manage the situation.' Concerns about 'Jungle' homeless encampment spur tour with Lacey, Olympia officials Four people charged in connection with June 18 attack in Olympia's 'Jungle' Olympia man charged with attempted murder in Lacey rape case faces new rape charge Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Yahoo
More Married Women Are Traveling Alone Than Ever Before—Here's Why
According to research from multiple studies, more married women are choosing to travel by themselves than ever before. While older women are leading the charge, younger women are becoming more interested in solo travel as well. Best of all? Many are saying that it's actually been good for their a surprising shift happening in the world of travel: more married women are booking solo getaways than ever before. According to a 2024 study by online travel agency over 54 percent of women surveyed said they wanted to travel solo. And according to previous studies, such as one from 2023 by Boston-based tour operator Road Scholar, found that 60 percent of its solo travelers were married women traveling without their spouses. In that same year, another report from Australian travel agency Flight Centre found that women going it alone was the company's most common type of traveler. But don't be mistaken. While some are opting for quiet beach vacations or leisurely wine tastings. More and more, women are choosing bold, immersive adventures—think of destinations such as Morocco, Colombia, Egypt, and Cuba. Places that challenge and could potentially transform them. 'I think there are multiple reasons, including the fact that women are exhausted at being defined as mothers, wives, grandmothers, career women, etc, and they're facing the if not now, when' question head on,' Stacey Ray, owner of the female-founded travel company Sisterhood Travels, says. For many women in older generations (such as baby boomers and those in Generation X), travel may have once felt exclusively like something reserved for family vacations or something that you would do with a husband. But more and more women are taking the plunge and booking a ticket for one. 'Approximately 40 percent of our clients are married women traveling solo," Rays says. '[That's] up about 15 percent over the last couple of years. The median age range is between 58 and 68 for married women traveling solo, and I think this demographic will continue to rise as other married women share the wonderful experiences they're having.' For Kelly Lewis, founder of the boutique travel company Damesly, says many of her clients travel simply because their spouses can't or don't want to. 'Most of my guests have partners or are married, but choose to travel solo because their partners can't take time off work, or they don't have an interest in traveling,' Lewis says. For writer and blogger Megan Padilla, she and her husband have different traveling styles. Plus, she loves the freedom. 'It's incredible to travel exactly on your terms —to choose what matters most and how you want to spend your time and money without having to bend, cave, or compromise,' Padilla says. 'For example, I love lingering over a spritz at a tiny café in Rome. My husband doesn't drink and isn't interested in food, so if I were with him, I'd miss out on those little moments that make the trip truly mine.' However, for L.A.-based writer Carrie Bell, traveling alone became a necessity during a period of bereavement. And it ended up being exactly what she needed. 'After my dad died, I took a solo road trip to the high desert—Joshua Tree, and Palm Springs—for work. My husband couldn't travel with me because he didn't have the time off, so I had to go alone,' she said. 'It ended up being incredibly special. The desert, especially Joshua Tree, was a place my dad took me as a kid on camping trips, and being there felt like reconnecting with him. I spent my days walking, crying, soaking in hot springs, watching sunsets, and trying to figure out how to move forward without him. That trip became a turning point. Now, I return often to the desert for solo escapes, it's where I go to recenter, reflect, and remember.' Traveling alone, whether it's to it's a wellness retreat in Sedona or a bustling photography expedition in the Galapagos, offers many women an opportunity to reconnect with themselves, away from the demands of daily life. It's not about leaving their marriage behind, but rather, about leaning into rest and independence. For Bell, traveling alone is part of her formula for keeping a healthy marriage. Time apart reinforces her and her husband's time together. 'It's important for me to have these experiences on my own as a way to forge my own identity and feel like a whole person,' she says. Nancy Arehart, a retired photographer from the Raleigh–Durham metropolitan area of North Carolina, says that solo travel has only strengthened her marriage and was born out of necessity, as well as a love for the camera. 'At the time, my husband and I were caregiving for my elderly parents, and we found it pretty necessary to go on solo vacations because one of us needed to be home to care for my parents,' she says. 'I decided, at the encouragement of my husband, to do a photography-focused trip with a friend. I quickly discovered that I loved traveling.' Since then, solo travel has become a shared passion for both her and her husband, and Arehart has visited over 15 countries alone, including Antarctica, the Galapagos, Botswana, India, Africa, Brazil, Svalbard, and Peru. 'We don't always need to be physically next to each other to keep our marriage strong and thriving,' she says. 'Even though my parents are both deceased now, we still do our solo travel, but we make a point of scheduling a few vacations that we can do together each year as well.' Though older women are certainly leading the charge (in that Flight Centre study, the average age of a woman traveling alone was 52), younger women are also becoming more interested in traveling solo. According to travel public relations company ASA Luxury's Travel Trends Report 2025, 58 percent of Gen Z women expressed an interest in traveling abroad alone, and 83 percent said they were inspired to do so by social media influencers and celebrities. For some, however, it's as simple as considering the experiences of the women closest to them—and wanting more for themselves. 'My husband's grandmother did everything right for her generation,' Bell says. '[She] raised a family, kept a home, but never traveled because her husband didn't want to. After he passed, she realized she'd never seen anywhere beyond her hometown. That conversation made me realize: I'd rather dine alone and wonder if the maître d' pities me than miss out just because my husband can't come." Read the original article on Travel & Leisure
