I live at Purple Cliffs and wound up here after losing several jobs and the pandemic. Law officials know me as a good man grateful for what this city has done.
I met Olivier three years ago from playing pool. He helped me out. I admire him for taking care of his kids. And when nobody in this world cared, he showed he genuinely cares for less fortunate people like me. Two different worlds.
He is a fair and intelligent man who treats all people as equals, unlike other people that show many faces, never being truthful. Everybody thinks they have a solution to help, but don’t ask. Olivier has asked my opinion and I tell him the key lies with the people that live it.
I am not a “yes man,” but hard-headed. We don’t always see eye to eye but we respect each other’s opinions.
Many here care about our camp and are thankful for what has been done for us. We need to be able to govern or police ourselves. There are some parasites who are deteriorating what has been given to us. They are the ones that make us all look bad. Some of us feel that we should give back, clean up trash along the river, for example, if they want to live here.
Olivier is an honest man that at least listens and is willing to do something.
Timothy CheeleyDurango
