Oakland Tribune from Oakland, California • 17

SUNDAY, February 2a 1999 THE OAKLAND TRIBUNE LOCALS iM.Pf".PPPW.i I JH HI 1SW1. Southern Ifc Sutton, Oakland. Calif ornta. council Albany may force residents dump to go PHOTO COURTESY OAKLAND LIBRARY The long-empty Southern Pacific Station in Oakland awaits an uncertain fate. West nd trains awaits renewa It as the most dlstln- awaits the long-empty 16th Street StaUonbi A West Oakland.

Inhabitants want to remain at Bulb ByCaclyBurt STAff WHTH. i ALBANY The eclectic transient population that Inhabits the lonely, windswept spit of land that used to be Albany's dump Includes war veterans, a self-proclaimed preacher, a man who grows his own vegetables and families wlm children. v. But they will not be there long If the Albany City Council on Monday approves a plan to evict about 75 homeless campers and squatters from the Albany Bulb in favor, of making the area a haven for outdoor en thuslasts. dogs and.

bird watchers who floCk to the mud fiats for great views. The former, dump. Is by the dry of Albany and soon will be surrounded by the planned Eastshore State Park. It is due some sort of cleanup to make the mounds of leftover -construction' debris concrete: and rebar less of a hazard to i people walking in the area; No overnight stays proposed ordinance pro-: hlbits overnight Sleeping "bags, living shelters 'and. alcohoL No one would be allowed to enter the area bV: tween the hours of 10 pjtt.

and 5:30 unless allowed by 'permit. Violators could be charged with misdemeanor and fined up to Several people who inhabit the Bulb spoke to the dty about melr desire to stay; there. About 50 people -r many of them her- with no desire to live a so-' called traditional: have" lived there in an array of temporary structures, or campers for yeaiv" Their numbers ballooned to more, than; iOO. last, summer, after Union Pacific "Railroad cleaned off a 10-acre pared of land near the- tracks in West Berkeley and Caltrans started clearing debris Jrpm under freeway overpasses as part of Its Interstate 8Q freeway project A door faucet because of people who broke In the buildings to get water. Police said they have been called out to the area 35 tunes in the past 10 months to settle disputes between campers and reports of theft, assault and attempted murder.

There have been 17 arrests for drug, alcohol or warrant-related ind- nkiraady Emergency crews respond to medical calls, but they have to walk most of the way in on foot as did police and fire officials and the coroner when a camper, lecentfydled. Several social service age- in Alameda County have visited the Bulb's residents over the past few months, getting to. know them and asswwmg their sltuatlon to determine where they will go and what kind of hdp they will need once the dry evicts them, probably In June. About 77 semipermanent residents live, there now. and the dty said it has no desire to throw them out without making sure they have somewhere to go Otherwise, they Just win end up i back on the streets iff West Berkeley and But It Is dear cannot stay where they are.

ownership of narrow strip of land connecting the Bulb to the shoreline and the I plateau adjacent to Crolden Gate Fields was transferred to the state by Catellus Development Corp. after contaminated soils were removed and replaced. Qty rssponsibie for dsanup tjie cleanup plan for the! Bulb is the cay's responsibility. Regional Water Quality Control Board, which 20 years ago wanted Albany to cap it with four of has not yet ap-; proved a less intrusive plan posed by the It calls, for minimal rernedla-'vtipn removing or. crushing' large pieces of concrete and that.

were' dumped there: posing a hazard for hikers. There are no toxic wastes of methane because the site was used for household waste. v'- Cta the other hand, tt has be- Partofa25-acre electrified "red trains rah oil elevated tracks raised for a. half-a mile on flther side of the station (frchnwhth Street to 20th -Passengers disembarked on raised platform attached to the west side of The innovative approach (said to be the first used In the West) separated the local trains from lhe malnllne thus avoiding Inconvenient UrUips. I Xlght from the arched east- fa the 'c grahd.

Qiree-storyrhlgh: walt room. Ajinehr detailed, box- parcel on the marketthe mark station belongs to Unlbii Padfte (which became the prop erty owner of record when ft quired Southern Pacific's assets" in 1996r Uon were removed Ifr Hon of the new Cypress freeway S- anid hew the station dedicated ij with such fanfare in 1912 never aga '-'Tr quake forced the station's doors to dose; preservationists and -cohununlty resident have sought ways to find a viable use for the p' stately structure 1 'v V-2 Cultural Heritag uatore categoit ah eleeant examble of the Beaux guished landmark on the West Oakland skyUne. v. 'i Several reuse ideas have been suggested Including a museum and cafe dedicated to the heritage of me. Sleeping Car Porters; unionized by local resident C.L; Dellums; a special eventbanquet facility; a'; Blues and Boxing Club; or pos- sfbly a WestOaklahd Market: i (with food vendor stalls), i Fmds from a feasibility study grant awarded to access the wrerall condltloa oT the buflduig still arc available to evaluate: these and.

any Other proposals that might forward. KTOPiTl3iannel 10 hpst Gwen McCahe will discuss the stgniflcanwofthe 16th Street Station with guest former Oak- land Ciiuncllmember Leo Bazlle on her program "Oakland's Hidden Treasures" Thursday :8:30 p.m. vi Jy -Ouestlons or siiggestlphs fojr possible reuse ideas can be dl-. to landmarks Board alafrGeorge Lythcbti, 238 sta11oh.mtJibtewpiihy exte. V'rior Prominent Chkagoased ar- chltect Jaryls Hunt wis slble.for the An even wrsl6n the same architect recently rehabilitated lh Kansas Clrj Survey flies Tepcedan 1870s wood -febred depot.

ConsiinCtl6n was.part of ah ments undertaken by Southern beamed ceiling overhead and' the walls also are features of the lobby v.tory acctfuhts, note the 'y scores of workers, many from the; South, who streamed through -J this lobby on their way to take. Jobs iii the East Bay's, wartime -v? Although Ucks tip longer run behind the station; an off-ramp from the new freeway Is conven-V lently close. byV -Its visibility to'mbtorlste -Pacific followingthe surge to growth ofthe East Bay foljoWfng; -f Up to 50Q trains a daycamip: 'VthrougK'the station In Its heyday mainline (rains jrdved and deped pri the ground style, citing the VinasshT. jguiite and terricotUr' bthiec monii-- mental arched windows as the mobilize aid Indian brethren Christians as portions oi tne uay ltau were completed at the: end of come part of the natural envV Buchanan Street more: and ronment and provided home for Attacks ihAsiaspur more hikers, bird watchers and By STAfiF.WRnER 1 brings us. -Closer, than ever 'said the' Ranjan Samuel, leads; -Christ Qiiirh India in Altos; and is Concerned: Indian Christians.

vgrbupy." rMany pebpie now realize the; lmpprtauipe crfprayei1 TThis has. brought ja Tot: of -among. the Christiansi" said Fremont MalU Massey: of the. disparate Indian wUdlife and birds, much the sunken: ships become part of a coral reef, so some of it could be left alone. Whether; or not the council moves, ahead with the camping and open space ordinances, It is hkely that a new road will be constructed on the landfill to provide better; access by emef 4 gency vehicles, and some type of portable or permanent 'room fadltties provided as; public use increases.

members of the dog walkers visited the; area, ana conflicts erupted between them and the The "city hasi recdved plaints of stray, dogs, shopping carts, garbage and raw sewage. The residents use water line fof plants along the Bay Trail for drinking water and. bathing, and. Golden Gate: Fields has had to employ a se-': curity guard and. install an out- Jeevan Maslhf.

Manual dependent research institute; Thursday, 'recent Hirdu-Chrls-' 1 tiari attacks started after stories were hqrled at: a Hindu i- Alarmed fi iapC', Chrtstlah populaUoft Chiris tlans, ate; a.lfhmority the Hindu nation r- tensions radical Hindu groups reconverting' people back 10 Hmdulsni; The Asswiated Press reported. v'-tV But all along; mere have been allegations that Christians have 'been foretoly converting said tne of conversion makes sibievV vK Bay Indian Christians say they came to the United States lw eccibmib oppbrtuiik ties; not because, of persecutipn. And they say' the. relations, be- tween Hlndus and Christians in the United States remains 'A some say many Bay' Area Hindus are as concerned about me attacks: as. they are.

"Stllli: sbmc.said the Christian. missionaries serve an important role In India that people need to "Before die missionaries, nobody cafe, of the poor people Paul a Union' City resident and leader Of the Hayward New Life Chrls-' ilahAsspcteuohv.v':'':' Wirp cifflributed (p this Hindi for New Life, hi gather in a church. to'; pray. sing and read the Bible. -J V-v And lately, they, and from groups have found ''themsdves energized with a new 'spiritual mission; advocating for persecuted in v'AflerDecemWvintack' on: 'dozens, of Oiristian: halls and: schools In western India, the In- dlan-Chrlstian community in the.

Bay Area has garnering for prayer vigils and 3 campaigns, y. groups In Uw Bay. r'Area. "I hop i aid pray mis wlll: gain' sefnbly of God church to for those Chrisuahs persecuted 'i in India, some comiiig from as.l,; far, away as Sacramento. Tiuv lock and "Nb one can be: forcibly he said.

a. -yXi from The conviction comes The. group has or will send they even have started a new letters to the president of India of Northern Call: IIOI9 CU1U concern oyer the attacks: Christians fornla. your money We're all' 80 Why let if fly out the t. "i window? iSi QUALITY Barry Caine's film reviews SCANDINAVIAN Did you An average household spends over 40 percent of its annual energy budget on heating and coolina costs ai Sensible Prices! fm AuwiMy Dtlwy AvmWiIi OPEN: M0N4AT MO Ml PI MM 11 I 52i -7470 .1325 PAHK STREET ALAMEDA a nCUE MANAGEMENT .1 Can Comply Bachelor of Aib in management (18 Months) STORAGE SOLUTIONS states that windows can account for as much as 25 percent of the heat your home loses.

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