What A Mess - April 11, 2021

As the W-X freeway-widening project begins in earnest, many of the homeless camps that proliferated during the last five years under the freeway are being cleared out. Five years ago, I remember thinking, ‘If I were homeless I’d stay here, because of protection against the rain.’ Others thought the same. By last year, these camps had become crime hot beds. I tried to help one young woman who was pepper-sprayed in the face by a young thug. And now, wave a wand, back to square one.

Today, most of the people at the 22nd Street camp have departed. Looks like there is much assorted debris for the taking. There is apparently a ‘safe-space’ area close to I-5 that has been designated for them, but I don’t know if it’s big enough to accommodate everyone.

Meanwhile, the 23rd Street camp emptied at the start of the month. The orange bat-removal gear is visible at each weephole under the road bed at 23rd Street. I worry whether bats were displaced by construction near the light rail overpasses last year, and whether they’ve returned. I worry about these bats. I worry a lot, in general. I have my bat Echometer. I need to get out to these places and see where the bats went.

22nd Street on April 12th. What a difference a day makes!