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 Linda Thomas
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Linda is the morning news anchor and features reporter for KIRO Radio. This is her local news blog, with an emphasis on social media, technology, Northwest companies, education, parenting, and anything else that grabs her attention.

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Seattle wants to make it up to B.C. tourist

May 3, 2012 @ 5:30 pm

Seattle tourism officials have offered a Vancouver family, who had their car vandalized during the May Day protests, an all-expenses paid trip back to the city.

97.3 KIRO FM's Brandi Kruse talked with the man, named Sam, Tuesday afternoon. He came out of a restaurant with his family to see vandals breaking windows at Niketown. That was disturbing. Then he got to his car and saw the windows were smashed and tires slashed.

That's not the "welcome to Seattle" red carpet the tourism industry wants to roll out. They wanted to apologize and make it up to him. But first, they had to find Sam, his wife and children.

A Twitter campaign using the hashtag #findsam was launched. Archie McPhee Stores and other retailers joined in offering some suggestions and deals for Sam.

A Vancouver newspaper, The Province, reports the man has been found. He is pastor Sam Lee of Lighthouse Ministries.

Now Seattle has offered to give Lee and his family an all-expense paid trip back to the city.

Lee told newspaper he was unaware of the attention his story received. He's also not sure when, or if, his family wants to come back to Seattle.

FIndSam

Photo via Lindsay Cohen, a KOMO TV reporter who started the #FindSam hashtag

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Comments (12)


  • Add A Comment

  • SgtFatso wrote...
    Troublemakers pay for their destruction
    May 3, 2012 5:47 pm
    Make those pieces of crap they caught pay for the expenses. Troublemakers. The police should have beat the living daylights out of them. You would have less problems with them if you used force to curtail their criminal activities.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • soo purletiv wrote...
    2 things
    May 3, 2012 7:18 pm
    First of all, this Lee guy has no ground to be criticising Seattle in regards to mobs. We all remember how well Vancouver reacted to winning...ahem!.... to LOSING the Stanley Cup 11 short months ago. And not to mention 1994 (when they lost also).

    Secondly, the article states: "....He is pastor Sam Lee of Lighthouse Ministries...." And: "...Now Seattle has offered to give Lee and his family an all-expense paid trip back to the city...."

    As a "pastor" wouldn't it be fair to say he already had "an all-expense paid trip" to Seattle?

    His "sheep" evidently paid for the original trip.......

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Rangerhawk wrote...
    Sounds like he needs to visit soo purletiv
    May 4, 2012 12:25 am
    Now that would be money well spent.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Rick (4) wrote...
    Make known Black Bloc members pay.
    May 3, 2012 7:54 pm
    Seattle should not be paying for this with citizens tax dollars, when numerous members of the group are known and could be made to pay for this along with all other expenses from the damage they created.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • CH wrote...
    Now Seattle has offered to give Lee and his family an all-expense paid trip back to the city . . . .
    May 3, 2012 9:19 pm
    if I was he, my next trip would be for 50k + keys to city. Maybe the Seattle taxpayer should pay for the arena. You must have deep pockets. Time to kick out my windows for a free lunch.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • WShadow206 wrote...
    Youd b Dumb not 2
    May 3, 2012 9:35 pm
    an All Expense paid trip to do watever u want WOW
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Lonestar wrote...
    As a minister Rev. Lee should know this is a sign from God
    May 4, 2012 8:24 am
    When you have a president who has declared war on religion, then the only winner is Satan. And, BTW, where was Barry during the May Day riots? He high-tailed to a safer place - Afghanistan!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • SeattleNative wrote...
    @soo purletiv
    May 4, 2012 8:56 am
    So does that mean your employer is a "sheep"?

    That is, if you were employed...

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • BikerDude wrote...
    WHY
    May 4, 2012 10:10 am
    WHY... WHY...WHY do WE the tax payers need to pay for any vandalism??? Why can't the pieces of trash that caused the damage be HELD RESPONSIBLE??? I'm sick of our whimpyass way of dealing with the violence. Each person should be in jail for a min of a year and forced to pay for damages when they get out. If this crap isn't dealt with a firm hand we are just inviting more of this for future morons to destroy our city. Next time bring out the National Guard. Hammers, crowbars, sharpened rods are all WEAPONS and should be dealt with as such... shot the moe foes WHO needs them.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • BikerDude wrote...
    Hey MNW.com
    May 4, 2012 10:43 am
    Where is my "Why, Why, Why" comment? it wasn't abusive in any way other than criticizing the way we were forced to let the protestors run our streets. I dont' care about the non-violent ones just the ones that were bent on damaging property just to damage property.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Amorget wrote...
    It's there
    May 4, 2012 11:27 am
    Bottom of page 1....
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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