Belt Line Self Clean-up Hits Snag

An effort to clean-up the property by one of the homeless people camped at the former Belt Line Railway property hit a snag today when the initiator moved out.

A man, Jacob, who has been living in the future Jean Sweeney Open Space Park since spring, had asked for a dumpster and supplies to tackle some of the garbage accumulating on the site.

The dumpster, donated by Alameda County Industries, was delivered early this morning.

However, through voice mail messages last night, and a telephone conversation late today, Jacob told Action Alameda News that he was moving out.

“I’m not going to be here to help clean this stuff up here,” he said. “Somebody stole my frickin’ bike again. It’s the second bike I’ve gotten stolen in this [expletive] place…I’m tired. I do apologize.”

Jacob expressed optimism that some of the other people camping at the site, to whom he had distributed donated garbage bags, would follow through on some clean up and take advantage of the dumpster.

But for himself, he was moving on.

He didn’t know where he was going to go, but didn’t think it would be far.