Seeing Yellow

Your Boulevardier hopes that you will partake of a banana split at Knudsen's Ice Creamery this weekend, in spite of the winter-like weather. On a jaunt this morning to Costco to pick up new glasses -- his first with progressive lenses -- Your Boulevardier encountered the redoubtable Dave Knudsen loading the trunk of his vehicle with several boxes of the golden Cavendishes.

Between the Storms

The weather has not been conducive to walking of late, what with rainstorms upon hailstorms upon windstorms. Although more rain is reportedly on the immediate horizon, we have had two dry days now and Your Boulevardier leapt at the opportunity to get out of the house this morning for a jaunt to the West End.

It was not a pedestrian-friendly morning. Several drivers spoke on their mobile phones while rolling through stopsigns. Others were merely distracted by things other than driving, or perhaps oblivious to one man on foot.

Still, Your Boulevardier had one very pleasant exchange, with a young woman sweeping the sidewalk in front of Valley Cleaners. It seems like such a basic shopkeeper's activity, sweeping the sidewalk, but one sees it so rarely.

Progress on the new building behind the Starbucks On Stilts was checked, as was progress on the former Tony & Ted's Liquor Store. A large crew was at work on the former, and little progress seems to have been made on the latter. Your Boulevardier is also sorry to note that Maryantiques, the shop run by Mrs. Francis, is closing.

The pedestrian-hostile nature of the Boulevard is, it must be said, at least partially to blame. Stores well-served by cars, such as Pete's Hardware, Starbucks, and even Valley Cleaners (with its drive-through) do well, while a gift and antiques shop such as Maryantiques suffers from lack of foot traffic. Certainly not from lack of trying. Your Boulevardier hopes that redevelopment plans for the Boulevard take the pedestrian situation into account. Personally, I believe that fewer traffic lanes and diagonal parking would serve residents, shoppers, and shopkeepers better than a wider Boulevard.

Postscript: Your Boulevardier has heard a rumor that a Peet's Coffee Shop will take over a spot in the strip mall by Safeway, at the corner of Redwood Road and Castro Valley Boulevard.

The Point of Recycling

It has been many, many days since Your Boulevardier has shared his thoughts in this forum, and for that he apologizes. Professional responsibilities -- yes, he has them -- have kept Your Boulevardier ensconced in his cozy office. But this morning an exception was made, and as storm clouds are brewing once again, Your Boulevardier decided to stroll a bit before the weather arrived in earnest.

It must be said that Your Boulevardier, for all practical purposes, had Castro Valley Boulevard to himself. Vehicle traffic was light, and pedestrian traffic practically non-existent; perhaps three fellow walkers were encountered. None seemed particularly in the mood to interact, so no interaction was had.

The lack of company gave Your Boulevardier a chance to admire, and now comment on, the new recycling structures appended to the civic trash receptacles. Shaped somewhat like the ancient pyramids of Egypt, these bins have round holes on two faces for cans and bottles, and messages of environmental encouragement on the other two faces. According to the Castro Valley Sanitary District, ten of said pyramids now grace our streets in a pilot program. According to the district, the structures themselves are made of 60% recycled stainless steel (this I believe) and hold up to 40 beverage containers (unbelievable, unless my fellow citizens are partaking only of liquor purchased aboard airliners).

Nevertheless, Your Boulevardier welcomes the addition of these pyramids to the streetscape, in part because he has a personal aversion to bottles -- especially broken bottles -- on the roads of our fair town.