“Turkey One-Niner: You are clear for takeoff.”
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During my tenure at the Bear’s-Eye View of Alameda, I have seen many turkeys roaming around the city and causing traffic jams by blocking streets during their daily wanderings. Up until now, I have never seen one go airborne and—judging by their coefficient of lift to weight ratio—I was questioning their ability to fly.
Last week, I personally witnessed several of the birds defy gravity by flying up and roosting in a very tall tree on Alameda Avenue. I want to thank my human companion (HC) for having the patience to hang around long enough to capture one of the take offs.
January 21st was Squirrel Appreciation Day, and since these bushy-tailed critters are a major voting block in the city, I decided to investigate their history, and how they rose to power. (Yes, I am still working through the trauma of being surrounded by squirrels, but I am able to hold it together even when surrounded by 20 of the little angels.)
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According to the National Today website [3], squirrels weren’t present in American cities until 1847 when the City of Philadelphia dropped a bunch of Urban Gray Squirrels off in Franklin Square. A few cities followed suit, but the introduction failed, because there wasn’t sufficient habitat, and people shot them over concerns they would compete with birds and “lead to insect problems.”
In the 1870s, New York, Boston, Washington D.C., Chicago, and other urban centers built larger parks with trees and landscaping that provided a more conducive environment for the little guys to thrive. Squirrel Appreciation Day was started by Christy Hargrove, a wildlife rehabilitation specialist in Asheville, North Carolina, in 2001 to “encourage kind attitudes towards our bushy-tailed neighbors by setting out food and water…”
Perhaps the most notable member of the squirrel family is Rocket J. “Rocky” Squirrel, the infamous sidekick and ally of Bullwinkle – a Western Moose that appeared on American televisions in 1959 [4].
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For those who are keeping up with the ongoing major renovation project at 1617 Central Avenue, you enjoyed a white Christmas of sorts. In mid-December, the crew painted most of the building, including the newly installed curved siding and the support columns for the front entry. In addition to the new paint job, PG&E was on site running what I am going to assume was a new gas line to accommodate the units in the building.
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Prior to the 2024 election, I had noticed a campaign sign for a person who was running for a seat on the EBMUD District 5 board. Someone had put the sign on a utility pole which I think is not allowed, because it’s considered public property. Well, we are now way past the election, and there are at least four signs still up. Any thoughts on how to get these signs down?
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The Alameda Fire Department was out on Grand Street a few weeks ago checking out one of the big apartment buildings. Since nobody was dressed in firefighting gear, I assume this was some type of inspection. I guess when one works for the fire department, they prefer to take the ladder rather than the elevator.
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On January 1st, a new law went into effect that prohibits parking within twenty feet of an intersection as one approaches the intersection. Ken Der, another trusty reporter for the Alameda Post, did a great job of explaining how the law works and, most importantly, how the Alameda Police Department will be enforcing the new law [9].
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Even though this particular yard sale will be over by the time this report hits the street, I thought it was worth showing the sign. I loved the artwork that accompanied the usual text.
In closing, I cannot believe that we are almost all the way through January. Time is flying by.
Happy Lunar New Year.
Mouf, Roving Reporter
Bear’s-Eye View of Alameda
Mouf and his human companion can be reached via [email protected] [11]. Their stories are collected at AlamedaPost.com/Jeff-Cambra/ [12]. All photos and videos by Jeff Cambra.