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August 2012 Rove Among the Roses at Osage Park
Serving Alamo and Diablo
By Jody Morgan The breathtaking display of roses accessible free of charge at Danville’s Osage Station Park beckons visitors of all ages. Memorial beds along the jogging path display 1,417 rose bushes, and 104 climbers adorn fences and arbors. The Veterans Memorial Circle at the north parking area honors all who have served, are serving, or will serve in our armed forces with another 91 roses. Roses near the tennis courts off Orange Blossom Way also cause passersby to pause. Thanks to the symbiotic relationship between Danville’s park superintendent John Teixeira and three volunteer groups (Diablo Women’s Garden Club, AlamoDanville Newcomers Club and Danville Garden Club), the roses are pruned, fed,
Newcomers Jackie LeJeune, Dianne Folsom, and Melinda Hoertz-Serpan
weeded, and deadheaded so that the public can enjoy their heady fragrance and wealth of blossoms without lifting a finger. In January the town does the hard pruning. “Some people wait until we prune to do their own roses,” John notes. A handful of gardeners also stop by to collect cuttings of their favorite roses to root.
See Roses continued on page 22
Crosswalk Improvements Finally a Reality at Alamo School By Sharon Burke For more than a year an unusual and dedicated coalition composed of a parent, a school principal, a County public works engineer, a CHP officer, a Contra Costa Sheriff's deputy, and the District 2 Supervisor and her staff have been working on a solution to improve pedestrian safety at the Alamo School crosswalk on Livorna Road. Their efforts have led to a significant crosswalk improvement of flashing safety lights to be installed in late August by Contra Costa County Public Works. The ribbon cutting ceremony is scheduled for 10am on Sunday, August 26th, at the crosswalk where Livorna Road meets Wilson Road. The effort was sparked by parent Janice Alamillo, whose home is just 700 yards from the school but is crucially located south of the school, across busy Livorna Road. Her three children have never been able to walk or bike to their neighborhood school, due to the dangerous crosswalk, which is located just after a hill which blocks driver sightlines coming from the west. This is not a problem for her children's schoolmates who live north of Livorna Road. On any given day, many schoolchildren can be spotted walking and biking to Alamo School on the north side of the street.
See Crosswalk continued on page 25
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Alamo Music Festival to be Held September 8th Come on out to the Alamo Rotary Club’s 30th annual Music & Wine Festival. The event will take place from noon to 10PM at Alamo Plaza on Saturday, September 8th. The Music and Wine Festival has become “Alamo’s Block Party” and will feature food, wine, music, dancing, and other activities for the entire family. The event is the principal fundraiser for the Alamo Rotary Club’s efforts to support music programs in our local schools. Starting at noon, kids can enjoy the popular rock climbing wall, inflatable jump houses, and a steam train. School music groups will perform starting at 1PM. The San Ramon High School Band and the Monte Vista High School Band will perform, followed by the Jazz Bands from San Ramon Valley High and Stone Valley Middle School. The Alamo Elementary School Choir will perform at 5PM. Music Festival headliners are “The Fundamentals,” the Bay Area’s “premier party band,” and “Alma Desnuda,” which offers its own brand of “California Acoustic Soul.” The “Flyright Sisters” will also perform swing and boogie-woogie classics. The professional entertainment program will start at 6PM. This will be the first appearance at the Festival for all three groups. Volume XII - Number 8 Two excellent local restaurants, 3000F Danville Blvd. #117, Faz and Maggierays, will serve dinner Alamo, CA 94507 from 5:30 to 8PM. The Alamo Rotary Telephone (925) 405-NEWS, 405-6397 Club will also bring back the popular Fax (925) 406-0547 “Burger Barn,” which will offer premiAlisa Corstorphine ~ Publisher um sausages, hot dogs, and hamburgers Editor@yourmonthlypaper.com Sharon Burke ~ Writer all day long. sburke@yourmonthlypaper.com Fine wines and beers will be available The opinions expressed herein belong to the writers, and do throughout the day and will feature wines not necessarily reflect that of Alamo Today. Alamo Today
See Festival continued on page 30
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