Newark, CA

Why is this turkey so thankful in Newark, Ca?

Well…I don’t know if this is a guy or a girl…I have no clue when it comes to turkeys.

He is thankful because he is wild and free. Today is Thanksgiving. He could be in the center of my table surrounded by mashed potatoes, cranberries, pumpkin pie and filled with stuffing.

Truth is: I took this picture in August in Newark. The turkey was in my neighbor’s front yard. I guess he was rooting around for a meal with no care or worry about becoming a meal himself.

Wild turkeys are not the first thing that homeowners or their Realtors think about in Newark. Newark is located, literally, circumscribed by Fremont, next to the lower San Francisco Bay. We see lots of geese and ducks but not turkeys.

I have often seen wild turkeys in the Fremont hills and homes in the Mission San Jose area of Fremont. I have seen them in Pleasanton and other Southern Alameda County cities. This was the first time I have seen a wild turkey in Newark.

I hope that he enjoys Thanksgiving as much as I will.

I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving, also.

I went down to the shopping center at the intersection of Jarvis Ave. and Newark Blvd. to get my hair cut. I drove into the lot by Dino’s Grill

and what should I find but collection of cars from members of the Classic Cruisers car club.

The car owners gather every Friday evening at Dino’s for dinner and to enjoy each other's company. These car guys are a special breed. One guy told me that he owned his Model A Ford over twenty years.

He has had it apart and put it back together again at least a half-dozen times. He is still working on it. He will probably go to his grave working on it.

Some of the cars – from the 1960’s – take me back to my own high school daze.

It was an unexpected treat to see the guys with their ladies and their cars.

When is the last time that you saw a Corvair pickup with a ramp side gate?

How about a Hudson Hornet?

YEAH!!!

At the May 18^th banquet at the Newark Hilton Hotel the coveted Viola Blythe Volunteer of the Year Award was given to Tim Jones for his volunteer work with the city's Graffiti Abatement Team. Tim wages an ongoing battle against blight, vandalism and tagging in the City of Newark. Thanks, Tim.

And thanks to the other award recipients: Steve Francis - Senior Award; Victor Verdugo - Youth Award; and the Newark Teen Advisory Group - Group Award.

These selfless folks who labor to make Newark a better community deserve the respect and thanks of all of us.

Yes! Thanks for all you do!

Newark, California, has the distinction of having the mayor who has the longest tenure of any mayor in California. After 33 years, Dave Smith has announced that he is not going to run for another term this coming November.

Smith was elected mayor when Jerry Brown was the Governor of California. Wait! Jerry Brown is Governor - not still - but again.

Proposition 13 had been passed by the voters of California when Dave first came into office. The controls on unbridled property tax growth made it a challenging time for the new mayor as well as for cities, counties and state government. It is another sign of déjà vu that the City of Newark, like so many California cities, counties and the State, itself, are facing daunting budget challenges once again.

Dave Smith will be missed. As a golfer, a musician, a fisherman, and a family man among other attributes, Mayor Smith will certainly find a way to fill his time. He is also deeply involved with the Ohlone College Foundation and will undoubtedly keep his hand in other community activities.

The citizens of Newark will elect a new Mayor when the time comes. The new Mayor will establish his/her own mark on the City.

Never-the-less, the memory of Mayor Dave Smith will be with us for quite some time to come.