Nine Nibbles and a Scoop

Nibble One: Several downtown businesses are spiffing up their exteriors. Big O Tires is getting a new paint job; new animal portraits are painted on the walls of Boulevard Pet Hospital and bright flowerboxes are abloom; and the World Savings building is sporting its new Wachovia signs. (A clerk at the rechristened Wachovia has assured Your Boulevardier that the company plans to keep the building -- one of Your Boulevardier's favorite structures in Castro Valley -- and will retain the spectacular abstract sculpture that hangs from its ceiling.

Nibble Two: This wonderfully nonsensical sign was spotted in a Castro Valley storefront. (Readers can click on any photo for a larger view.)



Nibble Three: Your Boulevardier mis-spoke -- mis-blogged? -- earlier when he said that three Chinese restaurants were under construction along the Boulevard. One of the three is to be called Saigon Bistro, and thus is presumed to be a Vietnamese restaurant. It does not appear that much progress is being made on its construction.

Nibble Four: Your Boulevardier has decided not to rist the soda machine in front of Safeway.



Nibble Five: Your Boulevardier attended the Castro Valley High School Spirit Week parade to watch one of his youthful associates, Neveau de Boulevardier, march with the band. Classes were working within a board-game theme, and particularly impressive was the Junior Class float, modeled after Monopoly and sporting a silver car, a silver boot, a huge pair of dice, and an oversized Chance card reading "Take a Walk on Castro Valley Boulevard." Need Your Boulevardier say it? He heartily approves.

Nibble Six: This pocket cornfield was spotted behind the 76 Station at the corner of Strobridge Avenue and The Boulevard.



Nibble Seven: Trick-or-treating will occur from 3 to 5 p.m. on Halloween afternoon at Castro Village. But parents already know this.

Nibble Eight: Your Boulevardier is on the lookout for public murals and front-yard garden sculptures around town. If readers would like to recommend artworks, please send tips to your.boulevardier@gmail.com.

Nibble Nine: a World War II-era B-17 was heard, then seen, flying over Castro Valley this morning. It is believed to be the Liberty Belle, which will be offering flights out of Hayward Airport next weekend. (The rate is steep -- $430 for a half-hour -- but with only a dozen of these planes still flying of the 12,731 produced for the war, perhaps it's not too much.)

And the Scoop: Your Boulevardier has learned that Cinelux plans to upgrade the seating in the Chabot Cinema later this year, and in 2008 will install digital projection equipment capable of displaying 3-D images. These upgrades are being done to preempt competition that is expected from the theater complex now under construction (after many delays) in downtown Hayward.