Niles' residents toast 100-year heritage

By Sean R. Cabibi
STAFF WRITER

FREMONT -- A hundred years of history came together in Niles Saturday as residents celebrated the centennial of the Niles Depot and enjoyed the festivities of the Niles Harvest Festival. 

"Niles has still maintained the feeling it had in 1901," said Niles resident Mark Quade. 

"That's really one of the great things about this area. Even though the Bay Area has grown so much, Niles still has its own unique flavor." 

The Niles Depot Centennial featured a variety of exhibits and booths detailing the history of the historic depot. 

Quade, who moved out of Fremont to Los Angeles as a child, said he felt like things hadn't changed when he moved back in 1995. 

"This is really one of the jewels that I think still can be found in Fremont," Quade said. 

"If you really take a look at Fremont, it's not too exciting. This really is an area that has character and that's why I love this place." 

The centennial celebration reminded him of how things move at a different pace in Niles and why he came back. 

The centennial also featured music performed by Greg Schindel, the train singer and model trains. 

Several city and county officials, including Alameda County Supervisors' Scott Haggerty and Gail Steele, Vice Mayor Bob Wasserman and council members Judy Zlatnik and Steve Cho, came out to the depot to celebrate. 

Across the way in the heart of Niles, the Niles Harvest Festival offered numerous activities. 

"It's a beautiful day to come out and have a good time," said Fremont resident Pat Foust, who came out to Niles with her family. "We were just shopping and decided to come out to the festival to take a look." 

The festival featured carnival games, pumpkin painting, face painting and buggy rides pulled by ponies. 

"It's a great way to spend some time with the kids and let them burn some energy," said Fremont resident Glenda Sutton, who attended the event with her two daughters. "The kids really seem to love the buggy." 

The festival also featured music and a scarecrow contest with competing scarecrows entered by Vallejo Mill School and Niles School. 

"I think most people would agree that if there is anything to see in Fremont, it's Niles," said Fremont resident Tyler Epperson. "Hopefully in the next hundred years it keeps its unique qualities."