The WSB Forums have been talking about an event this Sunday at the encampment that calls itself Nickelsville – a double wedding. Early this morning, we received a news release about not only the wedding, but also an open community invitation to what will be the camp’s anniversary celebration – since Sunday will mark exactly one year since the encampment moved back to the vacant publicly owned parcel where it had started in fall of 2008:

On Friday the 13th last year we set out on a secret mission – “The Black Cat Caravan.” Over 20 vehicles and 120 Nickelodeons and supporters left old Fire Station #39 in Lake City City, supposedly to talk to Seattle City Hall politicians. But we’d already concluded they weren’t ready to help, and kept on going toward The Duwamish, back to our first site where Nickelsville started in September of 2008. Slowly but surely,things have been getting better for Nickelsville ever since.

One year without moving, one year of building small simple sturdy sleeping structures and creating a self-managed Eco-Village. One year of growing together as a community as well as a year of getting to know our neighbors. One year of struggle for economic justice and environmental stability. One year of setting down roots without having to tear them up and move as we have done so often in the past.

The struggle isn’t over, by any means. The City of Seattle still will not recognize our existence, and we therefore lack either police protection or on site utilities. We never know what the next day holds. But an encampment of our size, staying for one year in one place in Seattle, hasn’t happened since the Great Depression. Some of us would certainly be dead without it, so Thank You Mayor McGinn.

We would like to invite you down to camp to share in our memories and plans this Sunday at Noon. The success of Nickelsville would have been an even harder fight without friends and allies such as yourself, and it would be impossible to celebrate it without your presence.

Another wonderful reason to come down is the double wedding being held onsite for two couples, residents of Nickelsville who have also shared the trials and joys of this great year. Thelema Johnson and Charlie Smith are being wed alongside with Josh Smith and Barbie Houseman. The Christian Crusaders motorcyclists will preside over the ceremony.

Here’s looking forward to another great year with our supporters and allies. May the memories be as amazing as this year.

As mentioned in the third paragraph above, the city has allowed the encampment to stay – the mayor’s office confirmed that to WSB days after its return last May – but will not allow it to hook up to city systems (as reported here last June). The event is scheduled for noon.