Saw a lot of friends at Oakland Pride, many of whom I had not seen since before Covid. Despite the way it might look in the pictures, it was very well attended. I was also pleased to read that the two competing Oakland pride events from last year had reached a detente, so they were consolidated this year.
We parked at a nearby lot and walked a few blocks through the City Plaza, which had some gorgeous architecture and murals. I also realized that the amazing oak tree in front of City Hall is the one featured in the Oakland logos. When I first saw the Corinthian columns, I didn’t even realize the ornate building next to me was City Hall.
We were really touched by the Breonna Taylor monument, which has its own history worth reading about.
One of the buildings reminds me so much of the Flat Iron building in New York City.
This evening was exceptionally lovely having dinner by the Napa River and watching the sunset afterward beneath the white eucalyptus trees. Thanks for suggesting the RIPARIAN location, Noel & Mark! You have made our move to Vallejo so much more valuable with your amazing friendships, Covid notwithstanding. It doesn’t hurt that Mark is a big Streisand fan like me!
Even in the reflection of the window, you can see the Mare Island Causeway, which is so cool.
After the picnic in San Francisco, we decided to go down to one of our favorite dog-friendly beaches, Montara. Amazingly we found great parking in both SF and at the beach (with a little patience). It was the first time we’ve taken Snoopy and Polar to the Coast and I was particularly proud of how well Snoopy minded, since he had been quite a runner when we first got him and before he was neutered.
Had a wonderful evening with the Vallejo Seaweed Baseball team at Wilson Park for “Glen Cove Day.” More pictures to come eventually on the galleries at Glencovevallejo.com. Many of the Glen Cove Community Association board members and other Vallejoans we know were there to support our local team against the team from Monterey (my dad’s hometown). Our VP Ralph Mariscal threw the first pitch.
As President of Glen Cove Community Association, my Vice-President and I toured the aftermath of a fire at Newt Creek among the incendiary eucalyptus trees. We hiked the site after it had been partially cleared because soon we will meet with the City of Vallejo’s City Manager and others to mitigate the risk of a future fire in this area. The difficulty of access for the Fire Department is a challenge in this particular area, despite our association’s activism to ensure that Fire Station 26 would re-open for better response time. The depth of this ravine made it unwieldy for the firefighters to fight the fire that started at night It’s a scary thought how close residents’ homes are right up each side. The City is looking at numerous options.
