The Piedmont Recreation Department's Walking on Wednesdays group had some special visitors last Wednesday, October 16. The walkers previously enjoyed visits by Piedmont Fire Chief Bret and his wife, Nimai, and several Piedmont Police officers. Last week the group was joined by Piedmont Education Foundation board chair Christine and school superintendent Randy Booker.
With a school parcel tax on the ballot on November 5, the timing seemed appropriate.
The 23 walkers and four K-9 best friends were pleased to have Randy and Christine join them, and answer questions about Measures G & H. It was recognized that one of the na- ton's current problems is that communication between its citizens and political leaders with differing views is not happening.
Randy knew the group likes to walk so he made an initial short presentation in which he provided an overview of the school district, the new three-story classroom building being constructed, and the two tax measures. He then joined them for a 90-minute, two-mile walk on Piedmont streets, answering questions along the way.
Earlier in the Spring the walkers enjoyed the flowers that bloomed in Piedmont at different times of the year. While the region doesn't get the dramatic changes in foliage color that other parts of the country enjoy, there are fall color changes in Piedmont. So, they headed to the 400 block of Wildwood Avenue, between Highland and Crocker Avenues, now a blaze of red leaves.
Walking down Highland Avenue to Wildwood, they encountered a sign of the times, the Wildwood Dad's Club Pumpkin Patch sign that appears every year at this time. Shaped like a pumpkin, the sign directs people to Coaches Field for the Wildwood Dads Pumpkin Patch. Halloween was everywhere, with ghosts, skeletons, zombies, tombstones, huge spiders, and large spider webs in front yards. The walkers felt relived their walks were not at night.
Turning left on Wildwood Avenue, they were taken aback by the striking red leaves on the long line of Autumn Blaze maple trees lining the street. Priscilla remarked how much brighter their red was compared to a few days before. At the top of the street they walked through the Hall Fenway. Its spring daffodil and azaleas flowers, that the walkers had en- joyed a few months before, were now just memories. Down Crocker Avenue the group went to visit Lafayette and Muir Avenues, two beautiful streets that are seldom walked by other than residents and neighbors. Then it was back to the Exedra via Crocker and Highland.