PROPOSAL: "To demolish a historic Art Deco building and replace it with a new commercial…read morebuilding." Now I admit I do not know all the details, but for some reason this just doesn't sound like good judgment. But before I jump to any conclusions I want to know more of the details. HERE'S WHAT I DO KNOW: In today's "Tiburon Talk," email newsletter of the Town of Tiburon, there is a short article titled "Harbor Lights Building Proposed to be Replaced." The brief article states that an application has been filed to demolish and replace the historic Art Deco building with a "new commercial building." I had a little trouble getting to the guts of this plan because there are a couple of phrases in the article that made it difficult to concentrate on the ramifications of demolishing this building. "USED AS A SALOON OR BAR SINCE BEYOND LIVING MEMORY . . ." "LOCAL WAGS SAY EVEN PROHIBITION DID NOT FAZE THE LIQUOR-DISPENSING FROM THE HARBOR LIGHT." FROM THE LITTLE WE KNOW I HAVE QUESTIONS: Why would we want to demolish this building? It is on Main Street along with numerous other historic buildings. Since it apparently is unsafe in its current condition, why not repair it and maintain it as yet another of wonderful historic building in this little town? Am I just being a sentimental fool? After all, this is not my hometown. I was not raised here. Should we just rip out all the old buildings and replace them with "new commercial buildings?" Of course if we do that, it won't be Tiburon anymore . . . . if we do, we might as well change the name to something more commercially viable . . . how about Utopia? or Scottsdale? or Alpharetta? Taliesman (further) West? I have a suggestion - instead of just a Design Review Board, how about a Historic Styles Committee? Let's not only make sure the design is appropriate, but let's also make sure we don't lose our character and history. Five stars for a historic building One star for folks that always want to rip everything out Three stars and holding . . . Final stars . . . after we see if $$$ win.

Wow, talk about an engineering site to see in Walnut Creek! If you so happen to be running,…read morewalking, biking, or hiking through the Contra Costa Iron Horse Trail, then you've probably been stopped by this clam-shaped suspension bridge upon first sight. As you cross it, you'll start to notice the steel side towers that basically look like an outer shell of a clam. Attached from tower to tower are the hanging support cables. From the top, the hanging cables loop once, hold up, and essentially suspend the walkway. The walkway is only about 10 feet wide, but the length of the bridge extends across the busy eight lanes of Treat Blvd. To me, this landmark really represents the good people that live in this city. This is one modern bridge that I feel people should really (for once) stop, analyze, and appreciate the geometry of this structure. Although this bridge isn't historic or has the popularity of the Golden Gate or Oakland-Bay Bridge, the gems of San Francisco; This architectural beauty truly is the pearl of Walnut Creek.

BRIDGE TROLL The…read moreonly trolls that pass under this bridge are the ones driving up and down Treat. I'm sure lots of motorists fall into that category, especially around commute times. But you can safely cross over Treat Blvd. using this pedestrian/cyclist bridge, and you don't even have to wait for the light to turn green. The walking trails and canal trails lead all around town. Intersections with cool bridges for the exercise enthusiasts make these trails even more enjoyable. I love walking over streets and not making cars stop while I try to get across.

SALE!!!! FIRE SALE!!! I cannot believe "This Old Firehouse" hehehe is for Sale. Noooooooooo…read more http://outsidelands.org/firehouse/ The firehouse of Engine Company 33, was built in 1896. It is located in the Historic San Francisco Neighborhood of Oceanview. On "Church Row" my term AKA Broad Street 94112. Oceanview is my hood 'member?? O.M.I Fool!! I told you. I live in "Ingleside" but the entire neighborhood is chiama... what OMI. Oceanview is also known as Lakeview. I could spend days "Yelping" about this neighborhood. I am going to be doing walking tours of my hood in "Spring 2008" when it heats up a bit. Back in the day...and thanks to Outsidelands.org and the Western Neighborhood Project for the History. All Props due. I love them. The Ocean View, as a village, was self-contained. It had its own police station, a post office, fire station, bakery, school and not a few saloons. Ocean View Branch Library was the 15th branch established in the San Francisco Public Library system. On January 2, 1902, the first "library deposit station" was opened in the Ocean View district. The Ocean View Branch Library opened in 1903 on Broad Street near the corner of Capitol Avenue. But the Firehouse ya'll....dam!! I want it. Where is my benefactor?? Victorian style Engine Co.33 was built on property purchased in 1895 from Delia and Albert Hall for the price of $350.00. Designed by Charles R. Wilson and constructed entirely of redwood, the firehouse has 20 foot ceilings on two floors. The building facade incorporates Classical Revival architectural influences with symmetrical and geometric embellishments. The hose drying tower is three stories tall, rising over sixty feet above the street. Located in the Southwest corner of San Francisco in the Ocean View district, this firehouse was originally built to protect a woman's college planned for the neighborhood, but was never built. Ten years later, after the 1906 Earthquake and Fire, this area famous for its wild flowers and frog ponds, started being developed as residential neighborhood. In 1896 there was a fire in a munitions factory in Colma, and Engine 33 was dispatched to assist in fighting the blaze. This was the first San Francisco act of mutual aid to a neighboring fire department. When the Department was converting to motorized apparatus between 1912 and 1922, Engine 33 was one of the last two companies to bid farewell to their horse-drawn apparatus. In 1974 the firehouse was deactivated and Engine 33 was moved to new quarters nearby at 8 Capitol Street. Since 1977, this firehouse has been privately owned by Robert and Marilyn Katzman, SFFD Historical Society members and two of San Francisco's most flamboyant fire buffs. The Katzman's open their 110 year old firehouse, which is a "living museum of San Francisco history" to the public by appointment. The couple also provides a unique way to tour the City - in their beautifully restored 1955 Mack Fire Engine. Their famous Golden Gate Bridge tour includes authentic fire gear to keep you warm on San Francisco's foggy days. I am not as Crazy as Lillian Coit "Coit Tower" Firemen Chasing Woman....well if I had her Millions.....hmmm? I do like knowing the History of San Francisco Neighborhoods... especially West of Twin Peaks. It is a Multi-Ethnic hood. People for the most part are friendly...like old time San Francisco...before the Dot.Commies and The New Yorkers and other Transplants.... The old "Tower of Power" San Francisco Vibe.... Wear Flowers in your hair.... I am such a Hippy Chick. 94132 Yelpin' about what she knows.... The OMI.

We took the Fire Engine Tour with Capt. Bob and Co-Captain Marilyn and had a blast!!! Even though…read morewe couldn't see the Golden Gate for the fog, they gave us a trip to remember - singing along, taking pictures and just generally having a great time. When they found out my husband had been stationed at the Presidio, they even took a spin around the Parade Ground so he could see his old barracks! What a great treat! These are people who care about giving their customers the best time - and they succeed beautifully!

Certainly in Golden Gate Park there's tons of statues to look at. It actually is one of the fun…read morethings to do seeing how many statues you can come across here. The Francis Scott Key Monument is one of these. Maybe it's controversial. You can still admire the architecture of anything because a lot of work went into it obviously. A lot of classic statues in this park you can come across. It's in a pretty good location. This is located next to the California Academy Of Sciences and the De Young Museum. For sure there's a lot to see around here. This monument attracted lots of controversy because Francis Scott Key was a slave owner. In 2020 protestors had enough and tore down the statue in the wake of the George Floyd murder. The rest of the monument still stands. It's surrounded by the Dana King installation Monumental Reckoning, a tribute to the first African slaves brought to this country. This helps to alleviate some of the historic pain of slavery. Has an interesting history about it. It's controversial in the context its namesake was a slave owner. This offers an opportunity to reflect and think about how things could better for minorities and whoever.

"O say can you see, by the dawn's early light,..."…read more A tribute to the author of the song, Star-Spangled Banner, this monument to Francis Scott Key, a lawyer, is at the Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. It is located on the Music Concourse near the amphitheater. This landmark, made of travertine, was designed by William Wetmore Story and was built in 1887. William was a law student at Harvard, but he switched careers and became a sculptor. James Lick, a businessman in San Francisco, donated $60,000 to have it made. He was in Baltimore, Maryland when the British were bombing Fort McHenry. At that time, the US flag only had 15 Stars and 15 Stripes! The Star-Spangled Banner became our National Anthem in 1931, under President Herbert Hoover. It actually started out as a poem (Defence of Fort M'Henry), so - Francis Scott Key just wrote the lyrics! The music came from a song called "The Anacreontic Song" by John Stafford Smith, an Englishman!. How many times have you heard this song sung before a sporting event? "...O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?"

Jules Verne was neither the first nor the last to imagine livable, journeyable realms at Earth's…read morecenter. Gwynn Murrill's depiction of mother & child stand atop vast gulfs of lower denizens and traces of exotic lands. Twenty thousand leagues or more are home to cats soaring among fish, birds swimming with apes, dancers and boats and all manner of Earth's children.

Nice facility with open space for visitors, but difficult to operate a business for those visitors…read moreand customers. The staff try hard, but the organization has continuous disconnects between different operating units that increase costs and reduce performance. Nice to visit...tough to run customer-focused business.

We couldn't have come here on a more perfect day. Sun in shining, kids in the park. We walked…read morearound this area quite a bit and spent a few hours here between the Disney Family Museum, Lucasfilm, and just enjoying the sites. Fun seating out front too.

Bordering the Embarcadero, there's a nice fountain that uses recycled water and offers CUSHIONS to…read moresit on! Sweet! Home of several businesses and firms and very close to the temporary transbay terminal.

The residential units here are one of my favourite in the city. Close to everywhere. Great hoa…read moremanagement. Neighbors are friendly and low key. Like other residential communities, getaway building, 101 lombard, etc., you have easy access to crunch gym, fine dining places, downtown, fidi, shopping mall etc. the only downside is the traffic. Difficult to get out if there is a game day. Other than, it s a wonderful place to live/ or invest.

This statue of Beethoven sits right next to Cal Academy of Sciences and across from the Music…read moreConcourse at Golden Gate Park. There's nothing too extravagant about the statue itself (especially when compared to the Giuseppe Verdi statue nearby), but it has an interesting history of how it came to be, here in SF, which is cool to know. It is a replica of Henry Baerer's original sculpture located in New York's Central Park, with Beethoven's facial expression portraying him as a very serious character. The monument was gifted by the Beethoven Maennerchor (Men's Choir) of New York in 1915, the dedication ceremony occurring alongside other German-American events taking place in SF... German Day at the Panama Pacific International Exposition, and the Beethoven Festival of Music with great works of the famous composer being performed in concert (his final symphony). The statue was cloaked in German and American flags before its unveiling. This sculpture of Ludwig van Beethoven now stands as a symbol of culture and history, an inspiration to musicians and those who admire his classical genius, and appreciation of the great composer and pianist.

The Beethoven portrait here -- an inspiration to all who love music and its sound, artists and non…read more- artists alike. Great!