The Soldiers Memorial Monument was dedicated on December 11, 1927 in honour of Contra Costa WWI…read moreveterans. It was rededicated on Memorial Day in 1998. I'm happy to see it still here after development has surrounded it. I walked around the Monument yesterday and have seen folks there many times for a commemoration (like Memorial Day) or even as an anti-war rally location. The structure looks more like an Obelisk and at the top of the tower are bas relief of soldiers. It's a fitting Monument and a place to pause, remember, and say thank you.

Erected nearly 100 years ago, the Soldiers Memorial Monument is the reason Monument Boulevard is…read morenamed as such. Pretty cool to think about that and the history behind the monument, which was erected in 1927, and commemorates soldiers of WWI. I love looking at it every time I drive-by on Contra Costa Boulevard (at Boyd), where it has been since 1954.

We stopped by one of the most amazing parks we've been to over the weekend! They had a play train,…read moresandbox with a water table, 2 playgrounds, swings and climbing rock structures and more! Would highly recommended taking your kiddos! Be back to explore more! SYOY! :-)

best park in walnut creek?…read more most prob, with such a perfect, outdoor ambiance for all types of activities, such as a walk with a friend, a picnic with the fam, read a book in the shade, or the nearby coffee shop(s) and the library time flew as a couple hours went by with our convo

Having been born and raised in the Bay Area, I come to appreciate the vast amount of unique cities…read morethat are offered. In this case, we take a look at the "City of Pleasant Hill". Nestled in Contra Costa County and located south of Martinez, west of Concord, and north of Walnut Creek, this city has been incorporated dating back to 1961. Here you will find the open space City Hall where there is a walkway arch and natural shrub surrounding it (which is where I captured a couple of pictures on a beautiful, warm spring afternoon). There is also Downtown Pleasant Hill (on Crescent Dr) which offers lots of great shopping, dining, and a nearby movie theater. And finally, there is the Pleasant Hill Park (off of Gregory Ln) which has a big play area for the kids, a bocce ball court, and lots of shaded areas on those warm summer days. What I particularly like about this area is that it has always felt "safe" to me yet it is not quite as diverse as other cities such as Berkeley, Oakland, and Richmond. They have a great school system, decent roads, and an overall above average community. Finally, many of the exits are right off the 680 freeway. With that said and done, I am giving the "City of Pleasant Hill" an above average four-star rating.

I love this area other than the fact that it's not always too clean in some areas…read more There's quite a bit of traffic overall but not as bad as over the bridge. There's so many stores and things to visit including hiking areas. Many trails , I love trails! It's not too cold so that's a bonus! Definitely check this town out!

If you haven't noticed I walk all over Martinez. If its publicly accessible me, my son and a…read morestroller have trekked to it. I've been scouting out photography spots in the evenings. In one of my neighborhood wonderings I found this fountain. It's very clean and open. I don't think very many people come and visit because there wasn't hardly any change in the water. Or maybe they had just cleaned it. Its located in front of some of the government offices so I may have an idea of where the change goes. We had a great family moment walking around the fountain. It's a free and fun place to spend an hour taking photos. I love it.

I've had occasion to hang out at Plaza Ignacio Park while waiting for my son at the nearby Boys &…read moreGirls Club. Martinez PD and other City Offices are located on the other end of the Park. Just drive along Alhambra Avenue near Downtown and you can't miss this place and its distinct fountain. The Plaza is a bright and open area that is perfect to walk around in or just sit for awhile. It is also used for various civic events and informal gatherings. Several of the benches are dedicated to friends and family who have passed. The park is named after Don Ignacio Nicanor Martinez who was the original grantee of the Rancho El Pinole, a portion of which is now the City of Martinez. Land for this plaza was donated to the citizens of Martinez by members of his family in 1849. This information is also on a plaque in the park. Both the City Hall and Boys and Girls Club Buildings were once part part of the old Martinez Grammar school (originally built in 1873). This building was replaced in 1909, and is now the Boys and Girls Club. In 1916 the school annex was built to accommodate a growing population as a result of the Shell Refinery construction. The annex is where City Hall is now and was acquired form municipal purposes in the mid-1950s. In between the school and the annex was a playground, which is where the plaza is now. Then in the mid-1970s, the Mayor led an effort to make this area a city park in honor of Martinez's Centennial as an incorporated City. A plaque near Henrietta Street has the inscription, "1876-1976 Plaza Ignacio Martinez."

Very quiet most of the time, the librarians are really kind and helpful, and it is very organized…read more I recommend this library.

What a great community library in Clayton. The library was clean and organized, and it seemed to be…read morewell stocked with books and movies that people could borrow. I also liked the fact that they offered a lot of chairs and tables for people to sit at, whether they'd want to read books, whip out their laptops to work or do homework. They also have a "teen" or "young adult" section where you would find a great selection of manga/Japanese comic books. The library staff were very nice and helpful. I just created my library card the other day, and the staff was very patient and friendly. I would definitely go back to the library to borrow some books and movies.

I'm not a religious person, but the Crosses of Lafayette transcend faith--they are a striking and…read moredeeply moving tribute to the human cost of war. The hillside, covered in thousands of white crosses, was created by local activists as a grassroots protest against the Iraq War (2003) and a memorial for fallen U.S. soldiers. While crosses are traditionally Christian symbols, they were chosen here as a simple, stark representation of individual lives lost. Over time, other symbols have been added to honor non-Christian service members as well. Regardless of one's beliefs, the installation sparks reflection on the impact of war and the importance of remembering those who have served. It's not just an art piece--it's a statement, a call for awareness, and a space for contemplation. Whether you support or oppose U.S. military actions, seeing the sheer number of markers drives home the human toll of war.

Here's a well-designed Veterans memorial plaza --made Hallowed and Sacred ground. That means never…read moreis yelling done here and no playing or games are to be played here. That includes pokeman players. I stood here to recognize, honor, respect, and grieve at the sacrifice of GIs. For they left too many pieces of their youth in too many battles for too many years. As I always do during our visits to any Veterans memorials, I cried silently. For over and over and over I kept hearing young voices. They were softly saying: when you go home, tell them of us and that for your tomorrows, we gave our today. All Veterans memorials commemorate that the highest obligation and privilege of citizenship is that of bearing arms for one's country. Veterans answered the call. Isaiah 6:8 ESV: And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me." Here is a memorial for those who wrote a blank check to the United States of America for up to and including their life. As I left, I remembered, all history, such as what is here, is prologue. February is Black History Month During World War I (28 July 1914 - 11 Nov 1918), despite rampant, violent and overt racism, more than 350,000 black Americans Served in US Army segregated units; 6,750 in US Navy though only allowed as coal heavers, messmen, stewards, and cooks; just over 5,000 in US Coast Guard as messmen others at segregated Life-Saving Stations there to aid ships in distress; the US Marines then barred all blacks. Approximately 1,200 of those holding US Army officer commissions during World War I were black. The French needed more military men during World War I and welcomed black Americans as equal comrades-in-arms. To French Army instructors, blacks were simply Americans to be trained for combat. The black Americans clearly excelled. The 369th Infantry regiment, later nicknamed the "Harlem Hellfighters", of which one Henry Johnson was a member, was among the first to arrive in France, and among the most highly decorated when it returned home. William Henry Johnson (circa 15 Jul 1892 - 1 Jul 1929), commonly known as Henry Johnson, enlisted 5 June 1917, in United States Army. Private Johnson performed heroically and above the call of duty in the first African American unit of the US Army to engage in combat in World War I. On watch in the Argonne Forest on 14 May 1918, he fought off a German raid in hand-to-hand combat, killing several enemy soldiers and rescuing a fellow soldier all while suffering 21 wounds. In 1918, the French government awarded Johnson with a Croix de Guerre with the highest Star and Bronze Palm. He was the first US soldier in World War I to receive that honor. Johnson's military heroism first came to national attention in an article by Irvin S. Cobb entitled "Young Black Joe" published in the 24 August 1918 Saturday Evening Post. Returning home, now-Sergeant Johnson participated with his 369th Infantry regiment in a victory parade on Fifth Avenue in New York City in February 1919. Veterans Bureau records show a "permanent and total disability" rating for tuberculosis granted to Johnson 16 September 1927. Additional Veterans Bureau records refer to him receiving monthly Veterans disability compensation and regular visits by Veterans Bureau medical personnel until his Service-connected all-too-early death 1 July 1929, in Washington, D.C. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery 6 July 1929. In November 1991, a monument was erected in Albany, New York's Washington Park in Johnson's honor, and a section of Northern Boulevard was renamed Henry Johnson Boulevard. The US Army awarded him awarded the Purple Heart in 1996, and in 2002, the Distinguished Service Cross. 4 September 2007, the Brighter Choice Foundation in Albany, New York, dedicated the Henry Johnson Charter School, with Johnson's granddaughter in attendance. A 1918 commercial poster honoring Johnson's wartime heroics was the subject of a 2012 episode of the PBS television series History Detectives. December 2014, City School District of Albany established a Junior Reserve Officers Training Program (JROTC) at Albany High School named the Henry Johnson Battalion in honor of him. The program currently enrolls over 100 cadets. 2 June 2015, he was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Barack Obama in a posthumous ceremony at the White House. 2017, Albany-area PBS station WMHT aired a documentary about Johnson titled Henry Johnson: A Tale of Courage. Johnson's story is recounted in the song Don't Tread on Me (Harlem Hellfighters) by the Ukrainian death metal band 1914 on their album Where Fear and Weapons Meet, released 22 October 2021. 24 May 2022, The Naming Commission recommended that Fort Polk in Leesville, Louisiana, be renamed Fort Johnson after Henry Johnson, rather than its former namesake, a confederate who had taken up arms again US.

REVIEW #2900! The…read moreVeterans Memorial Plaza was dedicated on May 31, 2004. It's located adjacent to Walnut Creek City Hall and was one place that Gayle walked me through on our very first date back on March 9, 2005. It consists of a tree-lined and landscaped plaza, granite walkways and facings, quiet places to sit, small pools of water, strategically placed inscriptions, and obelisks marked with the 5 main military branches - Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard. I returned for the 2011 Memorial Day ceremony that started across the street at the Civic Park Gazebo and finished up here. This year's theme was to honor the more tan 80,000 American soldiers who remain missing in action. The guest speaker was U.S. Navy Cmdr. Renee Richardson, who works for the U.S. Department of Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office in Washington, D.C. Although that address was very good, one other main highlight for me was the recognition of a citizen who had worn a POW/MIA bracelet for years, and donated it to her solder, as his remains were finally recovered and given a proper military burial. The theme of "Leave No One Behind" was very powerful at that point. The other key highlight was Gayle's son (a Marine Veteran) laying a wreath at the Plaza in in memory of service personnel who paid the ultimate sacrifice. And all this while his daughter, wife, parents, other family members, a Marine Honor Guard, a military plane overflight, and other citizens (including Veterans) bore witness.

Easy parking. Kinda hard to find if you don't know where you're at. Coming from Oakland, I'm used…read moreto a variety of different sizes of libraries. This one was fairly small and had somewhat of a small selection for adults. I was so jealous of the amount of books for kids lol. I think I'll try looking at the Pleasant Hill one next, as I heard it's a lot bigger and has a more variety of themes.

If my son will read the moment we get out of the library, it's a big plus. I'm having to balance…read morehis game time now since all his friends are online. But he needs to do his 30min reading first before he could play. I love that we still have a library where kids can learn how to borrow books, scan a library card, scan the books, and reserve books that are not available. Take advantage of our local library before they disappear in the tech world, and lose that community connection.