Around The World To Castro Valley

Your Boulevardier spotted a flyer in the window of Eden Bicycles for a program that looks fascinating. On Saturday, April 10 a t 7:00 p.m., Castro Valley native Rick Gunn will present "Soulcycler" at the Center for the Arts. This multimedia program will feature words and images from Gunn's three-year, 25,811-mile bicycle journey around the world.

Tickets are $10 general, $5 for students. Check Rick Gunn's website, linked above, for more info about Soulcycler.

Echo of the Arts

Your Boulevardier passed the under-construction McDonald's on a walk this blustery morning. Construction is moving apace, though the structure looks nothing like what one might think a McDonald's should look like. In fact, from one angle the new structure looked vaguely familiar.


A walk down the Boulevard and up Redwood Road confirmed (somewhat) Your Boulevardier's suspicion: the gentle arc over the McDonald's facade is not unlike that over the Castro Valley Center for the Arts.

It must actually be said that the McDonald's arc is more stylish. It's gently asymmetrical and airy, while that of the Center for the Arts is plain and heavy. Still, the resemblance is notable.


On the rest of his walk, Your Boulevardier noted a number of other recent buildings with similar arcs, including the remodeled Safeway and the new Taco Bell, both of which are on Redwood Road. (Those buildings' arcs are much less prominent in the designs than the previous two mentioned above.) And, of course, the Wachovia (née World Savings) building is a favorite, but much older, example.

Wudas Is Right

There are fewer things online that are more pathetic than an abandoned blog. One of those things is a blog with a long hiatus followed by a post reading "Sorry it's been so long since there has been a post."

The Castro Valley Boulevardier falls into the second category.

The usual excuse applies: real life has been busy. Several things have been noted by Your Boulevardier, but he has not taken time to post on them. For example:

• A couple of weekends ago, several of the concrete trash bins on Castro Valley Boulevard were knocked over. They were righted within a day or so.
• Other vandalism seemed to spike as summer drew to a close. The pedestrian overcrossing over Highway 580, frequented by Your Boulevardier, was tagged again, and promptly cleaned up again. Your Boulevardier is pleased that the appropriate authorities are staying vigilant to it.
• Restaurants have come and restaurants have gone. The Indian restaurant in the Village, the Vietnamese place across from Pete's Hardware, and the "Theme Unknown" place by Kragen Auto Parts are among the openings. (Your Boulevardier has not tried any of them.) Closed are Fongs, Peking Village, and Pancho's. Meanwhile, Bangkok 580 fell victim to a takeover robbery.
• The cloudy creek question (the post on which prompted Wudas to remind Your Boulevardier to update the blog) was resolved, and it appears the problem was simply construction erosion upstream. If Your Boulevardier appeared alarmist, he apologizes.
• Your Boulevardier participated in Barefoot Boot Camp at Castro Valley Yoga in the third week of August. The upper body is still complaining, though proud to have made it. It's amazing and heartening to think that a dozen people would be up and exercising at 6:00 a.m. for six consecutive days!
  
• School has opened, and it is pleasing to Your Boulevardier to see children walking to their classes. Still, school zones continue to be dangerous places for pedestrians, what with distracted parents driving their offspring while engaging in telephone conversations, eating breakfast, or attending to their grooming.
  
• For Sale signs, and vacant properties, seem to be appearing more frequently around town, at least in Your Boulevardier's home district of Baywood.
• Your Boulevardier saw a poster for a Green training class co-sponsored by the Castro Valley Sanitary District and the Castro Valley Adult School, upcoming on September 27. More information can be found at the Adult School website (appropriately enough, on Mr. Green's welcome page.)
• A production of Carousel is coming to the Center For The Arts later in September. One can't go wrong with Rogers and Hammerstein.
• Castro Valley product Rachel Maddow is getting a regular MSNBC show. Your Boulevardier does not partake of intense political coverage from any portion of the spectrum, so he has not seen the show; but he knows friends of Maddow's parents, and hears that they are rightfully proud of their daughter.
  

For now, this list of tidbits will have to suffice. Again, Your Boulevardier apologizes for the long drought of new material.

Your Boulevardier Does Not Understand Show Business

An article appeared in last Wednesday's Daily Review, announcing that two Castro Valley High alumnae, singer Alice Lynn and and cellist Kathleen Davis Blair, will appear in a fund-raiser for the Castro Valley Center for the Arts on February 29. Sounds lovely.

The article also said the fund-raising performance will be held at Redwood Chapel.

Why is it not being held at the Center itself?

'Nixon' Off The Schedule?

Your Boulevardier has read a report that Trinity Lyric Opera may not present John Adams' "Nixon in China" this year after all due to a disagreement with the publisher. One hopes that this misunderstanding can be cleared up.