Homeless Speak Out Against International Square Destruction
City To Demolish Park By End Of Week
POSTED: 7:08 p.m. PST January 6, 2004
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- In hopes of making Old Town Kern's homeless problem a thing of the past, International Square was destroyed, KERO reported.
However, the homeless people who lived in the park are still present.
On the corner of Jackson and Baker streets, the homeless gather near International Wall, right across the street form the Old Town Kern business district.
Anita Deluna, a homeless woman, said, "That's gonna make all business look bad. They should have left it the way it was."
Ramona Bonner, who lives in an abandoned building, said since the demolition of International Square, the homeless have scattered all over the area.
The Rescue Mission expanded its park to help address the problem and their own overcrowding. But many of homeless, like Jerry McWhirter, will not go there
"I won't go to Mission. I can't take my buggy," McWhirter said.
Once International Square is leveled, many homeless said they plan to go back and hang out on the empty dirt lot.
The park should should be leveled within a few days. At that time, the city is going to turn it back over to its owner Union Pacific Railroad.
Copyright 2004 by TheBakersfieldChannel.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.









