EVERETT, Wash. — On any other day, the electronic billboard outside Z Sports Automotive just off Broadway advertises to commuters the latest specials on oil changes or car repairs.
But on Wednesday, the sign visible just off the northbound Interstate 5 ramp into downtown Everett welcomed people to what it called “Tweakerville.”
The sign, which Gary Watts, owner of Z Sports, says was only up “for a few hours,” has generated controversy on Facebook and other online social media.
“The sign was meant to be polarizing. People need to understand the problems that we face, we need to step up to those and we need to crawl out of our box on what we’re trying to do to resolve those,” Watts said.
Watts says his shop off Smith Avenue has been repeatedly broken into by homeless people who often congregate under the I-5 Smith Avenue overpass.%
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He says the vandals pawn the items they steal to finance their drug addictions and says the problem, despite his belonging to a community effort to solve the issue, continues.
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“Those are all things that are not going to affect our city today. They’ll affect years from now. It’s going to take generations to grow out of the problems,” Watts said.
“My reaction was, ‘Oh that’s too bad.’ I don’t want my community to be known like that, and I’m part of community efforts to try and change that perception,” Everett Downtown Storage owner Pat Stievers said.
KIRO 7 contacted the Everett Mayor’s office for comment on the sign and it routed us to Stievers, whose business is just a few blocks from the Tweakerville sign.
“For those of us who don’t know us by that name, I’m not real excited about calling attention to us in that fashion,” Stievers said.
Stievers and Watts also are members of the Downtown Everett Association business group.
The controversy Watts says he wanted to attract, is shining a light on drug and homeless issues. %
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Everett Police Chief Dan Templeman released a statement to KIRO 7, reading:
"While I can certainly understand the frustrations of all of our city residents and business owners who have been impacted by the opioid epidemic, I choose to remain focused on finding solutions that will positively impact this crisis that has affected nearly every community across the country.
The Police Department and the City will continue to work with our community partners, explore innovative programs and dedicate resources to this area of the city in an effort to reduce the negative impacts felt by the business community."
While Watts and Stievers do want fixes and want them soon, they say their approaches strike from different angles.
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