CHRIS COOK – FORKS FORUM PHOTO

Lisa Salazar reads a proposal she presented to the Forks City Council on Monday evening, Aug. 22 on behalf of the West End-based Forks Civil Rights Group during the regularly-scheduled council meeting. Mayor Bryon Monohon (far right) listens carefully to the proposal presented to the city council members. An overflow crowd filled the council chambers for the talk, which followed by two weeks a presentation by Border Patrol agents based in Port Angeles. Salazar read an extensive list of individuals, organizations, local law enforcement agencies and businesses she has contacted to form a working group to help resolve civil rights issues in Forks. Other members of the local Hispanic community spoke at the meeting including Rafael Salazar (far left), describing what they see as overbearing surveillance by the Border Patrol and other federal law enforcement agencies of Hispanics and other people of color on the West End. The proposal seeks to connect with Forks Police Chief Doug Price, who attended the meeting, and his department to encourage and open free discussion between the police and the members of civil rights organization. The group also plans to reach out to local residents to inform them of how federal immigration laws are enforced by law officers on the West End, to get on paper what guidelines local law enforcement officers use when they deal with someone who is found to be in the United States illegally. The issue of what changes might happen locally due to President Obama’s recent decision to take the focus off the deportation of already-detained illegal immigrants was mentioned. At the close of the 45-minute discussion Monohon said he and the council will take the proposals under advisement and get back to the Forks Civil Rights Group.