Round and round the roundabout
This week I revisited the new roundabouts on Central Avenue to see how the construction was proceeding. I can report that the “rounds” in the roundabouts are finished and are really a lot of fun. There are still some lane closures, and I don’t recommend driving in the area when the students at Encinal High are arriving or leaving. Also, if you get carsick, you may want to avoid these structures all together.
Here are some instructions on how to navigate a roundabout.
I had some time to go through the archives of “Bear’s-Eye View” reports and found the image of the old Islamic center before the new building was constructed. What a nice improvement from the old cleaners. Was this a gas station at one time? It has that gas station look.
While walking around the Gold Coast neighborhood, I saw some street repairs that took into account the sprawling nature of the street tree. I thought this was a great solution to the ongoing sidewalk and street damage due to root growth.
This week there were a few curious sightings and I hope readers can provide more background. First up are these little colored boxes hanging in trees. What is their function? Next, who are the Alameda Gators? Do bay swimmers need to be worried? Finally, I need to know if these leaning utility poles pose any threat of falling?
While heading to the post office in South Shore, I saw a crew throwing away the Whales and Friends awnings and thought they might have closed. The good news is that they just moved to another location in the mall. I love looking in the window of this local business and am glad they are still around.
As a public service, I wanted to remind everyone to be sure you respond to these orange tags that the City puts on cars when they think the vehicle is inoperable, abandoned, or that one neighbor is mad at another neighbor. If you don’t move the car, the City will tow it at the owner’s expense. I understand it can cost a lot of money to reclaim the car, because one has to not only pay for the tow, but then there are daily storage charges.
I will end this report with an inspirational image. May your blooms grow big and colorful!
Mouf, Roving Reporter
Bear’s-Eye View of Alameda
Mouf and his human companion can be reached via [email protected]. Their stories are collected at AlamedaPost.com/Jeff-Cambra/. All photos and videos by Jeff Cambra.
