The Lyle Point controversy has been raging since an east coast land
speculation and development company bought the Point from the railroad
several years ago. If this investment company is successful, the Point will
be chopped up into over 30 lots- to become a gated, elitist community for
the rich- forever denying the public access and use of the point. Heroic
efforts by citizens from across the United States and lawsuits by the Indian
Nations have fended off the developers for three years.
Lyle Point has and continues to be a usual and accustomed scaffold fishing
site for the River People. Historic journals and tribal elders tell of an
ancient Indian village at Lyle Point that was abandoned due to disease
spread by the first contact with whites. Oral history tells of this village
where the natives cared for a diseased white family which was abandoned by
their own people. Their disease spread to the entire village, killing all
the inhabitants. The Natives were buried there and the site remained
undisclosed by the elders until this recent threat of development. The
village at the mouth of the Klickitat (Lyle Point) was seen and recorded by
Lewis & Clark. Sacred sites and burial sites must not be desecrated.
Lyle Point Action Committee
August 21, 1996
LYLE POINT IS NOT FOR SALE
On Friday, August 16th, the Lyle Point Action Committee (a group of local
and regional citizens working to prevent the development of Lyle Point)
commenced with protest demonstrations at the Point and at Don Nunamaker,
Inc. Realtors, Hood River, Oregon.
The committees action was a reaction to the cover of "Today's Real Estate
Guide," featuring the availability of Lyle Point lots for housing
development, and word of a salmon bake open house being held at the site.
Committee members also leafletted Gorge communities the weekend of the 17th
& 18th, and were met with supportive gestures from the public during the
three days.
On Sunday, August 18th, the committee was informed by Nunamaker that: As of
August 18th, 1996, Don Nunamaker, Inc., realtors and its agents have ceased
marketing efforts on the lots at Lyle Point. We are no longer involved with
this listing.
Investment Real Estate firm Tilbury, Fergusen & Neuburg, Inc. (503) 224
6743, fax x7933, 530 NW 23rd Ave., Suite 112, Portland, OR 97210; Elizabeth
Tilbury, John L. Fergusen, Gail Neuberg) released Nunamaker from co-listing
Due to the unexpected public controversy regarding Klickitat Landing... the
same day.
As of this writing, Tilbury, et al. is being notified of the issues
surrounding this sacred burial site and Native fishing site of the River
People, in hopes they may choose to do the right thing and decline further
marketing of this ill-conceived and disastrous project. Letters and calls
to them from all over the world (polite) are in order.
Any subsequent attempts by realtors and their agents to sell Lyle Point lots
will be similarly protested.
The committee will continue working to bring the applicable parties together
to discuss, formulate and pursue a preservation plan, through acquisition.
We hope for the landowners cooperation and refrainment from relisting Lyle
Point until such discussion can resume.
The committee commends Don Nunamaker, Inc. for being responsive to this
sensitive issue by dropping their listing.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP SAVE LYLE POINT:
-- Volunteer for duty. Protests at the realty office may be called if
they don't cooperate after 8/24/96.
-- We need help spreading the fact that this is a very bad investment into
and throughout the Real Estate community- if you have any ideas or know of
real estate networks, home pages and e-mail addresses to get a version of
this out to, please let us know.
-- And anything else you can think of- not the least of which is network
the info & updates to inform as many as possible.
Thanks!
Contacts:
Lyle Point Action Committee: Chief Johnny Jackson (509) 493 1686
Columbia Gorge Audubon Society: Jill Barker (541) 478 3427
P.O. Box 512, Hood River, OR 97031 (email: mediaisl@halcyon.com)