Street Spirit August 2005

The Landfill Blues

By Janny Castillo

They will blend into the homeless wave of humanity that live under bridges, abandoned buildings, in doorways; they will sink deeper into invisibility.

One morning I read about how the city of Albany sent bulldozers to clear the homeless encampments at the Albany Landfill. The article made no mention of the people that had made the landfill their home and what had happened to them. I went in search of them, maybe it was too late to help, but I was hoping to give them a voice, a chance to tell their story.

Many still remember the Albany Landfill. We were introduced to Rabbit, his neighbors and the artists that worked and lived in the sloping hills through Tomas McCabe and his award winning documentary, “Bum’s Paradise”. In 1999, they called it “a landfill at the edge of the bay, a colony of homeless people live with a million-dollar view and pennies in their pockets.”

That morning as I walked the slopes of the landfill, I saw devastation against a backdrop of beauty. The water of the bay encloses the landfill like a mother cradling its child. The plants, the trees and vegetation grow wild and free under the sea wind and the constant sun.

The roads had been widened to accommodate the use of heavy equipment. Choosing this method to clear out materials that were originally brought in by hand and wheeled in by grocery carts had done serious damage to the environment. There wasn’t a bulldozer in sight but they had left their cruel mark.

The true California natives, the palm trees, full grown coyote bushes and acacias along with many of their sisters and brothers had been trampled, crushed and uprooted. It was sad and unnecessary but I knew that in time, they would flourish again; it was the displaced people that concerned me more. I searched for awhile but could not find anyone. I did find Tomas McCabe who stopped and talked for awhile. He was on his way to photograph the last remaining pieces of art.

The Berkeley Daily Planet article (City of Albany Clears Homeless Encampments) had mentioned that there were about 10 homeless people living there. It also mentioned that the clean up which included three 30-yard containers, a four-yard front loader, a backhoe and numerous bulldozers cleared 12 homeless encampments. All at a cost of $15,000; I wonder how much was spent on relocation.

Osha Neumann, local artist and attorney had asked the Albany City Council not use heavy equipment because of the environmental damage it was sure to cause. From a July 22nd, 2005 Berkeley Daily Planet article (Commentary: Albany Bulb Cleanup is Damaging Environment), this was one response: Public Works Supervisor John Medlock said the large amount of the debris and other materials require the use of heavy machinery. He added that very little vegetation is being destroyed. “Plus there is a lot of broken glass and needles,” he said. “We are trying to handle the debris as little as possible.” I made a mental note to always use bulldozers when picking up needles and glass.

I stood on a cliff and looked out at the water, behind me were the remains of a trampled down campsite. I imagined crawling out of a tent and waking up to this truly incredible sight. I thought living here one could forget life’s troubles, if only for a moment.

As I walked back I found what the bulldozers missed. A mother tree stood beside a road, her shade could have been somebody’s home; lovely objects were hanging from her branches; a red stuffed puppy, purple flowers, a red heart, a silver plate. I couldn’t tell if it was one of the encampments but it was a beautiful space.

Future plans for the landfill include it becoming part of East Shore State Park which means that we will not lose this important natural habitat. But where will the homeless people go? They will blend into the wave of humanity that live under bridges, abandoned buildings, in doorways; they will sink deeper into invisibility. Until we choose to see them for what they are; our responsibility. There are many individuals and families living on the streets and in our shelters that are waiting for a chance at wellness and stability; by combining resources we can make a difference.

How? Support your local homeless service providers. One suggestion is Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS) www.self-sufficiency.org or call 510 649-1930, email: jannyselfsufficiency@yahoo.com.

To find out more about “Bum’s Paradise” visit www.bumsparadise.com or email: Tomas@BumsParadise.com. A wonderful story appears at the "Bum's Paradise" website titled Off-Leash Art, Off-Leash Dogs, and the Battle for the Soul of the Albany Landfill, click here to read it.

Kudos to the Berkeley Daily Planet for covering the story. To read the two stories from the Berkeley Daily Planet please click on one of the titles: City of Albany Clears Homeless Encampments or Commentary: Albany Bulb Cleanup is Damaging Environment.

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