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.

This is a statue by Pepe Ozan called Invocation which was presented to the city of San Francisco to…read morehonor the indigenous heritage of this region. It is located at Cesar Chavez and Vermont at the entrance to Highway 101 North.

What's that squiggly brass line, imbedded in the sidewalk along King Street? Answers here:…read moreLike parts of the Financial District, if you keep your eyes off your cell phone, you might notice these indicators of pre-landfill city edges. That means the Oracle Park Stadium, Ferry Building, & Transamerica Pyramid sit upon abandoned ships, dilapidated buildings, & assorted junk. Why? Because during the 1849 Gold Rush, hordes of new settlers working at the waterfront needed accommodations. There's a quote on the historical marker from the 1926 South of Market Journal: "Oh you Saints look don (sic) on the new made town. And tell me, pray, which way to go? Oh the shoreline's deranged and everything's changed. Tell me, pray, which way to go?"

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.

The Waterfront Warehouse "District" is not a business. Rather, it is a collection of historical…read morebuildings in the Jack London Square area of Oakland, CA. I'm giving 5 Stars because of the quality found here. This is Jack London Square. Anyone that lives here is in walking distance of everything from fresh fruit at farmers markets, to classes at the local community college. Business building, and residential building are a mix of brand new boxes, or renovated warehouses. Street parking is free. Garage parking can be found at Jack London Square. Jack London Square is within District 3, aka, "Western Oakland," a large area that currently includes all of the former West Oakland District and most of the former Chinatown/Central District. The freeway overpass can be used as the "border" between Jack London Square, and Chinatown Oakland. So much room to grow! The dry cleaners provides convenience. Breweries, sandwich shops, and a few other eateries, satisfy me after work. Where are the cigars? When do we get a serious dinner establishment? The Waterfront Warehouse District apparently has no office address, or phone number. Pick up a brochure of the Waterfront Warehouse District self-guided tour map from the Visit Oakland office, at the Waterfront Hotel, Jack London Square. Reference the noted historical status at --http://www.parks.ca.gov/ListedResources/Detail/N2094

The first thing that comes to mind about this city, Hallmark. It's such a cute and quaint beachside…read moretown. I have friends that have properties here which is a major plus for me. Gives me a reason to stay and check this place out. Of course what makes it sweet, we happened to be in town during the Fourth of July. Imagine a place you would see in a movie of a small town, it's here. Even arriving in the evening, it's not something you see back in the big city. Driving into town, the main strip of downtown, there were rows and rows of chairs and other items left out on the street. Reserved spot for the parade that was happening along the strip. And the park at the entrance had blankets and towels just laying out all day and night. You would never see something like that back in LA. It'll be gone by the time you get back. The main strip is basically the heart of town. Cute boutiques, mom and pop shops, a couple of amazing bakeries, bars and restaurants. Just browsing each stores and walking in, you literally feel like you're in a hallmark movie. And just the next block over, the waterfront. Catching the sunset after dinner or walking along the path, it's nice to experience something completely different from the hustle and bustle of the city. Just like your tiny town, places do close early. Restaurant tend to be closed around 8/9pm depending on where you are. We only checked out the main strip of downtown as the property was literally steps from it. Everyone was so friendly. We also happened to be there when the farmers market was happening. Thursday late afternoon was when it was held towards the end of the road. Vendors with their trinkets, baked goods, fresh fruits and vegetables and so on. Also a good amount of food stalls on hand. It does bring the people into town. From my first experience, I would say this city is so cute. Definitely will be back again, hopefully soon. And to see chairs just on the sidewalk overnight to reserved a spot, it was quite something. People respecting others properties.

We came to benicia for a dog meet up. I was a little hesitant to drive this far North. Most of what…read moreI know about benicia is from the news,and it's usually bad. It turns out that they have a really nice part of town near the marina. Plenty of restaurants and shops. I will definitely be coming back. Too bad it gets such a bad rap from all the refinery mishaps

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.

This navigational light is recognizable from miles away. It would be very interesting to view the…read moremethod used to build this place. Since the lightkeeper's "house" part is gone, and only the base it was built upon remains, I don't find the thing very pretty. Even the high visibility paint scheme has faded. At twilight or just before darkness, the thing is absolutely bland. The fog signal sounds are loud enough, and the scene so natural and quiet, the setting can take us back decades, to the time ship disasters occured here all too often. There are probably more than ten major historically interesting things that have happened where this light stands. This is also a COLREGS landmark. Depending on the direction of the swell, mariners can find this area a preferable spot to hideout from a big lump (big swells)