Last week’s rain finally solidified the arrival of fall. With the strong winds, heavy downpour and dark afternoons, there’s almost no better time to spend a cozy evening inside.
I’ve always loved a rainy day. However, as I grew older, I realized I only really like the rain when I’m inside, protected from the elements. As I drove to work on Thursday, I saw a large tarp covering a shopping cart filled with plastic bags that I had seen the day prior. For some, this is a dreaded time.
The homelessness issue has been a huge topic of discussion in Fremont in the last few years. Earlier this year, Fremont’s camping ban attracted passionate opinions from both sides of the matter. Some residents believed the ban would make them feel safer in the city, and others thought the ban was cruel to the unhoused.
Earlier this month, Fremont officials cleared a homeless encampment in Isherwood Park near Quarry Lakes. The encampment was said to have about 40 unhoused people living there. The city offered temporary housing for those who were displaced by the cleanup.
I went down to Isherwood Park myself the same day as the cleanup to see if I could take any photos. I walked around for about 30 minutes and didn’t see much.
Once I realized maybe everyone had already been kicked off the property, I got into my car and began to pull out of the parking lot. As I turned onto the street, I saw a man on a bike. He struggled to carry three large black trash bags. Was he one of the unhoused people who had just been displaced from the closest place he could call home? He turned into the entrance of Isherwood Park and started down the gravel trail.
