The owner of an Olympia bowling alley says the city isn't responding to issues at his business on Martin Way East. So owner Dan Brathovd used four words to get their attention. He posted a sign on the reader board at Aztec Lanes that reads, "Open Season on Tweekers!"
"It is just a statement that we are not going to put up with them anymore around here, and we are fed up with these folks," said Brathovd.
The motivation behind the sign had to do with the foot traffic that's become more frequent, according to Brathovd. He says he often finds people sleeping on his property and digging through the trash.
"Nobody is doing a darn thing about this crisis that we have got. On a daily basis, I come in and pick up trash out of the parking lot. Every day there are needles laying around," said Brathovd.
The bowling alley's sign captured Sam Miller's attention.
"For me, it is fairly clear that it is advocating for violence against people who use methamphetamines," said Miller.
Miller, a local comedian, says drug addiction is a problem he understands. "I've been clean and sober for about ten years."
Miller decided to make a public Facebook post about the sign.
"I didn't think of what the response would be. I wanted him to feel the pressure. However, I did not want him to feel that much pressure, and also I didn't want to be at the center of it," said Miller.
The bowling alley did receive some support as well as an avalanche of angry comments.
"If they would like these folks to come to their house and, you know, spray paint on the side of their house, leave feces on their front porch, and garbage all over, and they have to deal with it every day, I think they would probably see it otherwise too," said Brathovd.
Since the Facebook firestorm of comments, something has happened. Miller decided to delete his public post, and met face-to-face with Brathovd.
"It's weird because me and this guy, we disagree on a lot of stuff, but we both listened to each other and we both apologized to each other, which I thought was cool," said Miller.
"I think he is one of the people who misinterpreted the sign, and he said it hurt his feelings and I can understand that," said Brathovd.
Miller proposed a community clean-up around Aztec Lanes on July 29, and Brathovd agreed to it. The comedian has also come up with another way to help.
"We are having a comedy benefit show and one-hundred percent of the proceeds are going to go to the Interfaith Works Shelter here in Olympia," said Miller.
The benefit comedy show is scheduled for September 29.
