The Piedmont Recreation Department's new program, short walks for adults on Wednesday
mornings will continue weekly. Everyone is invited. Meet at the Exedra (at the corner of Highland
and Magnolia Avenue) at 10:30 a.m. each Wednesday. No signups are required, so come for a casual walk in town. Senior members of the community are especially encouraged to participate.
Last week's walk was to Dracena Park to learn about some of its history as a lake and later a
quarry.
Patty White, Piedmont's cheerful former mayor, who lives not far from the park, offered to lead the walkers. Many brought their dogs, as Dracena Park's Dog Run is a familiar place for four-footed friends throughout the city.
Before heading to Dracena, the group stopped at the police station for some early Piedmont history.
White explained that the original jail cell was taken from a sailing vessel and put inside the
police station. The group learned that the notorious gangster Al Capone stayed at the jail cell the
day before he was taken to Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary where he would spend the rest of his
days in confinement. Who knew?
Upon arriving at Dracena Park the walkers were given some early history of the park and about
the construction of Storyteller Bridge, which replaced an early bridge from the 1920s. White provided some history of the lower part of the park, which was originally a lake, then became a quarry, with rock used to pave streets in Oakland.
Come join the next Wednesday Walk and learn a little about the city. Dogs made their first appearance last week, and seemed to have as much fun as their two-legged friends.